|
News: An Inspirational True Story Inspired by Wolfman and Pérez |
AN INSPIRATIONAL TRUE STORY INSPIRED BY WOLFMAN & PEREZI recently became the proud owner of New Teen Titans (second series) #1 Page 10 by George Perez and Marv Wolfman; it was generously given to me as a gift! But this is not an ordinary story! There is much more too it.....This piece has huge significance historically and for me, metaphorically as well.
First lets start of with the historic……This is page 10 from New Teen Titans, second series #1, (also known to some of us old timers as the Baxter series). The popularity of the Titans had grown to rival that of Marvel’s big guns, the X-Men and in the summer of 1984 DC decided to launch them into an all-new second series but in a new format. This new book was printed on high grade white paper with vibrant colors unlike anything that had been seen in mainstream super-hero comics before; but an even bolder move was that this new book would only be available to the direct comic market and NOT be available at local newsstands. A reprint version of the same issues would be come out several months later on the standard low grade paper, so if you wanted your Titans fix on time you were forced to go to your local comic shop; This was not a big deal to me because I had a local comic shop (more on that later) but at the time this was a major controversy because many only had access to comics through their local newsstands. But right or wrong, this would start a trend of direct market sales that would forever change the face of comic book distribution. Of course the team that had made the original series such a success, Marv Wolfman and George Perez, would move to the new series but gearing the book towards the direct market with a slightly more mature theme (and I say only slightly because the original series was already very mature….it’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the series in the first place). Of course both gentlemen did not disappoint and the 1st story arc from the “Baxter” series detailing Raven’s battle with her father Trigon as well as her own inner demons will go down as one of the best in Titans history. So to me this page being from the first issue of the Baxter Series is not only a big part of Teen Titans history but a significant part of comic history as well.
NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (Aug 1984)
The art on this piece (a half page splash featuring the entire team!) is absolutely stunning with George not only penciling but inking himself as well. This is simply George Perez at his best! The amount of detail that was put into this page is astounding and the scan just really doesn’t do it justice at all. From the amazing detail on the table, chairs and signature Titans Tower spiral staircase to the deep blacks used in the Raven panels…you can really see that George poured his heart into every line; and it’s because of work like this throughout his entire career that he is still considered The Master! You can view the piece in my comicartfans.com gallery here :
Now for the metaphorical aspect of this piece…. Now you’re probably wondering in what way can this piece be considered a metaphor and to put it simply it is this: It represents one of the kindest and most selfless gestures that I have ever seen and one of the nicest things someone has ever done for me.
Let me explain in what is probably why too much detail….but I feel that the whole story needs to be explained in order to truly understand the importance of this to me.
I was raised my mother, my father having left us when I was just a few months old. My childhood was not an easy one considering my mother had to work 7 days a week just to make ends meet and I spent most of my time being “raised” by babysitters. By the time I was 6 years old I was a very distant, very introverted child and by the time I reached the second grade I couldn’t read or write. Being in danger of getting left back my second grade teacher (Mrs. Sklar – a name I will never forget) suggested that in order to get me interested in reading my mother should get me some comics books. And amazingly enough it worked! My mother would get me a bunch of comics every week that I read over and over again until the covers were falling off. I just couldn’t get enough. By the following year I was reading and writing and by the 4th grade I was an honor student all because of those little 4 color gems! But as amazing as this was there was a lot more to come…..
In the later part of 1980 I had made a friend who was also interested in comics; my friend Mike (who is still one of my best friends to this day, even though he no longer reads comics ;-) had told me about a comic book store in our neighborhood. Up until that time I didn’t even know that such a thing existed….I had gotten all of my comics from the newsstand or garage sales. But to find a store that exclusively sold comics was like Dorothy finding Oz. The store was Canarsie Books & Comics, a small mom and pop comics store in Brooklyn, owned by Jerry and Harriet. The book store was a very worm and friendly place for kids even though nowhere near what is considered a state of the art comic store by today’s standards. I would find myself spending all my afternoons and weekends there (eventually summers too!); Jerry would let me hang out all day reading back issues even though I couldn’t afford to buy them and I got to know the people who worked there and the regulars who would come in and get their weekly fix. They became like family to me…..Jerry and Harriet became the grandparents that I never had. And many of the friends that I made at the store I still have to this day (Thanks to the book store my sons have Uncle Frank and Uncle Mark as big part of their lives). We were our own little community and hanging out at the book store helped me in many ways; The once introverted, scared little boy would be replaced by a very vocal, opinionated (sometimes too much of both) young teen who would have no problem fighting for who he thought was the strongest super-hero or which was better Marvel or DC (even though we all know it’s DC ;-).
