by John | Apr 25, 2019 | Blog
“Seafood Blues” from Donald Duck #268, 1988. Art by William Van Horn. Script by John Lustig & William Van Horn. ©Walt Disney Company
Although I concentrate on Last Kiss these days, I spent decades writing Disney comics—mostly Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge stories. For Disney, I started out doing one-page gags, then graduated to two-page stories and then finally stories that ranged from 10 to 28 pages.
The one-pager pictured here is one of my first and is from 1988: “Seafood Blues.”
The art is by my pal—the great William Van Horn. Bill—who was already established as a Disney artist and writer—provided me with invaluable advice and help on this script. We teamed up on many stories over the years and remain close friends.
by John | Nov 18, 2018 | Blog
I only met Stan Lee once.
I was at the San Diego Comic-Con years ago and I spotted my friend John Petty and went over to say “Howdy.” It turned out John was with Larry Lieber—Stan Lee’s brother as well being a long-time Marvel artist. So, I’m talking to them and I said that I’d be interested in interviewing Larry sometime. And Stan spots us and walks over to chat.
I’m still a little dumbfounded by this. (Imagine a time when Stan Lee could walk the convention floor—without a security detail—and not be mobbed by fans!) It was one of those weird and wonderful things that used to happen at the con. (Weird and wonderful things still happen there, but not quite as often. And sadly bumping into Stan won’t be one of them.)
Stan was every bit as charming and friendly as he you’d hope. So, after a couple of minutes I get up the nerve to mention that I do a funny romance series called Last Kiss. And then I add that I’d recently discovered the tongue-in-cheek romance comic strip The Virtue of Vera Valiant that Stan and artist Frank Springer did in the 1970s. Obviously inspired by the TV show Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, it was over-the-top soap opera. Although it varied in quality, at it’s best it was pretty darn funny.
Reprint of the daily strip from the Signet paperback The Virtue of Vera Valiant #2, ©1977 Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
It seemed perfect for Last Kiss fans and I wanted to introduce them to this mostly forgotten series. So I asked if I could reprint a few panels in my next issue of Last Kiss. Stan said, sure. So, I was thrilled. (I was gonna publish (sorta!) Stan Lee!!!
Not knowing how to contact Stan (or Larry)—and being too shy to ask for their contact info— I said that I’d send John Petty copies. (My thinking was that John seemed to know both of Stan and Larry that he could pass copies onto them.) Before I could explain, Stan chips in with something along the lines of “What am I chicken soup? I want a copy too.”
Unfortunately, I never published a fifth issue of Last Kiss. So, this blog post showing of Vera Valiant will have to do for now. Stan, I assume you have heavenly access to the Internet. And that the connection is very, very fast!
by John | Oct 28, 2018 | Blog
So, Shelagh and I were watching Mom—one of our favorite shows—last week and saw a Last Kiss tote bag in the above scene.. Much screaming (for joy) ensued. My thanks to the amazing John Fluke of Placed4Success Product Placement. This is just one of dozens of times John’s gotten Last Kiss on TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory; Mike and Molly; and Scream.
By the way, Anna Faris (Christine) didn’t really say anything about the tote bag behind her on the show. That was just me having some fun. (But I’m sure she was thinking it.)
The Last Kiss Caffeine tote is available in my Etsy Store.
by John | Jul 17, 2018 | Blog
I’m head-over-heals in love with the fact that I’m the first person to be interview by RomanceDailyNews.com.
The new site (launched July 17, 2018) features all things romantic. And what could be more romantic than me and Last Kiss? In fact, in addition to the interview, my Last Kiss comics are a regular feature on the site.
In addition to romance in general, the site will also act as a review and news site for the romance novel industry. Free romance e-books, interviews with romance writers, horoscopes (with a romantic emphasis), romance news events, and more are all featured on the site.
by John | Jul 15, 2018 | Blog
Here’s the Prism Comics crew at the 2016 Comic-Con. I’m the old fart…uh, handsome guy in the green Last Kiss shirt.
During this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the easiest place to find me will be Prism Comics. The Prism booth is #2144 in Hall C. I’ll be signing almost everything anyone sets in front of me—except blank checks!—and selling lots of new Last Kiss goodies.
Here are the times I’ll be in Prism’s Booth #2144:
Thursday, July 19, 1-3 p.m.
Friday, July 20, 12-2 p.m.
Saturday, July 21, 12-2 p.m.
Sunday, July 22, 1-3 p.m. (And maybe a bit longer!)
Prism Comics location map. Click image to enlarge.
World Famous Comics:
I’ll also be bopping in at the World Famous Comics (Booth #5560 in Hall G) at least once a day where I’ve also got some fun, new Last Kiss goodies for sale. No set times for that, though. So, if you want to reach me at end of the building, ask or leave a message with one of the incredibly talented World Famous folks: Justin Chung, Spencer Brinkerhoff III, and Kristy & Brian Miller.
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