Everyone's Wrong and I'm Right

Gene Colan's "Missing" Art: Part Two

2011-12-12T19:42:00.003-05:00

Were these pieces drawn by Gene Colan stolen or destroyed? Family members would like to know.

If you ever see any of this art of these offered for sale, please contact me, the Colan family, or Detective John O'Conner of the Nassau Police.

Tough Questions for Tough Jews: Ross The Boss Breaks His Silence

2011-12-11T11:42:00.016-05:00

The hard-rocking Hailstorm is a year old now, there’s continual web chatter regarding a Dictators reunion, and Ross “the Boss” Friedman is heading to South America for a number of shows. Ever the gentleman, Ross took a few moments to answer the important questions that everyone has been asking:

Cliff: A guy walks into a whorehouse and says, “I want a punk girl.” And the Madame says, “We only have metal chicks.” Is this a problem?

Ross: Whorehouse? Never been to one! Hahaha! To me there’s only two types of music. What are they? Good and bad. To me, good is good, so there would be no difference in my mind. Besides, when the lights go out, who cares?

Cliff: Have you played South America before?

Ross: We played in Venezuela last summer in a baseball stadium.

Cliff: What are you listening to when you’re not playing music?

Ross: I tend to listen to my old favorites—classical, blues, old-school metal, punk and real country.

Cliff: With you on lead guitar, assemble the perfect band, dead or alive.

Ross: Great question. Hmmm… Geezer Butler on bass, John Bonham on drums, Jim Morrison doing lead vocals, and Jerry Lee Lewis on keyboards.

Cliff: And now the million-dollar question--You played with Andy Shernoff in May at the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash. What’s it going to take to get the rest of the Beatles back together?

Ross: Sad to say, the Dictators as we know them won’t play in the very near future. But the new band “Manitoba” will make its debut at The Don Hill Benefit at Irving Plaza on December 15.

Cliff: And what a show that will be. Salute!

Harlan Ellison vs. Mediocrity: Part Three

2011-12-11T10:16:00.007-05:00

I continue to get the occasional emails or queries in mid-conversation: “Have you heard from Harlan?” “So what’s with Harlan?” “Is is true that Harlan…?”

As if I’m my brother’s keeper. Which I guess I am.

But I prefer to leave all things Harlan for him to announce. He certainly has the outlets, between Rabbit Hole and his website. Besides, most of what the two of us discuss is fairly private.

I can tell you that when we spoke last week, Harlan was energized by his current projects and events. He talked about his “strong third act.”

So. Act Three:

“Possibly (he said, jocularly) the last chance to see Harlan alive performing his death defying life-story in the flesh.” Thus reads the flier I received on Friday inviting me to “An Evening with Harlan Ellison (Redux),” a reprise on his “public interview and rampant racontourage” at the Cinefamily Theatre last November, a sold-out event emcee’d by writer Josh Olson (another swell guy). The event, which any of you can attend, too—for the price of a ticket—is January 19, 2012, at 7:30pm at The Cinefamily Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036; phone: 323-655-2510.

Act Three also includes a number of book releases and revamps. The one I look forward to most is BUGF#CK: THE USELESS WIT & WISDOM OF HARLAN ELLISON (Spectrum Books and Edgeworks Abbey, $10), 123 pages of Harlan quotes which, if you’ve ever spoken with Harlan or read him or heard him speak, promises to be priceless. Mencken had nothing on my brother.

It doesn’t appear that YR. PAL HARLAN, the book of Harlan’s web posts and e-letters that I edited a few years ago, will be coming out any time soon. But, as with all things Harlan, we never say never.

Gene Colan's Stolen Art? At Last, A Clue

2011-12-09T00:24:00.002-05:00

Out of nowhere, I heard from a friend of Gene's today. He had some photos that he wanted to share. Among them was a photo he snapped of Gene working on the Star Wars art (commissioned by George Lucas Studios) which eventually went missing.

If this art is offered for sale, please note that it is considered stolen.

Joe Giella Robbed - Comic Art Stolen

2011-12-05T22:02:00.008-05:00

I am late to the party with this news but I just hung up with comic artist Joe Giella and wanted to share this immediately:

Joe had the following items stolen from his home:

* “Menace of the Man Missile”, pages 1 and 9. Pencils by Carmine Infantino.
* “Castle with Wall to Wall Danger” pages 7 and 8. Pencils by Carmine Infantino.
* Green Lantern/Green Arrow #107 cover. Pencils by Joe Staton.

Please re-post this notice to as many places possible. If you hear of this art being offered, please contact Detective John O'Connor, Nassau County Police Dept., Third Squad, phone: 516-573-6353.

Tony Isabella just advised me that this story was broken weeks ago (I must've been sleeping) but it never hurts to remind folks.

The SideKick Foundation: A New Friend to Creators in Need

2011-10-09T23:51:00.003-04:00

The Sidekick Foundation is a new confederacy that seeks to generously aid comics creators in need of financial and medical assistance. Sidekick’s board of directors and advisors consists of established, respected comics professionals who have agreed to support the organization’s initiative which, in its first year, shall be to donate 90% of all generated proceeds directly to those in need.

“Sidekick was established by Clifford Meth, whose work on behalf of comics creators in need is well known,” said Jim Reeber, president of Aardwolf Publishing and Secretary of Sidekick. “By adding the weight of some of the industry’s most respected names to his own, I believe Cliff can help more people than ever before and do so more effectively.”

“I’ve spent the last three years working for well-known charities and non-profits,” said Meth, a former Executive V.P. of IDW Publishing and recent spokesman for Kars4Kids. “Regardless of the cause, the one thing that always irked me was how much money goes to the overhead of charitable organizations. While it may be legal to only give away a small portion of collected proceeds, I find it ethically unacceptable. The Sidekick Foundation will not have a paid Director nor full-time staff. Most work will be done by volunteers allowing the foundation to keep expenses to a minimum.”

Sidekick’s Board of Advisors includes Neal Adams, Harlan Ellison, Joe Sinnott, Tom Palmer, Herb Trimpe, and Morris Berger (former president of IDT Entertainment and chairman of IDW Publishing).

“I’m particularly proud to have Neal Adams and Harlan Ellison with us,” said Meth. “Neal laid the foundation for art returns and his work on behalf of Superman’s creators is legendary, while Harlan Ellison is a stalwart champion of creator’s rights. With friends like these in your corner, you can move mountains.”

Sidekick will debut at New York ComicCon on Sunday, October 16. Artist David Lloyd (“V for Vendetta”) will be drawing for Sidekick at the Cadence table #3153 from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. In addition, Clifford Meth and writer Don McGregor will be selling donated art as well as items from the late Gene Colan and Dave Cockrum, among others. Future signings and events are planned from artists Michael Netzer and Bill Messner-Loebs,

For more information, visit http://www.thesidekickfoundation.org/

Shapes of Things to Come (If We're Lucky)

2011-09-01T14:21:00.010-04:00

The Yardbirds—first stop for three of Rock and Roll’s greatest guitar heroes—mixed blues and psychedelia into a unique soup that produced such classics as “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul.” While noted for launching the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, it was Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), Keith Relf (singer/harmonica), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar) and Jim McCarty (drums) who maintained the core. I plan to see Chris and Jim perform, along with new Yardbirds band members, on Wed., September 7, at BB Kings' in NY City (the Good Rats are opening). You can also catch the Yardbirds in a lot of other places through October.

Yesterday I caught up with Jim McCarty—far and away one of the most influential drummers of his time.

Meth: Is drumming work? It looks like work.

McCarty: (Laughs) I never really thought of it as work, Cliff. It’s not really hard work is it? The hard work is traveling around (laughs again). But I did once see an article about drummers having to be really fit. There was an experiment in England and they said Blondie’s drummer was as fit as a footballer. So I guess it’s work but being in a rhythm sorts of works itself.

Meth: You’ve been a Yardbird for what, 45 years? Did you think that was possible?

McCarty: I didn’t actually. At one point I worked for a stock broker in London and I was playing drums at night and on weekends. After a few weeks it was very tiring and I didn’t think it would last. I went to my boss and said, “I need to take a break. Can you keep the job open for me when the band folds up?” But it lasted a bit longer… I was going to become an actuary at the time. I was obviously destined not to do that but I always had a mathematical brain. It also helped with the songwriting, I think.

Meth: There was a bit of a break in there. How did you reform the group?

McCarty: We were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 but we didn’t get it together again until ‘95. I was playing in a blues band and we sort of built a place up. Jeff [Beck] and Paul [Samwell-Smith] would come and see the band but they didn’t sit in. Then Chris and I were approached by an agent and there was interest in putting the band back together. Jeff hasn’t played with us, nor has Jimmy [Page], but they’ve shown up at shows and played air guitar.

Meth: Air guitar. That's not work.

McCarty: Yes. [Laughs]

Meth: While you played musical guitar heroes, the core of the Yardbirds seemed to stay close knit. Who were you closest with?

McCarty: I suppose Keith and I were very close back then. Me and Keith and Chris were the steady members. But there was tension because it was very hectic having to work the whole time. We weren’t making any money. Even when we were signed, the LPs weren’t selling well and royalties were poor—all the money was on the road so were relentlessly working and that created tension. It was clear that Eric and Jeff were destined to be their own bosses—they were people who found it difficult to be in a band.

Meth: But there was some sense of fraternity wasn’t there? You were too young not to have that idealized dynamic.

McCarty: Well, we would go to our manager and have meetings. I remember that Eric was very unhappy about the way the band was going and didn’t like the idea of doing “For Your Love,” which the rest of us wanted to do. He thought that was selling out. We loved it but he only wanted to do blues. We tried to do bluesly singles like “Good Morning Little School Girl” but they weren’t commercial enough to be big hits and to get anywhere you had to have a single. Now the music industry has gone full circle. The LP market is dead again and it’s all about being on the road, but back then it was all about singles.

Meth: You contributed to the writing on some of those singles.

McCarty: Yes, most of the songs were team efforts. “Shapes of Things to Come” came from Keith and Paul and myself.

Meth: Well, while we're on shapes of things to come, are you disappointed with where music has gone? The death of rock culture—and for that matter, the virtual death of everything else?

McCarty: I tend to think positively about where we’re going and I try to reflect that in my songwriting. There’s a change coming but the change is for the good.

Meth: What do you see in evidence of that?

McCarty: I guess ecological things, especially in Europe. People trying to get by without using un-renewable fuels… I sort of do see a better world coming, a growing awareness and growing consciousness of other people. I think it will be alright.

(c) 2011 Clifford Meth

Simonson, Trimpe and McGregor Salute Gene Colan

2011-08-04T10:49:00.007-04:00

Walter Simonson, Herb Trimpe and Don McGregor will join the panel I'm chairing at New York ComicCon (on Sunday, October 14) to pay tribute to Gene Colan's unique legacy. We're still hoping that John Romita and Joe Sinnott (and perhaps a few surprise guests) will join us, too. There will also be artwork and signed books from Gene Colan available at the event with some proceeds benefiting The Gene Colan Scholarship at the Joe Kubert School.

Gene Colan Tribute at NY ComicCon

2011-07-28T20:44:00.004-04:00

New York ComicCon has asked me to chair a tribute panel to Gene Colan at this year’s convention. As such, I spent the early part of this evening chatting with Johnny Romita Sr., Tom Palmer, Joe Sinnott, Roy Thomas and Don McGregor. Everyone loved Gene and has wonderful memories they’d be delighted to share—it’s really just a question of who will be coming to con. I’ve also reached out to Walter Simonson and David Lloyd, who I believe will have unique perspectives on Gene’s influence. Stay tuned.

Pictured: David Lloyd, Hank Magitz and Gene Colan at NY ComicCon 2010

Honoring Gene Colan & Dave Cockrum

2011-07-26T22:56:00.004-04:00

Dan Bertwell sent me the below letter and HERO assures me this is on the up and up. So I support these efforts and hope many of you will, too:

My name is Dan Bertwell and I am running two marathons within the first two weeks of October to raise money for the Hero Initiative. Comics were an escape for me when I was very young and I latched onto the X-Men, Colossus in particular, right away. I stopped collecting when I became a teenager (mostly for financial reasons) and got back into it while in my twenties. Soon after I returned I was saddened to hear that Dave Cockrum, who had created many of the characters and drawn many of the stories that I loved so much, had passed away. His family mentioned in his obituary that, rather than sending flowers, fans should make donations to the Hero Initiative. This was the first I’d heard of the charity.

The Hero Initiative is a non-profit with a very simple purpose: to assist comic creators in need. Like many people, I’ve seen the Hero table at various cons in the past few years, and I’ve donated some cash into the collection jars that they set up. Earlier this year I decided that I’d like to run another marathon but wanted this run to benefit others as well as myself. I decided to run for the Hero Initiative because I wanted to give back to the comic community.

The recent passing of Gene Colan cemented in my mind that I should run two marathons and dedicate them to Mr. ockrum and Mr. Colan and all of the creators that have brought so many great stories into my life. I’ll run the New Hampshire Marathon on October 1 and the Hartford Marathon on October 15 and I hope very much that anyone able to donate will do so by going to http://www.razoo.com/marathondan.

