Back Issue #122 by TwoMorrows Publishing

featuring MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PÉREZ!

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NO. 122

OCTOBER 2020

NEW TEEN TITANS’ ™ 40 GREATEST MOMENTS

New Teen Titans TM & © DC Comics.

40TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

82658 00406

PÉREZ TRIBUTES & ART GALLERY HERO HISTORIES OF STARFIRE, RAVEN & THE PROTECTOR NEW TEEN TITANS IN THE MEDIA & MORE!

All characters TM & © their respective owners.

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Volume 1, Number 122 October 2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Eury

Comics’ Bronze Age and Beyond!

PUBLISHER John Morrow DESIGNER Rich Fowlks

COVER ARTIST George Pérez (unused New Teen Titans cover art, courtesy of Andy Mangels) COVER COLORIST Glenn Whitmore COVER DESIGNER Michael Kronenberg PROOFREADER Rob Smentek SPECIAL THANKS Spencer Beck Luigi Novi Glen Cadigan Bob Rozakis Brian Cassner Jim Starlin Jon B. Cooke John Trumbull DC Comics John Wells Shelton Drum Cliff Galbraith VERY SPECIAL Chris Giarrusso THANKS Grand Comics George Pérez Database Marv Wolfman Dan Greenfield Karl Heitmueller, Jr. Heritage Comics Auctions James Heath Lantz Ron Lim Paul Levitz Ed Lute Andy Mangels Brian Martin Robert Menzies Mike Negin

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OFF MY CHEST: Guest Editorial by Marv Wolfman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 FLASHBACK: The 40 Greatest Moments of the New Teen Titans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Titans Companion’s Glen Cadigan counts down the biggest NTT events of the past 40 years PRINCE STREET NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Cartoonist Karl Heitmueller, Jr.’s auditions for new Titans, circa 1979 FLASHBACK: Raven: Fighting Her Inner Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 The terrifying tale of the New Teen Titans’ first supernatural member ART GALLERY: New Teen Titans by George Pérez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 FLASHBACK: Starfire: The NTTs’ Alien Warrior Princess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Koriand’r of Tamaran, a woman of two worlds BACKSTAGE PASS: Teen Titans in the Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Andy Mangels tunes into New Teen Titans toons, TV, and more ONE-HIT WONDERS: Who is the Protector? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 From a Robin stand-in to a bizarre footnote in DC Comics history PRO2PRO: George Pérez Farewell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 East Coast Comic Con’s star-studded tribute retirement panel celebrating the modern master PINUP: New Teen Titans #1 tribute by Chris Giarrusso. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The G-Man and Mini-Marvels artist’s homage to Pérez’s iconic first issue cover BACK TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Reader reactions

BACK ISSUE™ is published 8 times a year by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614. Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief. John Morrow, Publisher. Editorial Office: BACK ISSUE, c/o Michael Eury, Editor-in-Chief, 112 Fairmount Way, New Bern, NC 28562. Email: euryman@gmail.com. Eight-issue subscriptions: $89 Economy US, $135 International, $36 Digital. Please send subscription orders and funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial office. Cover art by George Pérez. The New Teen Titans TM & © DC Comics. All Rights Reserved. All characters are © their respective companies. All material © their creators unless otherwise noted. All editorial matter © 2020 Michael Eury and TwoMorrows except Prince Street News © 2020 Karl Heitmueller, Jr. ISSN 1932-6904. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 1

TM & © DC Comics.

When I was a kid, there weren’t all that many superhero comics published. I read all the Superman and Batman family books, Wonder Woman and Blackhawk, too. But of course, those were the only hero-related comics that managed to survive the 1950s comics purge and industry collapse. Eventually, DC comics resurrected (and often changed) the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, and most of their other Golden Age heroes. At the same time, they also introduced kid sidekicks for many of their adult heroes. Batman always had Robin fighting at his side, but Aquaman suddenly teamed up with a young marv wolfman kid named Aqualad. The newly resurrected Flash now had adventures alongside Kid Flash. And though Wonder Woman wasn’t given a young partner, the writers told stories of her as a kid when he was Wonder Girl. They then promptly forgot she was a flashback character and treated her as her own entity, sort of Wonder Woman’s Robin. At some point someone at DC must have realized that if their adult heroes teamed up to become the bestselling Justice League, perhaps their kid partners could also team up. The Brave and the Bold was one of DC’s experimental titles, so in July of 1964 it must have seemed like the perfect venue in which to team Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. The book must have sold well because just a year later, in The Brave and the Bold #60, DC again teamed up their kid heroes, but this time also included Wonder Girl in the mix. But where the previous team-up book was simply named after the three male heroes, this time the team up got a name all its own: The Teen Titans. Once again the book must have sold well, because it wasn’t long before the Teen Titans was given their own comic. And the rest is history. As I said before, I was an avid superhero fan and read everything that had superheroes in it. The Teen Titans should have been one of my favorite comics, but truth to tell, I bought the books only because I was buying everything else. It’s not that the Titans was a bad book per se. It was magnificently illustrated, mostly by Nick Cardy, whose art was never less than absolutely wonderful. I even enjoyed the stories. For a while at least, but truth to tell, the Titans was aimed at a very young audience and despite being well done, I was already getting too old to enjoy reading about kids. Reading about 12-year-olds when I was eight was great. Something to look forward to. But reading about 12-year-olds when I was 15 was no longer all that interesting to me. The other problem was, the kids didn’t feel or act like any same-aged kids I knew. They spoke in a supposedly hip slang nobody I knew ever 2 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

