COMIC FEST and the DENVER BEATS

The second annual DENVER COMIC FEST was held last weekend, and it was a lotta fun!  Highlights included picking up a bunch of old Jack Kirby KAMANDI comics and meeting TIM LANE, the artist behind Abandoned Cars from Fantagraphics.  We had a lot in common, including a shared love of red brick buildings and the Beats, so Noah and I took him on a little driving tour of Beat Generation Denver history, including: El Chapultepec, Kerouac's Little League diamond from On the Road, the Rossonian, Larimer Street, and the Colburn Hotel.

Seeing these old sights reminded me that back in 1992, when I was considering moving to Denver, the fact that the city was such a focal point in Beat history helped convince me to give it a try.  In my youthful innocence I thought, "If it was good enough for them, it must be okay!"

It turns out it was plenty OK.

Denver Beat History driving tour

The convention was a blast.  There's a real sense of community developing here in Denver among the comics scene.  It doesn't matter whether you're making zombie comics, superhero comics for DC, or melancholy comics about watching squirrels (ahem), but there's a place here for you, and people look out for each other and provide support and encouragement.  I think that's pretty cool.

BFFs: Noah Van Sciver and John P.

(Photo by Robin Edwards)

John P. draws...

...an elephant cover for a little girl!

(Photos by Bram Meehan)

Noah works on his job application for DC.

(Photo by Bram Meehan)

Indie Spinner Rack's Charlito ribs John P. while Noah tears up.

(Photo by Bram Meehan)

The mysterious Tim Lane -- 

Where did he come from?? What does he want???

Happy Hour in America #2 by Tim Lane: one of the greatest comic book covers I've ever seen!

(Available here, if I do say so myself, ahem hem...)

Day Two fatigue/delirium begins to set in. (Robin and Noah)

Spit and a Half table.

Dealer's Room.

Mo' Dealer's Room.

The suspicious Amy Reeder.

Patrick Hoover with his great new Outdoorsman GN.

Charlito and Frank are on the air.

That one fellow had his Daredevil™ sketchbook out.  This is Noah's contribution.

John Porcellino's Daredevil™ (pencils)

Perhaps the hit of the convention: Wülvereen vs. Star Trekk mini by Anonymous.

* * *

All photos by John P. except where noted.

Superman © DC

Daredevil © Marvel Comics Group

2010 SPRING TOUR TOP-40

One month and 7286 miles later, I'm back home from my tour of the Southeast!  I've been too tired/busy since then to download all my photos and get a tour diary up, but for the time being, here's some photos by Dan, and a (probably incomplete) 2010 Spring Tour Top Forty!

1. Pepsi Throwback (All-Cane Sugar formula)
2. Replacements: "Takin' a Ride"
3. Comics Symposium of Chicago (SAIC)
4. Quimby's reading 3/12/10

5. Chicago Zine Fest! Awesome!

6. Kicking Aaron Renier's Packer-loving ass.

7. AK Comics, Beloit, Wis., et al.

8. Visiting old friends, and seeing old places: Fred, Al Stark, Kate, Frank Kurtz

9. Sitting with Myoyu Roshi, Myoshinji, Monroe, Wis.

10. Metropolis, Ill. at two AM.

11. Cairo, Ill. in the early morning

12. GRACELAND!

13. SUN STUDIOS!

14. ERNEST TUBB RECORD STORE, Nashville

15. COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME, Nashville

16. Hitting up all three Great Escape comix shops in one hour, Nashville

17. Oxford Comics, Atlanta

18. Criminal Records, Atlanta

19. Sweetwater Branch Inn, Gainesville FL:  The nicest place I've ever lived!

20. Gainesville in General

21. Standing under the overhang waiting out the rain, with Dan; Gainesville

22. Lake Alice at night

23. Alligator hunting with Travis and Meredith

(Success!)

24.  Hanging out with Mom and Dad Oh (Rainbow River Fla.)

(This place really exists!)

25. SCAD, Savannah GA

26. Honey's Salon, Athens GA

27. Bizarro Wuxtry!!!

(They haven't opened yet, ed.)

