Please delete this if this violates etiquette, but I just read this on UGO.

Al Gordon inked an issue of She-Hulk that came in when we were sharing a studio together in San Francisco twelve years ago. There were pages of space scenes in there that were kind of boring looking, we talked about it and I decided to draw some planets in there. So I'm John's uncredited background guy.

http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/features/eriklarsen/default.asp>

maybe it's just my childhood Full House viewings getting to me, but doesn't san francisco typically have cuter residents?

Well I will try..
either you inked them yourself or like the one she hulk page I have you duo shaded them:

BTW totally beautiful stuff- that book should have been B/W!


http://www.whatashock.com
"There is no wisdom or virtue in seeking unnecessary martydom or deliberately courting persecution..."
C.S. Lewis

I don't ever recall you drawing a boring space scene. I'm not sure that you were still drawing the book when this big space scene took place either.

Ink Slinger on Something Wicked

The issue Al inked was 6. Here's an example of the boring backgounds I did in that one:

Ya those are boring.....glad there was such a "talented" guy like Larsen to "FIX" those up for ya.


(There my April Fools quota is taken care of for the day)

Al Gordon does work from the SF Bay Area - and Erik Larsen aside, Al's a really nice guy - he always recognizes me when he sees me in the neighborhood, and he's bought me drinks more than once. What's more, he's NEVER said a bad thing about John Byrne - in fact, he's a tad long-winded, which works well, in this case, because I've had the oppertunity to hear a lot of LONG GREAT John Byrne stories from him.

SF is home to a lot of cool comic folk - I met JB's step-son Kieron Dwyer because he used to share an office with my friend Darick Robertson - they also had, in that office, John Heebink, John Francis Moore and a few others I forget now - it was a fun cool mini-bullpen type place - a former Law Office they took over, and they added a "F" to the window, creating the "Flaw Offices" - untill the landlord made them take it down!

Larry Young's AIT comics is also here in SF - and the whole AIT crowd hangs out and or works at a comic book shop in the outer Sunset called Isotope (formerly "Comics & Da Kind" - new owner now - less toys, more liquor) - fun stuff for the older crowd.

I've seen Erik Larsen at a number of comic parties that I've been to - I tend to avoid him, but in all fairness, he's always been pleasant to me. But then again, we've never said more to each other than "hello, nice to see you again" and cocktail chit-chat.

Tom Orzechowski (sp?) lives in the lower Haight, last time I checked, and he used appear at stores in the mid-eighties, but I haven't seen him in years.

For those in SF, Garth Ennis's favorite bar in town seems to be the Toronado in the lower Haight - I went drinking with him and Matt Hollingsworth (& Darick & Keiron) a few times - good fun - also, the bathroom at the Shamrock bar in the inner sunset used to have graphitti from [The guy who was drawing Hitman - can't remember his name!] - Darick would bring him there when he was in town, and the staff at the bar loved his art.

There are a number of others - It's too early now, and I haven't had coffee, but anyone coming to SF can get a fun comic tour from me.

Best,

Mike O'Brien

Hitman artist: John McCrea

Hey Mike, that's some great SF info! I live down in Sunnyvale, but I spend a lot of time in SF, as my girlfriend lives on Divisidero.

I'm glad that you mentioned Isotope, as I recalled reading some traveller's blog about a year / year and a half ago about some comic book store that you could throw a few back at. I could never remember the name, but the mention of Liquor made me think that that must be the place.

Maybe we should have a SF JBF Gathering? I know that I'm not that great a presence on the board, but I'm lurking here all of the time, and I think that it would be cool to put some warm bodies to all of the text and hyperlinks I see here everyday ...

For Sure, Ron!

I've met Richard and Brian who both are down on the peninusla, and both are fine stand-up fellows - but I don't know how many others are here in the SF Bay Area - but, sure, sure, I'm all for fellowship!

(Here comes a joke I shouldn't make...)

"Actually" (!) if you count F***K C****R's multiple personalities, we have dozens and dozens of posters here in San Francisco!

