( Okay - this is a little confusing.. but i'm thanking Donnovan, Proxy and Ramon Kool for retrieving the Sandman post i lost, which i've edited down a little bit. Also Hey to Random Toxy. Also to Jenn: Yeah, the SDCC edition of Worlds wrap around cover swallows up the 'stick bird' on the back, but luckily the majority of fans will see the sticky bird in the regular edition. Thanks to Adam S. and Amy B.. thanks and i'll try to sign some more copies soon... also have fallen behind on tons of old comments.. but thanks to my old small press pals John Holland and Tom Stazer for saying 'hey'.. and to anyone else i've missed. THANKS...!!! )
San Diego was NUTS... as expected, but the con crazies was all made worth it by everyone who stopped by! Praise to Ted Adams and the IDW folks for bring me out in the first place too! I'm afraid i was too bus signing to take more pics of myself signing, but there's enough of those online.
An old pal Joseph Melchior showed me his Sandman page (above), which I drew some 25 years ago. Way back in the day, Neil asked for the Sandman's cape to not go outside of the circle, so they shrunk Morpheus down on a state, which Joseph removed and had put on a stat.
After the Sandman panel Both Neil and I stared at the page.. so weird to see it after all these years...
Todd Klein took this cool pic of Neil checking the Sandman page.
I've always tried to keep a respectful distance from the whole Sandman thing. As I've said
before, was less that proud of my brief contribution to it all. Also I struggled to have a career on my own after the Sandman too, without dissing Neil or the book itself. Fear of always seeming like Neil's little brother caused me to hermit away and I failed in staying in touch with him for too many years. Working together on the Charity Book for Heros.. helped mended those fences.
Below is how the panel must have looked to fans in the audience.
Below how it felt inside...
Okay, I have no evidence Dave Mckean was checking out a hot babe, but J.H. Williams did tell me after the panel he was nervous too. Who wouldn't be? - it was a friggin' huge crowd.
But to jump back for a sec, when I finally saw Neil in person back stage for the first time in almost 20 years, and was intense. I sensed the PURE appreciation and love of all his fans flooding the audience with cheers and support even before we got on stage, it was damned near impossibly not to be moved. Yeah, it was Neil's night, righty so. And he proved he's an awesome verbal storyteller too.. and sure, i was proud for the small role I played in the book. Towards the end of the panel, I got kinda of flustered and started to ramble, but I thanks to Neil's graceful assurance that I was helpful in bring the Sandman to life. .... hopefully I didn't make too big a fool of myself.
Here's a big wolvie... and a little one.
Here's a big wolvie... and a little one.
Seeing everyone, Neil, the fans.. kinda overwhelming, in a good way.
For a guy who's often told he's often too hard on himself... was an kinda of emotional moment,
and it sorta was a kind of 'closure' of sorts for me.
ps: Thanks to my pal Tal Vigderson and Justin Eisinger for the sandman pic up top.