by M a r v

Wolfman

used. Sorry, but “feeling groovy” and “hip” went out years before, if it was ever a thing in the first place. The Teen Titans was aimed at a young audience, while across town, at Marvel, Spider-Man, their same-aged, big-time teenage character, was aimed at a much older and more discerning readership. Somehow, I cared about what Spider-Man was doing and who he fought, and could not care nearly as much about the Titans. Spider-Man’s world felt more real to me. He went to a high school I could relate to. He had problems I understood. His home life and school life were interesting to me. Unfortunately, the world of the Titans didn’t feel nearly as real. Now, you might think I’m putting down the Titans and their stories, but I’m not. Teen Titans was aimed at a very young audience, and it successfully reached that audience. But I was no longer very young. When I was between six and eight, I used to love reading Casper the Friendly Ghost and Baby Huey and the like, but like all kids, I grew up. I moved on from Casper to the world of Archie and Betty and Veronica. After a few years I left Riverdale behind and totally immersed myself in superheroes, which I’d been reading all along anyway. Nothing was wrong with Titans; they were great for the audience they were aimed at… the problem was, I was no longer a member of that audience. I had already become a professional writer, working nearly a decade at Marvel, as writer, assistant editor, and finally editor-in-chief. After those years I decided to move on and in January of 1980, I returned to DC. I was looking for a book to write. I was given several titles but wanted something else. For some reason, Teen Titans came to mind. Not the Titans I grew up with, but a book meant for the ’80s, not the ’60s. I loved the Dick Grayson character, and Wonder Girl—in fact, I had written her origin story when I was at DC 11 years earlier. I also named her Donna Troy. For the most part I liked Kid Flash, but then loved writing him when the idea of making him a very reluctant hero came to mind. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted out of life. Just like most people. And I loved the idea of adding in Beast Boy (renamed Changeling) as a bit of comedy relief. It was important to us that we fill out the rest of the team with brand-new characters that would resonate in 1980 but could never have been considered when the Titans was first conceived. If you’re paying attention, I said above that it was important to “us.” Here’s where the “us” comes in. DC was interested in Titans, but we needed an artist. I had worked with George Pérez when we were both at Marvel and thought he’d be perfect for the book. Fortunately, George said yes. It turned out that George and I were on absolutely the same wavelength when it came to the characters and the book. Both of us wanted to make this book different from the original Titans. We weren’t interested in doing a book for young kids. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—it just wasn’t what we were interested in doing. The readership in 1980 was much older than in the ’60s. And we wanted to create character related stories that we’d enjoy reading. Now, today, as adults, not then, when we were kids. We broke several unstated rules. In issue #8, less than a year after we introduced the book, we did a story with absolutely no action. It was just about a day in their lives. The characters didn’t fight anyone. They were just people facing the non-superhero part of their life. George and I introduced family members for most of the gang. Like real people they had parents and even grandparents. They also had jobs outside of being a Titan. They had full lives beyond wearing their spandex suits. Donna Troy got married to, gasp, a mortal. An ordinary person. And their marriage was not interrupted, not even for a panel, by the expected villain attack. Our goal was to produce emotional stories and based on all the fans who come up to our table at comic cons, we succeeded. By producing a comic we’d enjoy we created a comic others loved, too. And there is nothing at all better than that. The Titans began as a book for kids. Today you can watch two different Titans cartoon shows. One for the youngest kids and the other for a slightly older crew. The Titans comic is for even older readers, and their live-action streaming TV show is aimed directly for adults. Our goal to have Titans read by all ages has come to pass. Today, everyone, no matter how old, can read or watch the Titans characters George and I created all those years ago. We could not be happier. January 22, 2020

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Titans Together Reprisal of New Teen Titans #1’s cover produced by George Pérez for the bookstore edition of the 2005 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. Courtesy of Heritage. TM & © DC Comics.

When editor Michael Eury suggested a “40 Greatest Moments” list as a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The New Teen Titans, tumblers immediately started to turn in my mind. Certain moments stood out more than others, and I knew right away what number one would be. What makes a moment great? In my opinion, three things: significance (as determined by longterm consequences), stakes (the higher the stakes, the more important the moment), and how the story was told. From my perspective, these are the moments that left the greatest impact, impact

len Cadigan

being measured on both an objective scale (births, deaths, members joining, members leaving) and a subjective one (emotional consequences). Throughout its run, The New Teen Titans was successful not only for its plots but also its characterization, so while character moments may not have changed the world, they changed the character’s world, and that counts. Which moments rocked the Titans’ universe? Which ones made readers’ jaws drop? Which ones are remembered the most, and which are the ones you’ll never forget? Let’s find out!

4 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

Generation Gap From No. 39: The JLA and Titans—together! By Wolfman and Kane, from Action Comics #546 (Aug. 1983). Original art courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

40. Dear Mom and Dad (The New Teen Titans vol. 1 #20, June 1982) There was no one thing that made The New Teen Titans a success, but one of the things that did was its focus on characterization. Marv Wolfman and George Pérez learned early on that readers responded to the characters as if they were real people, so they showed their audience more than what the Titans did when they were wearing tights. “Dear Mom and Dad” is a letter written by Wally West to his parents about a recent case as Kid Flash. Nobody died, nobody got a new costume, and nobody joined the team. Still, that was kind of the point. In its approach and execution, it was one of the comics that changed what super-hero comics could be.

39. Titans in Action (Action Comics #546, Aug. 1983) As part of Superman’s 45th anniversary in 1983, both Lex Luthor and Brainiac received upgrades in Action Comics #544 (June). In an attempt to kill Superman, the new Brainiac built an alien army that attacked Earth in Action Comics #546. Things looked so bad that Superman decided he needed help, so he asked the Justice League and the New Teen Titans for a hand. Together they repelled the alien horde, and saving the Earth always qualifies as a big deal. Written by Marv Wolfman with art by Gil Kane, the issue is an opportunity to see the New Teen Titans as drawn by a Silver Age legend.

38. In the Year 5708 (World’s Finest Comics #300, Feb. 1984) The Titans guest-star in a story where the stakes are as high as it gets: a cosmic threat to the Earth is causing earthquakes and time warps, and if something isn’t done about it, the planet will be destroyed. Things are so bad that Superman has to call in the JLA, and the Outsiders are enlisted while Batman is falling through time. As far as the Titans go, Titans Island is subjected to a time warp and the team finds itself in the year 5708, where Earth is under attack by the Citadel. What makes the chapter so special is that while it’s only four pages long, it’s never been reprinted anywhere. It’s by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez (who also inked it), and it takes place right after Dick Grayson quit being Robin, so it’s criminally overlooked.

37. Wedding of Nightwing and Starfire (The New Titans #100, Aug. 1993) Superhero weddings are a comic-book tradition, and after more than a decade of their on-again, off-again relationship, Dick Grayson and Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran appeared ready to tie the knot in a holographic, cardstock-covered 100th anniversary issue. It didn’t happen, of course—Dark Raven saw to that. And so ended a Titans era, in more ways than one.

36. Changing of the Guard (The New Titans #114 and 0, Sept. and Oct. 1994) Timed to coincide with DC’s Zero Hour event in 1994, the Titans received a complete roster shake-up. Gone was Nightwing as leader, and in his place was Arsenal, who led a lineup that included Impulse, Damage, Supergirl, the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, and Mirage and Terra from Team Titans. Within a year, the book was cancelled, not due to the change as much as the change failed to prevent it.

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SCI-FI SUPERHEROES! In-depth looks at JIM STARLIN’s Dreadstar and Company, and the dystopian lawman Judge Dredd. Also: Nova, GERRY CONWAY & MIKE VOSBURG’s Starman, PAUL LEVITZ & STEVE DITKO’s Starman, WALTER SIMONSON’s Justice Peace (from the pages of Thor), and GREG POTTER & GENE COLAN’s Jemm, Son of Saturn! With a Dreadstar and Company cover by STARLIN and ALAN WEISS!

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SUPERHERO STAND-INS! John Stewart as Green Lantern, James Rhodes as Iron Man, Beta Ray Bill as Thor, Captain America substitute U.S. Agent, new Batman Azrael, and Superman’s Hollywood proxy Gregory Reed! Featuring NEAL ADAMS, CARY BATES, DAVE GIBBONS, RON MARZ, DAVID MICHELINIE, DENNIS O’NEIL, WALTER SIMONSON, ROY THOMAS, and more, under a cover by SIMONSON.