28. R.E.M. History tour (P.O. Box, HQ, Church, etc)

29. HOLLIS FAMOUS RIBS, Athens GA: The best meal I've ever had

(Photo by Hollis)

30. Birmingham at night

31. Elvis' Birthplace, Tupelo MS

(John P. and Bobbie the Hostess, in the room where Elvis was born)

32. Howard at Tupelo Hardware

(Elvis bought his first guitar here, when he was ten years old)

33. Cats at Drew's place, NOLA

(JP and NOLA host Drew, up on the abandoned supermarket roof)

34. Bayou Country, Louisiana

35. Red Rice and Beans and Crawfish, Lake Arthur, LA

36. Domy Books, Houston

37. Sam and Tim and Holliday's place, Houston

38. Austin Books & Comics, Austin TX  -- AMAZING SHOP!

(JP at ABC signing)

39. Seeing Lainie for the first time in 15 years

40. Domy Books, Austin!

41. Congress Ave. Bats, Austin TX

(Those squidges are some of the 1.5 million bats that emerge from under the bridge every night at dusk)

42. Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant and Museum, Waco TX

43. Titan Comics, Dallas

44. Texas Steak Hunt, Dallas

45. Driving around OKC with Joey

46. Faygo Rock 'n' Rye

47. Atomik Pop, Norman OK!

48. Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa

(JP in the Cain's Ballroom front office, AKA Heaven)

49. Wichita BBQ

50. Getting back home at 1:30 AM

(I-70, Kansas)

(All photos by Dan Stafford, except where noted)

GROOT: THE MONSTER FROM PLANET X

I have loved Marvel Monster Comics since I was a wee, college-aged post-adolescent. These stories were first published in the late 1950's and early 60's in Atlas brand comic books like Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and Journey into Mystery. Beginning in the late 1960's, Marvel Comics began reprinting these stories in titles like Monsters on the Prowl, Creatures on the Loose, and Where Monsters Dwell, which is where I first encountered them. They're my favorite comics of all time.

This is the second in a series of Spotlights on Atlas-Age Marvel Monsters.
Previously: Sserpo, the Creature that Crushed the Earth

 

* * *

Perhaps the archetypal Kirby Monster Comic, "Groot, the Monster from Planet X," tells the uplifting tale of sad-sack biologist Leslie Evans, whose shrill wife Alice berates him at every turn for his "softness."  As they drive home from a dinner engagement, she tells him she wishes he was more like partygoer George Carter, who is "so manly-- so rugged..." sighing, "If only you were more like that, Leslie!". 

On the road that night, they see a bright glowing object that crashes into a local forest-- but Alice is tired, and urges him not to investigate it.  Then the next day she notices that their neighbor's fence is missing!  Must be some kind of a prank, muses Leslie, but he soon decides better, and goes out to check the forest where the glowing object landed...  (though not before getting henpecked even further by the shrewlike Alice).  Sure enough, there he finds "Groot,"* a giant tree-like monster, who is busy eating up all the wooden objects he can get his roots on: barrels, clocks, brooms -- and even a doghouse!

Leslie Evans, biologist

As Groot eats, his fiendish power grows, and soon enough Leslie returns with the cops, who hear the monster's ominous plan for them:  Using the power of Wood Control, Groot will cause the neighborhood trees to surround the town and grow their roots rapidly into a net beneath the earth.  This will allow him to lift the entire city skyward, through outer space, to his home on Planet X, where the hapless humans will be subjected to unsavory scientific experiments!

Bullets are fired, but to no avail; even flames cannot harm Groot's powerful trunk!  As the frightened townspeople look on, Leslie makes a bold and public oath to bring Groot down and save his city.  Returning to his lab he works deep into the night.  Finally, under cover of darkness, he arrives back on the scene with several small boxes that he opens near Groot's rootlike feet... and... within a few hours the mighty Groot has fallen!  How did Mr. L. do it, you ask?  SPOILER:  Why, specially bred termites, of course:  the only thing on Earth that could conquer the Unconquerable power of Groot!

Then, in perhaps the greatest comic book ending of all time, the now-humbled, boy-am-I-glad-to-see-you Alice folds hero Leslie in her lithe, feminine arms, and murmurs, "Oh, darling, forgive me! I've been such a fool!  I'll never complain about you again! Never!!"

Doesn't get any sweeter than that.

*Not to be confused with Grottu, King of the Insects (Strange Tales 73--2/60, and WMD 3--3/70) or Gruto, the Creature from Nowhere (Journey Into Mystery 67--4/61, and WMD 11--9/71).

* * *

"I Challenged Groot... the Monster from Planet X!"
Story: Stan "The Man" Lee
Artwork: Jack "King" Kirby
Original appearance: Tales to Astonish #13, Nov. 1960 (Atlas Comics)
Reprinted in Where Monsters Dwell #6, Nov. 1970; Weird Wonder Tales #19, Dec. 1976; and Atlas Era Tales To Astonish Vol. 2 (Marvel)

Images from the great Monster Blog and the Grand Comics Database, with a tip of the hat to.

