Home

Previous Entry | Next Entry

FCBD 2008 - The Unusual Suspects

  • May. 11th, 2008 at 10:05 AM

The photos below are from Free Comic Book Day 2008, hosted by Atomic Comics, and featuring the first ever group signing of all seven of the Image Comics founders. I was hanging at dinner with my old friend Jim Valentino (who invited me to publish with Image in the late 90's), but also really, REALLY hit it off with the fellow below - the one all of the other Image guys acknowledge as the best artist of the group when he's on his game.

Look for a James Owen / Whilce Portacio collaboration in the near future. We're going to do some cool stuff together.

How's THAT for a tease?



Back in 1992, at my very FIRST STARCHILD signing at B&T Comics in Chandler, Arizona, a woman in line had me sign a book for her kid, then proceeded to grill me for half an hour about how to help her son prepare for a career as a comic book artist. She was polite, but firmly insistent, and I did the best I could to pass on what I knew so that her son could do what he needed to do to follow his bliss.

Apparently (among many other factors, I'm sure) my counsel helped - because young Benjamin (Glendenning) is now doing comics, and doing a great job at that. Below is a photo of myself and Ben with his wife Julie.



These guys can collectively cause more trouble than anyone else I know - except for maybe the next table over, and the one to the left of this shot, which included Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Tony Parker, and the Glendennings. Ben took this shot, which pictures Whilce, Jim Valentino, me, and Mike Kunkel.

Trouble, I tell you. Every one of us.

Comments

( Leave a comment )
[info]scribblerworks wrote:
May. 11th, 2008 05:30 pm (UTC)
Looks like a fun time was had by all.
| Reply | Thread
[info]lisa_marli wrote:
May. 11th, 2008 06:21 pm (UTC)
Oh No! A Comic Book Gang! Highly dangerous. Since we all know that learning to read and think is dangerous.
Glad you all had fun.
| Reply | Thread
[info]klwilliams wrote:
May. 11th, 2008 09:27 pm (UTC)
What, no women?
| Reply | Thread
[info]coppervale wrote:
May. 12th, 2008 12:19 am (UTC)
Five significant others and one Atomic employee.

Not NEARLY enough women.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]klwilliams wrote:
May. 12th, 2008 12:36 am (UTC)
Over the years I've noticed a lot more women at comics conventions, but not so many new female comics creators. Too bad. Nobody has ever gotten Wonder Woman right.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]coppervale wrote:
May. 12th, 2008 12:46 am (UTC)
My friend Colleen Doran (pictured here several times) has been a comics mainstay for years... and Gail Simone is making a good run on WW right now...

http://comicnewsi.com/article.php?catid=231&itemid=11558
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]klwilliams wrote:
May. 12th, 2008 01:39 am (UTC)
I'm ashamed to say I haven't read Gail Simone's WW yet, but I do have high hopes for it.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]scribblerworks wrote:
May. 12th, 2008 02:34 am (UTC)
Trust me, breaking in ain't easy. I've been working at it for several years now. At least the DC editors will talk to me! Heh.

Seriously though, much like Hollywood, they'd like to see a finished work, and doing that independantly isn't easy. For artists, it's slightly easier, since there's always a need for artists and they can show off samples quickly. But for writers, it's a longer, slower process.

But in-roads are being made.

And now I'll stop co-opting James' LJ for that PSA. ;-)
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]crystaljordan wrote:
May. 11th, 2008 10:48 pm (UTC)
I think I see a few women in that shot. Not enough to be a civilizing influence though. DEFinitely trouble afoot.
| Reply | Thread
(Anonymous) wrote:
May. 13th, 2008 12:35 am (UTC)
It was kind of amazing to listen to the two of you talk and relate each other's efforts to bring up the next generation of artists. I was bummed that I had to leave early.

Shawn Demumbrum
SpazDog Comics
| Reply | Thread
[info]coppervale wrote:
May. 13th, 2008 04:07 am (UTC)
We were sorry you had to go!

That was a pretty great night.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]jlundberg wrote:
May. 13th, 2008 03:18 am (UTC)
Holy crap, I was such a huge fan of all of those Image guys back when I was still collecting comics. I'd buy anything Lee (Jim and Jae), Portacio, McFarlane, or Silvestri drew (and some of Liefeld's stuff too, but after a while it just became too similar to itself, if that makes any sense). I switched almost exclusively from Marvel to Image when the company was first formed, and supported those creators religiously for as long as I could.

Great photos, James.
| Reply | Thread
[info]coppervale wrote:
May. 13th, 2008 04:10 am (UTC)
I've got some on my wall from, oh, '94 I think - my wife's birthday was the day after San Diego Comicon, and there was a party at Valentino's house.

So, she had the surreal experience of being given a birthday surprise and being sung to by several of the biggest Pop Art Stars in comics.

Didn't get to ride in Rob's Viper, though.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
[info]jlundberg wrote:
May. 13th, 2008 04:48 am (UTC)
That's really cool, man.
| Reply | Parent | Thread
( Leave a comment )