Atlanta Aquarium

I was just down in Atlanta for a company function and along with being able to have dinner and a few drinks with my old friend, artist Greg Theakston who just moved down there from the Big Apple. That was really fun, waxing nostalgic about being comics fans in the 70's and discussing the people and events of the time as well as just catching up with each other since the last time we saw each other over thrity years ago. He even gave me a painting that he owed me for some printing work that my parents did for him long ago. Greg did a lot of paperback book covers and had quite a run doing TV Guide covers in the 80's (Brian Kieth said he had the only artist that he wanted to paint him and he did 3 "Hardcastle and McCormick" covers). He is also well

known for being an expert on the life of stripper Bettie Page , and years ago published a magazine called "The Bettie Pages" which re-introduced Bettie to a whole new generation of fans. He actually was a consultant on the film "The notorious Bettie Page" . We promised each other that we wouldn't wait another thirty years before having dinner together again.

This is the book cover of the painting that Greg gave me. It was done in 1978. The painting is square shaped an does not have any lettering. It's a mixed media oil (the portraits) and acrylic (the spaceship and robot). I think I'm going to try to find an old copy of the book to display with it.

The second highlight of my trip was a dinner sponsered by my company at the Atlanta Aquarium. It was really nice. They hired the entire Aquarium after closing time and served cocktails and gave us a guided tour with volunteers explaining all of the exhibits before we retired to the lavish dining area facing the 6 million gallon tank containing two whale sharks that were both well over 25 feet long. To say that they were magnificent would be an understatement. Here we are, sipping drinks while these huge fish several times larger than us are gently gliding by us on the other side of the glass! It was amazing.

This is an Australian Sea Dragon. Much like a seahorse, but very wraithlike.

I don't recall the name of this frog, only that it it's poison is very lethal.

You could actually pet the rays and hammerheads! (no thanks!)

This ray has a wingspan of 10-12 feet.

This whale shark's tail is at least 5-6 feet high and there it is, right in front of me.

Truly an amazing creature!

The Falcon

This is a drawing of Captain America's 1970's era sidekick, the Falcon , as he appeared at the time. It was done by my friend, Arvell Jones . Arvell was at the time one of a group of comic book artists that came from Detroit. They were all friends of Rich Buckler (whom I have always been a great fan of, but have never actually met), and included other such notables as , Al Milgrom, Keith Pollard, Michael Netzer,Greg Theakston, and Jim Starlin.

I actually met Arvell, and his brother Desmond (a comics letterer) through my friendship with Michael Netzer who had not yet gone pro at the time. This drawing was published in my one issue fanzine attempt, Fantastic Fan Scene, of which I have the only known surviving copy. Unfortunately, it and several other pieces of artwork ( by Michael Netzer, Howard Chaykin, and my own considerable portfolio) were lost several years ago in a flood at my home ( I still get angry when I think of the inept dishwasher installers whose shoddy work destroyed years of memories).

It was a great time to be a comic book fan in Detroit. Many top artists hailed from Detroit and were more than happy to talk comics and art on the phone with this 13 year old fan ( The long distance charges back then! Detroit to New York). Imagine a film geek actually hanging out with the creators of the movie! That's what it was like for a comics fan back then.

Eventually, as all boys do, I grew older and my interest in comics waned, and I lost touch with these people as I graduated from high school and went into the Coast Guard. Although after awhile I found myself stationed in New York City (comics Mecca), my friends in the business had moved on to bigger and better things than the comics. Many moved to L.A. to work in films (storyboard artists and animators) and I was unable to reconnect with any of them in NYC. Still, I never forgot the pleasure those old comics gave me, and through the magic of the internet, Arvell and I have bumped into each other via Facebook.

Arvell is now back in Detroit and has taught at the Center for Creative Studies, a premier art college in Detroit. I am looking forward to having lunch with him someday soon and hopefully getting some artwork pointers, although my art career is now strictly for my own enjoyment.

Here you see the drawing as it appeared in Fantastic Fan Scene. The lettering at the bottom was originally diagonal on the left, but I have reoriented it.

This version I colorized using my WACOM Intuous IV tablet.