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d Lute

During the Golden Age, Silver Age, and most of the Bronze Age of Comics, if you asked someone who their favorite dark-clad DC superhero was, the response would overwhelmingly be Batman. This changed for some beginning in 1980. While most responses are always going to be the Caped Crusader, a new contender for favorite dark-clad DC superhero hit the comic scene 40 years ago when the mysterious and enigmatic Raven made her debut along with the rest of the New Teen Titans. Most typical comic-book superheroes were heroic characters that fought on the side of light and didn’t have mysteries surrounding their origins or their motives. This wasn’t the case with the shadowy Raven. Initially, Raven was an enigma to readers. However, as readers learned more about her and the horrors that she had to face, they grew to love this complex character. But just what did she have to face, and what kept her at a distance from her team members? BACK ISSUE examines Raven’s creation, how she helped to form the New Teen Titans, why she almost wasn’t on the team, why she is such a morally complex character, and how her presence in the New Teen Titans opened up the series to darker stories.

DC COMICS PRESENTS RAVEN

By the late 1960s, Marvel Comics had taken over the spot as the number-one comic-book company in the world, sales-wise and creativity-wise. DC Comics, home to the original comic-book superhero Superman, needed to do something to help DC regain the top spot. Although it would take many years for the publisher to regain market dominance, there was one comic book that helped to spark their sales and creativity again: The New Teen Titans. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez along with some assistance from editor Len Wein (1948– 2017), the series which premiered 40 years ago became more than just a hit comic book, it became an iconic one. Teen Titans had been a sturdy series for DC Comics during the Silver Age, partially due to Robin’s inclusion and popularity due to the TV-inspired Batmania, By the Bronze Age, however, the series had seen sales decline until it was ultimately cancelled in late 1972. A 1976 Teen Titans revival only lasted seven issues before the book was cancelled again. So when Wein, Wolfman, and Pérez wanted to reboot it, they were met with resistance from then-DC Comics Publisher Jeanette Kahn. According to then-DC Comics Manager of Business Affairs Paul Levitz, “Jenette was initially reluctant to revive the Titans because the previous incarnation had been commercially and creatively weak, in her opinion. But she became enthusiastic as Marv, George, and Len (as editor) talked her through their ideas.” After hearing the creators’ ideas for the New Teen Titans series, Kahn became excited for the new series and gave it the green light. When the team premiered in 1980, their first appearance wasn’t in the first issue of The New Teen

Who’s That Girl? The enigmatic Raven reveals herself in the New Teen Titans preview in DC Comics Presents #26 (Oct. 1980), by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, and Dick Giordano. TM & © DC Comics.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 17

Dream Girl Robin is rudely awakened by nightmares—and Raven!—in The New Teen Titans #1 (Nov. 1980). TM & © DC Comics.

Titans but as a special 16-page preview included in It was during the Titans’ special 16-page preview in the Superman team-up title DC Comics Presents (DCCP) DCCP, where they defeated terrorists who were inside of #26 (Oct. 1980). This was the first time that DC Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Comics had produced a special preview and Laboratories that readers were first introduced added it to a comic, but it wouldn’t be to Raven. In the story, Robin, the Teen Wonder the last. According to Levitz, “I don’t was called in to S.T.A.R. Labs, a construct of Len Wein’s during his days of writing remember how we came up with the preview idea, but it was a good tool. Superman in the early 1970s, but during Used it a number of times in those the incident he kept having visions of days.” The 16-page preview initiative fighting alongside a new incarnation of proved so successful that it was used his former superhero group, the Teen many more times to various degrees Titans. This incarnation of the team of success throughout the 1980s, not only included Teen Titans mainstays launching such new concepts as All-Star Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and former Doom Squadron and Amethyst, Princess of Patrol member and honorary Titan Gemworld. (After first premiering in Beast Boy (now called the Changeling), the 16-page preview format, New Teen but also new team members Cyborg, paul levitz Starfire, and… Raven. Titans would get the chance to pass © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. Readers were left wondering who along the favor along to other new series when the title featured special previews including these new characters were, especially the enigmatic Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! in New Teen Raven. Was she hero, villain, or something else entirely? Titans #16, Feb. 1982, and Night Force in issue #21, While fans wouldn’t have to wait long to find out more July 1982.) about Raven with the first issue of the regular series hitting newsstands the next month, as they read further they would be faced with more questions than answers about this shadowy new character. In New Teen Titans #1 (Nov. 1980), readers learned that Robin’s visions about a new incarnation of the Teen Titans were dreams brought on by Raven to prepare him for her arrival. Raven told Robin that she needed his help as well as the help of the other New Teen Titans. The rest of this issue dealt with bringing together the superheroic teens. But why did Raven need to unite them? Her reason for needing the heroes wouldn’t be revealed during this issue, but soon thereafter. Raven brought the New Teen Titans together for her own purposes, but without her needing the teens’ special abilities, the new team might never have been formed. However, even though she was instrumental in the formation of the New Teen Titans, originally Raven wasn’t even supposed to be on the team!

THE TITAN WHO ALMOST WASN’T

Initially, when Marv Wolfman was developing the new series, he hadn’t included Raven or a supernatural-type character on the team. It wasn’t until editor Len Wein suggested (insisted, actually) that he include a supernatural character on the team that Wolfman relented. In TwoMorrows’ The Titans Companion by Glen Cadigan, Wein discussed why he wanted a paranormal character on the team. “The biggest contribution I probably made out of general back and forth between two creative guys is the existence of the character who became Raven, who was also [the character] who motivated the entire book. Marv didn’t want to do a supernaturally orientated character. I think you need one; you need somebody who fills that need. He very reluctantly came up with Raven, I guess with George, and they came back and later said, ‘You know, you were absolutely right. That’s the thing that made the made the book work.’ I thanked him for that.” In BACK ISSUE #33, Wolfman confirmed Wein’s account and discussed the inspirations for Raven: “Long before I presented the Titans concept to DC, I had worked out all the characters in detail and the approach I had wanted to take and Len [Wein] pretty much agreed with it. [However], he felt DC needed a Doctor Strange character—a sorcerer who cast bolts, etc.—and wanted me to do one in the Titans. I refused because I didn’t want that kind of magical character in the book as I was going for a very different feel. Also, I already had Starfire, 18 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

