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KC as well as huge stitch recuperating from Laysic eye surgical treatment from a number of years ago. (It didn’t take.)
A KC Column by KC Carlson
Those of you who are reading this on the day that it is published (Wednesday, December 23) should understand that while you are reading this, I am in a vehicle with my spouse Johanna, a week’s worth of luggage, most likely at least one of the different stuffed Stitchs we own (a Carlson household tradition), as well as a vehicle full of CDs as well as books (old school!). This vehicle will be safely driving 70 to 75 mph on Interstate 64 towards Richmond, Virginia, so we can spend Christmas weekend with Johanna’s family.
The one-way trip is just over a thousand miles. I’ve most likely driven this path at least fifty times over the last 15 years, originally to care for my ailing mother. After she passed — as well as after many of our Richmond buddies fled Richmond — I’d hop in the vehicle as well as drive to Wisconsin to see my Westfield as well as other comics buddies frequently, just to get out of Richmond for a few days. A bit over three years ago, Johanna got fantastic task offers in Madison, Wisconsin, as well as I didn’t have to be talked into coming back. The year we moved, I did the drive at least a lots times, transporting things we wished to be accountable for in addition to for house-hunting trips.
Now, the drive is an annual Christmas holiday event from Madison to Richmond (and back). just when a year.
What’s all this have to do with comic books, you may ask? great question, since the extremely very first time that I ever drove at least part of the route, in 1992, I ended up being the editor of legion of Super-Heroes at DC Comics. I believe it’s most likely part of one of the oddest prolonged task interviews in history, encompassing two countries, ten us states, as well as over 500 miles driving with Canada.
IT ALL BEGAN…
This all started on may 25, 1992. I was working that day, in spite of the truth it was Memorial Day, completing production on (I think) problem #5 of Comics retailer magazine for Krause Publications. I didn’t surface up up until after midnight. After putting the problem to bed for the next day, I trudged back to my desk to attempt to neat up a bit before going home. Instead, I typed a letter of resignation as well as slid it under the door of my publisher.
The whys, wherefores, as well as concerns about why I decided to stop Krause after only five months were many as well as challenging — as well as not necessary for this story — except to provide it a starting point. perhaps I’ll compose more about that in the future.
KC as well as beloved together. a sure indication of upcoming shenanigans.
After I submitted my resignation as well as had a couple of days to let it sink in, I realized that it was really a quite stupid thing to do. This was the very first time I ever stop a task without having a great concept what I was going to do next. I had nothing at all lined up, as well as I was as well embarrassed to phone call Westfield of what would have been the second time to request that task back. So I started making calls. not for specific jobs, however to people I understood who were linked around the comics industry. one of my very first phone calls was to beloved Smith, who, at that time, was one of the most “connected” people in comics, although he didn’t leave the little town of Ceredo, West Virginia, all that much.
Of course, I likewise called DC Comics. I had left there in 1990 (or perhaps early ’91), when my “jack-of-all-trades” task as Richard Bruning’s “assistant” ran out when Richard left DC (temporarily, as it turned out). I left DC on great terms, as well as Dick Giordano truly wished to discover a location for me in Editorial, however DC was in shift at that time, both physically (the DC office moved twice over the next few years) in addition to in staffing (because Dick was beginning to look down the road at retirement from the company). I told a number of people at DC that I was looking for work, including Mike Carlin, who had graciously let me continue doing letter columns for him after I was let go from DC earlier. as well as I stayed in constant touch with DC Westfield customer (and now columnist) Bob Greenberger.
AMAZING great LUCK
Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (not from my age on the book)
News traveled quick in those pre-internet days, as well as within just a couple of days, I had four or five offers, some perhaps not so concrete. (NOTE: I’m told it doesn’t occur such as this anymore. great tasks in comics seem to be more scarce today. Not to mention every other industry.) the most surprising phone call was from Mike Carlin, who called to offer me a task as a full DC Editor. Michael Eury was stepping down, as well as they were looking for somebody to inherit his books, which at the time included legion of Super-Heroes, Valor, Eclipso, a couple of miniseries including timber Wolf (a LSH spin-off), as well as the not-yet-officially revealed Legionnaires series.
