Fan Expo Boston is now 2 weeks behind me and there was another con that I have already attended (yay con season!).
So I thought I would wrap up my coverage of this con today.
As I said last week, the feel of the con is much more celebrity-focused but the comic creator guest list was pretty impressive. There was a nice mix of classic creators and current folks. So for an old timer like me who also hits the store every Wednesday, this was perfect.
For examples, one of my best interactions was talking to Sam Humphries about his Legion/Bugs Bunny crossover. Humphries is a big fan of the Grell era Legion, the books I cut my comic teeth on. And I was able to talk about his recent Harley Quinn run which has really shined.
And, of course, John Byrne was there. Byrne was a huge draw for me, having been a fan of his since I was a wee lad reading Marvel Team-Up and enjoying his Superman reboot.
Regarding commissions these days, I am trying to make sure I get more classic artists when I see them (and if I can afford them) to recognize them and their contributions. At Boston, I really hoped to grab a Bob McLeod commission and I was lucky enough to get one.
Up next, the commission, by Byrne interaction, and other stuff.
Here is the McLeod piece, a sketch I love.
McLeod was on the Superman books when the Matrix Supergirl returned from her space exile and I love that he drew Supergirl in that costume. There is something young, fresh, and optimistic in this image, very different from the Tyler Kirkham commision I got. Floating in the clouds, smiling, arms out almost reveling in the freedom, it just all works.
I only got two commissions here but the quality was just tremendous. I love this McLeod commission. Just incredible.
John Byrne had a prime spot on a corner in the creator section, allowing his long lines to snake behind tables. Byrne had specific rules ... no CGC, no multiple copies of the same issue, and only signing in black sharpie. But to meet a legend, these were simple rules to abide.
I brought up a smattering of issues from all over his career but surprisingly no XMen.
Most of what I brought were issues from his Superman run including important issues in the reintroduction of Supergirl as the Matrix. So Superman #16 (where we first see her trapped in the ice), to the Supergirl Saga issues (like #21 seen above and #22).
Byrne was quite personable and was able to answer brief questions while he was signing but he also recognized the line and moved things along. That was perfect. Really he was a nice guy.
Just a sample of some of the other issues I got signed. I got Legends #1 and Legends #3 (first current Suicide Squad). I got Man of Steel #1 and Man of Steel #2 signed. And, of course, my beloved Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #1 & #2.
You really could see just how beloved a creator he is with everyone thanking him for some story or another which really mattered to them. For me I thanked him for 'somewhat' bringing Supergirl back. But really I gushed about those Indy issues, a story so beloved that I did a podcast with Rob Kelly about them.
It was really spectacular to meet him.
And just another couple of issues to highlight. Remember this is a Supergirl site!
Greg Land was there and I got some Sojourn issues signed. But also, Land did Supergirl #11 and Supergirl #12 in the PAD era so I got those signed. Those issues are reviewed somewhere on this site.
Bob McLeod did the cover for the Panic in the Sky Prologue in Action Comics #674. That image is on my source material for cons. So it was great to get McLeod to sign the issue. And yes, Amanda Conner was there so I got her to sign the cover of the latest issue of Supergirl.
So overall a great con. But there was a better one around the corner!
8 comments:
Oh, I'd love to get to a con with you sometime and meet the legends; this one sounds truly excellent. I love that Bob Macleod illo so much.
Great McLeod piece.
I'm wondering if he had some specific Supergirl in mind while drawing. I'd assume Matrix, but she doesn't LOOK like Mae to me for some reason. Then again, Mae was a shape-shifter.
Glad your Byrne experience was good.
Yes, he "brought" Supergirl back. A pity he hates legacy characters and gender-swapped counterparts minus She-Hulk. Honestly, his Generations book tells me exactly what he thinks about Supergirl. Kara is Superman's daughter instead of cousin and gets brutally murdered by her own brother, Supergirl Red gets killed by green K-radiation, and Supergirl Blue also gets killed while attempting -and failing- to stop an Apokoliptian bomb before being erased from history without eeven accomplishing anything.
It didn't took long for that SG issue being signed!
That's a great commission by Bob McLeod. Congratulations.