All told, between training and the races, I’m going to run somewhere between 500 and 600 miles. I hope that all that work can help out some creators in need.

Ovie Mughelli is Making Comics

2011-07-25T00:16:00.001-04:00

As reported here, Pro Bowl fullback for the Atlanta Falcons, will be announcing his own comics property later this week. The project is being developed in conjunction with writer Clifford Meth ( Snaked from IDW) and artist Michael Netzer (Batman, Superboy, Web of Spider-Man). Mughelli, who had a breakout 2010 Pro Bowl season, signed a six-year, $18 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus on March 2, 2007 with the Falcons, the largest contract given to a fullback in NFL history at the time.

Ethics Versus Self Interest. And the Winner Is…?

2011-07-22T15:47:00.003-04:00

The news wrinkle in the on-going coverage of Leiby Kletzky’s murderer isn’t the fund that this child’s parents have set up in a valiant effort to combat grief by doing good. Instead, it’s the flap over whether or not Gerard Marrone, one of two defense attorneys representing Levi Aron (the confessed murderer), should have quit the case.

“The allegations were too horrific—it's not something I wanted to be involved in," Marrone told Eyewitness News. “I have three boys. One of my sons is seven. I looked at my own children, and there are no words.”

Unlike those Jewish attorneys from the ACLU who represented Nazi rights to march in Skokie, Illinois in 1978, or William Kuntsler (another born Jew) who defended Rabbi Meir Kahane’s murderer, Gerard Marrone (whose faith we can only guess at), holds his ethical platform higher than his potential earnings ceiling. The skeptics among us will seek less than pristine motives for Marrone recusing himself, but it seems clear to me that this man holds principiles above potential movie-of-the-week deals. He doesn’t want to help the beast Levi Aron. He doesn’t want to breathe the same air Aron exhales.

Sadly, it’s a Jew (or perhaps just a Phillip Rothian Jew) who takes public issue with Marrone’s retreat. Defense attorney Scott Greenfield, on his Simple Justice blog, attacks Marrone for stepping away. “He knew the allegations going in,” writes Greenfield. “He knew what he was getting involved with. He chose to do so, a choice which is admirable in that everyone, even Levi Aron, must be given a defense… But now, even though nothing has significantly changed, Marrone has made another choice… He's chosen to quit, to walk away from his client and in the process, to announce that he, as defense lawyer, is too sickened by his client's actions to remain beside him. This he cannot do.”

Does this blog post qualify Greenfield to join the ranks of George Soros and other Juddenrat who willingly sacrificed their fellow Jews for purely self-interest? Perhaps not. But we know where Greenfield’s values lie. Like Kunstler, Ron Kuby and other "defenders" of the justice system, Greenfield feigns sanctifying an ever-reinterpreted Constitution as if the tablet were given by a god that these men profess to not believe in anyway.

But the simple truth is the quest for fame, or minimally widespread popularity (a lesser fame to be certain) are also too enticing for men like Greenfield. Having one's blog quoted by major media outlets will likely raise his per diem. This type of lawyer can’t fathom walking away from his generation’s Lindberg kidnapping.

But men of good conscience, men like Marrone, raise the bar of human dignity by reminding us that all the hoopla surrounding this soon-to-be-much-publicized trial (which has the potential to make media stars of prosecutors and counsel alike) is just so much noise obscuring the real story. Because the real story is that of a family who lost a child, and the enormous swelling of empathy that’s coming from all corners, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. Even from an attorney who just walked away from the potential of extending his fifteen minutes into a major career milestone.

Leiby Kletzky and The Rest of Us

2011-07-13T12:31:00.003-04:00

I spoke with a friend this morning about the news coming out of Boro Park, which is too much for any of us to shoulder alone. It takes a village to raise a child, and to bury one.

I had called and emailed many people last night, my own grown sons among them. I begged that people perform extra deeds of kindness and spiritual charity to help balance the scales. Writing checks and dropping coins in pushkas and saying T’hillim (Psalms) is not enough—vital, but not enough. It is the rebalancing of realms that’s necessary. We live in a world where monsters dwell. Monsters who hurt children. And we need grace.

There is only one way to achieve grace, and it encompasses many smaller ways. And we need no preacher nor specific guidelines to understand what is called for. We need only place ourselves in the minds of those parents whose child went missing yesterday and did not return home. Their torment is unimaginable except to those who have experienced just this (may the Al-mighty spare them from further grief).

Had I lived anywhere near the area, I’d have joined the hundreds and hundreds who searched day and night for this little child. I considered driving there and joining them but I decided that the myriad search parties—all locals and many professionals—were sufficient. Instead, I gave an offering: I phoned someone that I have avoided speaking with for a decade—someone who holds me in colossal contempt—and apologized profusely for anything I might have done to offend them. It didn’t matter what occurred years ago; it didn’t matter if I considered myself the injured party. The important thing is peace. Peace is the vessel that contains blessings in this world. We learn these lessons too late.

I entreated the Al-mighty to add my merit to those who prayed for this boy’s safe return. That was last night. Then came the news this morning, which was too much to contain.

We hang our heads. And we must content ourselves with knowing that random acts of kindness are done for their own sake. Rebalancing the world is a responsibility we all share.

There will always be monsters. The rest of us must maintain balance.

My Silence

2011-07-12T21:39:00.011-04:00

After Gene died, it seemed like a hundred other horrible things happened in rapid succession. But at 50 I am no longer inclined to list them.

Neither am I writing at the moment. I am reading extraordinary letters by an extraordinary man who left this world in 1996 and that seems to be enough. I am genuinely considering an exit from any sort of public life, including publishing.

I remain in touch with my friends--with sensei Richard Lenchus, Paty Cockrum, my pal Harlan, and with several writers, artists and musicians whose work and whose nature (like Michael Netzer, Richard Manitoba, Peppi Marchello, Steve Forbert and Don McGregor) are uplifting and make one proud to be part of the same species, though others work endlessly to cast shame on the lot. I am devastated about this missing child in Brooklyn.

I will be 50 and a half next month. I am back to counting half birthdays like a child. I'm not sure if I will ever seek to publish fiction again. It really wasn't fiction anyway. And the death of the book in America calls for a certain reverence by those of us who care enough to be reverent.

Mark Staff Brandl: Call Him Doctor

2011-06-28T19:47:00.002-04:00

I was pleased to hear that my long-distance pal, artist and art historian Mark Staff Brandl has earned his PhD with a creative dissertation on visual art and metaphor theory. Mark was awarded his PhD in Art History, magna cum laude, from the University of Zurich Switzerland on May 20, 2011.

Dr Brandl's book, Metaphor(m): Engaging a Theory of Central Trope in Art, presents his thesis that the formal, technical and stylistic aspects of artists' approaches concretely manifest content in culturally and historically antithetical ways through a uniquely discovered trope. Yes, that's a mouthful. But more importantly, to this small voice, is that Mark Staff Brandl is a mensch. His dissertation is now in the process of being expanded and translated into an art exhibition and installation with the curatorial advice of Markus Landert, Director of the Art Museum of Thurgovia Switzerland. Congrats Mark!

Goodbye Gene

2011-06-26T21:09:00.004-04:00

Gene was put to rest today with dignity and tears, surrounded by family and friends and sent off with a military honor guard marking his service to his country during World War II. It was humbling and warming and memorable.

The lessons I learned from this fine man are just starting to articulate themselves. He promised me when I was young (with regards to my writings), "If you're willing to do it for free, you'll make it." Mull that over for a while.

More importantly, Gene taught by example the importance of being happy for happy sake. He was what Pirke Avos characterized as a rich man. He was happy with his lot.

Thank you my friends across the fruited internet for your kind emails and messages during these sleepless days. Your words especially, Harlan, are always balm in Gilead.

And thank you, Gene, for sharing your final moments on this planet with this small voice.

Cliff

Advice From Gene Colan

2011-06-25T22:12:00.001-04:00

This lovely note sums up Gene Colan better than any of us can.
Greg Hatcher--thank you for sharing this.

For Gene Colan's Memory (in lieu of flowers)

2011-06-24T12:03:00.003-04:00

Following my earlier discussions with Gene, and one this morning with his daughter Nanci, I am setting up the Gene Colan Scholarship at the Joe Kubert School.

In lieu of flowers and such, if you would like to contribute to this scholarship in Gene’s memory, please make your check payable to “Joe Kubert School” and mail it to my attention:

Gene Colan Scholarship
c/o Clifford Meth
179-9 Rt. 46 West
Rockaway, NJ 07866

All checks will be delivered to Mike Chen, the school’s coordinator.

Gene Colan 1926-2011

2011-06-24T00:26:00.013-04:00

On behalf of the Colan family, I regret to announce that my friend Gene Colan died at about 11 pm on June 23. Gene spent this last week in a quasi-coma state following a broken hip and complications from liver disease. He was 84.

I am terribly saddened to lose Gene. He was a gentle and deeply spiritual man, a bright light in every context, and those who knew him at any level were enriched by his warmth and generous nature. Below are some thoughts I cobbled together when he slipped from consciousness earlier this week.

I leave the historical perspective and details of Gene's significant career to my friends Tom Spurgeon and Mark Evanier. For now, I mourn.

Clifford Meth

------------------------------------
My Friend Gene Colan

When I was in Morristown, New Jersey, in the early 1990s, there was a girl of about 12 or 13 who lived around the corner. Every time I saw her, she was out walking a German Sheppard puppy. I'd spot the pair every two weeks or so. But as the years passed, I realized the puppy hadn't aged. My young neighbor was blossoming into a young lady, but her little dog was like Peter Pan, or Jefty in Harlan Ellison’s story. Eventually, I inquired and learned that the young lady received her young dog from the Morristown Seeing Eye. After six months of house-breaking and bonding with the little dog, she returned it when it was ready to be trained to help the blind. And then she’d get another puppy and start over again.

It must be heart-breaking, I thought, getting to love something the way taking care of it will allow you to love, only to say goodbye so quickly.

I recall this as I sit to gather my thoughts on what it’s been like working with Gene Colan these past 12 months. It was a year ago tomorrow, on June 21st, that we received word that Adrienne, Gene’s wife of 45 years, had been found dead in their apartment.

Since Adrienne’s passing, I’ve managed Gene’s business affairs. It was really just an excuse to spend more time with my friend; I funneled commissions his way and reminded him what was on the agenda; arranged signings and occasional appearances and that was it. These tasks had been Adrienne’s.

Following their mother’s passing, Gene’s children and I concluded that the best thing for Gene was to keep him as busy as possible. But we needn’t have worried; Gene knew instinctively what he needed do to survive with dignity. He mourned his wife daily but never allowed himself to become depressed. Instead, he labored at his art board as often as he could, losing himself—or perhaps finding himself—in his work. At 84, with one blind eye and the other eye failing, Gene Colan continued to create art at its highest level.

Sadly, that ended a few months ago. Two tumors on his liver, which appeared more than a year earlier, had grown much larger. Gene phoned me one night literally gasping for breath. He was hospitalized and a few weeks later taken to Calvary, a hospice in the Bronx. Gene wouldn’t go home again.

But Gene never lost hope. He continued to talk about his plans for the future. Mind you, this was not a feeble-minded man. An occasional short-term memory loss notwithstanding (and who doesn’t have those after high school?) Gene was clear-thinking and real-world oriented. He just wanted to go home. And he believed that wanting to was enough. This had been a recurring theme in his life. Gene wanted a career drawing comics. He wanted to work for Marvel. He wanted to be the best artist in his field. He wanted to marry Adrienne the minute he laid eyes on her... Gene believed that if he wanted something badly enough, focused and stuck to his guns, he’d eventually get it. And he usually did.

“There isn't anything I have to be afraid of,” Gene said in his final interview. “Love is the answer.”

Each time we spoke at the hospice, Gene discussed what he was going to do when he got out. He remembered every promised, unfinished piece of artwork. He thought about moving back to Vermont. And there was still that livingroom wall he wanted to paint horses on. He wasn't deluding himself; he understood instictively the sublime magic of possitive thinking.

I didn’t speak to Gene on Saturday. Then Sunday was Father’s Day and my entire family was home for a change. I figured I’d catch up with Gene on Monday.

Today is Monday. On the Hebrew calendar, it’s my father’s yahrzeit, the anniversary of the day he passed. Art is long but life is short. And this morning Gene’s daughter Nanci told me that Gene fractured his hip over the weekend.

Gene had already been declining rapidly. Now, with this fracture, he was sedated into a sleep state and would not likely waken again. Without drinking, his already fragile kidneys would fail. His family and doctors decided there was no point hydrating Gene intravenously because if he did awaken, he would be in terrible pain and the morphine necessary to alleviate that pain would just put him under again.

“Seven to 10 days is the usual,” Nanci said. “Could be sooner or later.”