I had heard about the latter with the LSH grapevine, as well as I was excited about it, as it was being drawn by Chris Sprouse, whom I very first satisfied as well as liked during my very first run at DC in ’89/90. I was really one of the (not officially publicized) “Legion of Hammerlocke Editors” — one of, I think, eight different people who were briefly associated keeping that early Chris Sprouse comic. I started believing it would be fun to work with Chris for real.
My brain was spinning after being offered the legion books to edit. (Mike Carlin really stated something like “I’ve been told that there are about only four or five people qualified (I’m thinking: “geeky”) sufficient to edit this series, as well as you’re one of them.” (Unspoken: “…and the others all have much better jobs…”) After psychologically “gosh-wowing” a couple of times, it lastly dawned on me that this was Mike Carlin calling to offer me a task — not Dick Giordano.
“Hey Mike… exactly how come you’re calling me as well as not Dick?”
“Dick’s spouse has been having some health and wellness problems, as well as he’s not doing all that fantastic either, so there’s been talk about me starting to shift over to his task since he’s not in the office as much these days.”
“Oh… I’m sorry to hear about Dick. Congratulations to you, though!… Um… So, do I requirement to talk to Dick? as well as how/when do I do that?”
Mike then stated that Dick was still in fee of hiring, as well as I needed to chat with him. He mentioned that Dick would be at the Heroes Convention that weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, so he’d be out of the office up until the complying with week. We left things at that. For now.
AS THE legion TURNS
Introducing (formally) The Legionnaires.
Shortly after that, I was speaking with LSH people Tom McCraw as well as mark Waid, where I found that that specific Heroes Convention was hosting, among other things, a gathering of legion of Super-Heroes fans called reunion 2992, as well as that both mark as well as Tom were going to be there. I instantly realized that this was as well much of a coincidence to pass up, as well as I on-the-spot decided to go to Charlotte. I called Mike Carlin back to notify Dick that I would be looking for him at the show.
Shortly after that, I was speaking to beloved on the phone, telling him I was driving to this show. I asked him if he was going or if it was near where he was. He wasn’t going however told me that if I might take a path that would bring me close to his office in Ceredo, I should stop by. I assured him I might do that, as well as a day or two later, he called to talk to me about a task with Eclipse. later on, I figured out that this was most likely just a ruse by beloved (and most likely Dean Mullaney) to put me up at a hotel as well as have a nice dinner before I attempted to accident the Heroes Convention, not understanding for sure if I had a location to stay. beloved did ask me a few interview-like questions, as well as then we just BS’d the rest of the night, as we normally did when we got together.
The next day, I drove to Charlotte for the convention. Being at this legion event was extremely weird for me. By the time I got there, both mark as well as Tom most likely understood why I was there (or if they didn’t, I told them — as well as swore them both to secrecy for the rest of the weekend).
And then I took care of the other thing I was in Charlotte for — speaking to Dick Giordano about ending up being a full-time DC editor. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to discover him. He greeted me with a huge hug as well as a “Hey! I hear you’re coming back to edit comics for us!” To which I replied (loudly — he was difficult of hearing) “Well, I believe that’s really your decision, Dick!”
“Nope, that’s Carlin’s phone call now,” stated Dick. I explained that Mike had told me the opposite, as well as that I needed somebody to please make a decision. “What are you doing Monday afternoon, then?” he asked.
“Well, I’m guessing that I’ll be standing in your office at DC with Mike Carlin, as well as one of you will be telling me when I’m starting at DC again.”
“That seems about right. See you then!”
Then Dick went back to signing autographs. That was the entire degree of our conversation that weekend.
Good thing I had already organized on being in nyc on Monday. more on this later.