But as inviting as the book store was originally it was really only one thing that had made me come back after Mike had taken me there the first time around….NEW TEEN TITANS #1. The first time I had went to the store I was completely overwhelmed; there was so many books to choose from. And the people there talked about comics with such reverence that at the time I felt really over my head. Like I said, I was an introverted kid and at 10 years old I was little out of my element! I had looked around the store but it was so different than I was used to….bent, dog eared comics on spinner racks in my local newsstand. Comics were treated like treasures here, carefully handled and stored and at the time I really couldn’t understand why. I spent a few minutes in the store, being very shy and trying to blend into the background as much as possible. Mike would put one book or another in front of me trying to convince me that I should buy it but nothing really hit me…it just seemed like the same stuff I had seen at the newsstand before just more of it. But then something happened that would forever change my life….I found a copy of New Teen Titans #1 in the bins; it had come out a few weeks before and when I saw the cover it just jumped out at me. The cover was like nothing I had ever seen before…it was like the characters were jumping of the page and it really grabbed me. Also, I had read a lot of Batman comics and was a huge Superfriends fan so I recognized Robin but I didn’t know any of the others and I was instantly intrigued by “who else would Robin hang out with if not Batman?” And even though Mike and Jerry had commented that I should buy something “better” like the X-Men, I still bought it. I went home that night and read it cover to cover. Three times! It was like nothing I had ever read in my life. I related to the characters in a way that I had never thought possible; here were a group of heroes but they were also teenagers having all the same thoughts that I was as well going through all the angst that I had just started to feel myself. And the art was mesmerizing to me….I had never seen artwork so detailed or dynamic (even though at the time all my young mind could think was “WOW”!!!!). Before I had read the Titans I was hesitant to go back to the store but once I read it I knew that I had to go back…..I had to get the next issue and find out what happened. I went back the next week and luckily New Teen Titans #2 was out; I bought it as well as 2 bags and 2 boards…..I now understood why everyone treated their comics with such high regard; not for some possible future value but because some of these stories really were meaningful in some way, that the messages that they tried to impart were important and therefore needed to be kept forever as a reminder that you don’t necessarily need super powers to be a hero. As least that’s what it meant to me. And the rest is history….I would go back to the book store more and more; Not only for my Titans fix but for the many other titles that I would soon discover. The book store would become my second home and some of my happiest childhood memories would be take place there. O even stopped their the day of my wedding (with my whole bridal party in tow)!.
I know you probably thinking how can one comic change a person’s life but in this case it’s the truth…..because of that NEW TEEN TITANS #1 I would find a whole new world both literately and literally. It brought me back to the book store where I would discover books and heroes that would help give me the moral values that I have today; having no real father figure comics gave me a lot of good role models to look up too. I learned interpersonal skills that I probably would have never been able to develop otherwise and gained a better sense of self and self respect through not only the characters I read about but the friends that I made. It helped me to make friends not only inside the book store but also the courage to make new friends in the “outside world”…..one of those friendships (my best friend, Doug) led me to meeting my childhood sweetheart and the woman I would marry, the love of my life, Lori (who is insanely understanding of my hobby/addiction…more than I really deserve). It is because of these facts that the Titans have always been my favorite comic and George Perez has been my favorite artist; their inspiration has helped make me the man I am today. They mean more to me than even this lengthy rant can every really explain. That is why this piece of original art is so important to me….because it is a historical part of something that means so much to me and has had a profound effect on my life.
But there is still more to this story! Through all the years I hung out (and eventually worked) at the book store I got to meet a lot of people; Many would I would see on a weekly basis where we would discuss the finer points about comics along with the usual can Hulk beat up Superman type of conversations. Once of these folks was Brett. If I remember correctly I had known Brett before the store because I had played in little league with his brother one year (even though you can hardly consider what I did being called baseball; I mostly sat on the side and read). Brett and I had become friends through the book store; we shared a common interested that I shared with no one else …..We were both huge Teen Titans fans and we both loved George Perez! Whenever we would catch up at the store we would talk Titans and Perez ad nauseam probably driving a lot of people crazy. In fact I often thought if there was any one person who was I bigger Titans / Perez fan than myself it was him. And as you can see by the above I don’t make that statement lightly. Through the years we would hang out at the store but once the store closed down (after 26 years!!! It’s still breaks my heart) we only ran into each other infrequently; Whenever we did meet up we would fall right back into talking comics, Titans, and old book store war stories but more than anything else we talked about George Perez. And one of our more frequent George Perez conversations was original art.
