by John | Oct 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
This is the second of two images that I did for this year’s Wonder Woman Day (Oct. 24, 2010) auction–benefiting shelters for victims of domestic violence. (You can see the other image here.)
I double-matted and signed the print. No other copies will be offered for sale anywhere. So if you want it, bid on it quick! (The auction version does not include my logo or the art credit. At the bottom it simply says “Wonder Woman Day 2010.”)
A live auction will take place Oct. 24 at Excalibur Comics in Portland, OR. Proxy bidding via e-mail is open through midnight Oct. 23. Bidding info here.
Even if you don’t bid, the auction features lots of great art by some incredible artists (Alex Ross, Jaimie Hernandez) for a worthy cause. Take a look. It’s a wonder!
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Beautiful woman washing in a bathtub.
CAPTION: Wonder Woman’s latest makeover: The wet t-shirt look...minus the t-shirt!
WONDER WOMAN: I’m not coming out
until they give me back my old costume!
Art for the Wonder Woman Day V benefit.
Art by Vince Colletta studio
by John | Oct 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
This is the first of two images that I did for this year’s Wonder Woman Day (Oct. 24, 2010) auction–benefiting shelters for victims of domestic violence.
I double-matted and signed the print. No other copies will be offered for sale anywhere. So if you want it, bid on it quick! (The auction version does not include my logo or the art credit. At the bottom it simply says “Wonder Woman Day 2010.”)
A live auction will be taking place Oct. 24 at Comics Fusion in Flemington, NJ. But you can submit a proxy bid via e-mail through Oct. 23.
On Wednesday, I’ll be posting my contribution (another Wonder Woman print) for the West Coast (Portland, OR) version of the auction which also benefits domestic violence victims.
There are many wonderful pieces of art being offered for this benefit. I encourage you to check them all out here!
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Woman is being offered a chocolate doughnut by someone off panel.
CAPTION: Wonder Woman protests her latest costume change, but...
WOMAN: I’m a warrior! You can’t make me wear this! I still have my dignity! My iron resolve! My…Say, is that chocolate?
8.3.2.2.
by John | Sep 28, 2009 | Blog
Okay, let’s say you’re a big star and you run inside a fancy department store because you desperately need something important (panty hose!) so that civilization as we know it doesn’t crumble. But you didn’t bring enough cash and you don’t have any photo ID. How do you convince the store to accept your check?
I think most of the audience at McCaw Hall here in Seattle figured out the answer pretty quickly last night. We all knew what was going to happen when Carol Burnett started telling the story. And yet, we were all surprised by the punch line.
Burnett’s “Laughter and Reflection” performance was primarily—like the opening moments of her Emmy-winning variety TV show (1967-78)—a question and answer session. Oh, we got to see some hilarious clips from the series as well, but it was mostly just Burnett alone on stage telling us about her life and coming up with funny answers to funny (as in odd) questions from the audience.
That may not sound like the makings of a great evening, but Burnett’s ability to connect with people is phenomenal and her obvious delight when she gets a wacky question is contagious.
The pantyhose story came early in the evening when a woman in the audience got up and mentioned the “Tarzan” yell (actually more of a yodel) that Burnett did so often on her TV show. Apparently the woman’s mother used to wake her up every morning with the yell. The mom was in the audience too. So the daughter and Carol tried to get the mom to do the yell. She declined–insisting she was out of practice. So Carol did the Tarzan yell herself.
Carol also told a story about how she was in a ritzy store once and didn’t have any ID. So–to verify that she was really Carol Burnett–the store manager had her give the Tarzan yodel. A moment later, the store’s security guard–not knowing what the heck was going on–burst through a door with his gun drawn.
by John | Apr 13, 2009 | Uncategorized
My Dinner with Lois Lane…
Like nearly every kid in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, I was a huge fan of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN. It was already in re-runs by the time I saw it, but I didn’t know that then. And I probably wouldn’t have believed it if someone had told me because I knew that nothing could stop Superman.
To me, it was more than a TV show. It was…the realization of everything I wanted to be true.
