Back in 2002, I attended a show in Texas called the LONE STAR COMICON. It was a great show– and it was at this show that I met Scott Kurtz of PVP fame, who would become a good friend of mine. I also met the immensely talented and uber-friendly Scott Morse, creator of such wonderful comics as SOULWIND, LITTLE GREY MAN and MAGIC PICKLE– along with Michael Jantze, creator of THE NORM at this show. It was a terrific show all around and I had a wonderful weekend there. It was ALSO at this show that I met John Higashi. John is what I could only call a STAR WARS fanatic (as well as being an amazingly patient and super nice person). He’s become pretty famous among the comic book artist community as someone you are more likely than not to see at any show in the country, commissioning the artists there to create something STAR WARS related. It was at this show in Texas that John asked me to draw the main characters from Todd’s and my comic TELLOS with elements from the first (retro-fit as the FOURTH) STAR WARS film added in for each corresponding character. And so Serra would have Princess Lea’s hair buns, Hawke would have Han Solo’s gun… etc. I thought it was a fun idea, and agreed to do it. I sketched the entire cast out lightly in blue pencil, and managed to pencil and ink the Serra/Lea figure out over the weekend. That was as far as I got. And over the next several years, I would occasionally get an email from John or see him at a show, and he’d ask about the progress on the piece. I never got much further (OK…. I didn’t get ANY further…) over that time. John was always gracious and patient, saying something like “OK… I’ll check in again later/next show”. I would come across the piece in my ‘art drawer’ as I would put pages of whatever comic I was working on at the time– always reminding me that it was unfinished business. But I just never got the time…. or inspiration… to complete it. FINALLY– after such a long time– I got an email from John saying that he’d be at a local show in Greensboro (only about an hour away from where I live here in Durham) I was going to attend. And so, I brought the piece with me, and with the determination to finish it there, it was finally COMPLETED. John drove up– and so was able to bring with him several portfolio’s full of some of the myriad commissions he’s had done over the years…. and it was an amazing smorgasbord of artwork. I was absolutely amazed at the breadth and variety of artists and pieces that he had. It was worth the drive to Greensboro alone to see this stuff…! I have to publicly thank John for his patience with me over this time. And thanks, as well, John, for the scan of the piece so I could post it here. There’s another guy out there, Doug Resnick, who is dealing with the same problem with me over ANOTHER commission long promised him. He’s being patient as well… and don’t think I don’t appreciate it, Doug..! But don’t worry… I’ll get it done. Eventually.

Marvel has released the solicitations and cover art for comics being shipped in January– and so in case you haven’t seen it already– I’m posting the cover to FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #4 here for you to see.

OK… that’s it for today.

This is Entry 153.

Mike