I grew up reading Mad, Cracked, Crazy, Heavy Metal, 2000 A.D., Judge Dredd Megazine, Warrior, Eerie, Creepy, Raw, Marvel Fanfare, Epic, Negative Burn, Dark Horse Presents, Drawn & Quarterly, Top Shelf, Kramer's Ergot, Batman Black & White, and a slew of other anthologies. I fondly remember bin diving for old issues of Marvel's Tales To Astonish, Tales of Suspense, Journey Into Mystery, and Strange Tales. DC Comics' Weird War Tales. And, EC Comics horror, crime, and war anthologies. Since then, I've been involved in several benefits and curated several anthologies, including AdHouse Books' PROJECT: SUPERIOR, and the Harvey Award nominated, ACT-I-VATE Primer. Anthologies are in my blood.

So, when former Marvel Comics editor Jody Leheup invited me to submit an idea for Marvel's outlier revamp of STRANGE TALES in 2010, I couldn't say no. The tone reminded me of Tom Devlin's Coober Skeber #2 (Marvel Benefit Issue), and DC's Bizarro Comics (edited by Joey Cavalieri). Sure, I'd properly played with the Marvel toys a few times before (and after), but I was encouraged to access my indie/alt sensibility. The continuity cuffs were off. And, I got to be in a series with a bunch of my friends.

My STRANGE TALES memory is fuzzy but I remember being encouraged to do what I do. Back then, the thing that recommended me was my semi-autobio series STREET CODE. Collaborations with Harvey Pekar, and Jonathan Ames. And, my cosmic bruiser, BILLY DOGMA, the last romantic antihero. So, naturally, my contribution was gonna be American Splendor by way of Brooklyn with a side of superhero. I don't remember there being any editorial qualms with my story and art.

I knew I wanted to use The Thing, my favorite Marvel character, but I wanted to employ Marvel's worst character, too. Who could that be? It was a challenge to excavate but I finally arrived at Woodgod. In his origin story, he basically cries the whole time. He sucked. I wanted to dust him off and give him some honor. Grace him with star crossed romance. I wound up devising an epic in four pages that incorporated Woodgod, The Thing, Alicia Masters, The Yancy Street Gang, and The Celestials. Because it was so purple yet corny, I don't think I wrote a comedy, but you're meant to smirk at the heartfelt absurdity of a tale entitled, "The Left Hand Of Boom."

I wish Marvel would publish more projects like STRANGE TALES.

You can read David Harper's in-depth account at SKTCHD, “Just Do Your Thing”: The Story Behind the Making of Marvel’s Strange Tales Anthologies.

(Yellow Shirt Alert! Me & Larry O'Neil in Harlem last week, near our old high school, Music & Art)

RIP Denny O'Neil. He gave me my first break in comics. From Upstart Studios to DC Comics' Bonus Book program, Denny was the first pro to recommend me. One of the very first comic books I ever read was SHAZAM #1, written by Denny and illustrated by C.C. Beck. He wrote classic, character defining runs on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Batman, Iron Man, and The Question. He edited Frank Miller on Daredevil and The Dark Knight Returns. I will forever be grateful to Denny. 

RIP Joe Sinnott: My favorite comic book inker & embellisher. I got to meet Joe a couple of times. A true gentleman & sweetheart. His work, especially over Jack Kirby's pencils on The Fantastic Four, is one of the main reasons I surrendered my life to comics. Thank you, Joltin' Joe.

Below is a snapshot of me and Joe Sinnott with pal, Anica Archip, a few years ago.

I created an original illustration for DJ Ray Velasquez's new brilliant, pandemic mix, "Curse of The Orange Skull (Masque of The Orange Death Session)"

Since the last time I wrote a newsletter, a black man named George Floyd was murdered by a white cop in Minneapolis and America was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Civil unrest was met with protests that led to proactive discussions in the way we police.

Sometimes we make jokes. We provoke. We make mistakes and, hopefully, learn from them. And, with the invention of the internet, we grow up in public. Warts and all. But we can no longer tolerate racism and sexism. Raise the roof. Be angry but be fair to each other. Protest intelligently and safely. Collapse the dominoes of disparity and inequality - together.

And, remember, as we phase out aspects of our quarantine in an effort to return to some kind of normal, we're still navigating the FIRST WAVE of a global pandemic.

Wear a mask. Wash your hands.

Vote.

Love, Dean