Day Two of the Comic-Con International was a lot like Day One: Crowds, booth babes, costumed folks, people marvelling at the turnout and/or hotel prices, bad fast food…and I may be wrong but I think I actually saw someone selling comic books. One thing I find fascinating about this event is that it's many conventions in one, and you kind of have to find the convention you wish to attend. Depending on where you go in the massive hall, it's a gaming convention, it's a convention about upcoming movie releases, it's a convention about comic books that are about to come out, it's a convention about comic book history. Or collecting animation art or comic art…or about publishing your own comics. Whatever you want, it's probably here somewhere. You just have to look 'til you find it.
To an awful lot of folks, it seems to be a convention about trying to get work in comics. On my way out of the restaurant at dinner, I ran into the head guy at one of the companies — I won't say who — and he mentioned how weary he was of being "followed around" (I think that's the term he used) by guys with portfolios who won't believe they aren't good enough…or that even if they are, he has no project on which he can give them work. He expects a certain amount of that, says he, but this year it has been worse than ever.
To those who are turned away, I know, it seems like the editors and execs are insensitive, and that the only problem for them is merely saying "no" so many times a day…but there's another side to it. It's not easy in an emotional sense for most people to have to constantly dash someone's dreams, tell them they won't be getting the job that will fulfill their dreams and get them off the unemployment line. Yes, there have been one or two editors in comics who seemed to enjoy it — again, I won't say who — but for most, it ain't easy.
And yes, I know it comes with the job. But it's something I rarely see mentioned and I thought it was worth bringing up…especially since it was so thoroughly on this fellow's mind.
On to my Panel Report: Did four of them today, starting with the Spotlight on Jack Adler. Good attendance, lots of information dredged up and disseminated. Adler is the guy who invented many of the techniques used for coloring and color-separating comic books for decades. Like many old-timers I've interviewed, he was worried he wouldn't remember anything and, of course, he remembered almost everything, though occasionally with a wee bit of prompting. I hope some magazine like Alter Ego (or better still, Alter Ego itself) will not only print a transcript of the panel but will dispatch an interviewer to talk with Jack longer than I could today.
Second panel of the day: Spotlight on Chuck McCann. Folks, you had to be there. Very funny man with very funny stories. We showed clips, including a hilarious TV sketch with Chuck as Clark Kent having a helluva time changing out of his civvies and into Superman. A lot of people also loved a series of commercials we ran and were surprised to learn that Chuck was the original voice of the "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" cuckoo and his grandpa. Many recalled the memorable series of ads for Right Guard deodorant where Chuck was in the medicine chest, greeting the fellow next door with a cheery, "Hi, guy!" But they were amazed by one we showed that had Chuck bantering with Groucho Marx as the guy next door. (It never aired, Chuck said, because the ad agency decided Groucho, who was in his seventies at the time, presented the wrong image for a product that wanted to appeal to young men. Idiots.) There were other great moments but, like I said, you had to be there.
Then came the annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel with Dave Gibbons, Walt Simonson, Mike Royer, Paul Ryan, Steve Rude and a few members of the Kirby family. The clan presented what they're calling the "Jack Kirby Award" for — and as a recipient, I can quote from the lovely plaque I was presented — "…dedication to the Kirby legacy." My ex-partner Steve Sherman got one, as did his brother Gary, inkers Mike Thibodeaux and Mike Royer, publishers Mike Richardson and John Morrow, author Ray Wyman, cartoonist Scott Shaw!, publisher-musician Glenn Danzig, art collector Dave Schwartz…and I'm doing this from memory so I'm probably omitting someone. (Oh, yeah — Marty Lassick.) Then the artists from the panel discussed how Jack had influenced their work and you'll read all this when John Morrow publishes the transcript in The Jack Kirby Collector.
Last panel of the day: A Tribute to Bob Clampett, the great cartoon director and producer. We were joined by his daughter Ruth, animators Milt Gray and Leo Sullivan, and animation historian Jerry Beck. It's late so I think I'll write more about this one in a day or three, rather than rush the topic.
Before I left the convention hall for the day, I wandered down to Artist's Alley. Remember what I said a moment ago about how you have to find your own convention? Well, that's where I found a lot of mine. It's like they took the old San Diego Convention and hid it waaaaay down at one end of the building. I chatted with Gene Colan, Frank Springer, Mike Kaluta, Tom Yeates, Al Gordon, Ken Steacy, Jack Katz, Ramona Fradon and others who were selling sketches and artwork and art folios. If you read this before you come to the con, make sure you make the hike down to that time zone…because despite all the things there are in that place to see and do, I didn't enjoy anything more than mingling with some great artists.
I'm going beddy-bye now. Four more panels tomorrow. Hope to see some of you at some of them.