Newspaper people are in the practice of writing obituaries long before well-known people actually pass away. That’s the demand of the trade. My grandmother would have considered that an ayin horah. I guess I do, too. But I know that when I get that call, I won’t be able to write a blessed word for a long time. So I’m writing this now.

This is not a eulogy—it’s some thoughts about a man I always liked very much and grew to love; a pal I spoke with nearly every day because he needed help. Now, at the end of the road, I realize how much he’s helped me.

I knew this day would come but it came too quickly. It's been a rare pleasure working with Gene. He knew who he was—how valuable his contributions to the world of comic art have been—how prized it remains by so many. Yet he never felt less than grateful to anyone who’d even read a single panel that he’d drawn. Until he was too weak to hold a pencil, he put his whole kishkes into everything he drew—whether it was a $5000 commission or a small drawing for someone’s child. And he was never satisfied with his artwork but always eager to learn a little more, do a little better, try something new. At 84.

Gene would look at artists like James Bama and says, “Now that’s really something. Oh boy, can this guy paint!” He was a kid again looking at Milt Caniff renderings and floored by his friend John Buscema's work.

My pal Gene was generous and funny and kind. He was exactly the type of man who should be drawing superheroes for young people to marvel at. Exactly and precisely. I’m richer for having known him. He was truly an original.

Seven to 10 days. It’s heart-rending growing to love someone that you know you’ll be saying goodbye to so soon, but worth every moment.

Clifford Meth
4:30 pm, June 20, 2011

Gene Colan

2011-06-23T19:32:00.010-04:00

Russ Heath CGC Sketch Op - Part II

2011-06-15T21:42:00.006-04:00

Here's three more Russ Heath sketches (bound for CGC) available now. Russ is only doing a limited number of these. Interested? Contact Chris Seminara at cseminara@akibia.com.

(Note: numbering below continues from previous post)

5. Capt. America with tank in background - $260 (sold)
6. Capt. America and soldiers - $270 (sold)
7. Woman with sword and werewolf - $210 (sold)

Original Gene Colan Art and Signed Books

2011-06-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

Click here.

Russ Heath: CGC Sketch Opportunity

2011-06-07T19:47:00.010-04:00

Joe Kubert asked me to work with Russ Heath and boy am I glad he did. Russ, at eighty-something, is still turning out the highest quality art... and at prices that are rediculously low. He is doing a limited number of sketches that I am witnessing for CGC's signature series. Interested? Contact Chris Seminara at cseminara@akibia.com. There won't be a lot of these.

Here's a few that are available now:
1. Capt. America with plane - $270 (sold)
2. Capt. America large bust with gun - $225 (sold)
3. Weird Capt. America battle scene with horse - $220 THIS IS THE ONLY ONE LEFT!
4. Capt. America w/ skeleton-like face leading the charge - $250 (sold)

Gene Colan's Garage Sale

2011-06-07T19:46:00.002-04:00

There's some nice items that you may someday say, "Why didn't I buy one of those?" Click here for details.

Gene Colan: Hope Springs

2011-05-31T21:33:00.007-04:00

Had an emotional visit with Gene tonight at his hospice. He'd been out for his fresh air already today so he was exhausted and remained in bed for the few hours that I stayed. We spoke of many things: life and death, death and life, career, family, friends, G-d...

"If I could change anything, I'd have put my whole soul into saving Adrienne. I would have moved mountains to save her. That's the only thing I would do different... The best moment of my life was meeting Adrienne in Tanament, Pennsylvania. She was so beautiful--I couldn't believe it. That was my best moment. She was a knockout...

"My career? The process of improvement is slow, but I knew that I had something to offer. And Stan [Lee] knew it, too. He gave me a great opportunity. He's a first-class businessman. And he saw things in me that I didn't see. He would never come out and tell you that but he showed it in a lot of different ways...

"I'm not beyond fear. I'm fearful about death. Everything that you ever wanted to do just goes up in smoke. The idea of being put in the ground or put under the ground is frightening. Most people don't want to talk about it... But I've decided to change my way of thinking. What they're telling me is not acceptible to me. I've got a tumor and it's cancer. And that's it. But I'm thinking that whatever you are thinking can come true. If it's not a selfish thought. I lean heavily on G-d now. I wasn't always like this. There isn't anything I have to be afraid of. Love is the answer. And the way to get there is by trying to find good in someone you don't necessarily like. Prayer can't be selfish. You don't pray for a yacht or money--you work hard if you want those things. But if you pray for unselfish things...

"And if you're looking for an answer, just ask. You'll get the answer if the question is worthy of an answer."

Michael Netzer: The Dark Knight

2011-05-20T17:09:00.004-04:00

Michael Netzer is such a special man that I sometimes forget he's an outstanding illustrator, too. The mood of Michael's art is never the same, and it's always right on target. Look at these recent commissioned pieces and ask yourself why you don't have something of Michael's hanging in your home.

Dave Cockrum Speaks from Beyond

2011-05-20T06:51:00.008-04:00

As usual, Tom Spurgeon offers the most compelling round-up of bio and analysis at his site The Comics Reporter following the death of the extraordinary Jeffrey Jones. I have little to add other than I remain very sad about Jeff's passing. We were working on a book together for better than four years now called Silent Light (Jeff chose the title), which I now feel obliged to finish more quickly. I also suppose we'll find some worthy cause to benefit from this book's publication because now it will disturb me to make any money from this project in Jeff's absence. Jeff already created and signed several hundred tip-in sheets for it; Michael Netzer, our mutual friend, offered more than a year ago to write the introduction.

Yes, I'm avoiding the pronouns. It's not a judgemental thing at all. Gender reassignment notwithstanding, Jeffrey Catherine Jones always signed letters and emails to me simply "Jeffrey"--and on the phone continued to say, "Hello Clifford. It's Jeffrey." I knew the artist and writer (Jeff wrote beautifully) and had no regard, one way or the other, for anything beyond that. His/her personal life was just that.

Then out of nowhere, I was pointed to a 1995 audio interview with Dave Cockrum and myself conducted at Icon-IVX in Long Island regarding Dave's Futurians and the beginnings of Aardwolf Publishing. This was a nice memory. Click the link--it's worth a few minutes to hear Dave's sweet voice again. Thank you Howard Margolin, who hosts DESTINIES - THE VOICE OF SCIENCE FICTION. His show airs on Fridays at 11:30 PM on WUSB, 90.1 FM, the radio station of the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Hundreds of writers, artists, editors, actors, producers, directors, and musicians have appeared on the program since its debut in April, 1983.

Jeffrey Catherine Jones

2011-05-19T20:54:00.006-04:00

I was deeply saddened to learn that my friend, the artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones, passed away today. To make matters worse, I have no clue about the matters surrounding Jeff's death. We have corresponded for years and spoken on the phone many times; I was aware of certain depression and alcohol-related issues, but of nothing that was life-threatening. We spoke mostly of art and literature, not of personal matters. I have one of Jeff's original water colors hanging in my kitchen, a little cloud burst that's purple and sad yet deeply soothing. I'm so sorry that this dear and tortured soul is no longer among us.

Michael Nezter, our mutual friend, has a beautiful video of Jeff on his website here. Really worth watching.

The Dave & Paty Cockrum Scholarship

2011-05-18T12:10:00.004-04:00

New pics just in from Carol Thomas at The Kubert School (thanks Carol!)
As noted, the Kubert School in Dover, NJ, produces tomorrow's best and brightest comic artists. I had the pleasure of presenting this year's Dave & Paty Cockrum Scholarship to Brigid Allanson, one of the promising young talents at this extraordinary academy. Spider-Man artist Adam Kubert and his legendary dad are also pictured.

Note: When you purchase comics from the Estate of Dave Cockrum (Dave's personal comics), the proceeds benefit this annual scholarship.

Don McGregor Honors Me

2011-05-14T21:48:00.007-04:00

I grew up reading his work. He was one of my favorite scripters. What an honor to see the writer Don McGregor mention me on his blog:

Gene Colan has his beautiful daughter Nanci and her family, his talented son Eric, and the stand-up, talented writer, extraordinaire Clifford Meth around him. Me? I'm getting lost in night-time Brooklyn.

I've been meaning to get back to finishing the Notes and what I've come to think of as the SAWED OFF SHOTGUN MINI BLOGS. I went in to see Gene right after I came back from Rhode Island, in case I had to back up home for my Mom.

I went at dusk, and spent three and half hours with Gene, talking about everything from life, changes in our lives, comics, movies, and about the people I mentioned above who have been there for him in this difficult time. I hadn't been in the area where Gene was at the time in years--probably not since we filmed DETECTIVES INC. One of the first things I told Gene was that where he was was directly across the street from where the final scene for the film was done. And a few blocks up from where Gene was that night is where we filmed on an overpass to get the opening shot of Rainier crossing a busy, wide, night-time Manhattan Street. And while we were doing it, we could have turned the camera around and filmed thieves breaking the side window on the cameraman's car and stealing the equipment stored there.

I think Gene enjoyed the stories. And I certainly just enjoyed being with him. I left about 11:15. This was just after bin Laden had been shot, and the city was on increased alert. It looked like they had blocked the Battery Tunnel entrance, which meant you had to go onto the East Side highway.

I have written before that I am no Hawk of the Wilderness, but I thought, okay, I can take the ramp onto the Brooklyn Bridge and get home that way. Except the ramp was blocked off. Police cars were in front it. Armed police men stood at the side the car. I had to get off Houston Street. I knew if I could get to Bowery, I could get to the Main Entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge. This is one of those Manhattan Streets, that even when you're stopped a street lights, you can't see a single street sign telling you where you are!

Photo of Don and actor Robert Culp.

Kubert's World

2011-05-13T18:32:00.006-04:00

The Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey continues to turn out tomorrow's most promising new comic artists, and I had the pleasure today of presenting the Dave & Paty Cockrum Scholarship to Brigid Allanson, one of the promising young talents at this extraordinary academy. There were also new scholarships memorializing Dave Simons and Al Williamson (Al's son was on hand to award this one).

There's much better photos, I'm sure, including some with Adam Kubert and Joe actually smiling, but this was the only one that found it's way to my cellphone.

Note: When you purchase comics from the Estate of Dave Cockrum (Dave's personal comics), the proceeds benefit this annual scholarship.

My Friend Dave Cockrum

2011-05-13T18:29:00.000-04:00

Everything about Dave Cockrum was extraordinary--his draftsmanship, his designs, his storytelling... and the man himself.

I, Rat Fan

2011-05-11T15:22:00.002-04:00

I've delivered my liner notes for "Lost In The Light," the forthcoming (and perhaps final) LP/CD from my beloved Good Rats. After more than three decades as a die-hard Rat fan, imagine my elation at participating in this long-awaited historical release.

In truth, this has been a banner year for Rat heads. The reunion shows in Long Island and at B.B. King's in NYC (I covered one here) were off the charts. And seeing not one but two Rat tracks score the forthcoming film "Roadie" proved that there's still some justice in the world, however miniscule.

Last month, Peppi sent me a demo of the new/old "Lost In The Light" collection--a cornucopia of never-released tracks that rope in every incarnation of the pashas of poetry, the sultans of syncopation. It may not score as seminal as "Tasty" but it's an oasis to those of us dying of the famine that has become rock radio.

Visit the Good Rats website for updates on where the Rats are playing, and watch for "Lost In The Light." Tell Peppi I sent you.

Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 6

2011-05-09T00:15:00.007-04:00

Just turned in my introduction to the forthcoming Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 6 (Marvel Entertainment), which will collect Daredevil 54-63. It was a welcomed chance to spend several hours looking critically at Gene Colan's work, particularly on Daredevil, and to get paid for it. Thank you, Jeff Youngquist, Senior Editor at Marvel, for this opportunity.

My pal

2011-04-24T18:16:00.006-04:00

I could care less how history remembers anyone that I love.

Gene Colan Health Update and Garage Sale

2011-04-24T15:54:00.004-04:00

I spent several hours with Gene this morning. He wasn’t under the influence of any pain killers so he was lucid and jovial, but grew short of breath several times—and every now and again he’d grimace in pain. The attending nurse finally had no choice but to put him back on the morphine and that was it—Gene was fast asleep.

Despite his legendary optimism, Gene’s situation is tenuous. His family hopes he can undergo a procedure early this week that may alleviate his pain. Regardless, it’s unlikely that my pal will be drawing for anyone anytime soon.

To continue generating what might become much-needed funds, we are selling off the last of Gene’s artwork, as well as some books and comics. Gene hopes to continue signing comics for the CGC Signature Series. If you have comics that you would like to put through this process, please contact me ASAP.

The Gene Colan Garage Sale is now starting--lots of items from Gene. Click here to have a look.

Gene Colan: Health Update

2011-04-23T21:16:00.004-04:00

It appears that a procedure for Gene has been decided on; no date on when this will take place. Gene is nothing but positive--he still has big plans for the future and views everything that's going on as just "one more bump in the road"--typical of this unique man's resilience and forever positive outlook. He and I spoke about everything but medical issues tonight and I hope to be at the hospital bright and early tomorrow... A deep bow to Bryan Headley who has kept a valiant bedside vigil... And Johnny--the call from you and Viginia yesterday was just what the doctor ordered!