who cast bolts, and Cyborg, who fired sonic waves, Raven are created in two waves. I had to present my and didn’t want anyone else whose powers shot out of ideas for Titans before George [Pérez] agreed to do the their fingers in that fashion. book, so I came up with all of Raven’s powers and “Instead of doing what he asked for, I combined two background. Then once George signed on, his designs characters I had previously created: an empath that was further developed her.” in [Marvel Comics’] Werewolf by Night (Topaz—I think After creating the new characters for the series, was her name—had the ability to feel what others felt) Wolfman needed an artist to bring his ideas to life. with a character I had created as a teen called Gabriel Enter artist extraordinaire George Pérez. Pérez, who and later on changed the name to Janus. That announced his retirement from comics on January character was the son of the devil, Asmodeus, 19th, 2019 [see the Pérez Tribute elsewhere who would come to Earth to fight his father. in this issue], would put the finishing touches I also used some of that concept in Tomb on the series when he was brought on as artist. He designed the looks of the of Dracula in a similarly named Janus, but that character, though the son new characters and helped to give life of Dracula, was actually an angel sent to Wolfman’s ideas. to fight his father. Since the Titans In The Titans Companion, Pérez was about parents vs. their children, stated, “In the case of the three new I combined those ideas, then came up characters, I was following the character with Azarath as an in-between viewconcepts that Marv and Len had come point. Raven’s inner self was the darkness up with. Taking a cue that Raven was of [demonic supervillain] Trigon, and very mysterious à la Phantom I felt that had to be tempered with Stranger, I took that as a starting george pérez the pacifistic cult of Azar, so Raven point, and using the shadow face would be caught between two worlds, where half her face is always in shadow © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons. creating an eternal conflict. Raven’s despite the lighting was a shtick that peaceful upbringing was always at war with the darkness I obviously got from Phantom Stranger, who also inside her and would make for endless storylines. had hat same deal. He had the long, billowing cape, So instead of doing a sorcerer with mystical powers, as did she, and in her case since her name was Raven, I presented Raven and Len accepted her without problem.” I decided to create a silhouette for her that would However, that wasn’t all to Raven’s creation. Marv look like a bird. The hood was designed so that in Wolfman elaborates to BACK ISSUE, “Characters like profile it would end up looking like a bird’s head,

Mind Games (left) Raven and Arella, on an innovatively laid-out page from NTT #4 (Feb. 1981), by Wolfman, Pérez, and Romeo Tanghal. (right) Raven creates disturbing visions of the Justice League of America in New Teen Titans #4. Original art page courtesy of Heritage Comics Auctions (www.ha.com). TM & © DC Comics.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 19

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If Adam Strange is a man of two worlds, Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran, better known as Kory Anders and Starfire, is a woman of two worlds. Since her first appearance in the New Teen Titans preview in DC Comics Presents #26 (cover-dated Oct. 1980, going on sale July 10th of that year), she has made Earth her home, with the Titans being her family at her side during every life-changing event she has endured throughout her time in the DC Universe. As part of BACK ISSUE’s 40th anniversary celebration of the New Teen Titans, we’ll look at the life and times of Starfire and how she came to be the embodiment of feminine power.

A STARFIRE IS BORN

by J a m e s

Heath Lantz

July 1980 saw debut of the Airplane! and Prom Night (both films featured Leslie Nielsen), James Brown’s live album Hot on the One, and a new group of superheroes in the DC Universe. The New Teen Titans made their first appearance in a preview insert published in DC Comics Presents #26. The team consisted of original Teen Titans Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Robin, with former Doom Patrol sidekick Beast Boy—renamed Changeling—plus Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire being new additions to the squad of youthful adventurers. Starfire’s creation is the result of two men, writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. “I came up with a rough idea for the characters (except Jericho) before George drew them,” Wolfman tells BACK ISSUE. “But, of course, once he did, things changed. I knew the basics of all of them, but we fleshed out a lot together.” According to TwoMorrows Publishing’s Modern Masters vol. 2: George Pérez, Pérez thought that Wolfman’s description of Starfire talked about a type of Red Sonja from space. Famed MAD and Creepy artist Joe Orlando saw sketches and suggested longer hair for the Tamaranean princess, with Pérez adding a contrail like the one seen in Mighty Mouse images. Starfire is actually Princess Koriand’r of the warrior Tamaranean race. There has been much debate on how to pronounce her name. Marv Wolfman informs BACK ISSUE that the name sounds pretty straightforward. It’s “Kory-ander,” like the herb coriander. One could probably go as far as to say that Tamaraneans pack a wallop in battle like the aforementioned herb used in Indian cuisine, and Princess Koriand’r exemplifies that in spades in all the Titans’ tussles with the villains that cross paths with them.

WE ARE FAMILY

X’Hal! It’s a Warrior Princess! Starfire’s story was told in Tales of the New Teen Titans #4 (Sept. 1982), by Marv Wolfman, George Pérez, and Ernie Colón. TM & © DC Comics.

As with Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four, DC’s New Teen Titans blossoms into a family, with all members sharing some common ground. “My entire goal was to make the Titans a family book and not a group book,” reveals Wolfman. “Everything we did was to reinforce that. Backstory, ideas, similarities, differences, etc. were created to make the Titans a family. Starfire has many of the same family/father problems the others have, which gives them all a common origin.” Those “family/father problems” are clear among the various characters that become Wolfman and Pérez’s New Teen Titans. Cyborg hates his father for making him a human/robot hybrid. Raven’s father, the demon Trigon, assaulted her mother, resulting in Raven’s conception. Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Robin attempt to do everything possible to get out of the shadows of their superhero parental figures, and Changeling has parental baggage from his Doom Patrol heritage. Starfire’s paternal issues stem from her father King Myand’r—pronounced “Meander” (as some heads of state and writers are often accused of doing). Myand’r’s father and brothers were killed in the Tamaraneans’ war with the Citadel Empire. To prevent further destruction, his mother surrendered herself and her services to the invaders. This seems to be a family tradition as Myand’r forced Koriand’r into slavery to keep the peace. Now, Myand’r had Koriand’r and her older sister Komand’r (pronounced “Commander”; more on her shortly) secretly trained as soldiers by the Warlords of Okaara. Myand’r had hoped that his daughters would do what he could not—rebel against the Citadel. At this point, it should be noted that Tamaraneans are peace loving. However, they are emotional, easy to anger, and fierce in combat.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 35

by A n d y

TV Titans (and a Movie Titan, too!) Various screen incarnations of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s seminal seven members of the New Teen Titans. TM & © DC Comics.

Although the 40th Anniversary of the New Teen Titans is the theme of this issue—and yours truly has written his share in those four decades about both Marv Wolfman and George Pérez—BACK ISSUE history would be remiss if at least one article didn’t cover the early days of the groovy teen sidekicks. But while you may know everything about Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani’s creation, first seen in The Brave and the Bold #54 (June–July 1964), it’s doubtful you know all about how often the juvenile Justice Leaguers came looking for fame in Hollywood. Join us now for “A Titanic Trip to Tinseltown!”

