I was lucky enough to work production...
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rasmus2
- Valiant? I was there!
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:34:07 pm
- Location: Maryland
- Contact:
Never met Jim Starlin.
I did meet Tom Defalco though.
I remember thinking that his complexion was pretty bad at the time.
Like his stories
Bobbi Chase, editor of the HULK line...very cute.
Real hottie. I don't think she works there anymore.
Remember, this was the early 90s.
Going through the Marvel offices was always a treat.
But going out to The Glass Abbey for drinks was the best.
We'd be out boozin' till 2 AM.
Didn't do it often, maybe 4 or 5 times...but always the highlight of my trip.
Some of the people that I was friendly with then are editors at DC now, like Alison Gil and Melissa Dannon.
Not much else to tell, really. I've met more creators since those years since I've been into self publishing and the like.
And they are ALL fun, friendly and professional.
It's not like when we were kids and you'd hear about how John Byrne and Claremont are dicks (they were) or Jim Starlin was a tool, or whatever you'd hear in the rags.
I can tell you that Byrne has a think about germs and shaking hands at shows...and I can tell you later (I gotta get to work) a killer John Byrne story from Mid Ohio Con 1987 which comes full circle oddly enough...at Mid Ohio Con 1998 (or whichever year Spider-Man early Years came out).
It's a great story where Byrne tells me about his departure from Marvel and how (figuratively) Tom DeFalco f--ked him in the *SQUEE*.
HIS words, BTW.
Yes.
I couldn't make this stuff up.
As a 19 year old fan hearing that from Byrne...I dropped my jaw.
Okay, I'll type fast.
Long story short.
I'm at Mid Ohio 1987.
I bump into Byrne on the floor. This was at a time when people actually cared who John Byrne was, and would line up LITERALLY out the door to see him. I remember the line out of the warehouse in Mansfield, OH where the show was at...and Byrne charging something like 25 or 50 cents a signature. Looking back on it, I think that might have been a donation for UNICEF or something.
This was a time when Todd McFarlane was just getting going, hot as hell on spidey. Stan Lee was there, it was awesome.
But I didn't have the patience to wait in line and so I wandered the floor.
I bump into Byrne at a dealer booth while he was taking a break.
I start chatting with him, did the usual "I'm a big fan..."
(He just started NextMen at the time)
So he asked me if I'd picked up his new Dark Horse book.
I said no...that I really wasn't interested only for the sheer fact that as a fan, I was afraid that I'd start getting into it and then it would either be cancelled or he'd leave the book....just like every other title that he did that I used to enjoy.
Then I cited Last Galactus Story, She-Hulk, West Coast Avengers....
I told him that I didn't even like The Avengers, but I was picking up West Coast Avengers because he was doing it.
And like all those mentioned, just as the stuff was really heating up....POOF! He's gone.
Like Kaizer Soze.
And that was the reason why I didn't want to try NextMen because I knew that eventually he'd be gone just as I was getting into it.
So I asked him what ever happened with Last Galactus Story (he told me...it's been 20 years now, so I forgot what the ending was)...and I asked him why he left Marvel.
He said to me..."You want to know why I left Marvel? Because Tom DeFalco f--ked me in the *SQUEE*!"
And my jaw hit the floor.
How do you respond to that?
And he went on about how they kept having editorial differences, and the straw that broke the camels back was a bit dealing with She Hulk shaving her legs. And how DeFalco had issues with that and Byrne, being the ego that he is/was, said screw this.
But that was the cap.
There was also a bit in West Coast Avengers where CLEARLY you could tell Wanda was giving Wonder Man head. Anyone remember that bit?
Dark Wanda? The gang held upside down, Wanda steps off panel and Wonder Man is (seemingling) in agony?
Talking to another editor/assistant over there at the time, there was much more to that scene originally at the time.
It was all about shaking things up.
SO...now lets jump to 1998 or 1999...mid ohio con , where Byrne was still an annual fixture.
And now there's nobody lined up to see him, nobody really cares, and it's very easy to approach him and get an autograph without waiting.
And I say to him "Hey...I've got a GREAT John Byrne story for you!" And he looks at me and says "Really...."
So I proceed to tell him everything you just read. And he looked at me and smiled and said, "Yeah...yeah...that sounds like something I'd say!" And laughed.
I think the years have softened him a bit.
I still like the man, and it's one of my all time favorite convention stories.
If you want some really REALLY killer stories...from the creators themselves...I have to highly recommend "MAINSTREAM RAW."
Matt Wagner, Frank Miller, Bob Schreck, Colleen Doran, Dave Gibbons...really good stuff.
Matt Wagner has stalker stories, Frank Miller talks about the exodus of the Image creators from Marvel to Image...and his keynote address at the Harvey Awards where he trashes Wizard and Hollywood.
Really good stuff.
Check out this link http://www.timespell.com/dvdad.html
Anyway...that's pretty much my Byrne story, and best convention story.
It's not Valiant related, but you guys asked for a story.
I don't think I can top that one.
When John Byrne tells you how Tom DeFalco "F--ked him in the *SQUEE*"...it just doesn't get any better than that!
And oh, yes...BTW...Byrne did indeed end up leaving Dark Horse...and NextMen...just as I knew he would.
And yes...just as I was getting into it.
I never picked up a John Byrne comic again.
I did meet Tom Defalco though.
I remember thinking that his complexion was pretty bad at the time.
Like his stories
Bobbi Chase, editor of the HULK line...very cute.
Real hottie. I don't think she works there anymore.
Remember, this was the early 90s.