And yes, yes, John McCrea - that's the guy's name - friendliest guy in the world!

Good Fun!

Mike O'Brien

I believe at one time Mike Mignola, Art Adams and Scott Shaw all lived there as well. I don't know current whereabouts however...

Now a San Francisco Byrne Board gathering sounds like something I could really get into. It's a beautiful city (in fact, my dad retired and lived there for the last seven or eight years of his life), and I believe they even have a Small Press Expo or other comic convention every year. And of course, wild tales of drunken debauchery are just my kind of thing...

San Francisco hosts both APE and WonderCon. I haven't been to WonderCon since SDCC bought it and they moved it to the Moscone Center.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Nebeker - Super Genuis
Good Judgement comes from Experience
And Experience comes from... Bad Judgement

Mark - Anything to get you out here! Anything! (Tho' you just missed APE [Alternative Press Expo] by like 2 months...)

And, yes, Mike Mignola used to live in Oakland, but I believe he's up in Portland, or somesuch now.

Art Adams... used to live here, and I can neither confirm nor deny if he lives here now - he never socialized in the same circles as I - (in fact, he stood Darick and Kieron and I up for dinner once!) - He was, as of, say, 6 or 7 years ago, dating a woman (the gal who used to draw Xena, now that I think about it...) who lived in SF, and who used to shop in the bookstore I worked at... but it's all a mystery to me.

Tons of small press folk in town too, but I didn't think that would be of interest to the board - Dan Clowes relocated to Berkeley about a decade ago - he used to shop at that same bookstore - Adrian Tomaine used to work at that bookstore. etc etc...

Mike O'Brien

Well, then we should work out some plans for it.

I was considering going to the San Francisco Beer Festival at the end of the month[ http://www.sfbeerfest.com/ ] as I went a few years ago and had a great time, but this year, even the pre-order tickets are $45! Yeesh! I would have to taste A LOT of beer to justify that price.

Anywhere is the city would be a great spot, maybe even one I haven't been to yet. San Fran is a great city to have JBF gathering ...

I am a big fan of dive bars, so I would shy away if one was suggested.

I'm new to the board in the last year, but I think that I get your F***k C*****r joke.

Oh cool, Dan Clowes and Adrain Tomaine are in the area? I haven't seen an issue of Optic Nerve in a long time. I have to find a new comic shop, as mine is a very superhero oriented one.

They don't carry Charles Burns' Black Hole!

>>I am a big fan of dive bars, so I would shy away if one was suggested.<<

There's a "not" missing from this sentence, and I can't figure out where it goes. Are you not a big fan of dive bars, or would you not shy away?

Either way, I'll put the wheels in motion for this!

Best,

Mike O'Brien

http://www.whatashock.com
"There is no wisdom or virtue in seeking unnecessary martydom or deliberately courting persecution..."
C.S. Lewis

Why, that's the most literal interpretation of thread drift I've ever seen!

I have to take a typing class. I think much more quickly than I two finger type, so I'm ALWAYS leaving out words from sentences.

Let me rephrase: I'm a big fan of dive bars, so I would NOT shy away if one were suggested. LOL

Two other old favorites: "You folks always cease to amaze me," and "If you need anything, please hesitate to ask."

Mike, if I make it up to WonderCon this year I'll definitely have to get together with you.

Could you take me down to the hooker stroll that was featured on HBO's pimping documentary? :D

I was in San Francisco on business last week and managed to get a moment to pop into the Cartoon Art Museum.

There was a great Dr. Seuss exhibit there along with a "Comics to Film" exhibit featuring original art of characters that have been featured in movies.

The latter exhibit included a nice page from one of JB's early Superman issues. Owner of said page, according to the little display card underneath, is Erik Larsen.

So, Erik sees fit to bash JB in public but collects his art in private?

To be fair, Eric dishes out some praise for JB as well. Not that that excuses the bashing.

