It is mid-afternoon on New Years Eve when I walk into Pop Comics. The owner, Brian Ries, is an old friend of my family. In fact, I used to work at his store before I started with CGC. I’m here to witness signatures for Ken Lashley, who is already at work drawing sketches and signing books. He never stops sketching for the entire time I am there, but never acts as though it is work for him. For instance, he does a sketch free of charge for anyone who wants one. Ken’s laid-back attitude combined with the comfort of being in my hometown comic shop, makes the afternoon a very pleasant experience.
The patrons hover politely around Lashley as he takes more requests for sketches and talks about working as an artist in the comic industry. He mentions that every year, he embarks on a road trip taking him from Canada to here in Sarasota, Florida, where both CGC and Pop Comics are located. He assures us that he loves doing this, making the trip along the east coast sound like a Sunday drive. People question and compliment him with the eagerness that only fan boys and girls have. Ken understands this and remains patient and friendly. He is someone who truly seems to enjoy what he does for a living and it makes him fun to interact with. It was all very casual, which made it more entertaining than your standard wait in line to talk to artist for one minute, which is what most of us are used to. Everyone seemed satisfied, especially Brian after purchasing some original art from Lashley. My only hope is that he will come back next year and visit us again.