More nerdlike info on Groot.

NEXT TIME:  Spragg, the Living Mountain

CALLING ALL NERDS

Attention Denver-Area Homies:

This weekend, April 16-18, I'll be tabling at the Denver ComicFest, along with artists like Noah Van Sciver, Lonnie Allen, Stan Yan, Daniel Crosier, Patrick Hoover, Leila Del Duca, Dan Brereton, Amy Reeder, Tim Lane, and many many more!

Hours:

Fri. 4/16 5-10 PM

Sat. 4/17 10-7

Sun. 4/18 10-5

Hilton Garden Inn

Denver Tech Center

7675 East Union Ave.

Denver, CO 80237

Ph. (303) 770-4200

NVS and JP at DCF 2009

ROCK ON!

BACK FROM TOUR, AND AN OLD DRAWING

Dan Stafford and John P. in Birmingham, Alabama, 3/31/10.

Photo by Delaine.

Just got back from a monthlong tour of the Southeast US--  which was a blast!  But I'm too tired to sort though all the photos etc right now.  Look for my tour diary in the upcoming days and weeks.  Meanwhile, here's an old drawing you might like!

(Click to enlarge)

Cover of Newshole #4, Oct./Nov. 1992; Based on Michelangelo's "Last Judgement."

More info:

http://sites.google.com/site/newnewshole/theoldnewshole

OH SKWEEZIL BE GOOD

From King-Cat #69.

SSERPO: THE CREATURE THAT CRUSHED THE EARTH

I have loved Marvel Monster Comics since I was a wee, college-aged post-adolescent.  These stories were first published in the late 1950's and early 60's in Atlas brand comic books like Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and Journey into Mystery. Beginning in the late 1960's, Marvel Comics began reprinting these stories in titles like Monsters on the Prowl, Creatures on the Loose, and Where Monsters Dwell, which is where I first encountered them.  They're my favorite comics of all time. 

This is the first in a series of Spotlights on Atlas-Age Marvel Monsters.

* * *

One hundred years ago, scientist Thomas Burke is hard at work in his lab, toiling away to perfect his growth serum.  But try as he might, he can't discover the ultimate, final ingredient that's needed for his formula to become active.  Finally, in frustration, he hurls the stoppered vial into the ocean, where it settles untouched on the bottom for decades.

One hundred years later, a hungry sea-creature, of unknown species, comes across the bottle while out looking for food.  It innocently opens the vial-- the contents of which mix with the sea water-- and drinks it down.  Lord love a duck!  How was Prof. Burke supposed to have known that the missing ingredient that had escaped him for so long was actually common, everyday water???

The poor little creature begins growing at a rapid rate   He's soon discovered by some sea-going natives, who bring him ashore to their tropical island, and name him Sserpo.  Soon enough though, little Sserpo has grown so large that his enormous bulk causes their island to sink beneath the ocean waves!

Heading back out to sea, Sserpo quickly grows to over 1,000 feet, and makes his way to Japan, where even nuclear weapons prove useless against him--  he's simply too large for them to be effective!

Meanwhile, a modern day American scientist works feverishly to come up with some way to halt Sserpo's frenzied growth.  At this point, the creature has become so large that  he towers over entire continents, and if unstopped, he'll soon be so huge that his weight will throw the Earth off its axis, dooming the entire planet to destruction!

I won't reveal how mankind finally thwarts Sserpo's untamed growth, but it does involve the planet Jupiter, and the darndest intergalactic contraption ever devised.  And the shocking twist ending has to be read to be believed!

Truth is, I always felt a little sorry for ol' Sserpo.  He was just a hungry little sea-creature of unknown species, looking for a quick meal.  He certainly didn't mean to cause the human race so much grief.  But such is life, I guess.  Fare thee well, Sserpo...  wherever you are.

"Sserpo! The Creature That Crushed the Earth!"
Story: Stan "The Man" Lee
Artwork: Jack "King" Kirby
Original appearance: Amazing Adventures #6, Nov. 1961 (Atlas Comics)
Reprinted in Monsters on the Prowl #27, Nov. 1973; and Amazing Adult Fantasy Omnibus (Marvel)
  Images from the great Monster Blog and the Grand Comics Database.

NEXT TIME:  Groot, the Monster from Planet X!