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Early in 1976, renowned comics
historian/fandom sparkplug David Mruz hosted a meeting of the
Minnesota Comics Collectors Association.
Bona fide comics legend C.C. Beck happened
to be in town, and he showed up to display and talk about the
wonderful papier mache rayguns and swords he was designing and
creating.
It was there at Dave's house that we (oblivious
to each other, as is pretty much the case to this day,) first
appeared together in the same room.
The formal introductions were performed
later that year at a Minneapolis comics convention, Microcon
3, by cartoonist/collector/bon vivant Larry Becker:
"Steve...Rich. Rich...Steve. One or
both of you may just want to turn around and walk away right
now."
We were working individually as advertising
artists, but--by night--Steve was indulging a longtime obsession
with Harryhausenesque monsters. Rich, not even coming close to
earning the $35/page they paid him, was drawing ghost stories
for Charlton Comics.
At some point (alcohol may have been involved--kids,
try to learn something here!) collaboration seemed like a viable
idea. It was the proverbial match made in Hell, but all for the
best. More or less. As it turned out.
There's been a lot of water under the bridge
and a lot of art through the transom in the last 28 years. We
continue to draw the occasional chubby, cleavage-free kid for
corporate entities who'd just as soon they weren't mentioned
by name, no offense.
But our hearts, as you've probably figured
out by now, are with the strangely discomfiting melange of babes
and monsters you see around you. That's not likely to change.
Even though C.C. might not exactly approve.
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