Artists who ended up being awesome in person... plus one for drinks + art talk 0

[exitmusicblue]

While understanding that everyone has different experiences, our shout outs to the artists we've found kind and/or generally awesome in person. 

My list:

Neal Adams... really engages, shares funny ol' stories, some borderline noir.  Also have heard him giving super honest advice to an amateur artist.  Directed me to Frazetta art.

Jae Lee... quick wit, earnest, very helpful.  Above and beyond the call of duty.

Ron Lim... so laid back with a mega-watt smile.  Hard to forget the selfie I took with him because we're both beaming from ear to ear.

 

More limited interactions:

Mark Bagley... wins the most-responsive-via-email prize, hot damn!  Impressive.

Josh Middleton... very brief chat but was solid.

Erik Larsen... ditto.

Dell'Otto... at the Lucca con. Didn't speak in person but was fun watching him conversing animatedly with a fan re: art (from what I could gather).

 

Top of the list for drinks would be Bill Sienkiewicz or Jim Lee.  Have yet to meet either.  

Edited February 7, 2020 by exitmusicblue

[Bird]

Neal Adams has always been nice to me as well, I have never purchased from him (and make that clear when I approach the table) but we talk art.

Mark Morales is a great guy. Very down to earth.

Sienkiewicz is nice as well. fun and charming. no bs though

Chaykin is a wonder, cynical and curt and wonderfully engageable.

Jim Cheung is a great guy as well. We talk BWS and I have even brought pieces to show him after talking about them. He showed me some things about brush strokes on a Daredevil page I have. On another page (I forget what it was) I was wondering who inked it and he showed me why it was obvious BWS had inked it himself. I felt stupid when he showed me stuff on my own art but it was great learning like that.

Andy MacDonald is wonderful. So great to my girls.

Ramona Fradon did a free sketch for my daughter that is wonderful. My wife didn't know who she was and they approached her as a woman artist first. That wife also got a nice Gabriel hardman for the same kid and he was so nice to them she still follows him on social media a decade later.

Walt Simonson, and Weezy too, couldn't be nicer people. They handle business with class and clarity and can manage the worst of situations smoothly and deftly.

Bisley is a kick.

Mignola is a sweetheart. he won't draw, so don't ask, but if the time is right he might do a head sketch. but don't ask. He'll talk about art as long as you keep it fresh and interesting and took time with my art student daughter to talk process and confidence as an artist. (Dad walks her into these situations with pride too.)

Jill Thompson is so nice too. If you have daughters with you bring them over to her.

Mark Buckingham was so nice despite being obviously overwhelmed the one day I met him (and talked to him 2-3 times throughout the day.)

JHWilliams III and wife Wendy are a blast. Even if he laughs as he points at me, actually points directly at me two feet away from him, and tells her how long I have been on his commission list (no money so no harm no foul)

 

 

 

[Blastaar]

Neal 

Grell

Marat

Hoffman

Nord

Saviuk 

Lieber

Lopresti

Johhny Desjardins

Stroman

Freddie Williams

Byrne

Have all been solid dudes that I enjoy interacting with. 

[NelsonAI]

Just don't ask them for their phone number.

[Grant Turner]

I met George Perez at a convention. My 9 year old daughter and I stood in line to get a sketch from him.  When we got to the front he realized he had used his last sheet of paper on the patron before us.  He saw the sadness in my daughter!s eye and foraged around for anything.  He found a comic book backing board and volunteered to draw on that.  Great guy, and he made my daughter’s day

[Rick2you2]

To be candid, I would be hard-pressed to name an artist who I thought was disagreeable. The closest I saw was someone who asked an artist to draw something he had been asked to draw countless times over, and he asked the kid if there was anything different he might like because he was tired of doing the same thing over and over.

Some other names I can add, but is by no means exclusive, would be:

Chris Batista

Tom Mandrake

Kevin McGuire

Keith Giffen

Michelle Deleki (now a mother). 

Colleen Doran (health improved).

Joe Rubinstein (a really nice guy)

Amy Reeder

Chaykin is a pistol. 

If you ever want to hear a strong opinion about our President, drop in on Neal Adams. 