I have always wanted a piece of George’s original published artwork but was never able to afford it. Sure there was plenty of artwork available but George was my favorite and I wanted a quality piece, something that truly represented his talent……and I wanted it to be a New Teen Titans piece! It just had to be! I really wanted a cover but the prices for those are just astronomical and out of my reach (at least for now….hopefully someday!). Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to meet George a few times; In fact the first time I met George I almost cried like a baby I was so happy. George being the gentlemen that he always is came around from the table and gave me a big bear hug like a long lost father (in some ways he was). We took pictures and talked like two old friends even though we had never met. He was so appreciative and thanked me for being a fan….It’s one of my most cherished memories. In those few meetings I’ve had the good fortune to get a few sketches from George and was even able to commission a Titans piece from him which was such an amazing thrill; it’s one of my most prize possessions (please see my gallery for the Perez pieces in my collection; You won’t be disappointed). But I would still always long for a published Titans piece….Teen Titans was such a large part of my life that I just needed something that represented that time and what it meant to me. The timing was just never right and the funds never seemed to be there and as the years rolled on it seemed that I would never own one.
My longing for a Perez piece was also always a topic of conversation that Brett and I would have. He had the good fortune of acquiring a few published pieces over the years including his grail of a Titans cover. He would assure me that someday my time would come and I would also own a published piece of my own. Now like I had said, Brett and I would have infrequent contact since the days of Canarsie Books & Comics. We would run into each at shows or the street and exchange the occasional e-mail….so when I received an e-mail from him asking to contact him as soon as possible, that it was very important he speak to me; my first reaction was concern….I though that something was wrong. We exchanged a few e-mails and played phone tag and even though he explained that nothing was wrong he wouldn’t explain what he wanted to talk about until he was able to speak to me directly. I couldn’t even imagine what it was….. little did I know what was about to occur! We were finally able catch up with each on the phone the next night and he told me something that I still can’t believe; something that when I think about still amazes me and probably will for the rest of my life. He wanted to give me a page from NEW TEEN TITANS #1 (second series). At first I explained to him that I really appreciated the offer but I really couldn’t afford to purchase the piece. He quickly explained to me that I was mistaken….He did not want to sell me the piece; He wanted to give it to me as a GIFT!!! I was in complete shock! I tried to dissuade him but he insisted that I had to take it! He said that I had always been a nice guy and deserved to have a piece like this in my collection.
Brett had owned a few pages from the historic issue and he knew how desperately I wanted a published Titans/Perez piece….he had said he was thinking about it for quite awhile….He had often thought that someone like me, who was such a huge Perez fan, should own an original piece of George’s Titans artwork worthy of my rabid fanboy appreciation. He had told me a story of how someone had done and enormous kindness to him and he now felt that he had to do the same for someone else….he thought of me and my love for the Titans and George Perez and thought that somehow there was a wrong there that he could make right. It still amazes me that I was lucky enough to have been on the receiving end of such generosity. And make no mistake….this was very generous gesture! Perez artwork is not cheap….he could have easily sold this for a nice sum (he said he in fact had gotten numerous offers over the years), he could have traded it for another piece of valuable artwork, or he could just as easily kept it for himself; after all he is a huge Titans/Perez fan as well and I’m sure he would have happily kept this in his collection. But he felt that it was more important for me to have it….he wanted to share with me what it was like to own such an amazing piece of artwork from a man and a book that held a special place for both of us.
And sure enough, we met in the city the next day so that Brett could give me the page. It really is all a blur…..A just remember being in complete shock! The conversation is even foggy to me…..I just remember being in complete awe of this piece that was before me and absolutely floored by the fact that from that moment on it would be mine! I feel like I was a complete babbling idiot. I must have said “I can’t believe it!” over a hundred times. And I could not stop saying “Thank You” over and over again! I was teary-eyed like a school girl and I kept hugging Brett constantly in both excitement and appreciation. He kept reiterating that I deserved it and that this was only a place holder for the Perez cover that I would eventually own someday. I can tell you right now…..as much as I want a George Perez’ Teen Titans cover I don’t think that even if I’m fortunate enough to ever get one, that it would mean as much to me; This piece will forever hold a special place in my heart not only for what it is but also because of the enormous act of generosity and kindness that it represents. And all that Brett asked in return was that if the opportunity ever arose that I can perform a similar act of kindness for someone else that I should do so to the best of my ability. And I can truly say that if I am ever given the chance to make someone that happy I will do so without hesitation!
Why did I write such a long story regarding this piece…so that anyone who reads this can in some way understand the magnitude of this for me….to try and understand the enormity of Brett’s gesture and the true scope of how much it means. Even after all I have written I still don’t think that anyone can really understand how much this touched me. I don’t even think Brett truly realizes how much this has meant to me and how I can never thank him enough…..this is an incredible kindness that I will never forget and I hope that somewhere down the line I can be given the opportunity in my life to show someone else the same kindness and touch their lives the way Brett touched mine.
Brett – I can never say it enough……Thank you so much! I will never forget this!
And also thanks to Marv & George for helping give a scared, lonely little boy something that he was able to learn from and grow with to create a life for himself that he would never have dreamed possible. You guys are the best!
TITANS FOREVER!
Mike
