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Has anyone had any interesting stories of meeting Comic Book artists?

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Yoc:
Thanks DM.
I've only seen him speak on the Searching For Ditko tv show.

paw broon:
Yes, that's Alan Moore.  Lovely man but a bit "alternative".  He always did seem to enjoy meeting people, at any rate, those who didn't only say, "I'm a fan, gonnae sign ma comic", as I heard one lad at a signing session say.

darkmark (RIP):
I've had at least 2 encounters in the flesh with Neil Gaiman, both of them interviews.  The first time, he'd just taken over Miracleman and I got to talk to him and John Totleben at the same time.  When I started making jokes about the gory Kid Miracleman scene in one ish, Neil leaned over and said, "I think he's saying you're sick, John!"  But Neil was a courteous and intelligent guy in that interview, and I liked talking with both of them.

By the second time I met him, I'd read his Sandman series and BAD OMENS.  Got to interview him again and before we did it, he was actually self-deprecating, admitting he had been a lousy reporter and had made stories up while reporting.  I had to get his autograph on my copy of BAD OMENS and told him it had cost me a good deal of money, on account of I had to buy two copies.  I said I'd left the first one out in my car overnight and it turned into a biography of Queen.  He took it in stride.  We did the interview and at one point, when I kept interrupting, he said, "Shut up!"  Later, when we spoke of his travails trying to do a movie script for BAD OMENS and how they required so many changes to it, I quipped, "You gotta put something in for Arnold here."  He replied, "What a concept!  Talk about casting against type...Arnold Schwartzenegger as a 12-year-old boy!"  "Yeah, he'll play him on his knees!" I said.  We had fun.

Later, back at the pro suite, Neil had me take a picture of him with my Polaroid and then warped it up with some coin rubbing and various stuff, after which he signed it.  I've traded notes with him since then and also traded comics with him.  And I still stand by what I told him once:  Brits are such courteous people, they could make you feel good while beating you up.

And Neil is a Brit.

Roygbiv666:

--- Quote from: darkmark on May 11, 2011, 11:34:32 PM ---  I said I'd left the first one out in my car overnight and it turned into a biography of Queen.  He took it in stride. 
--- End quote ---

I don't get it.

josemas:
Darkmark, your mentioning of John Totleben reminds me of the first time I met him.  I arrived at the Kubert School a few days before classes were to begin in September 1979.  I was to live in the carriage house outside the old mansion at 45 Lehigh St. where the school was then located. 
I got settled in, along with a dozen other guys who were showing up to share digs in the carriage house, and started checking out the area. 
Late in the afternoon on one of those first few days I heard music outside the carriage house so went down to check it out. Several second year students were gathered around with some former students singing some ribald songs while one lanky fellow ably played the guitar.  A number of us newbies gathered around to watch and listen. 
I eventually asked one of the second year students who was the guy playing the guitar and was told his name was John Totlben.  I mentioned that he he played very well and must have been playing for years.  I was told that, on the contrary, John had only been playing a short time but was one of those fellows who had an uncanny ability to pick up artistic traits quickly.  I was told that he was the same way with his drawing too.
Joe Kubert was always very welcoming to all graduates who came back around the school but generally less so to those who had dropped out.  Totlben was an exception to that general rule.  he had apparently left the school before graduating but had achieved such a level of talent that he was always welcome back.
During my first year there John was working on a special commission for Harry Chesler.  Illustrations for a lavishly illustrated edition of  The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.  John used to drop by the school and show us his finished illos periodically and by the following Spring he had finished the project. 
There was a showing of all the illustrations at Farleigh Dickinson University and then we waited for the book to come out.  It never happened.  Apparently Chesler (who already seemed as old as dirt to my young eyes) fell ill and passed away without getting the book published.  I have often wondered over the years what happened to all those beautiful illustrations that Totlben did for the book.

Best

Joe 

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