Evan Dorkin's Blog, page 9

Eltingville Blues, Continued

Scanner busted this week, adding to the fun. But here's the inked version of the Bill Dickey pin-up for the hardcover. Which looks like it will also be late, because of my dropping the ball on issue #2. Ugh ugh ugh. This, too, shall pass.

Eltingville Blues

Juggling late pages for Eltingville Club #2 with late supplementary material for the Eltingville Club collection. Late, late, late.

R.I.P. Al Feldstein

Paraphrasing what I wrote on Twitter, Kurtzman was Kurtzman -- and all credit due -- but Feldstein's Mad was what I grew up on, and it was a major, major, major influence on me and a ton of other idiots. And as for the EC Horror Comics -- formulaic? Yeah. Often ripped from other sources? At times, sure. Fun-as-hell, influential, comic book awesomeness? Most definitely. I love these comics, even as I'm aware they're pulp and were often churned out and aren't the highest expression of self-expression known to the medium of comics. That's okay, I don't care, I'll take them.

I met Mr. Feldstein twice. One time was at San Diego, I think it was 2000, the last time I attended. I stood on line to have him sign a book about EC (yes, I get books signed at shows, I'm a fan). The writer of the book pointed out who I was to Feldstein, that I was a cartoonist, as if that mattered. It was kind of him, but I was embarrassed, that's on me, not anyone else. I get embarrassed. Feldstein was gracious as he signed my books and we spoke for a few seconds and I got the heck out of there because there were other fans who wanted their books signed.

The other time I met Feldstein was at a convention in New York. It was at one of the larger Big Apple shows, th National, if I remember correctly, at the Metropolitan Pavillion. Feldstein was a guest and was sitting close to where I was set up in the upstairs artist's alley. On Sunday -- which is often a slow day at shows -- there wasn't much doing and not only was business dead where I was, but also at his table. Which always floors me, when the veterans with decades of experience making influential comics sit at shows with no one in front of their tables. Anyway, I was sitting with cartoonist Christine Norrie, and we were talking, and for whatever reason, I got the idea in my head to go over to Feldstein and blather on about how Mad and EC were a huge influence, blah blah blah, and show him a copy of the most recent issue of Dork, which would show him I wasn't lying -- I was for real a humor cartoonist, influenced by Mad, blah blah blah, whoopie.

The problem was that despite what some folks might think from my work and my on-line writing and any interviews they may have heard done with me, even though I'm an opinionated motormouth I am not super-good at introducing myself to people and speaking to them, especially comics creators whose work I like to the point where I'd stand on an autograph line with one of their books. Christine told me I should go talk to him, and I kept putting it off. Eventually, I did go over. He was very, very nice, and we chatted for a short while. He gave me his card, or his card was out for anyone to take, I don't remember. I still have it, along with other business cards I keep as small mementos of my time in comics. And I gave him a copy of my comic. Which is something I almost never do, and something I immediately regretted, for reasons I won't get into, but let's assume they're all something I work on with my therapist every two weeks and move on. And I blather a bit and blah blah blah "I'm a big fan" and finally go back to my table, feeling like a moron.

And I see Feldstein putting his glasses on, and he starts reading my comic. And I feel like a moron. His face never changes. And I feel like a moron. No one comes by either of our tables, to break up the horrible moment for me. Or him. And after a little while, he comes over to my table, with my comic. And he says a few nice, general things to me about my work and gives me back the comic and there's a few more words and he goes back to his table. And I don't remember exactly what he said because I was flushed and embarrassed and the fact that he gave me the comic back made me feel horrible for some reason. Christine told me I was taking it wrong. And, like, of course, duh, what the hell does he need to keep this ridiculous, foul-mouthed small press funnybook home with him? He wasn't going to throw it out, he gave it back, he was kind, he was nice. I was mortified, I felt like I bothered him.