Gene at 7 a.m.

2011-04-22T10:40:00.012-04:00

Gene phoned me from the hospital this morning. He said he knew I'd be worried and wanted to let me know that everything will be just fine. We spoke for a long time--he's on morphine drip so he went in and out but it was a good talk. He's on his back with tubes in him and concerned about reassuring me.

Forgive me if these updates appear morbid in any way but considering how many readers of this blog are fans of Gene's, it seems appropriate...and it makes me feel a little better talking about it.

Life without Adrienne has been a great challenge for my friend but he rose to the occassion. Now I must rise to this occassion.

(photo of Gene and I with the terribly talented and all-around terrific artist and Colan fan David Lloyd at last year's NY ComicCon)

Sleepless...

2011-04-22T02:26:00.002-04:00

Let's try something. Let's all ask the Al-mighty to give Gene Colan a little extra strength and no more pain ever. It'll take you a minute. And talking to G-d is good for you.

Gene Colan Hospitalized

2011-04-21T18:56:00.003-04:00

Gene Colan went to the ER this morning at 3 a.m. He was having trouble breathing and was in terrible pain. His son tells me that he is in stable condition.

Well-wishers can send cards to:
Gene Colan c/o Clifford Meth
179-9 Rt. 46 West
Rockaway, NJ 07866

I will forward all fan mail.

Signed Comics - No Small Fad

2011-04-15T11:03:00.003-04:00

I have a lot to say about this and all of it is good. The generation of Silver Age legends will not be around to sign their books forever and it only increases the value of the collectibles they created when the comics are signed and authenicated. And it allows the artists to put a little money (and it's very little) in their pockets during their twilight years. So I am all for it and investing my time to make this happen.

I will be the CGC witness for upcoming signings with Joe Kubert, Gene Colan, Rich Buckler (who created Deathlok), Herb Trimpe, Michael Netzer, and Russ Heath. If I were you, I'd get in on these.

Michael Netzer and No Seraph

2011-04-15T10:34:00.008-04:00

While most residents in Israel's remote village of Ofra are finalizing preparations for the anniversary of the Angel of Death passing over their homes, the town's artist-turned-oracle (at least that's what his legion of fans, this one included, consider him) renders this startling re-take on the classic Green Lantern cover that never was. Legend has it that DC Editor Julie Schwartz (another legend who Meth had the good fortune to ghost for) didn't dig Neal Adams' initial take on the very first cover of his iconic Green Lantern run. So Julie had the future Hall of Famer redo the shot.

Michael Netzer takes the original concept to new heights in this recently painted homage to his mentor--a fitting eruv-Pesach harbinger if ever there was one. No evil does escape His sight.

Michael Netzer: Teacher's Pet

2011-04-08T18:18:00.010-04:00

If Michael Netzer only learned one thing from his teacher Neal Adams, dayanu. This brilliant take on Neal's classic Green Lantern cover is soon joining my collection. My breath is baited.

Have a look at what Michael is up to on his own and with Gene Colan here.

The Value of a Good Name

2011-04-04T10:16:00.015-04:00

I spent some time with Joe Kubert at his studio last week. It’s always good to see Joe, a mutant of incredible health (b’li eyin hora), the Randy Coulture of comics—or perhaps Randy is the Joe Kubert of MMA. Joe was signing comics for an upcoming auction that will be used to support the annual Dave & Paty Cockrum Scholarship that Paty and I give at his school each year. He’s also been signing comics at the occasional comics conventions for free. But that’s about to change. And it’s not about the money, as anyone who knows Joe will attest to.

“I need to help raise the bar for other creators,” said Joe, an active participant in the Hero Initiative. “What I do impacts others.”

Joe is right, of course, and he is about to become the second highest paid signer in the business. Stan Lee, the highest, is now getting $50-90/signature, with proceeds donated to the new Stan Lee Literacy Foundation. Gene Colan, who I have represented for a year now, has upped his price to $20/signature. There’s no reason for comics industry elders to take less than their fair share of books that are set to be graded, slabbed and put on the market for much higher prices than their unsigned/ungraded counterparts. This is where the market has gone and rightly so; the elders and founders and pioneers of comics have made a fraction of what their creations continue to bring as rare, prized collectibles.

I will be the CGC "witness" at the first CGC signing for Joe Kubert. I am also coordinating signings for Rich Buckler and Gene Colan.

For more information on the Joe Kubert signing contact Chris Seminara at cseminara@akibia.com

Mother, did it need to be so high?

2011-03-30T15:30:00.008-04:00

Once again, I shake my head over the insipid, posing politics of some celebrities, even if they did write a clever lyric from time to time. Is it just knee-jerk naïveté that's led Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters to stump for a cultural boycott of Israel, or is there something more insidious behind his “plea to my colleagues in the music industry, and also to artists in other disciplines, to join the cultural boycott against Israel"? Regardless of motive, destructive is what destructive does. And Israeli musician Kobi Oz offers this cogent response to Waters’ silly solipsism.

I was deeply disappointed to learn that you have [built] a wall between yourself and your Israeli fans… What you may not realize is that most Israelis believe in a two-state solution. But this vision is not as easy to turn into a reality as you may think... I’m surprised that you would choose to side with the extremists who don’t believe in dialogue.

I come from a small town in Israel called Sderot. My hometown is frequently bombarded with missiles from Gaza — eight years of children living in fear, eight years of running to bomb shelters. Yet I meet and play music with my Palestinian colleagues. When there is bad news, we do not boycott each other; we argue. Even when it’s hard, we try to keep in touch, because we know that peace starts with musicians playing together, with the two peoples getting to know each other... We could sign an agreement with a moderate regime and suddenly find ourselves confronted with a fundamentalist enemy. We withdrew from Gaza and got Hamas. We pulled out of southern Lebanon, and now Hezbollah dominates the Lebanese government. We gave back the Sinai, and now Egypt is a great unknown. Still, we yearn for peace.

We try to talk with our neighbors in the Palestinian Authority, where life is getting better for ordinary Palestinians. If Hamas’s leaders would stop the bombardment of Israeli civilians and stop calling for our destruction and start having a normal relationship with their brothers in Ramallah, I’m sure that most Israelis would want to talk to them, too. And our wall, which you want to see dismantled, will fall when we have lasting quiet.

But in the meantime there are events like the murders in Itamar. Terrorists sneaked into a family’s home while they were sleeping and cut their throats. That settlement was outside of our security fence — they did not have this “appalling edifice,” as you called it, to protect them. A father, a mother and three kids — one a 3-month-old infant — paid the price. Should we give up the fence that has made the last few years mostly free of suicide bombers? If we did, would you stand by our soldiers when they go out to intercept terrorists, or would you continue tying our hands while we fight to protect our citizens’ lives?

I didn’t hear your voice, or the voices of your friends in the BDS movement, when thousands of Qassam rockets were being launched at my hometown and neighboring communities after we got out of Gaza. We only heard the world’s voice when we fought back... At your age you ought to be suspicious of open-and-shut narratives of the sort embraced by the BDS movement, and be willing to look more deeply at the other side. Of course, we Israelis have plenty of room for improvement and could do more to pursue peace. But you should understand that if we are cautious, it is because our very survival is at stake. If you truly want to be helpful in bringing about peace, embrace the power of dialogue, not boycotts. Music is for breaking down walls, not for building new ones.

Dan Henderson: Love Hurts

2011-03-06T11:37:00.006-05:00

I've crowed about Hendo before, but seeing him climb the mountain and capture Strikeforce's light heavyweight title at age 40 raises him to mutant madman status, earning him that rare and special love I have for warriors like Rick Lenchus and Randy Coulture. My son Benjy tells me Hendo's fighting bums now but I don't buy it. Comparing Strikeforce's top guns to the UFC's may be like pitting the Doom Patrol (or maybe the Metal Men) against the Justice League of America with Superman, but you know what they say about any given Sunday. And watching Hendo lay out Michael "The Mouth" Bisping some years ago was up there with a Bukowski reading. So feed this lion anything he needs to keep his roar, baby. There's kryponite in that heavy right. Saturday night, Strikeforce's reigning 205-lbs. champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante met Dan Henderson for the first time. More acurately, his jaw met Hendo's right. Henderson, the two-time Olympian wrestler, former UFC tournament champion, and two-division Pride champion, is now Strikeforce's light heavyweight king of the hill.

Happy Birthday my Brother

2011-03-01T23:10:00.003-05:00

"If you can count your friends on the fingers of more than one hand, you're either a fool or a liar."
--Dave Vnenchak, circa 1978

Happy birthday Dave.

Ms. Nagdim

2011-03-01T23:03:00.002-05:00

Nothing will make you feel closer to Chabad than working in Lakewood.

Birthday Party at the Fights

2011-02-22T23:21:00.009-05:00

My son Avi and I celebrated my birthday in style at StrikeForce's Heavyweight Grand Prix at the Izod Center last Saturday night. Our seats--courtesy of my son Benjy and his pal MMA talkshow host Ariel Helwani--were six rows off the stage allowing us to rub elbows with the royalty of the mixed martial arts world. That's me with former UFC heavyweight champ Bas Rutten, and my son Avi with Renco and Igor Gracie (who Avi trained under at Real World Martial Arts, a Gracie Ju-Jitsu dojo), as well as runningback legend Herschel Walker. We were also fortunate enough to meet George Saint-Pierre, Kenny Florian and Vitor Belfort.

The StrikeForce card was one of the best I've seen. Not a single decision went to the judges; all serious submissions and TKOs. Big Foot Silva's impressive victory over former Pride heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko was the icing on the cake.

Thirty More Years

2011-02-22T22:32:00.004-05:00

I was recently interviewed by columnist Rob Trucks for his book about the trauma or pre-trauma or whatever one might call the anticipation of turning 50, which I was at the the time of the interview. I found myself not quite so surprised by this fellow writer's questions as my own answers. Had I spent all year thinking about turning half a century old? Yes, I had. Was I conscious of playing on the back nine? Yes, and there was a frequent line playing in my head, the refrain from my pal Steve Forbert's "Thirty More Years," which addressed his own thoughts on the condition when he faced it. Thirty more years and I am out of here.

Today, the BIG day, brought calls from friends and emails from readers and fellow creators. Paty Cockrum sang to me from South Carolina. Gene Colan, 84, kvelled about how I still had my whole life ahead of me. I treated myself to a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 for more money than I should have spent and went off my diet to eat chocolate cake as my small children blew out candles which numbered more than I cared to count. Life may not begin at 50 but playing on the back nine means means I'm on my way towards the clubhouse. And there's no place like home Auntie Em.

Thought for the Day

2011-02-18T08:14:00.000-05:00

“We are not mad, we are human, we want to love, and someone must forgive us for the paths we take to love, for the paths are many and dark, and we are ardent and cruel in our journey.” -- Leonard Cohen

Leo Klein, Esquire

2011-02-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

I wasn’t crazy about the idea of sharing an office with an attorney like Leo Klein at IDT Entertainment, initially because I’d learned from experience that the best office mate is really no office mate. And my suspicion was confirmed as I discovered that Leo was what cunning linguists refer to as a wee bit verbose—as in he could go to Washington with a mouthful of billiard balls and still out talk everyone. Which, to this writer, meant I’d never get anything written between the hours of 9am and 6pm. Hi ho.

But rooming with Leo—a man who introduced himself as a recovering attorney—also had several distinct advantages, not the least of which was an endless supply of dangerously well told new jokes, at least new to me. Indeed, the one about the bowling ball still has me roaring at inappropriate moments, often with milk through my nose. Leo, clearly, had missed his true calling. Or so I thought.

But eventually I caught Leo with his lawyer hat on. And oddly enough, his stock shot up again. I saw how he handled himself not only with his NBA clients, but also with those occasional nebich cases that wandered into his four cubits. One guy in particular wanted Leo to handle his wife’s funeral arrangement, estate, and so forth, but when Leo learned that the woman was to be cremated, he refused. “She’s a Jewish girl,” he told the client as I looked on in awe. “She had a Jewish mother and a Jewish father. If you’re not giving her a proper burial, I can’t help you. Nazis burn Jews. Jews don’t burn Jews.”

Other than an Elton John tale, which I published years ago, I have far less interesting Leo stories in my quiver than have many of our common friends, but every one has left an indelible impression. And all of this is simply to say that having this fine and ethical and seemingly inexhaustible man in my corner is a comfort and an honor and a privilege.