A SPY IN THE home OF LSH
Legion Outpost #6 cover by Dave Cockrum
I understood a few people in LSH fandom however not well. I understand I had satisfied Mike Flynn as well as Richard Morrissey at either the DC offices or at other conventions. Flynn had been in DC’s Marketing/Sales department for a time. I likewise believe I may have corresponded a bit with Harry Broertjes as well as perhaps very first satisfied him in Charlotte. I wasone of the lucky people who saw Flynn’s statement in the legion comic book about the very first problem of The legion Outpost fanzine, as well as I ultimately got all 10 issues. I wasn’t yet composing about comics then, however I wished to contribute to The Outpost in some way, so I sent them cash. Either Mike or Harry referred to me as that crazy guy who was sending them $10 or $20 when everybody else was sending quarters. I just wished to make sure I always got the fanzine.
It was tremendously difficult being at this LSH event, understanding what I understood about what was “probably” going to occur to the LSH book in the near future. I might not state a single thing to anybody. And, well, technically, I didn’t have the task yet.
(For more information on reunion 2992, the’s a fantastic article recapping it in TwoMorrows the very best of the legion Outpost TPB (2004).)
FORESHADOWING
Legion #38, my very first problem as editor. Cover copy foreshadowing much?
I don’t recall precisely when I very first satisfied Tom as well as Mary Bierbaum. perhaps it was at this show. I was anxious about speaking to them there, as in our phone conversations, Mike Carlin let it slip that DC wasn’t always extremely happy about the present LSH team, particularly the writing. Which I took as his method of strongly hinting that DC desired innovative changes. I understood that this was definitely going to be a problem, since at this point in time the LSH book was team-written by the Bierbaums as well as Keith Giffen — as well as if sides had to be drawn, I had a quite great assumption who DC would pick. The Bierbaums had come up with fandom, a path that always made editors suspicious, while Giffen was an established expert with other DC work under his belt. I had heard somewhere (maybe at this LSH gathering) that Keith was potentially leaving the LSH book soon, as well as the Bierbaums were excited to show what they might do solo. I was likewise thinking about seeing what that would be like. however I likewise understood my (probable) new manager wasn’t precisely a huge fan. (sigh.)
On Sunday, I drove from Charlotte to Baltimore to stop by the diamond trade show that was going on that day. I was supposed to talk to somebody about a task there, however he blew me off. typical Diamond. I didn’t care. I’ve would have hated working for that guy. I’m truly there to pick up my DC Comics gal pal Tammy brown as well as drive her back to Brooklyn, where I’m crashing on her sofa for a day or two. Which provides me simple gain access to to nyc for my DC Comics satisfying on Monday.
The next morning, I took the train into DC, hung out at the “new” temp offices, officially got offered the job, as well as accepted. later in the week, I jumped back in the vehicle as well as drove to Buffalo, NY, where mark Waid was currently living. Hung out for a day or two. We went to see Batman Returns on opening weekend as well as discussed it endlessly.
Eventually, I realized I only had so much time to get back to Wisconsin as well as get my stuff packed up as well as kept up until I had my own location in the nyc area. however I’d never been in Canada before, as well as it was right THERE near Buffalo, so I drove as much as Niagara Falls, took a quick look, hopped back in the car, went with border check, as well as drove back to Wisconsin with Canada on some seemingly deserted as well as endlessly directly road where most people were moving about 100 mph. as well as soon I was also. I made such great time I was asked about it at the Canadian/Wisconsin border. “I don’t understand what you mean, officer. I was just driving like everybody else…” (That’s one more thing that doesn’t occur anymore, taking a side trip with one more country. border security is a great deal different now.)
Total mileage: approx. 2,800 miles round trip.
The Legionnaires get their own title!
And that was my task interview for legion of Super-Heroes editor for DC Comics. I had a great deal of fun working at DC, as well as I really hoped that I assisted create a great deal of comics that ended up being somebody’s favorites. My only huge error at DC was stating “yes” to editing the Superman books.
But that’s one more story…
Hey, Beau! We’ll see you in a few days! rather a surprise we got cooked up for next week, ‘eh?
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KC CARLSON: I miss LSH. I mean, the genuine one… (walks away rapidly, whistling)
WESTFIELD COMICS is not accountable for the stupid things that KC says. particularly that thing that truly irritated you. like there’s only ONE genuine Legion…