Glen,

I'm hoping you make it up for WonderCon! I'd be more than happy to show you a good time here in town! (and yes, that involves a tour of hookertown! They're colorful, but don't touch - they're filthy!)

That goes for you, too, Mark Lerer!

Mike O'Brien

Back in high school, a couple of wanna-be inker friends of mine went to a con. There was an inker (Bob McLeod?) there who had some Rich Buckler pencil pages he was working on for The Saga of the Sub-Mariner maxi-series.

My friends convinced the inker to let them take a couple of pages across the street to photo copy them so they could use the pages for inking try-outs. While they had the pages, they each took the liberty of putting one pencil stroke in an action scene with the Invaders. To their surprise, the inker actually inked the two lines and they got printed. They each consider it their first "published" work.

I believe the issue the page was printed in was #5.

A San Fran meeting would be great. Especially if it was not held in Frisco. ;-pp

see ya
Richard

Byrne Victim 4 Life

Ok, Richard, I'll give you this point - a JBF Mountain View/Los Altos meeting WOULD have better parking, I agree, but less fun places to drink and less hookers. Of course, you'd have a better class of hookers, sure, but there'd be less of them!

Hope to see you at the JBF SF Drink-a-thon, Richard!

Mike O'Brien

Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose. Hell I'd meet you guys in Gilroy if it ment I didn't have to drive to Frisco!!



see ya
Richard

Byrne Victim 4 Life

Gilroy?? Good god, man, are you out of your mind?

No, no, wait, wait.. it's starting to make sense... perfect sense - Between Hawkman & JLA and his love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we can draw only one solid conclusion about John L Byrne...

That's he's a blood sucking vampire. He's a god-damned nosferatu.

So, of course, we now hold the Bay Area JBF meet & drink (minus the hookers...thanks, Richard!) at the GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL!

Hot-CHA!

Actually, no that's a stupid plan. Crazy talk, Richard.

I know, the drive's a hassle - how about this - take the caltrain up, we'll pick you up, and you crash at my place?

Because I'm willing to go to, say, Daly City, or even South City, but my car can't take that drive all the way down to Los Altos!

Tho', San Jose is a fun city...

Ach! But, iffen we're lucky, we could get a few out of towners, and we want to impress them, and as much as I love Mountain View, et al, it's no San Francisco.

(Oakland, on the other hand... back me up here, Mike N!)

Don't worry Richard - we'll keep you involved no matter where it is!

Mike O'Brien

It's not the drive to Frisco that bothers me. It's the driving IN Frisco! I've driven all around this great state of ours from San Diego to LA to Oakland and without joking I can say that nowhere have I gotten in more near miss accidents than in San Fran.
Just typing this gives me the cold sweats. Frisco. Brrrrr.


see ya
Richard

Byrne Victim 4 Life

Yeah, forget San Francisco ... let's have it here in Superb Sunnyvale ... there's this crap bar at the intersection of Evelyn and Fair Oaks ... the Blue Bonnet .... no no no , what am I thinking, there is no city like San Francisco , and all of this hooker talk is it about the Tenderloin, the area near O Farrell, and the Ofarrell theater? My friend used to live at pine and larkin and MAN there were a ton of hookers in the neighborhood on a weekend night ...

I'm an East Bay boy who doesn't get over to the City for fun very much. Parking is a pain in some sections and unless you know the streets it can get to be pretty hairy trying to find your way. But if you have your trusty Thomas Guide and are willing to pay for parking, it has loads of things to do. BART and CalTrain are handy, though.

I can talk more about Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and I used to work down in Silicon Valley so pretty much the entire 880 corridor is imprinted in my brain. Most of that is a massive catalog of eateries.

Apart from the Garlic Festival, Gilroy has zero to recommend it and even the Garlic Festival doesn't thrill me much. Most of the San Jose/Santa Clara area rolls up the sidewalk at 8pm.

The real question is - What do you want to do and at what time of day? Everything else is just knowing what is open when.

Mike Nebeker - Super Genuis
Good Judgement comes from Experience and Experience comes from... Bad Judgement.