Going through the Marvel offices was always a treat.
But going out to The Glass Abbey for drinks was the best.
We'd be out boozin' till 2 AM.
Didn't do it often, maybe 4 or 5 times...but always the highlight of my trip.
Some of the people that I was friendly with then are editors at DC now, like Alison Gil and Melissa Dannon.
Not much else to tell, really. I've met more creators since those years since I've been into self publishing and the like.
And they are ALL fun, friendly and professional.
It's not like when we were kids and you'd hear about how John Byrne and Claremont are dicks (they were) or Jim Starlin was a tool, or whatever you'd hear in the rags.
I can tell you that Byrne has a think about germs and shaking hands at shows...and I can tell you later (I gotta get to work) a killer John Byrne story from Mid Ohio Con 1987 which comes full circle oddly enough...at Mid Ohio Con 1998 (or whichever year Spider-Man early Years came out).
It's a great story where Byrne tells me about his departure from Marvel and how (figuratively) Tom DeFalco f--ked him in the *SQUEE*.
HIS words, BTW.
Yes.
I couldn't make this stuff up.
As a 19 year old fan hearing that from Byrne...I dropped my jaw.
Okay, I'll type fast.
Long story short.
I'm at Mid Ohio 1987.
I bump into Byrne on the floor. This was at a time when people actually cared who John Byrne was, and would line up LITERALLY out the door to see him. I remember the line out of the warehouse in Mansfield, OH where the show was at...and Byrne charging something like 25 or 50 cents a signature. Looking back on it, I think that might have been a donation for UNICEF or something.
This was a time when Todd McFarlane was just getting going, hot as hell on spidey. Stan Lee was there, it was awesome.
But I didn't have the patience to wait in line and so I wandered the floor.
I bump into Byrne at a dealer booth while he was taking a break.
I start chatting with him, did the usual "I'm a big fan..."
(He just started NextMen at the time)
So he asked me if I'd picked up his new Dark Horse book.
I said no...that I really wasn't interested only for the sheer fact that as a fan, I was afraid that I'd start getting into it and then it would either be cancelled or he'd leave the book....just like every other title that he did that I used to enjoy.
Then I cited Last Galactus Story, She-Hulk, West Coast Avengers....
I told him that I didn't even like The Avengers, but I was picking up West Coast Avengers because he was doing it.
And like all those mentioned, just as the stuff was really heating up....POOF! He's gone.
Like Kaizer Soze.
And that was the reason why I didn't want to try NextMen because I knew that eventually he'd be gone just as I was getting into it.
So I asked him what ever happened with Last Galactus Story (he told me...it's been 20 years now, so I forgot what the ending was)...and I asked him why he left Marvel.
He said to me..."You want to know why I left Marvel? Because Tom DeFalco f--ked me in the *SQUEE*!"
And my jaw hit the floor.
How do you respond to that?
And he went on about how they kept having editorial differences, and the straw that broke the camels back was a bit dealing with She Hulk shaving her legs. And how DeFalco had issues with that and Byrne, being the ego that he is/was, said screw this.
But that was the cap.
There was also a bit in West Coast Avengers where CLEARLY you could tell Wanda was giving Wonder Man head. Anyone remember that bit?
Dark Wanda? The gang held upside down, Wanda steps off panel and Wonder Man is (seemingling) in agony?
Talking to another editor/assistant over there at the time, there was much more to that scene originally at the time.
It was all about shaking things up.
SO...now lets jump to 1998 or 1999...mid ohio con , where Byrne was still an annual fixture.
And now there's nobody lined up to see him, nobody really cares, and it's very easy to approach him and get an autograph without waiting.
And I say to him "Hey...I've got a GREAT John Byrne story for you!" And he looks at me and says "Really...."
So I proceed to tell him everything you just read. And he looked at me and smiled and said, "Yeah...yeah...that sounds like something I'd say!" And laughed.
I think the years have softened him a bit.
I still like the man, and it's one of my all time favorite convention stories.
If you want some really REALLY killer stories...from the creators themselves...I have to highly recommend "MAINSTREAM RAW."
Matt Wagner, Frank Miller, Bob Schreck, Colleen Doran, Dave Gibbons...really good stuff.
Matt Wagner has stalker stories, Frank Miller talks about the exodus of the Image creators from Marvel to Image...and his keynote address at the Harvey Awards where he trashes Wizard and Hollywood.
Really good stuff.
Check out this link http://www.timespell.com/dvdad.html
Anyway...that's pretty much my Byrne story, and best convention story.
It's not Valiant related, but you guys asked for a story.
I don't think I can top that one.
When John Byrne tells you how Tom DeFalco "F--ked him in the *SQUEE*"...it just doesn't get any better than that!
And oh, yes...BTW...Byrne did indeed end up leaving Dark Horse...and NextMen...just as I knew he would.
And yes...just as I was getting into it.
I never picked up a John Byrne comic again.
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jedimarley
- Evra'Ting Ire Mon.
- Posts: 16063
- Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 1:44:29 pm
-
worldsbestcomics
- A CGC 9.8 pre-Unity complete set? Done.
- Posts: 1315
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:39:39 pm
- Location: Olympia, Washington
That was one of the lamest endings in Valiant history, if not all of comics history. One of my hopes for the Valiant relaunch is the opportunity for an X-O "do-over." Take the pre-Unity books and continue the story from there, or maybe re-start with a replacement for the last issue.
X-O was such a good title that it deserves to live again...and not as a dream.
X-O was such a good title that it deserves to live again...and not as a dream.