[dichotomy]

I’ll have to second Neal Adams and “MadamAdams” for an awesome and wholesome commission experience at a con. 
 

Jonboy Meyers is crazy approachable and friendly, and VERY text friendly. 
 

Silvestri! Holy Cow, does he not have anything to do? Super relaxed and friendly and delivers great stuff. 
 

Frank Quitely - super nice and one of the most soft spoken guys - I was a newbie at the time and a little star struck, but he was great. 
 

Lee Weeks! The most patient I’ve ever been in a line (people were dropping like flies [NYCC 2019 Thursday]). Mr Weeks was chatting to someone for 30/40 minutes, and it was one of those conversations that was always about to end but then would go on for another 10 min. I wasn’t eavesdropping but I was next in line. Tbh it was EXTREMELY frustrating, and I wish the fan/friend had taken the impetus to end the conversation as there was a significant line behind them. BUT, when it’s your turn, you get the same spotlight attention. Like someone’s friendliest, kindest, most down-to-earth father talking to their child’s best friend. The person behind me was also able to join the conversation too and it felt pleasantly communal. Great interaction and conversation as he did a phenomenal Remarque for me. And then I LEFT and let the next fan have their fun. 
 

Tim Sale - Not so much conversation but I asked if he wouldn’t mind me watching him work, he he said he didn’t, so I parked myself there as respectfully as possible and WOW, watching him brush pieces directly is something else. Great learning experience. 
 

Ditto Mike Mignola - got a great story from him about one of my favorite books. 
 

Bisley - an unquantifiable interaction...
 

Tony Moore - The Colonel is fantastic - great sense of humor and likes to talk tats too. 
 

[jjonahjameson11]

Al Williamson. Very engaging, full of warmth and made me feel welcomed at the Pittsburgh show back in 2001.  Speaking with al for the first time, he made me feel as though we’d been buddies for decades.  I miss our subsequent phone chats.  RIP, Al.  You made everyone around you a better person.

Marshall Rogers.  Similar personality as Al Willimsonson.  A wonderful, all-around interesting person to be around, with such a varied background of experiences to discuss, including architecture and his departure from comics to work in the video game industry, and his journey back to comics.  Big smile, big heart.  I cried when he passed away at all-too young age of 57.

[CartoonFanboy]

George Perez - Everyone talks about how great he is in person, but it's worth repeating. He is one of the friendliest and most engaging artists I've ever met. Back in the late 90's he ended up having lunch with me and my father purely by chance. I was a little star struck, but it was an awesome experience.

Frank Quitely - I wasn't sure what to expect when I met him a couple years back, but he ended up being fantastic. Very humble and engaging, quick to take a picture with fans and easy to talk to. Plus, he came back from lunch with a beer in hand. How awesome is that?

John Byrne - I know there are a lot of stories about him, but in the handful of times I met him in the late 90's, he was great. Funny and friendly guy. I also attended a charity auction he hosted, and he was amazing.

Angel Medina - He's just really friendly and loves to talk. Great guy.

I've met plenty of other artists who were nice as well, Ron Frenz, Chris Sprouse, Tom Grummett, Jon Bogdanove, Bart Sears, Alex Ross, the late Norm Breyfogle and I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.

[RS88]

Gerardo Zaffino 

Scott Williams 

Stephane Roux

Adam Gorham

Josh Hixson
 

All likely regret the decision to join the evening events they joined....but then again we didn’t warn them.

Marc Silvestri - the nicest guy, worth all the compliments shared and more 
Phil Jimenez - genuine interest in who is talking to him and funny as all fudge

Jim Lee - a smart, sincere, great dude that has thus far dodged the bullets the artists above have lodged in their livers

[AnkurJ]

Brian Stelfreeze and Billy Tucci hands down

Edited February 8, 2020 by AnkurJ

[The Voord]

Met John Higgins  (Watchmen colorist and artist in his own right) several times over the years which usually resulted in the consumption of alcohol.  Super-nice guy.

[Rick2you2]

6 hours ago, The Voord said:

Met John Higgins  (Watchmen colorist and artist in his own right) several times over the years which usually resulted in the consumption of alcohol.  Super-nice guy.

Agreed. He did a commission at a show for me.