Bob Milne, RIP

2011-02-15T09:48:00.003-05:00

By way of Dave Maliniak, I just learned that our mutual friend and former colleague Bob Milne has passed away. Dave forwarded an email to me from our colleague Lucinda Mattera:

Tonight I received a call from David Marshall who is the neighbor living across the street from Bob Milne. He told me that Bob had passed away unexpectedly this afternoon... Bob has not been feeling well for some time, ever since his atrial fibrillation became permanent a couple of years ago--but he managed somehow. About a year ago, he was informed he needed to replace one of his heart valves. However, he required extensive oral surgery beforehand to treat a serious oral infection. It took Bob many months to complete this dental work, then he had difficulty coordinating events with all his doctors and caregivers for the open-heart surgery.In the ensuing months, his neighbor told me, Bob began to suffer from congestive heart failure. A few days ago, he had great difficulty breathing and was rushed to the hospital. His doctors used cardiac catheterization to implant a stent and open a blocked artery. He was discharged today and wanted to stop by his local CVS on the way home to pick up his medications. He died suddenly right in the store... I will miss him, especially all his insights into computers and the Internet. Bob was a very intelligent fellow who knew how to write quite well. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a terrific wit. I will remember how he often made me laugh and amazed me with his sharp observations. Farewell, Bob. I hope there are computers and test instruments in the afterlife, so you can continue to enjoy tinkering with them. -- Lucinda Mattera

Bob was a warm man with warm insights. We lost track of each other sometime after I left Electronic Design but I remember him fondly. Named a character in one of my stories after him. You don't usually get that unless you're a villain.

Michael Netzer Don’t Get No Respect

2011-02-08T12:08:00.005-05:00

Michael Netzer has been blinging around the comic book industry since the mid-1970s. I think blinging is the right word. Imagine a pinball on one of Bally’s old machines.

After apprenticing under Neal Adams, Michael’s professional work (as Michael Nasser) first showed up on DC books like Superboy, Detective and World’s Finest Comics. From that point there were half-a-hundred stops and starts, which fans, foes, and ex-art agents attribute to any number of happenstances. One urban legend claims Michael wandered around the Galilee healing the sick while his walking stick sprouted myrtle. Another finds him sitting in a cave for three years eating nothing but dried carob and old Beach Boys 45s.

Regardless, Michael’s fans remain legion, and his presence in comics is firmly established.

Or so he thought.

A recent article at Newsarama on The Adventures of Unemployed Man—which Michael penciled slightly more than issue of—noted the creative team behind the comic but, oddly, left Michael’s name out. An accident? Maybe.

“I don't want to attribute a motive for columnist Albert Ching omitting my name so blatantly from the ‘several notable creators’ who were enlisted for the art on The Adventures of Unemployed Man,” Netzer replied when I asked him to comment on the snubbing. “The article was just posted yesterday and it struck me as part of a bizarre trend that I may be becoming an object of. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like it could be an oversight because I'm only one of three pencilers, and I did draw the grand finale of the book along with more than a quarter of its content. The omission, for whatever reason, indicates a severe lack of consideration in that crediting work properly and fairly in comics journalism has become a statement on the vital role of creators to a project.”

Like his mentor Neal Adams, Michael has always been vocal about the mistreatment of comics’ creators; his own blog posts and sometimes long-winded soliloquies on comics message boards and forums (which, in this authors’ opinion, are rarely self-serving) have earned Netzer both new fans and new foes. He doesn’t necessarily believe that Ching or Newsarma fall into either category, but…

“This book [Unemployed Man] falls between the cracks in the comics’ community because it comes from the wider book market and is not as one of our own,” Michael says. “As such, the writers who orchestrated the entire project astounded us time after time along the way. On the one hand, they certainly didn't have a lack of knowledge of the industry and its conventions. On the other, they seemed to be completely oblivious to some of the most basic tenets of comics’ culture. The cover, for example, only carried the names of the authors. How much more trouble or distraction would it have been to add Fradon, Veitch and Netzer under their names in type that's, say, about half the size? I don't think this was just an oversight but a conscious marketing decision that I believe is very unfortunate for the book itself.”

Michael points out that columnist Heidi MacDonald noted this problem, as well, in her review of the comic; that so many issues undermined the artists’ contribution to Unemployed Man that he is hard-pressed where to begin listing them. “This omission at Newsarama only compounds a serious existing shortcoming of the book,” he laments.

Personally, I‘ve taken more of a gonzo approach to the whole matter of comics’ journalism for many years now. But Newsarama is a more ‘serious’ enterprise and, as such, tends to reflect industry trends and attitudes. Michael is mindful of this. “When Newsarama does something like this, there's nothing left to do than to remind them that they are not doing artists and writers any favors with their coverage of our work,” Michael writes. “Indeed, it’s just the opposite. Most news sites and reporters wouldn't have a life in comics if it weren't for comics creators. It's the bulk of the thrust of their coverage, after all, and it behooves them not to play such infantile games.”

Michael notes that this is not the first time he's experienced professional dissing. He’s only done a handful of comics-related projects in the last year, which were his first after a 15-year absence from the mainstream, and the first of these were four black-and-white covers for Dynamite as a promotional vehicle for a pivotal and highly publicized issue in Kevin Smith's Green Hornet series.

“When Dynamite sent out the covers with the press release teaser,” Michael recalls, “they wrote a lengthy intro but made no mention whatsoever of the artist of the covers that were plastered all over comics news sites. I don't believe it was an oversight and I've heard excuses about these covers not being part of the book itself. But Dynamite went on to use one as an alternate cover, and the excuse is lame in the simple situation where a publisher distributes four loud and effective pieces of art and completely disregards the need to even place a small caption under the images crediting the artist. So I look at these two instances and wonder whether they are part of a trend. Or are they just indicative of a sloppy conduct of business?”

Considering Michael’s reputation as something of a ::ahem:: big mouth—as someone who says and writes things that some publishers (and journalists) might not be happy about hearing—perhaps there’s room to consider these oversights as something less than accidents. “The only other option,” Michael believes, “is sloppy conduct by purportedly professional entities. I'm not sure which of the two possibilities favors their subjects more.”

Integrity Is Not Negotiable

2011-01-21T00:52:00.003-05:00

“The chief commodity a writer has to sell is his courage. And if he has none, he is more than a coward. He is a sell-out and a fink and a heretic, because writing is a holy chore.” --Harlan Ellison

Rich Buckler on Meth

2011-01-17T14:49:00.005-05:00

I'm delighted to add Rich Buckler to the team of comic artists that I am now working with. I grew up on Rich's Fantastic Four run and his cover work at Marvel is among the finest produced in the Bronze Age. I've had a sensational recreation of his Hulk #255 cover, which I comissioned, hanging in my home for years, and there are plenty more I froth over.

Rich will break his seeming silence here soon and I'll be displaying some of his cover re-imaginings. Subscribe to this blog (it's free) and you won't miss it.

The Green Hornet: This Is What I Was Talking About

2011-01-16T11:29:00.014-05:00

That idiot Richard Saperstein, the producer who's scrupulous rectitude leaves much to be desired, is likely hounding his current screenplay writer (like he used to hound me) to change everything he's penning in mid-stream to read like the new Green Hornet film because that's what hacks do when something hits. But this was exactly what I was trying to do with Snaked, my screenplay which was based on my comic book series from IDW Publishing (which I see they've turned into something you can download now). Mix action with the right comedic tone and snappy dialogue and boom: That's entertainment.

The new Green Hornet film is the real deal--a perfect blend of laughs and action. Seth Rogen adds depth and charisma to a potentially flat character while Jay Chou makes the Kato role his bitch. Even the soundtrack was smart.

Move over Iron Man: This was the best super-hero film I've seen yet.

Michael Netzer: The Art of Responsibility and the Responsibility of Art

2011-01-04T21:30:00.011-05:00

I've been staring at a blank sheet of blog space thinking about how to announce that I am now representing artist Michael Netzer. And then the title of this post came to me and I realized that if you know anything about Michael then you know everything about him--what he represents and how extraordinary he is.

A fan of Michael's as a boy, I had occasion to meet him once at a New York convention where he drew Batman for me. It was a prized addition to my collection. My generation regarded Michael Nasser (as he was known then) as the ultimate Neal Adams protege until he began morphing into someone wholly Michael, a unique artist who lived the ideals he put forth in his comics work; a creator who cared more about art than money, and more about people than art. His personal quests for enlightenment have kept fans and friends (and family, too, I suspect) often enthralled and sometimes frustrated, asking themselves and each other, "Where is Michael now?" His writings, when he writes, are equally enchanting, dangerously truthful, and uncommonly wise.

Michael and I have been friends for many years now, since first working as colleagues on ill-fated IDT Entertainment films. We rarely see each other these days as Michael resides on a settlement in Israel and I remain in the ruins of New Jersey, but I've picked up the phone when I needed the harmony that Michael restores to unbalanced moments; and offered him illustration and cover work as an editor when I sought someone who could deliver his unique blend of Continuity-trained, Silver-Age sensibility to a post-Digital, hyper-amped, seen-it-all-so-what-can-you-show-me-now audience.

I was pleased and proud when Michael Netzer recently approached me and asked me to represent his art. The invitation came out of nowhere and made all the sense in the world. He joins Gene Colan and the Dave Cockrum Estate as part of a creative portfolio that is frankly less a client list and more of a fraternity.

Karate-do, Gichin Funakoshi, and a Few Words about Avodah Zarah

2010-12-27T15:59:00.011-05:00

“The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or in defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” Those are the words of Gichin Funakoshi, the great grandmaster of karate-do and recognized founder of pre-MMA, modern martial arts.

As a life-long karateka, I feel a particular closeness with Funakoshi Sensei not just because I trained directly under Richard Lenchus (who trained under Kawanabe Sensei in Atsugi, who himself trained under Funakoshi Sensei)--I feel this closeness because Funakoshi Sensei was authentic, a man who mastered himself, someone worth emulating.

Funakoshi Sensei was born in the Yamakawa district of Shuri, Okinawa on November 10, 1868. He began training in Isshinryu at the age of 11 under Master Yasutsune Azato, who also taught him the Confucian classics. Later, he trained with Master Azato's friend and contemporary Master Yasutsune Itosu. Funakoshi dedicated his life to the development and promotion of karate training throughout Japan.

To fully appreciate Funakoshi Sensei’s Shotokan Karate, it is essential to realize that, above all else, Funakoshi was a Chun-tzu. Becoming such, in Confucian terms, is not an accident of birth but rather the result of the development of ethical values (midos, in rabbinic Hebrew). Chun-tzu can be translated variously as gentleman, superior man, and man at his best. Funakoshi was all of this, and his devotion to Confucian teachings was part and parcel of his karate-do.

Confucius said, “He who in this world can practice five things may indeed be considered man-at-his-best.” These five disciplines are Humility, Magnanimity, Sincerity, Diligence, and Graciousness. If you are humble, you will not be laughed at; if you are magnanimous, you will attract many to your side; if you are sincere, people will trust you; if you are gracious, you will get along well with your subordinates (The Sayings of Confucius, New American Library, 1955, p. 110). It is this type of man, Confucius teaches, who can transform society into the peaceful state it was meant to be.

Diligence, which remains undetailed in the above list, fairly well speaks for itself. But by way of a base illustration: When I was younger, I found the spinning back-roundhouse kick awkward. Or perhaps I was awkward. In any event, I was frustrated by the technique and eventually turned to one of my instructors to ask for a few pointers. "Here's the secret," he said, calling me over to whisper into my ear. "Do it a million times."

Years later, when I taught martial arts at the Lubavitcher cheder (a Chassidic children's dayschool) in Morristown, NJ, I had a number of young students, among them the children of two prominent rabbis from the community. But another "rabbi" objected, claiming that karate was a form of idol worship (avodah zarah was the term used). He fought diligently to have my free class removed from the building. What a shocking non-surprise to later find this very man confronted by the NJ State authorities for physically abusing his own pupils. Ignorance and low morals oftentimes go hand-in-hand.

There is nothing in classical martial arts antithetical to classical Torah teachings. Indeed, Professor Chaim Sober's Tora Dojo--a vital part of Yeshiva University's history as far many of us are concerned--makes it clear that the physical and philosophical aspects of classical martial arts are not only in harmony with Torah, they are a healthy supplement, much like the mussar teachings of the 18th century.

Confucianism, as its founder taught, is not a religion – it is an ethical code. Three key principles are emphasized: the principles of Li, Jen and Chun-tzu. Li has several meanings and is often translated as propriety, reverence, courtesy, ritual, or the ideal standard of conduct. It's what Confucius believed to be the highest standard of religious, moral, and social conduct.

Where Li provides the structure for social interaction. Jen makes it a moral system. Jen, the fundamental virtue of Confucian teachings, is the concept of goodness and benevolence and is expressed through recognition of value and concern for others, regardless of rank or class or wealth or poverty. Confucius summarizes the principle of Jen as: “Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” (Analects 15:23) In Pirke Avos, Hillel is translated as having said it this way: "What is hateful to you do not do unto others." Regardless of whether Hillel or Confucius said it first (and neither one of them, history shows, would have sued for copyright infringement), the statements are essentially the same.

Avodah zarah, it seems, is often in the evil eye of the beholder.

The third primary Confucian concept, Chun-tzu, represents the notion of gentlemanliness, of living by the highest ethical standards. The gentleman displays five virtues: self-respect, generosity, sincerity, persistence, and benevolence. His relationships are characterized as follows: as a son, he is loyal; as a father, he is kind and just; as an official, he is faithful; as a husband, he is righteous and just; and as a friend, he is faithful and tactful.