FILMATION GETS GROOVY (1967)

“They just couldn’t wait to get started in their own mag!” shouted the cover to Teen Titans #1 (Jan.–Feb. 1966), and this first incarnation of the Teen Titans featured Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Wonder Girl, with Speedy joining soon thereafter. Later that same year—on September 10, 1966—fledgling animation company Filmation Associates debuted its first animated series, The New Adventures of Superman, on CBS. The series featured Superman and Superboy shorts, with three segments per half-hour. The series was a hit, and Filmation and National Periodical Publications (the name of DC Comics at the time) were soon negotiating to bring other characters to television. First up was Green Lantern, then Aquaman, and eventually Batman, whenever the live-action show for the Caped Crusader wrapped up its ABC run. Other DC characters were developed, including Green Arrow, the Flash, Hawkman, the Doom Patrol, B’wana Beast, the Atom, the Blackhawks, Metamorpho, Plastic Man, Challengers of the Unknown, the Metal Men, and Wonder Woman. Never mentioned in the mix were the

Mangels

Teen Titans, but Filmation was indeed working on them for television before they had even had a first birthday! Debuting on September 9, 1967 was The Superman/ Aquaman Hour of Adventure, a 60-minute program which included new Superman and Superboy segments, plus two adventures featuring Aquaman and his sidekick Aqualad, and 18 “guest heroes” shorts. Those guests, with three seven-minute episodes apiece, were Flash (with Kid Flash), Green Lantern, Hawkman, the Atom, the Justice League of America, and the Teen Titans (Kid Flash, Aqualad, Wonder Girl, and Speedy). Because Batman and Robin couldn’t be used until the live-action show ended, they did not appear in either the Justice League or Teen Titans shorts. Aqualad was voiced by Jerry Dexter, a Los Angeles radio personality, while Pat Harrington, Jr. (later better known as Schneider on One Day at a Time) was Speedy. Red Ryder radio actor Tommy Cook was Kid Flash, and Hanna-Barbera voice actress Julie Bennett was Wonder Girl. With scripts by longtime DC editor/writer George Kashdan, the stories were faithful to the comics of the day, with headquarters Titans Lair making an appearance, and silly nicknames—Wonder Doll, Wonder Chick, Twinkletoes, Speedy-o, and Gill-Head—aplenty. Fans have often *ahem* “wondered” why Wonder Girl was seen on television before Wonder Woman. As noted above, Wonder Woman was planned, but for reasons unknown, was dropped. The designs created for her would later be used when she guest-starred in an episode of Filmation’s The Brady Kids on December 2, 1972. Still, with the Filmation Justice League all-male, it seems clear that the Teen Titans couldn’t be, thus Wonder Girl was added.

42 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure was a ratings hit, but the next season, the addition of The Adventures of Batman to the hour meant that Aquaman and his friendly guest heroes were shuttled off to Sunday rerun airings. The series remained in worldwide syndication for years, and the Titans cartoons were released on DVD on August 12, 2008 in the set DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures.

HANNA-BARBERA SWINGS ONCE, TWICE (1974 and 1978)

Not much is known about the first potential attempt at a Titans series. A 2011 online auction featured six pencil designs by animation and comic artist Mike Royer, featuring Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Lilith, and Aqualad (looking like caveboy Gnarrk introduced in 1971). The auction listed them as “original drawing for proposed series” for Hanna-Barbera Productions, circa 1974. As Hanna-Barbera had debuted Super Friends in 1973 on ABC, they had a relationship with DC Comics, so it makes sense that they may have looked into producing Teen Titans as a companion series. Royer had been an artist for various licensed Hanna-Barbera comics with Gold Key Publishing, and was Jack Kirby’s inker at DC Comics, so he would have been familiar to all parties. Unfortunately, BACK ISSUE was unable to get answers from Royer himself, and no other name was attached to this project, so it will remain a mystery. In BACK ISSUE #5, the late animation artist Darrel McNeil wrote about an attempt by Hanna-Barbera to do Teen Titans for NBC as part of a rotating group of titles on 1978’s The Godzilla Power Hour. Supposedly seven episodes—with Speedy, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, and Aqualad—were even given production numbers before the axe fell on this potential iteration.

Seen and Unseen Titans (top) Interstitial and screen capture images from Filmation’s 1967 Teen Titans cartoon. (bottom) Circa 1974, Mike Royer character drawings for a proposed-but-unrealized TTs toon from Hanna-Barbera, with cave-teen Gnarrk doubling as Aqualad (go figure). TM & © DC Comics.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 43

Titans for Grownups (left) The initial core group of the live-action Titans series shown in a Season One poster. (right) Titans Season Two poster, with its expanded cast. TM & © DC Comics.

TEEN TITANS: THE MEDIA DARLINGS

On November 11, 2019, Warner announced that the live-action Titans had been renewed for a third season for Fall 2020. Although no story details were given, rumors that the season will bring back Donna Troy— perhaps under the guise of Troia—have floated around the internet for months, spurred on by early comments made by Conor Leslie. In the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover on the CW’s “Arrowverse” shows, it was established that Cyborg and the Doom Patrol series exist on Earth-21, while Titans exists on Earth-9. Doom Patrol has also been renewed for a second season, to air in 2020. On the animated front, Young Justice has had a fourth season announced, to debut sometime late in 2020. And as of this writing, Teen Titans Go! is midway through its sixth season, with over 275 episodes having aired to date! In the 53 years since their debut in the comics, the Teen Titans have changed rosters, changed costumes, changed codenames, and changed series titles. But it’s unlikely that even the precognitive powers of Lilith combined with Raven’s sorcery could predict that in those five decades, the sidekicks would become popular enough to have jumped from the earliest days of Saturday morning to multiple concurrent appearances—appropriate for different

ages—in modern animation and live-action. “They just couldn’t wait to get started in their own mag!” shouted the cover to Teen Titans #1, but maybe it should have shouted, “They just couldn’t stay in the comics and off your TV!” Artwork and photos are courtesy the collection of Andy Mangels. ANDY MANGELS is the USA Today bestselling author and co-author of 20 books, including the TwoMorrows book Lou Scheimer: Creating the Filmation Generation, as well as Star Trek and Star Wars tomes, Iron Man: Beneath the Armor, and a lot of comic books. He recently wrote the Wonder Woman ’77 Meets the Bionic Woman series for Dynamite and DC Comics, and is currently working on a book about the stage productions of Stephen King and a series of graphic novels for Junior High audiences. Additionally, he has scripted, directed, and produced Special Features and documentaries for over 40 DVD releases. His column, “Retro Saturday Morning,” is featured regularly in TwoMorrows’ RetroFan magazine! His moustache is infamous. www.AndyMangels.com and www.WonderWomanMuseum.com

50 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

by B

Many superheroes have had almost every aspect of their lives examined, down to the tiniest detail. Countless books and articles have been written about Superman, Batman, Captain America, and the Hulk, to name just a few. Ah, but how about one of the lesser lights? You know, someone like… oh, I don’t know, let’s say, the Protector. Yes, I see the puzzled looks on some faces. The Protector made only three documented appearances in the pre-Crisis DC Universe, and those were in special public-awareness comics! In 1983, DC Comics published three comic books in association with the President’s Drug Awareness Campaign. They starred the company’s hottest property at the time, The New Teen Titans. Featured along with the TTs was the aforementioned lesser light, the Protector— in place of Robin! The reason? Well, the first Titans drug-awareness comic was published in association with cookie manufacturer Keebler, the problem being, at the time Robin and Batman were licensed to rival Nabisco.

rian Martin

Oops! That’s the way the cookie crumbles! So, a new costume was added onto what was basically Robin, and the Protector was born. Of course, we don’t want to slight the guy. Although he was the ultimate superhero stand-in (too bad he didn’t make the cut for BI #117), there is a lot of information in those three drug-awareness comics that indicates that the Protector had more experience as a crimefighter than was documented there. That trio of tales also offers some significant insights into the man’s psyche, enough for us to build this little profile of the Bronze Age Protector.