So, I met Al Feldstein. He seemed like a good guy. I was a fan, and I have a lot of respect for his work and contributions to funnybooks and I guess humor and the entertainment field in general. Most of us could only dream about having that kind of impact (no EC pun intended) on our pop culture, entertainment culture, culture culture. And on specific people. Years after I met him I started freelancing for Mad, a small boy's small dream come true, something that means a lot to me for a lot of reasons, one of which is because I grew up reading Mad, and the guy running the show back then was Al Feldstein. I felt badly when I read that he died, even though 88 isn't a a tragedy by any means and I assume he had a pretty darned decent life. I feel badly because we lost Al Feldstein and he was one of those folks that meant a little something to me personally and I would have gladly given him a few more years to kick around in if I had the choice to make. Like Kirby, like Elder, like a lot of folks who sat in front of drawing tables and pushed the ink around. Because I'm a fan.

M&C Art/Stan Sakai CAPS Fundraiser

I have a donated piece up for auction as part of the ongoing CAPS fundraiser benefiting Stan Sakai's family.

You can view the listing here, see the other current listings here, and read more about the fundraiser/fundraising efforts here and here.

If you've been interested in getting a M&C pin-up, this one is over-sized, would pop out nicely framed on a wall, and the money goes to a good cause, helping out some super-nice folks in the comics industry who are dealing with some a tough situation.

Thanks.

This and That

I had a swell time at yesterday's signing at Comic Book Jones -- I wasn't expecting to be doing much after appearing there just last month for the latest Beasts of Burden one-shot, but it turned out to be a busy six hours. I signed a lot of copies of Eltingville Club #1, a few Beasts issues and a couple of hardcovers. Sketched for some folks and will finish some the drawings I couldn't get to when I do another signing at CBJ on May 3rd as part of their Free Comic Book Day event.

Speaking of Eltingville, there's a short (but more serious than usual) interview with me about the comic at the Rhymes With Geek site.

If you picked up a copy Eltingville, you have my thanks, and I hope you enjoyed the misery-fest.

Issue #2 is running late and won't ship next month due to my streak of various minor illnesses and injuries, made worse by hitches, false starts and overall slowness. It's back under construction and I'm hoping to rope it in before too long.

Bleagh.



 

April eBay Art Auctions

We have a batch of pin-ups and sketchcards up for auction on eBay, you can view the listings here to bid or just browse. Looks like we're looking at car repairs among other money-chewing expenses, so, hopefully we can move a few things left over from the recent Asbury Park Con.

Eltingville Club Signing this Wednesday, April 23rd, at Comic Book Jones

I'll be signing copies of The Eltingville Club #1 next Wednesday at Comic Book Jones from 3 p.m to closing. We'll also have copies of the recently released Beasts of Burden: Hunters and Gatherers, and some of my other comics and collections. As usual I'll be doing freebie sketches for anyone who asks. For more information here's the CBJ newsletter about the signing.

If you're in the Staten Island, NY area and have any interest, we hope to see you there. As for the rest of you out there in funnybook land, I hope you're able to get a copy of the beginning of the end of The Eltingville Comic Book, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Role-Playing Club when it hits the racks on Wednesday.

And of course, I hope you enjoy the book.

Out Next Week

26 b&w pages chock full of fanboy comedy and tragedy. Available April 23rd at the relatively few comic shops that ordered it.

If all goes according to plan I'll be doing a signing at Comic Book Jones for the debut. 

Asbury Park Comic Con This Weekend

We'll be at the show this weekend, signing whatever, sketching whatever, selling whatever. Hope to see some of the H.O.F. faithful there, or meet some potential new readers.

Here's a drawing we hope to unload at the show:

Proceed At Your Own Risk

Two interviews with me, because you need more of me talking and typing, right? Well, at least these two aren't the same old talkfest you're used to. They're different kinds of talkfests. Enjoy, if you must.

First, Comic Book Resources' Jonah Weiland  interviewed me at the last NYCC on camera and this is the record of that NSFW car wreck.

Secondly, there's a 10-question interview with me up at The Comics Tavern.

Your move.