Funakoshi Sensei wrote, “True karate-do places weight upon the spiritual rather than physical matters...in daily life, one’s mind and body should be trained and developed in a spirit of humility, and that, in critical times, one should be devoted utterly to the cause of justice.”

Oh, that all of our "religious" leaders would have such high standards.

Mike Henderson Debuts at Marvel

2010-12-27T13:01:00.005-05:00

Can't say I didn't warn you. Artist Mike Henderson is now filling art chores at Marvel after turning in a gorgeous set of illustrations on Aardwolf Publishing's last Hank Magitz book. Jim Reeber, Gene Colan and I were all wowed by Mike and now it's Marvel readers' turn.

You can download Marvel's exclusive Digicomics here (scroll down to see Mike's work on Marvel Digital Holiday Special #2). We expect big things from Mike.

Tough Jew: Neil Ellman

2010-12-15T23:29:00.006-05:00

I had the profound pleasure of watching Y.U. Head Coach Neil Ellman guest coach the KYHS wrestling team tonight. The great ones always make it look easy.

Josh Koscheck: The Ultimate Jerk

2010-12-12T10:57:00.005-05:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Karate-do without courtesy is not karate-do.

Thank you, Georges St-Pierre, for closing this fool's mouth last night. To say nothing of his eye.

Grandmaster Joe Onopa - Remembered

2010-12-12T10:36:00.007-05:00

Joe Onopa, Black Belt 10th Degree, Kwon Bop Do (Tae Kwon Do) has passed away. The Grandmaster was the great, great grandson of the Native American Apache Chief Geronimo and a pioneer martial artist. I was honored to receive some small instruction from Master Onopa when he visited my sensei Richard Lenchus in Vermont many years ago, and to have him sit on the committee that judged me for my first blackbelt test (which I failed).

Master Onopa was a warm and powerful man, a revered instructor and fighter, a special friend to those who knew him--in all ways, a testament to the true spirit of karate-do. There is a detailed tribute to him here and a video tribute here. Joe Onopa was 69 when he passed. Oos great hanshi. Domo arigato.

Happy Birthday Richard Lenchus

2010-12-10T15:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Grand Master Richard Lenchus, founder of Legend Shotokan Karate, maker of men, kicker of asses, the Jewish pride of Coney Island.

A Little Help for Paty Cockrum, Please

2010-12-08T22:19:00.005-05:00

Paty Cockrum's shattered leg has kept her hospitalized since Sunday. She will be released tomorrow but forced to spend several weeks in rehab. This ain't cheap. Her health insurance covers the lion's share of these costs, but her out-of-pocket is high.

If you're still a collector of back issues, now is the PERFECT time to buy some comics from the Dave Cockrum Estate. These were Dave's personal comics and file copies. Prices are already fair but click here, pick a handful and make me an offer I can't refuse. After all, it's the giving season. As every season should be.

Paty Cockrum is Down But Not Out

2010-12-06T19:55:00.004-05:00

Paty Cockrum—the artist, widow of Dave Cockrum, and my dear friend of several decades—took a serious fall yesterday outside of her home in South Carolina that resulted in a shattered femur and an emergency operation that lasted several hours into the evening. I received the phone call regarding the incident from our mutual friend Richard O’Hara while I was visiting Gene Colan and, oddly enough, Gene and I were sitting back admiring original illustrations of Dave’s and Paty’s. The timing of that call was movie stuff.

Paty will be released from the hospital day after tomorrow and spend several weeks in a therapy center, learning to walk again. We spoke this afternoon and, as always, she was in the highest spirits. “I was taking the dogs out when one of them tugged and I must have been on an icy patch,” she reports. “So I went down and my leg was behind me and it broke. Then I dragged myself twenty feet or so back into the house and dialed 9-1-1. ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’ I told them.”

Always the joker, that Paty.

The Future of Dave Cockrum's Futurians

2010-12-05T10:51:00.004-05:00

A number of you have written and even more have hit this blog via keyword searches (yes--we can see you; Google cuts both ways).

The wheels on the FUTURIANS move slowly. There's 20 unpublished, tightly pencilled pages of The Futurians by Dave Cockrum sitting on my desk and inquiries and interest from a number of major comics' publishers to roll-up existing (previously published Futurians' stories) into one BIG book. And there's still the half-interest of occasional Hollywood vecks. Paty Cockrum owns all of the originals and rights to everything so it's not complicated legally, just a question of what we want to do, and with who. Or is it whom?

Gene Colan Recreates Iron Man #1

2010-11-29T22:40:00.001-05:00

Read all about it here.

Gene Colan Introduces New Film Book; Offers Original Art For Sale

2010-11-28T15:12:00.008-05:00

Now & Then, The Movies Get It Right by Neal Stannard (Bear Manor Media) is a new book that carries an introduction by Gene Colan (and Gene really liked the book). Click here for details.

And just in time for the holidays, the remainder of Gene Colan's original art pages are being sold at greatly reduced (below market) prices. And it's always nicer to buy art directly from the artist. Click here to have a look.

The Good Rats Re-Take Long Island

2010-11-21T02:00:00.018-05:00

What makes an old guy leap from his seat, topple his warm beer, and elbow four middle-aged women out of the way to catch a rubber rat thrown from a garbage pail? Bad manners, you say. Well, okay—besides that.

Tonight’s scene at Mirelles’ in Westbury, Long Island, could easily have taken place 35 years ago at the legendary My Father’s Place in Roslyn, or the Showplace in Dover, New Jersey, or any number of metropolitan nightspots festooning the punk-trodden East Coast. The original Good Rats were in the house for several hours of music and mischief that brought back every tasty nuance that the 300-odd baby boomers who were packed into the room (at $50 a head!) remembered and loved and longed for. Long Island’s favorite rock-and-roll sons brought the legion to their feet with each Rats' hit—from “Taking It to Detroit” to “Injun Joe” to "Don't Hate the Ones Who Bring You Rock 'n Roll"—all delivered with the same precision that distinguished the world's greatest unknown R&R band years ago to music aficionados as far more than the super garage-rock combo they were more widely known for. And the stage antics we adored and sometimes feared made it seem like these guys were never really gone.

Despite recent wrestlings with pneumonia, John "The Cat" Gatto's and Mickey Marchello's dueling guitar leads were never more impressive, while Peppi Marchello's hospital vacation (I mean, what else would you call it? the Rat Maestro never takes a night off unless there's a tube shoved down his throat) made it hard for the celebrated songwriter to get the flesh in his voice and hit some of his notorious high notes. But Peppi's boy Stephan—who doubles on bass and drums for the current Rats' lineup—was positioned at shortstop providing backing vocals for his old man. The Good Rats have always been a family affair.

There's a new Rats album in the works, too—a collection of never-released tunes, many from "the old days." And rumor has it there will be one more reunion gig in Manhatten or New Jersey sometime next year, but that might be the ballgame folks. So pay attention when I tell you that this is one of the greatest shows on earth, ranking alongside The Pogues and AC/DC as legendary must-see live acts. That they never achieved blanketed, international coverage while far lesser bands topped the charts only goes to prove the McDonalds mentality of the record-buying masses. The best writers are rarely best sellers, either.
But the Good Rats, known only to a million or so fortunate enough to have graduated high school in New Jersey or Long Island between ’74 and ‘80, yes those rascally Rats remain the greatest unsung jukebox heroes to ever strike three or more chords on a Fender. And it’s a shame, my friends—a damn shame if you miss them.

Final photos: The Ratettes rise for another riggling of the rumps for "Yellow Flower"

Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin: Role Models for this Generation of Ring Warriors

2010-11-07T09:54:00.009-05:00

On Saturday evening, Chuck Liddell broke Rich Franklin's arm. And about five minutes later, Rich knocked Chuck out, effectively ending his UFC career.

One week later, someone caught this perfect moment on film: Chuck Liddell singing Rich Franklin's cast.

"Karate-do without courtery is not karate-do." --Gichin Funakoshi

Peppi Marchello On the Mend

2010-10-26T19:14:00.006-04:00

I've been quiet about it because illness is illness and nobody's business, but it seems the rat's out of the bag. Peppi has been hospitalized and close to the edge for weeks now. I spoke regularly with his wife Kathy and received frequent progress reports about everything from his blood levels to the color of his stools (and if that's not love, what is?) But, after too long, Peppi is home again and we spoke yesterday morning. Then, this evening, he sent this message to his fans:

Dear fans: Thanks for the well wishes and concern you have expressed to me and my family during this critical time in my life. Due to all the blood thinners I have to take since my open heart and valve replacement surgery in 2002, and my stent installation in 2009, I experienced massive blood loss during my 2 recent endoscopies to remove a bleeding polyp in my stomach. I had to receive 13 units of blood and frozen plasma. The doctor told me some of the blood was donated by Dee Snider and since then, I have been wearing a halter top and lipstick. But seriously, I came close to singing my final performance of 'Songwriter' but thanks to God, my family's prayers and yours, I'll be coming back to the greatest job and fans anyone can have. God willing, I hope we can continue to enjoy each other's company at gigs like the reunions, Ratstock and all the other shows throughout the year. I am going to release a CD of songs I have written and recorded that never made it onto a CD or album, although I'm sure many of you will recognize them from live performances over the years. Again, thanks for all your support and I hope to see you soon.
- PEPPI

Cain Valasquez TKOs Brock Lesnar

2010-10-24T01:35:00.012-04:00

For my money, tonight's fight wasn’t about finally having the first Heavyweight Mexican Champion, despite how it was promoted. It was about Cain Valasquez, a serious wrestler and better MMA fighter finally showing that the UFC’s bad-attitude bully Brock Lesnar was beatable. And the brutal asswhooping he gave him.

I stood in a room crammed with dozens of hooting Jersey billies and their drunken female know-nothings who bayed like dogs at the wide-screens the minute big, bad Brock strutted in to the tune of “Enter Sandman.” And it occurred to me once again that no one who knows and follows MMA could cheer for this roid-raged WWF goon; that this legion of lemmings in bars across the fruited plains are just bandwagon followers who have never wrestled, never boxed, never trained in any martial art, and never known anyone who did; idiots who yell “woo-hoo!” and chant “U-S-A!” at inappropriate times. Nothing made me feel better than watching them shut up as their thyroid freak Viking-wannbe got his head kicked in. Staggering around like a broken marionette, Lesnar didn’t even make it out of the first round. A TKO at 4:12.

Wrestlers and karateka salute Cain Valasquez, the new undisputed heavyweight champion of mixed martial arts.

More from NY ComicCon

2010-10-14T10:12:00.004-04:00

Photo of editor Jim Salicrup and Mrs. Meth's son Clifford courtesy of blogger Bryan Reesman.

We Get Letters

2010-10-14T09:32:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to say thank you for all you've done and continue to do for Dave Cockrum and his wife Paty. As you can guess from my name, I was/am a big fan, and when he passed, I read about how tough his last years were, and how you were there to help, and still are to this day. It made me want to thank you personally, but I've never had the chance, until now, when I noticed you were a mutual friend of my old pal Tom Orz. Just please know, at least one fangirl in this world thinks you're pretty damn awesome, and appreciates you and what you do; truly, you are the embodiment of the word "friend". Please, continue to ROCK.

Your pal,
Storm Bourbon-Glossen

Thanks for the nice note, kiddo. I don't know Tom Orz but I'm sure he's a swell guy. I only love Dave & Paty, and helping them was the greatest pleasure. Better than sex. Better than vengence. Better than publishing. -CM

New York ComicCon, Here to Stay

2010-10-10T23:55:00.012-04:00

NY ComicCon. Small enough to allow you to see old friends (if you isolate yourself to Artists Alley, which I did) yet large enough to put San Diego on notice. I spent entire the day with Gene Colan, who we snuck in unannounced--and just as well--and was delighted to take time with Walter Simonson, Paul Levitz, Glenn Haumann, Rich Johnston and David Lloyd (all pictured) along with Herb Trimpe, Ramona Fredon, Gary Fields, Todd Nauck, John Workman and Jim Salicrup... Walter's convention stories were hands down the best, but you'll have to hear them from him.

Shakeup At Aardwolf: Where's Amy?

2010-09-28T23:51:00.010-04:00

Aardwolf Publishing's gal Friday Amy has apparently taken it on the lam. Aardwolf's president Jim R. (my favorite editor, at least until this incident) came back from a three-week vacation to find that nothing had been accomplished around his office in months. That is if you don't count the spider webs. His contracted authors, myself among them, are very unhappy about this.

Amy: If you're reading this, it's rather unfair that readers haven't gotten their books. Further, Jim is out of toner, paper, toilet supplies, and has no clue what his PayPal account is. He tells me he's sorry he called you a stupid cow.