HAVEN’T I SEEN YOU SOMEWHERE?

The first indication we have that we are dealing with a character that has been around the block a time or two is that in a couple of instances in those issues, various miscreants that the heroes track down recognize the Protector and call him by name. You have to have been around a while and made an impression for your average

Clean and Sober Back covers to 1983’s first and third The New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Comics, with the Protector facing front. Art by George Pérez and Dick Giordano. New Teen Titans and Protector TM & © DC Comics. Keebler® elf © the Ferrara Group.

New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue • BACK ISSUE • 51

by J o

h n Tr u m b u l l

transcribed by Rose Rummel-Eury a n d J o h n Tr u m b u l l

Our Esteemed Panel (left to right) Spencer Beck, Shannon Lower, George Pérez, Ron Lim, Jim Starlin (in back), and Josef Rubinstein. Photo by John Trumbull.

The first time I saw George Pérez, it was love at first sight. Like most of you reading this, I first met George as a reader. For me, it was in Justice League of America #195 (Oct. 1981), the very first issue of my JLA subscription. It was the first part of the JLA’s annual meet-up with the Justice Society of America, and in the space of 25 pages, Gerry Conway, George Pérez, and John Beatty introduced me to the JSA, the Secret Society of Super-Villains, Earth-Two, and the very concept of parallel worlds. 27 superheroes, 10 supervillains, and two Earths. To say that it blew my nine-year-old mind was an understatement. And as an added bonus, it also contained a double-page pinup of the complete memberships of the JLA and the JSA. To this day, it’s one of my favorite pieces of comicbook art. So right away, I knew that George Pérez was the guy who drew everybody and made them look better than anyone else. I followed Pérez from book to book after that. From the JLA to The New Teen Titans, to Crisis on Infinite Earths, to Wonder Woman, and on and on. He never disappointed.

George announced his retirement from comics on January 19th, 2019, as his health issues caused by a combination of diabetes, heart ailments, and vision problems forced him to step away from the daily grind of writing and drawing comics. He went to a total of seven cons over the course of 2019, many of them making up for appearances he missed after his 2017 heart attack. On Saturday, May 18th, 2019, Cliff Galbraith’s East Coast Comic Convention hosted a special Farewell Dinner for George, where 46 lucky fans got a chance to spend an evening with the maestro to let him know how much he’s meant to us over the years. At Michael Eury’s request, I was lucky enough to report on the evening for BACK ISSUE. My thanks to Cliff Galbraith and everyone at the East Coast Comic Con for making this happen. What follows is an edited transcript of the event, along with brief bonus interviews with George’s agent Spencer Beck, as well as George’s collaborators Ron Lim, Jim Starlin, and Josef Rubinstein. – John Trumbull

56 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

PANEL INTRODUCTIONS AND PÉREZ TRIBUTES

SPENCER BECK: [I’ve been George Pérez’s agent] for almost three decades now. To say it’s been an honor and a privilege is an understatement. Tonight is about the man you’ve all come to see, George Pérez. We have a few extra guests here. First at the end is George’s lovely wife, Carol. [applause] He says she’s given him the greatest life that anyone can imagine, and George always likes to acknowledge that to everybody, so I thought I’d do it in advance for him. This is Shannon Lower. George likes to refer to her as his spiritual daughter. She is my spiritual sister. We will hear from Shannon momentarily. Coming up next, Josef. This is Joe Rubinstein, who some of you may know; he likes to talk a lot and you’ll be hearing from him in a moment. [applause] Coming up next is Mr. Ron Lim, who I think you all know from drawing The Infinity Gauntlet, among other things. [applause] After him, we’ve got a man who I think all of you’ve seen a movie that he created one of the characters in—Thanos, I think? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Jim Starlin. [applause] And now, I’d like to ask everyone to stand up for a moment and give a round of applause for the man you came to see, Mr. George Pérez. [applause] Tonight, you’ll be hearing all sorts of things about a man that we’ve all come to love. I have the honor of calling this man my friend and I refer to him as my spiritual father. This man has done more for me emotionally than I can say. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with this man. When I’ve had times of distress, I get phone calls, or I give him a call, and somehow, he has a way of talking me down from a bridge. And I cannot tell you how much I love you, my friend and my father. [applause] And now I will pass the microphone to Shannon Lower, and she can say a word or two. SHANNON LOWER: There’s a saying that there’s a family that you’re born into, and then there’s a family that you choose. And if you’re super, super-lucky, like me, you are fortunate enough to choose a father like George Pérez. I’ve known him since I was 18 years old and he— oh, here we go! [begins to cry a little] Oh, my goodness. He has been part of some of the largest decisions of my life. Most of my major life decisions as an adult have been because of this man. He’s been the most supportive person in my life, in my entire adult life. You all know about the unlimited generosity that George Pérez has—you’ve all seen it. He’s the type of man that engenders absolute devotion and absolute love and you want to protect him; you want to just be in his life. And that’s what I try to do. I try to do all of that. I try to be in his life, and I try to protect him, as many of you who came through my line today know! Thank you, George. I love you so much. [applause] BECK: The next person we have here to say something is Mr. Joe Rubinstein, a man who is known for many things, one of which is having had the honor of working with George Pérez and making some stuff that I think we all remember quite well, including Infinity Gauntlet. And so, without further ado… [applause] JOSEF RUBINSTEIN: I inked George on one of his first professional jobs as one of my first professional jobs. I’ve known George for about 40 years. And I blame him because ultimately, I applied for the job as his Mini-Me. You know, I wanted to say sh*tty things about George, and unfortunately, he’s really nice. [to George] You won’t remember this, and it’s a little snippet from your life, but one day we were both in an airport coming back from a convention, and bunch of ladies on your plane had lost their luggage, and you were nice enough to just help them. You didn’t even know any of them. And I thought, “He’s a very nice person!” He doesn’t hide it well, either. So, I’m sure all of you who’ve had any interactions with George during the convention know he’s a nice guy. I’m glad he turned out to be a legendary artist and I can say nice things to him and probably make my job a little better. [applause] BECK: The next gentleman you may have heard of also, Mr. Ron Lim, who had the honor of following George on The Infinity Gauntlet, among other things. GEORGE PÉREZ: I followed him. He started all of this with Thanos and everything else… BECK: Oh, okay, so to get it correct: Ron, George, Ron. I believe Ron’s career speaks for itself. The man has worked on pretty much every character that Marvel has and a few at DC, too. Without further ado, Ron Lim. RON LIM: I don’t like to make speeches. But, George, you’re the best, man! Following George on the Infinity stuff was very scary, because I’d

