Today, in lieu of buying him a present, I note the birthday of my longtime pal, Scott Shaw! I believe I met Scott at Jack Kirby's home in 1970 and, yes, he even signed his name with the exclamation point back then. Our meeting came at a time when Jack and his wife Roz had an unfortunate habit: If anyone called up and said, "I want to meet Jack Kirby," they got an invite. A few folks rather grotesquely abused the Kirby hospitality. (Once, an acquaintance asked if he could bring some of his friends along, Roz said yes, and the guy not only showed up with 20 people but expected to stay the entire day and be served lunch.) But it was worth it for Jack and Roz when, as often happened, they got to host and encourage a young writer or artist with talent, and then see that person blossom into a full-fledged professional. Such a blossoming occurred with Scott who, though he has rarely ventured near the kind of comics that Kirby made famous, certainly learned something from proximity to Jack and managed to apply it. To celebrate Scott Shaw Day, why not drop by his Oddball Comics site, read some recent listings and post a message on the message board? And if you really want to commemorate the day, take a gorilla to lunch.
Later this week, instead of buying Sergio Aragonés a present, I'll note his birthday, as well.