Phil Hester

If you smell money, run!

Follow my career for lessons in studiously failing to catch the wave of periodic speculator booms.

I hope he's just a regular squirrel.

He gave his real name. I didn't send him away empty handed. We all had a sensible chuckle.

A kid asked me to autograph a book to some skibidi 6-7 pseudonym and I said "No!" in the exact same tone I would usually say, "Sure!"

Boy, was I sore about the Bad Girl comics craze.

Buy this comic, or the creatures get you.

This makes me want to fight someone.

Peak Everett can't be beat. I can't explain it, but Jack Cole, CC Beck, Everett, Kirby all feel like, "only comics could have produced this."

I will NOT be at the Cedar Falls Comic-Con. Related?

I have a PoS stick pen from a Super 8 in North Platte NE that's somehow still writing like a champ at 15.

Congrats on getting out there with your work. It's a sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding path. Great to meet you!

We don't need your "new ways" 'round here!

Possibly related!

An action packed, kinda sensual Black Widow page penciled by Gene Colan and inked by Bill Everett.

What kind of Game of Thrones-level multi-front war was going on between The Comics Code Authority, Marvel's production department, and Bill Everett's penchant for delineating Natasha Romanoff's nipples?

Thanks, man!

Thanks, Gene!

thanks!

🙏

A little, yes.

An image of Swamp Thing emerging from boggy water. MY homage to an earlier image by Bernie Wrightson.

Speaking of all things Swamp, here's a commission recreation of Wrightson's Swamp Thing #9, but in my inept style. From last weekend's Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival.

It's like Eyes Wide Shut, but super polite.

All 5 days?

nice

Oh, gosh. That would take forever. Most of it has been repurposed elsewhere. Google Walt Simonson Iron Man for an example.

A skosh.

A full-color rendition of DC's Swamp Thing in battle with a gang of various ax and spear-wielding goons as drawn by Bernie Wrightson. From the cover of The 1977 Comic Art Convention program.

I paid too much for this program, but the cover image has haunted me forever. The ultimate Bernie Swamp Thing drawing. Plus, it has a pin-up gallery that's about 60% Hall-of-Famers. Trying not to think about how many of them are gone now.

The day after we put the final touches on issues #88-91 of “Swamp Thing”, news broke about the passing of Tatjana Wood, the original colorist on the series. Tomorrow, March 2nd, would have been Tatjana’s 100th birthday. Let’s raise a glass to one of comics’ originals.

My highest recommendation for The Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival. Really punches above its weight class. Fine, fine comic book show.

You will love it! Great to catch up with you.