They Oughtta Make a Movie Outta This At the time of this tribute panel, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame was still the talk of the town. These two Jim Starlin classics (featuring Joe Rubinstein inks) were among the film’s source materials. TM & © Marvel.

only been in the business for a few years, so following George was… I grew up idolizing his artwork, so I was like, “Man, what am I supposed to do?” I drew the [Silver] Surfer before the Infinity stuff came out, so I was very, very nervous, but it worked out okay. [laughter] He’s a great guy. Probably the happiest guy I’ve ever met, and yeah, he’s a great friend. [applause] BECK: What can I say about our next guest here? I think you probably know his work now. Is there anybody here who hasn’t seen Avengers: Endgame yet? Anybody? [audience laughter as George raises his hand] I’m going to ruin it for you—the butler did it. Without further ado, Mr. Jim Starlin. [applause] JIM STARLIN: Well, I think George and I would probably both agree that me sitting up here talking about you at your retirement dinner is really kind of a bizarre thing, because you and I have never, except on this one job, worked together. In fact, most of the time, when I was at DC, he was at Marvel, and when he was at DC, I was at Marvel. So, we did close to 40 years of passing each other in the night, didn’t we? In fact, just recently in Hawaii was the first time you and I actually were on a panel together. PÉREZ: …At the same time, you’re right. STARLIN: But I was always aware of you. We’d met; we’d talked. I always knew what a professional he was. Looked at your work, admired it; but we were ships passing in the night. But I must say I am honored to be here on your retirement party night. I think your career and your life should both be celebrated. I think everyone should get up and stand up and give this man a big round of applause. [applause] BECK: One thing I wanted to interject when everyone is saying what a nice person George is: I want to tell you the first time that I think I upset George when I was representing him. This just popped into my head, and it’s funny. George and I were talking about Alex Ross. [Alex had] just painted over George’s work on the Crisis hardcover, the wraparound cover that George did. … We were talking about it, and George at that time couldn’t believe that Alex was so talented and so young. And when it came out, I said, “George, you know, when I was growing up, I remember riding my bicycle to go get your work.” I don’t think that statement ingratiated myself to him very much. [laughter] George’s response to me was, “Am I to understand that my agent was riding a bicycle when I was doing some of my work?” and I was like, “…Yeah.” I just remembered how much I loved you more for that moment when you were laughing, and thankfully, you were laughing with me and not at me.

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SPENCER BECK ON GEORGE PÉREZ Spencer Beck is not a name that is known to most comics fans, but he’s one of the behind-the-scenes people that makes things happen. He’s been an art dealer and agent for over three decades and represents some of the biggest names in the comics industry. Few know George Pérez better than Spencer, and we appreciate him taking the time to speak with BACK ISSUE and give us a peek behind the curtain.

BECK: Yes. I called George and said, “Creator X loves you and wants to work with you. I know you’ve said you would kill to work with Creator X.” And through a mutual best friend of this creator I called him and can’t use the words the guy said—but there were some expletives involved! “‘Expletive’ yes, I would kill for the opportunity [to work with him]. How about this? I’ll write a story for him, and the deadline is whenever it’s done.” JOHN TRUMBULL: You’ve been George’s agent, or TRUMBULL: So it’s going to happen? representative, for… BECK: It’s going to happen. If might be five years, SPENCER BECK: Almost 30 years. it might be two years. He said, “Let him do one page TRUMBULL: Do you recall when you first saw his every three months. I don’t care. I just want the work or met him in person? opportunity to put on my resume that I wrote one BECK: That’s two separate issues. The first time I of the final stories for George Pérez.” saw his work, that I knew the creator’s name as TRUMBULL: That really says something. it was connected to the work, was Crisis on Infinite BECK: I’ll tell you the most recent wonderful thing. Earths. I’d seen his work on Avengers and everyGeorge did a podcast, and in the podcast, he said thing else, but I was too young to understand he regretted… he tried to accomplish a little bit of the difference, [to realize that] “Oh, this guy is everything from every venue in terms of comics, drawing this comic book.” But the first time I but never got the opportunity to draw Vampirella saw his work was Crisis, and as I said during the [on] a published cover. He did a lot of sketches, spencer beck speech, it was one of the first times George ever but never had the opportunity to do Vampirella, reprimanded me, because I commented I was and he never got the opportunity to do a Judge riding a bicycle to go get my comics. He was like, “My rep Dredd. I called Nick Barrucci of Dynamic Forces and Nick said, was riding a bicycle when I was doing that.” He wasn’t happy. “‘Expletive’ yes!” And George did a cover for him. Nick is friends I suddenly made him feel very old, even though he wasn’t at the with the publisher of Judge Dredd, and the guy said, “‘Expletive’ time. It was 25-something years ago I said this to him, so he was yeah! We normally only work with British people, since we’re only in his 40s. But that was that. And then the first time I went a British company, but there is no way I’m turning down a to his house, I never forgot, I went with my lawyer, because he George Pérez cover.” And George had a ball with it. And that’s happened to live locally. He was a huge fan of George’s. already out; if you look it up online. That’s on the stands. TRUMBULL: Was he still in New York? TRUMBULL: I’ll have to find that. BECK: Yeah, still in New York. It was funny. George says, “What am BECK: George said, “You got me both? The [podcast] only came I doing that you need to bring your lawyer with you?” We went out yesterday!” I said, “They both want you. Who’s going to there and, using a Wonder Woman reference, the only way I turn down an opportunity to work with you?” But there are so can describe the feeling is it was like climbing the steps to many things about the man... I get choked up, because it’s Mount Olympus. hard. When you’ve gotten to meet Zeus… meeting Hercules is In my entire life, I’ve had four idols. One was Henry Winkler, the kind of meh… Fonz. Yes, I was one of those kids that got a library card because TRUMBULL: Everyone else suffers by comparison. Fonzie said it was cool. The second was Harry Chapin, who a lot BECK: Right, exactly. To give you an idea of the type of man he is, of people don’t know helped form the World Hunger organization he inked Curt Swan on “Whatever Happened to the Man of [now known as WhyHunger]. That was him. The third was Curt Swan. Tomorrow?” George doesn’t really keep his own artwork, but he He simply was comics to me. It was an amazing coincidence how had the title page from “Whatever Happened to the Man of much I loved his work and he became my very first professional client. The fourth hero to me was George Pérez. Just looking at the work, the detail that he puts in, the attention that he puts in, and the amount of hours that he puts in. The sacrifices he has made for his career. He sacrificed a lot of hours in his career to give us the George Pérez that we know. Those were my heroes and one of my friends just said, “I can’t believe the phone rang and I was talking to George Pérez, like most people are ordering chewing gum.” He was my hero. And now, he’s still my hero, but he’s also a client, he’s also my friend and my extended family. His generosity knows no bounds. Like he said about me, I don’t like being very public about a lot of the things I do, neither does George. George has helped me and so many others too numerous to count out in Pérez cover art for ways that I can’t even describe in words. 2000AD #2100 TRUMBULL: What’s been the biggest adventure in your years of representing him? (Sept. 26, 2018). BECK: That’s a tough one. There’s been a lot of them. That’s not Courtesy of an easy question. There’s too many. There’s one writer, I can’t say the name, that George always wanted to work with in the last Spencer Beck. decade or two—and he never got the opportunity to work with. Judge Dredd © Rebellion A/S. When this writer saw George’s retirement announcement, he wrote this glowing article about how much he idolized George and regretted how he never had the opportunity to work with him. TRUMBULL: So it was mutual. 58 • BACK ISSUE • New Teen Titans 40th Anniversar y issue