Talking to G-d

2010-09-28T14:29:00.008-04:00

Where I'd rather daven (#1 being the highest, #10 the lowest):

1. The Kotel
2. Hevron, in the kever where our Avos are buried
3. Next to the Rebbe, z"tl, when he was alive, in that little room upstairs at 770
4. Anywhere else in Eretz Yirosel
5. With Rabbi Kahane, z"tl
6. In a quiet shul, where everyone is respectful (which seems to only exist in my mind)
7. Alone in my house
8. In a clean toilet
9. In a dirty toilet
10. The Chabad of Northwest NJ

Make Mine Stan Lee

2010-09-27T22:06:00.007-04:00

I've known this generous man for three decades, but it's always a thrill to get a note from Stan or hear him on the phone... And in a few weeks, I get to see his smiling face in person.

Cliff,
The greatest of New Years to you and yours!

I'll be looking forward to seeing you and Gene [Colan] in N.Y. I think it's great that you've been so helpful to him all this time. But then, great people do great things--that's why they're great!

Excelsior!

Stan

A Rabbi & A Priest Walk Into a Bar (or How Kars4Kids Literacy Program Made Me Give Up Cigars for Lent)

2010-09-21T14:29:00.005-04:00

As reported in The South Orange Patch

On Monday, Sept. 13, the Kars4Kids Literacy Program presented Seton Hall University with a full Talmudic library during a ceremony held in the Dean's Office of Walsh Library. Presiding over the event was Fr. Lawrence Frizzell, who began by addressing the university community in prayer.

The Talmud is a central text of Judaism, written as a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish customs, ethics, history, law and philosophy. "These texts will be a great benefit for our students in the Jewish-Christian Studies Masters program," Frizzell said. "Those students will use the Talmuds more frequently than others. But, the texts will be available for all students and the university community to use as well."

The donation was part of a recent Kars4Kids mandate, aiming to provide educational resourcesto children and students in need. Kars4Kids is a national organization providing for the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of children. The national, 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization was established in 2000.

Upon donating the sacred texts to the university, Kars4Kids spokesman Clifford Meth recounted his early exposure to Judeo-Christian studies and was glad that he could give other students a chance to appreciate what he has. "Today's student studies towards vocational goals," Meth said. "But it wasn't long ago that we educated ourselves for the sake of learning. These texts offer that opportunity to Seton Hall students."

On hand to accept the donation to the Walsh Library was university Archivist Alan Delozier. According to Delozier, the 73-voulme Talmudic library will be catalogued into theuniversity's library in hopes of having the sacred texts available for students soon.

"The Talmud is the essential reference work for scholars and beginning students alike who are interested in Biblical history," Meth said. "We are delighted to present this full library to Seton Hall, where the study of the Bible is so clearly emphasized."

Gene Colan: The best of times, the worst of times

2010-09-12T20:53:00.009-04:00

Did Gene Colan live happily ever after? He's certainly had a rough year—even rougher than the rest of America. But he’s had no illusions. Gene understands that it's hard work and perseverance alone that define a man’s destiny.

Gene, who turned 84 last week, spent the first half of 2010 in a hospital bed recovering from a broken shoulder and many thought he’d never draw again. But that’s like betting against the Yankees. Down the in 9th, two outs, nobody on, and Gene has proven once again that if anyone has the right to wear the spandex of Captain Comeback.

Gene spent today with fellow artist Rudy Nebres (pictured above) at ComicArt Con in Secaucus greeting fans, talking comics, answering questions, and reminiscing about Adrienne, his wife of 48 years, who passed away in June of congestive heart failure. His message was the same one he imparted ten years ago when the doctors informed him that he'd remain blind in one eye, and years before that when Jim Shooter chased him away from Marvel for a short spell: You take the chin music, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. And he has. His current commission work is as sharp today as anything he’s ever created, and his last book, Captain America #601, took this year’s Eisner Award for best single issue.

Pay attention. There's a lesson in this for all of us.

Asher Herson’s & Moshe's Herson's Personal Chabad: Up to Their Old Tricks

2010-08-29T17:12:00.015-04:00

I hate to give this subject more space than it deserves but I ran into an observant Jew today who has lived in White Meadow Lake for only a few years. My celebrated distancing from his “rabbis” Asher Herson, son of Moshe Herson (pictured), and their lucrative, spiritual Ponzi scheme (a.k.a., The Chabad Center of Northwest New Jersey) pre-date this fellow’s arrival to the neighborhood by a good many years, but apparently he’d heard my name whispered in one of their multi-million-dollar buildings, so he approached me.

This neighbor, a baal tshuvah, described how uterly cheated he and his wife feel after just several years of association with Herson’s Chabad; how his davening alone had been grossly diminished by their shenanigans (his word, not mine, though I’m fond of it myself, especially when the shoe fits). I learned that Herson benefactor Mort Kwestel, that piece of animated offal--the shvantz wagging the dog--was no longer around much, but how other ignorant ninnies still fill Herson’s coffers and pay his mortgages as he peddles his peculiar brand of feel-good conservadoxism (my word, not his, though my neighbor clearly assimilated its meaning) claiming to "change lives".

All of this is to say that, as the High Holidays approach, I couldn’t be happier to have had nothing but nothing to do with the Herson family’s business-masquerading-as-religion, and to have remained untarnished by it for so many years now that I’d need to re-read my own ancient account of that sad and silly place to refresh my memory, if indeed that were my desire. Which, thank G-d, it isn’t.

Randy Coulture Drops James Toney Like a Bad Habit

2010-08-29T02:20:00.009-04:00

James Toney’s first MMA fight (against living legend, 47-year-old Randy Coulture) didn’t make it out of the first round. It didn’t even make it out of the fourth minute. What was this dummy thinking?

Yes, James Toney is an accomplished boxer who has been KO’ing people since the late 1980s. But the UFC isn't a boxing match with 16-oz. gloves laced on 90-IQ gorillas. The morons who said Toney had a "puncher’s chance" and were brain-dead enough to put their money on this stiff obviously never wrestled.

Watching Randy mug this goon reminded me of my Morris Hills High School Fraternity Brothers visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ, for my birthday. A fight broke out between our party (a few college freshmen and about a dozen high school guys) and another party of perhaps 20 college-age upper classmen, most of them starting players for FDU’s Divison-Three football team. The FDU defensive line was bigger, older, stronger and seriously outnumbered my teenage pals. And we beat the bejesus out of them (didn't we Johno?)

The moral of the story: Don’t fight wrestlers.

A Couple of Buildings, Once Upon a Time

2010-08-19T12:20:00.006-04:00

With regard to the proposed mosque at Ground Zero (let’s call it the “We’re Erecting a Mosque as an Act of Gloating as We’ve Always Done Historically on Every Battlefield Where We’ve Ever Claimed Victory” Mosque), Norm Breyfogle (artist of Batman and other comics) naively laments on his FaceBook, “What's on my mind? Freedom of religion. Isn't Islam a religion? Isn't the First Amendment still in effect? I mean, it hasn't been rescinded or anything, has it?”

Among the many comments from many folks, mine: “Cannibalism is a religion, too. So was Manson's family, Jim Jones's cult, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh... You are using semantics (the First Amendment or otherwise) to defend the wrong people. This is not a freedom of religion issue.”

To which the comicbook writer Elliot S. Maggin adds, “Stop. Explain please. In what Universe and under what circumstances is this anything other than a freedom of religion issue?”

To which I clarify: “The people financing this edifice to sacrificial infidels are mocking us after backing other acts of human terrorism. And it's good, well-meaning folks like you, Elliot, and Norm, and a host of other idealists who make them realize what a soft and easy target America has become. As I said earlier, the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh is a religion, too. By strict, fifth-grade interpretation of the First, you'd have to legitimize them as well. But that's not how things work.”

To which Maggin appends (and you can feel his fists clenching): “How things work is a lame and logic-free rationale for casual and convenient divergence from fundamental principles. Interpretation of the First Amendment in this case - and in most cases - is simply a matter of reading and understanding it. And to ascribe the equation of the downtown community center’s financing with the people who once upon a time sent a gang of killers to drop a couple of buildings on the people who currently own this onetime coat shop and our other neighbors to fifth-grade level logic would be grossly generous. This attitude is on its face the worst and most un-American type of ideological prejudice.”

To which I sighed. Because the enemies of America read this and laugh. Because there were even certain Jews who voted for Hitler (and would do so again) as fear makes certain types of high-verbal, otherwise intelligent people (who are all-too-often Jewish) tragically unintelligent when it comes to their own survival. And I replied, “Your belief that the attacks of Sept. 11 were once upon a time and merely a couple of buildings tells me everything I need to know. I'm sure you're as well-intentioned as the Jews on Kristallnacht who said, 'So they broke a few windows. It's nothing we can't fix…' As much as I'd hope you're right about your belief that there are moderates among these people who just want to pray their own way, it's historically clear that you are terribly, dangerously mistaken. Our very decent Constitution is just one of the weapons they are turning on us now. Welcome to The United States of Atlantis before they sink it."

And I sighed eternally.

The Cultural Intifada

2010-07-22T14:09:00.011-04:00

Look! Up in the sky! It’s freedom of religion!

But Meg Ryan just cancelled her appearance at this week’s Jerusalem Film Festival. And Elvis Costello changed his mind about performing in Jerusalem. And Carlos Santana was bullied out of appearing at his sold-out performance in Israel.

Elton John, on the other had, said this in mid-June to an enthusiastic Israeli crowd: “Shalom! We are so happy to be back here! Ain’t nothing gonna stop us from coming, baby. Musicians spread love and peace and bring people together. That’s what we do. We don’t cherry pick our conscience.”

Jethro Tull also refused to be intimidated out of playing three concerts in Israel in early August. Said Ian Anderson, “[I have] long maintained the position that culture and the arts should be free of political and religious censorship.”

Scott Kempner Breaks His Silence

2010-07-19T16:36:00.017-04:00

Pals of Mrs. Meth’s boy Clifford know I'll swan dive into hemorrhagic shock if forced to go too long without the good stuff, and it’s been too long, my droogs, since fellas with guitar guts, soul ripping, honest, have burned across these bankrupt airwaves. There's nothing coming through that we haven’t already heard half a million times until everything holy has become muzak to broken ears... So your love-starved author contacted Scott "Top 10" Kempner, then drove to the edge of town, climbed out of his rusting Jap garbage hauler, slammed the door, and strode through the woods until he reached the banks of the Rockaway River. And there he fell to his knees and looked to the sky. Who will save rock and roll?

Meth: When did you first realize that The Dictators had passed into a serious part of rock-and-roll history?

Kempner: Well, this is not an open-shut, widely accepted or widely held concept to begin with, our being part of rock’n’roll history. I think it is close to 50/50 as to how often the band is given any kind of recognition in, for example, the printed word: books, magazines, etc., things that serve as accepted proof of one’s relevance. Timing-wise, we were really born on the cusp—that’s one reason why. We in no way had any kind of D.I.Y. work ethic or sound; we bordered on metal, we had Ross, and we started on the tail end of the Dolls, and a year or two before the Ramones are all other reasons why. That last point is what I mean about being born on the cusp. But, there’s a difference of opinion out there. A confusion, maybe, as to who we actually are, or were. Plus, what would come to be defined as the “Punk” sound, that downstroke eighth-note thing that The Ramones used in every song they recorded for their entire career, more or less, was not something we participated in. Ironically, it would become something we did rely on decades later around the recording of DFFD.

All of this sets up the answer to your actual question, which is I am completely unsure as to exactly how much we have passed into rock’n’roll history. I mean, we’re not ever mentioned in the same breath as The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads, or even The Dead Boys. Which, to me, totally makes sense. It’s always some other classification outside of those bands that we’re put into, when we’re mentioned at all that is. Which also makes sense to me.

On the other hand, I do meet people all the time who are thrilled to meet Top 10 of The Dictators, and who really get it, and as a rule, the fans we have love us. And, sometimes it’s more about how big you are in the hearts of your fans than just how big you are. And, we have ferocious fans. It does make me smile just thinkin’ about ‘em. So, where do we stand in The Big Book? I just don’t really know.

Meth: I was called a punk fiction writer in print by no less than Andy Shernoff. But to be honest, I have no idea what that means anymore. To me, James Dean was punk. Brando. Joey Ramone. Sid Vicious... But Green Day? Jesus Murphy! If that’s punk, then flush me now.

Kempner: Punk is a word that has survived on the strength of sheer flexibility, the ability to mutate, and to finally find a home in a financially lucrative host. It has always denoted some form of outlaw status. A punk was misunderstood, a victim, embodied a slow smoldering rage at one’s own ineffectiveness, the little engine that can’t. As far as I know the word has its origins in prisons. The one who becomes sex slave to others was a punk. A humble beginning, for sure. It retained some of the victim vibe of its prison origin in its travels until it gets transferred to an actual outlaw and/or, perhaps, criminal. But, definitely an outsider. Brando becomes a punk icon by assuming outsider-ness, vulnerability, rage, unpredictability and anti-heroism. The latter is retained forevermore in the punk ethos. It’s all about anti-hero, by virtue of all this iconography that has preceded it.

