Trina Robbins is one of the main reasons I became a working artist. Back in the 70's she held a class at the local community college called "Comics and You" as part of the College for Kids program with my elementary school. My exposure to comics was still limited to a handful of Marvels at that time, but she opened me up to everything from the Golden Age to a glimpse of the underground.
Everyone in the class drew a comic page, she showed us how to lay it out, how to make it flow, etc. Then she xeroxed them all and made them into a book for everyone to take home. I wish I still had it. My comic was about Superpan, a flying frying pan with a cape. Hey, I was 12.
Anyway, she treated us like intelligent adults, unlike all the other courses in that program. It changed everything for me, it made me think seriously about comics and graphic storytelling for the first time. So, finally, I got a signature form her. I don't get to go to cons much but I hope to see her some time just to tell her what a powerful influence she had on a awkward 12-year-old and how it turned into an amazing career.
Thanks to the mighty RICH HENN for this one! I'm still on the lookout for more high-grade copes of her work.