Tomorrow?” [Superman #423, Sept. 1986]. That page, in today’s market, is probably worth at least $10,000, if not more. When Curt Swan passed away, [George] called me and said, “Would the family like this page?” It was one of the few pages he kept. It was framed and up on his wall in his living room. TRUMBULL: …And he gave it to the family. BECK: He gave it to [Swan’s] daughter. Who was crying when I gave it to her. She actually owned a restaurant in Darien, Connecticut, at the time, and she put it up in her office so she could see her dad’s work every day. When she retired, she took it home. It’s now in her house. But that’s the type of person [George] is. He thinks about everybody else first. TRUMBULL: What would surprise us the most to know about George Pérez? What do you know about George that none of us do, that you can say? BECK: The truth is… nothing. He is an open book. There’s no pretention; there are no secrets about George. There really isn’t. There’re no secrets about George that you can say. He gives you his all and more. To show you the type of person he is: Two years ago, at this show, he had a heart attack. He was in the hospital potentially dying. Literally, potentially dying. And he said to apologize to everybody, he’s sorry he’s letting people down. Thank God he was okay. He had to have a procedure, et cetera, but he could have died. And all he was concerned with was letting the fans down. I said, “George, you had a heart attack. It’s okay. The fans understand. You’re not staying home to watch a basketball game. You’re in the hospital in cardiac intensive care. Anybody who would be upset, I don’t care to impress.” I had a creator years ago at a show I was doing, where the man’s wife had a brain seizure; she went literally from in the living room to a coma. They had to take her [to the hospital]. She lived, but she was in critical condition. This “horrible” creator went to the hospital to be with his wife instead of going to the convention, and [some] fans were upset. I got a letter, it was literally two-pages long, saying, “This artist owes me a free sketch. I drove three hours to come here.” I was like, “…His wife’s in a coma?!” TRUMBULL: [sighs] The entitlement of some people… BECK: But George, he’s the person who is in cardiac intensive care and he’s concerned about the fans who came to see him at the show. It’s open season. There’s nothing I can reveal about him, because he’s an open book. He’s the type of person, if you ask him how much money in his wallet, he’ll take it out and show you. TRUMBULL: I’ll ask him that! I’m going test him. [laughter] BECK: I don’t know if he would! I was speaking figuratively! But anyhow, there are no secrets. There is a reason that this man is revered, that he is the legend he is… because his talent has been a gift to this industry and he is the most giving, most generous, most kind-hearted and loving human being I have ever known. Not only do I love him, but all those that spend five minutes in his presence love him too. Never has a comic creator been more deserving of the title “Living Legend” than George Pérez. At least in my book. You can contact Spencer via email at SpencerBck@aol. com or visit his website at www.theartistschoice.com.

At this point, we took a break for dinner. In the buffet line, I got to chat with Ron Lim’s young son Brandon, a bright and enthusiastic child who will possibly be following in his father’s footsteps as an artist. Over the course of dinner, I got to know the fellow George Pérez fans at my table. After the meal, George circulated among the tables, spending a few minutes with each person, talking to his fans, posing for pictures, and signing up to three items per person. While I didn’t have anything new for George to sign, I did show him my copy of Justice League of America #200, signed by him, Brian Bolland, Brett Breeding, Pat Broderick, Gerry Conway, Dick Giordano, Carmine Infantino, Gil, Kane, and Joe Kubert. George also told our table an amusing story about his being reunited with the young actress who played Little Orphan Annie opposite his Daddy Warbucks in a community theater production of Annie nearly 30 years before. Once George had visited the first few tables, East Coast Comic Convention founder Cliff Galbraith took the mic to resume the tribute.

SPECIAL THANKS AND AWARD PRESENTATION

CLIFF GALBRAITH: My name is Cliff Galbraith. I’m your host. [applause] No, really, the round of applause should be for you for coming and making this show possible, for all your devotion. I just want to tell you, we’ve had our best show attendance ever since I’ve been doing the East Coast Comicon, and I want to thank everybody. [applause] There are far too many people to thank tonight. I would be up here all night, but I just want to take this opportunity. I know this is about George, but I want to thank someone for putting this all together in so many ways, and that man is Spencer Beck. A lot of you don’t know him, some of you do. Stand up, Spencer! [applause] Spencer… Well, sometimes he’s in front of the scenes, but a lot of times, he’s behind the scenes, you don’t know what he’s doing, but he does so much. Not just for me, but for other promoters. He makes these shows possible. He brings the best talent for you to see. I’m taking all the credit on the floor. People are shaking my hand, and hugging me, and saying, “Cliff, what a great show,” but no, it’s this guy that makes this stuff happen in so many ways. [applause] Thank you. At this moment, I’d like to turn the microphone over to Jon B. Cooke, the… what is it that you do? [audience laughter] I mean that… he wears a lot of hats. He’s got no hat tonight, but he wears a lot of hats and he does a lot of things. He’s a multiple Eisner winner. [applause] He’s a superstar and he’s going to give an award tonight, but he’s going to explain what we’re up to. I’m going to turn it over to him. Joe Cooke, everybody! [applause] JON B. COOKE: Hi, everybody! Thank you, Cliff. My name is Jon B. Cooke. I do a magazine called Comic Book Creator. I used to do a magazine called Comic Book Artist, and there’s one guy I never interviewed, but he’s well, well deserving of an interview, and that is George Pérez. [hands George a

Well deserved, sir! Jon B. Cooke (left) presents the Comic Book Creator lifetime achievement award to George Pérez. East Coast Comic Convention organizer Cliff Galbraith (background) enthusiastically approves! Photos by John Trumbull.

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