In Rock’n’Roll, punk reaches its more contemporary meaning when the tag begins to be worn proudly, as a statement that contains all the previous meanings and mutations, except the original one, the prison one. First as a description of all the post-Beatles one hit wonders and the thousands of band that began making a racket in mom and dad’s garage. Then, it gets codified as an umbrella tag for the mid-70’s CBGB scene we were a part of. Finally, Green Day institutionalized it by making millions off of it. What’s the connection? Along the way, that Ramones sound becomes institutionalized as “the Punk” guitar style. And that, right there, that little head of a pin, the Johnny Ramone guitar style that Green Day adapted and built on, that is why they are now Punk!

I would say that Shernoff being the astute fellow I know him to be was referring to your individuality, your uncompromising style and attitude, all of which would be pure outsiderness. That would be what Andy was talking about. He’s talking about a more aesthetically “pure” use of the term punk. I would say we would all use the term punk to describe Richard Meltzer, the Dictators’ godfather. I would also put my personal opinions about the word punk closer to Andy’s than I would to the explanation and chronology of the word I’ve offered, especially when it comes to you. It’s a compliment.

Meth: I don’t remember what I expected from DFFD—I guess a sort of retro-fit BLOOD BROTHERS (my favorite of the 'Tators original LPs). But I was ossified, pal. It wasn’t only the best Dictators album by light years, it became an instant classic in the Meth household. One of my favorite 25 albums ever. Did you guys realize how giant it was at the time?

Kempner: That record took a very long time to make, and we went through about another half dozen songs, or more, in all kinds of styles that were rejected along the way. I do think it has the best stuff we ever recorded, although I’m not crazy about the whole thing. It was also a difficult time for me personally in the band. It wasn’t long after the record finally came out that I left the band. Maybe six months after it came out. I guess it had been coming for awhile, and a disagreement over a tour of Australia in the Summer of ’02 brought my 30 years in the band crashing to a close. I was sure at the time that I would never play with them again, and I didn’t play another show with the band for two years.

My return to the fold only happened because Little Steven was having his Underground Garage Festival, wanted the Dictators, and didn’t think it was The Dictators without me. He went to battle for me unbeknownst to me, at first. But, his opinion is an opinion I happened to share, which is of course exactly where we stand at the moment, and this time it isn’t me on the outside. If Steven hadn’t gotten involved at that level I don’t know for sure if I ever would have played with them again. I’m very grateful he did what he did, believe me. I hope the other guys feel the same way.

But, as for DFFD, I put WHO WILL SAVE ROCK’N’ROLL?, I AM RIGHT, AVENUE A, IT’S ALL RIGHT, SAVAGE BEAT, CHANNEL SURFIN’ and JIM GORDON BLUES up there as the best things we ever committed to record. The record also sounds way better than anything we had ever recorded, mostly because we were way better than we were when we were recording in the 70’s. And, if it stands as the last studio document of the band, which at this time seems to be the likely case, I think it does a good job of that of representing where the band was at in the 21st century.

Meth: It kills me that there’s nothing new coming out of the ‘tators. I’m pals with Richard and Andy so I sort of get it. Any thoughts on this?

Kempner: Well, for one thing, the Dictators record at an agonizingly slow pace. That’s part of the problem. We’ve always had major personality differences within the band, as well. Not that this is an unusual thing for a band. I don’t know if any band is totally free of the artistic differences, personality clashes, and such, but another thing that Steven says that I totally agree with is that seeing as to how hard it is to make a band work, and to stick it out together, yet, how fantastic a thing a great band is, and how rare it is, Steven’s take is: you do anything and everything you gotta do, go through whatever you gotta go through, to keep that band together. He’s right about that.

So, ultimately it breaks my heart a bit that we have been torn asunder by these same clichés that have plagued rock’n’roll bands since the beginning of bands. But, that’s because those clichés are real, and painful, and very hard to overcome. So, it is very hard to accept the likelihood that the band will never play together again, but that does seem to be the case. I thank God I have the Del-Lords back in my life. And, at this point, I don’t really think about the Dictators much. I’ve come to some sort of acceptance that this is the way it is, and having the Del-Lords back, which is something into which I have a much greater creative input, being the songwriter and all.

Just want to add a bit about the word "Punk" question. The final resting place for punk, the final irony of the word's gestation and mutation, is that its connection to the outlaw/outsider vibe is now inverted and perverted, as Green Day has taken the word full circle, from outsider status to now describing a band who is as big an insider as anyone in the music biz.

Meth: Well they suck. I wouldn’t give them a chance to bore me. But that’s why God gave us memories and recording studios--that we might have roses in winter and Dictators' music after breakfast.

Hank Magitz and Adam Austin

2010-07-18T23:01:00.005-04:00

Hank Magitz and Adam Austin appeared today at TimeWarp Comics and Games in Cedar Grove, NJ. Two people actually showed up specifically to see Magitz. They said he owed them money.

Gene & I Are Signing (and we're not even blind)

2010-07-16T19:40:00.004-04:00

Gene Colan and I (really Gene) will be signing books this Sunday at Time Warp Comics & Games, 555A Pompton Ave., Cedar Grove, NJ, from 12 to 3 pm. If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by. I'm the one with the hat.

We Get Letters...

2010-07-16T19:37:00.001-04:00

...and some of them are rather nice.

Cliff, on behalf of the creative community, let me be the zillionth to thank you for the great care and Ellison-level protectiveness you've shown to the giants. Kudos. --Mark Waid

Tom Palmer (Quietly) Breaks His Silence

2010-07-16T01:10:00.007-04:00

One of the great unsung heroes of the Marvel Age of Comics, Tom Palmer has humbly contented himself with taking almost a backstage role in co-creating some of the finest comics we’ve seen. And it dawns on me that the inker’s job in comics is not unlike the bassist in rock and roll; when it’s done right, it’s almost silent; when wrong, it’s glaring.

I speak with Tom on odd occasions. The first time, decades ago, he was delivering a freelance assignment to Tom Phon, the art director at Electronic Design magazine in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, where I was starting my career as a staff editor and writer. I just happened to come across his name on some art credits.

“There was a Tom Palmer who worked in comics,” I said to Phon.
“Same guy,” he said.
When I got up off the floor, I asked for an introduction. Several months later, the Toms and I lunched.

Tom Palmer's name has continued to come up in conversation—with Gene Colan, with Neal Adams, and with my friend the late John Buscema—so often, in fact, that I probably feel like I’ve spoken to Tom more than I really have. I have a lovely Avengers pages he gifted me with that hangs in my family room. That’s been the source of many conversations, too.

Today, I asked Gene and Neal about Tom again, for the benefit of a panel discussion that my new friend Mark Waid is hosting at San Diego ComicCon. Gene was particularly gushing:

Tom Palmer was really the only inker who made something of my work. From the moment that I saw his inks I saw what great painting skills and art skills he had. He really made me look good and I just loved his stuff.

As we worked together, we became friends and we still are. He was always very easy to talk to. He has a simple way of reaching you that’s hard to explain. Whenever he calls or I call him, we get lost in conversation about life and about art. I’ve learned so much from him.

My favorite inker? Tom was the only one. Al Williamson was really great, too, but Tom is special. He is a complete artist.

Anticipating my forthcoming ComicBook Babylon (Aardwolf Publishing, 2011), it occurred to me that Tom is only barely mentioned in there. Another crime I don't need to be prosectuted for. So I asked Tom for a sit down sometime over the next few weeks. And in my emailed note, I foolishly assumed he was retired and basking in the New Jersey too-hot sun ever-after.

I'm still doing a few books for Marvel and just starting on the new Kick Ass series with John Romita Jr. and Mark Millar, which involves a more finished halftone art and is time consuming; only finished the first four pages of issue #1 and miles to go! I have three painting commissions waiting and luckily the clients are patient and willing to wait until I get to them. Don't know if I've ever heard of an artist retiring and kicking back; think you only start to get good after age 50 and hit your stride around 90. I don't play golf either.

Stay tuned. Following SD ComicCon, Tom will have more to say here about something or another.

We Get Letters: The Invincible Gene Colan errors

2010-07-16T01:05:00.001-04:00

Dear Cliff,

I have just recieved my [Invincible Gene Colan] book. But I felt I had [to] e-mail regarding its production faults! I had 31 years in the printing industry as litho/gavure printer/supervisor in both/production manager. It would be unthinkable to produce a book or any print for that matter with that amount of overprinting, which I believe was two lots of text on the same black plate... It begs the question why did anyone not spot it. Everyone looks at the job (print); if they don't then they are not doing their job. It is such an obvious error the readers should have picked it up! But what dissappoints me most is that a decision was obviously made to ship to the customers and with an error sheet supplied. To my mind it was a no-brainer, reprint, no question. Aardwolf [Publishing] have supplied a sub-standard product and expected the customer to accept it as it stands. I am a devoted collector of Gene Colan art (8 pieces) and he deserves every penny, the man is a genius. Lets [sic] not forget we paid up front for this up-front in December, 2009! Contents amazing, production lousy. Cliff can you pass this message on , please and I very much look forward to eveyone's reply.

Kind regards,
Steve Chivers

Dear Steven,

After more than a year working on this book as its editor--and after approving perfectly clean proofs--no one was more disappointed than I. Not even Gene. He has 65 years of extraordinary work behind him. This was my first book for Marvel and it looks like a bird shit in it. Seven times.

But you are sorely mistaken. You write "Aardwolf have supplied a sub-standard product and expected the customer to accept it as it stands." Aardwolf simply took a book that Marvel printed and Diamond distributed and did nothing more than add Gene Colan's remarqued and signed bookplates.

Aardwolf ordered hundreds of books, in advance, like everyone else. Neither Aardwolf nor myself had any control over what was printed. The proofs that *I* saw were clean.

Someone in China didn't do their job. Or perhaps Korea. I was fairly sick when I saw the printing mistakes, but what could I do?

That said, Aardwolf Publishing stands behind everything it does. If you aren't happy, please return the book. Aardwolf will promptly refund your money and shipping expenses.

Clifford Meth

Capt. America #601 Art by Gene Colan on Ebay

2010-07-06T22:31:00.002-04:00

Have a look here. And please bid.

Capt. America #601 Original Art for Sale... Bids coming in strong

2010-07-04T10:48:00.003-04:00

I've been collecting original comic art for 35 years (back when you could get a primo John or Sal Buscema page for $10, and a John Byrne sketch for $5). Among my favorite pieces are the historical ones I've managed to gather, including one of John Romita's early design sketches of Mary Jane Watson (a gift from John to Paty Cockrum, and from Paty to me) and a Bill Everett Sub-Mariner page from issue #61 (Everett's last). I had a page from Giant-Size X-Men #1, once, but foolishly let it go.

I don't plan to spend my entire 4th of July doing this, but I've had a fair number of blind bids on Gene Colan's original art for Captain America #601 that's now available. This is a great chance to own some comics history and great art. Click here to see eveything.

Bru-Hed on Meth

2010-07-02T19:09:00.003-04:00

I ran into my neighbor Joe Kubert today at the local supermarket. We shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, asked about each other's families. He also wanted to know why I was wearing a t-shirt with Jay Leno on it.

Images Added for Captain America #601 Art

2010-07-02T19:07:00.001-04:00

Visit this link to see what's for sale. It's not just great art, folks -- it's comics history.

Gene Colan's Capt. America Original Art for Sale

2010-07-01T16:54:00.003-04:00

These pages are being offered for the first time. It's Gene Colan's last significant work and it's up for an Eisner Award. Own a piece of comics history while helping this beloved artist. You can see the pages here.

A Misunderstanding...Now Understood

2010-07-01T14:25:00.006-04:00

The artist James Romberger is like the rest of us: He has no time to absorb the deluge of pop culture news. Thus, a complete misunderstanding occurred between us regarding Helen Thomas. He writes this morning:

Okay, I see that Thomas said something really stupid. I don't think Israel is right about everything they do but saying Jews should go back to Germany is fucked up. I couldn't find what she had done that you were hating her for until now. I had thought she was one of the good guys because Bush hated her so much.

Meanwhile you didn't make any of this clear in your post, you just went on calling her ugly... So I jumped the gun. I do think you could be more specific in your postings so us people who avoid reading the miserable news can figure out what you are talking about, and maybe set your sights a bit higher.

best,

James Romberger

So How Was Your Day, Dear?

2010-06-30T21:58:00.004-04:00

James Romberger writes that he no longer reads my blog because I’m not so swell to Helen Thomas; Don McGregor said (in other words) that he’s now reading me because he thinks what I write about Helen Thomas is the bee's knees; some yutz named Rick Olney, who a few people aren't so crazy about, sent me a thinly veiled threat because someone else wrote something about him (?); Gene Colan told me he loves me; and Harlan Ellison sent me a hug me and tucked me into bed.

Separated At Birth: Helen Thomas's Twin Emerges

2010-06-29T12:36:00.002-04:00

Gene Colan Art and Comics

2010-06-27T03:52:00.003-04:00

I will soon be posting a number of Gene Colan pages as well as file copies of his comics for sale.