Or—as the show summed so snappily explained—Superman was the embodiment of “Truth, Justice and the American Way.”
Sure that’s corny—now. But back then it was exciting stuff. And on many levels it still is for me. Because I’m still a bit giddy that last weekend I dinner with Noel Neill the actress who played Lois Lane on the show.
Noel and her biographer/friend Larry Ward were in Seattle for the Emerald City ComiCon and my wife (Shelagh) and I joined them for dinner near their hotel. I gallantly (I thought) let Shelagh sit next to Noel while I sat across the table next to Larry. This proved to be a nearly great decision since Noel and Shelagh really hit it off.
Noel and Shelagh in Seattle after the Emerald City ComiCon 2009.
What kept it from being a truly great decision is that since I was sitting kitty corner across the table from Noel I had a lot of trouble hearing Noel because: 1) Noel’s very soft spoken; 2) the restaurant’s music was a little loud; and 3) I’m slightly hard of hearing; and 4) I was too shy to tell Noel that I couldn’t hear her.
Fortunately, I’d met Noel earlier this year and I was able to chat with her a couple of times later during the weekend. And talking with Larry during dinner was a real pleasure. Interesting guy: a mental health conference promoter and former bar bouncer. Now that’s not a combination you come across often.
While she’s best known for her stints as Lois Lane (TV and movies), Noel has appeared in about 100 movies with a zillion different stars; was a dancer popular pinup girl during WW II; sang with Bing Crosby’s band; and…oh, gosh, she’s just so darn cute.
Noel Neil and John Lustig at Comic Con International 2009.
At one point during dinner, Larry told me that he’s trying to get Noel to cut back on her public appearances. Noel’s 88 and she’s comfortably fixed enough so that she doesn’t have to depend on her convention income to live, according to Larry.
So I said to Noel, “So you’re mostly going to conventions for fun…not for the money?”
Noel’s eyes got big as if she’d just heard someone declare that the world was made of cream cheese. This time she spoke up so that even I could hear: “If you think that then you don’t know me very well.”
It totally cracked me up.
Gosh, I hope when I get to her age, I’m still having fans thrust money into my hands at conventions–and I’m as cute, funny and charming as Noel. That’d be super.
More about Noel Neill:
Larry Ward’s books about Noel!
The Adventure Continues (Major Noel Neill site).
Fan site about Noel.
Wikipedia entry for Noel
IMDB listing of many (but not all) of Noel’s film credits.
↓ TranscriptCAPTION: The Adventures of Snooperman (The Lost Episode): Snooperman's pals Jimminy Oldson and Lois Loon are investigating a story! But...
Panel 1:
JIMMINY: Gosh, Miss Loon, FOLLOWING A KILLER INTO A HAUNTED HOUSE IS ALWAYS FUN! BUT WHAT IF it’s a trap?
LOIS: It better be! Nobody’s tied me up in days!
Panel 2:
LOIS: Now Let’s go, Jimminy! And don’t forget...when
Snooperman rescues us…
Panel 3:
LOIS: I’m the only one who gets to thank him with a kiss!
JIMMINY (thinks): ???
by John | Mar 10, 2009 | Uncategorized
Grr. I still haven’t seen the movie yet. I’ve been short on time and dealing with a neck/back problem that’s going to make sitting in a theater for a three-hour movie a test of endurance. So what’s the verdict, folks? Is the movie a masterpiece worth seeing? Or a pain in the neck?
↓ TranscriptCAPTION #1: Who watches the Watchmen? People like you!
PANEL 1
CAPTION #2: People who know how to prioritize!
MAN SEATED IN MOVIE THEATER: oh no! My doctor just texted me! my lab results show I…
WOMAN SEATED BESIDE HIM WATCHING MOVIE: Shh! I can’t hear...the explosions and screams for mercy!
PANEL 2
CAPTION 3: People who know enough…is never enough!
MAN: We’ve watched it 12 times! Can we go home now...and pretend our marriage still has a chance?
WOMAN: Thirteen’s my lucky number!
