SDCC 2013 Sunday

Photos © Todd Klein.

I began Sunday at the con at the annual Jack Kirby tribute panel, hosted by Mark Evanier, and with that Gaiman fellow and Tony Isabella, as well as Kirby’s lawyer at left. Neil was not advertised to be on this panel, so it was not mobbed by his fans, and easy to get into. Everyone had insightful and interesting things to say about the man, his work, and his influence on popular culture, with Neil suggesting films like “Pacific Rim” owe a lot to Kirby, for instance. If this program shows up on YouTube, it’s worth a look.

In Artist’s Alley I told writer/colorist Brian Buccellato how much I enjoy his work on THE FLASH.

Chrissie Zullo was there with lots of her great painted work. She’s always fun to talk to, and had been at the Saturday dinner I attended.

I enjoyed seeing Romeo Tanghal, and was able to wish him a happy birthday, having seen it was so on Facebook. Romeo is retired from comics, but still doing wonderful commissions, which you can find on his FB page. The full color ones are particularly nice.

You never know what you’re going to find on display and for sale at the con. Here’s a storyboard for Disney’s cartoon “Ben and Me,” based on the great Robert Lawson book of the same name…

…and here’s a painted magazine illustration by Lawson himself that I’ve never seen before.

My friend Gary Gianni was offering copies of his painted calendar for George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” books, a painting for each month. Gorgeous. Martin was there for a while on Thursday, and I was able to get one signed by both of them. I’ve been reading the series since they started coming out, though I haven’t seen the TV version, and neither has Gary! (He wasn’t allowed to when doing the paintings, they wanted them to be inspired only by the books.)

I looked everywhere for comics logos on original art that I could use for my “Logo of the Day” feature on Facebook, but found only this one. There are lots of logos and covers on display, but all ones I already have in my files. I have no idea who designed it.

I’m not sure why I found this old cartoon poster appealing, maybe it’s the logos, maybe it’s Porky Pig.

Artist’s Alley, and the entire main floor of the con was getting crowded in the afternoon, so I decided I needed a break.

I went outside and walked to the Bayside Hilton, where I got some frozen yogurt at the shop there, with fresh fruit, nuts, and chocolate bits. The second year I’ve done this on Sunday, so I guess it’s now a tradition.

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Back inside later, I was admiring this giant book collecting one of the best Conan comics reproduced from the original art at full size, so every detail and note and art correction on the artwork is crystal clear. It’s the same idea as the IDW “Artist Editions,” and beautifully done. Not cheap at $150, and even if I had it, don’t know where I’d put it, but great to see.

Writer of the story, Roy Thomas, was there signing copies. Roy is not a big guy, but the size of the book makes him look like a midget! (Sorry, Roy…) In the display case at left is what I think is one of the original art pages, and there were others. Couldn’t get a good photo of one, for some reason. If you’re a fan of Conan, and/or artist Barry Windsor Smith, you’d love to see this.

Friend Scott Hampton and his fellow artist buddies John Van Fleet and Chris Moeller were busy at their table. I had breakfast with them on Friday, another tradition.

One more panel, this one on “The Art of the Cover,” again hosted by Mark Evanier with four fine artists, Jerry Ordway, Chris Samnee, Gary Frank and Dan Jurgens. Covers by each were examined and discussed, and Mark, having spotted me in the audience, hit me up for information on the logos, two of which were my work, and fortunately I did know the others he asked about.

Afterwards I had a nice chat with Ordway and Jurgens, who posed for me in the style of one of Dan’s BOOSTER GOLD covers. (The one with Green Arrow and The Warlord back-to-back.)

I walked around a little more, then it was time to leave the con for the last time this year, and head up Fifth Street through the Gaslamp District to my hotel and write up this final post. Later I’ll have dinner with friends, another Sunday tradition, and head home tomorrow. Hope you’ve enjoyed these reports, regular posts will resume once I’m home, and caught up with work.