John Byrne's rules for signing seem very reasonable, although I don't understand the black sharpie. Did he charge a fee for his signature?
I would be curious to know if bringing in a new Supergirl was Byrne's idea, or if DC asked him to do so. Byrne was one of the biggest advocates for Superman being Krypton's sole survivor. While I don't agree with it, I can understand where Byrne was coming from. But couldn't one also make the case that having ANY "super" characters around, other than Clark, help to make Superman less "special"-even if they're not survivors of Krypton? I seem to remember Don and Maggie Thompson writing years ago (pre-crisis I'm sure) about the Green Lantern Corps. That having hundreds (thousands?) of Green Lanterns stationed here, there and everywhere across the galaxies took away from Hal Jordan as a unique character. And there was no "sole survivor" status there.
Thanks for comments.
Byrne did not charge. I wonder if the black sharpie rule is to keep the line moving so he isn’t changing pens over and over.
I use a McLeod cover (Action 674) as part of my source material and that is Mae. But I agree, this pic looks too youthful for Matrix.
I love the piece.
Interesting to hear the Thompsons’ Green Lanterns argument. I am thoroughly unconvinced - it’s the personality that makes a character distinct.
"I would be curious to know if bringing in a new Supergirl was Byrne's idea, or if DC asked him to do so."
It was his idea:
'Was it your idea to bring back the character of Supergirl or was it something that DC said needed to be done?
JB: That was my idea. I felt it was probably not a good idea to let the copyright on the name slip away, and, what the heck! It was a chance to do a storyline guaranteed to mess with some heads, a significant part of my job description! Unfortunately, several coloring errors -- Supergirl being a redhead when she should have been a blonde, etc, tipped the hand and made the story, probably, even MORE confusing than it was meant to be! (11/2/97) I planned to have her as a recurrent character in the Superman titles. When I left the book, Roger Stern came up with the "Matrix" angle, and progressed her story from there.'
Source: http://www.byrnerobotics.com/FAQ/listing.asp?ID=2&T1=Questions+about+Comic+Book+Projects#33
"But couldn't one also make the case that having ANY "super" characters around, other than Clark, help to make Superman less "special"-even if they're not survivors of Krypton?"
Of course. I've been saying that for years. On the Post-Crisis world, Superman was the only son of Krypton... but he was no longer the first and most powerful super-hero, founding member of the world's first/mightiest super-team and the inspiration for the heroes of the far-flung future. I'd argue that all of it, as well as the fact the Marvel family now co-habited his world, made him way less unique in ways than the existence of other survivors didn't.
Superman hadn't been the only survivor since 1950 and the comics sold fine for a long while. So, why blaming the franchise's decline on it? And why scapegoating Supergirl when she wasn't even the first "other" Kryptonian?
Moreover, Post-Crisis Superman wasn't really a Kryptonian. He was an Earthman whose genetic code happened to come from a world he hardly cared for. So, why is his sole survivor status important? Wolfman, Byrne... talked like if was a big deal and then they made it irrelevant.
"I seem to remember Don and Maggie Thompson writing years ago (pre-crisis I'm sure) about the Green Lantern Corps. That having hundreds (thousands?) of Green Lanterns stationed here, there and everywhere across the galaxies took away from Hal Jordan as a unique character."
Should some people have their way -and Byrne is among them-, all Amazons but Wonder Woman would get killed. All sidekicks and legacy heroes except for Dick Grayson -and maybe Barbara Gordon- would get banished to the limbo. All distaff counterparts (minus their favorites, of course) would be banned.
Yes, the lead heroes would be more unique. And the DC and Marvel universes would be poorer for it.
Martin: It's been a long time since I read the Thompson's comments, and I don't want to misrepresent their position, but I think it had to do with multiple characters having identical powers and abilities.
Anonymous: Thanks for the Byrne quote. I believe he should have said "trademark" rather than "copyright" since you cannot copyright a name. I didn't know that Matrix was Roger Stern's idea.
"...why scapegoating Supergirl when she wasn't even the first "other" Kryptonian?"
I would guess it was because she was the most prominent other Kryptonian; a constant reminder that Superman was not the only one who escaped.
Thanks for continued comments!
Love the Byrne comments as background.
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