Calling DEREK POWELL

 Hello Derek, I must apologize for the huge delay in giving you an answer but seriously, if you had left me a way to contact you, it would have been simpler.

I did try and respond to your comment, on my Blog but for whatever reason, it didn't work and it has only just occurred to me, that since your Blogger profile is devoid of any contact information, then perhaps this is a way to reestablish contact.

On one of my earlier posts, I am sure that I wrote about you and your pal, the guy I met you through, who's name presently escapes me, Philip (?)....but he lived just down the road from you, in Bartley Green.

The last time that I remember running into you, was as I walked down from Andromeda, to Nostalgia & Comics and you had just left Nostalgia...I remember that you were amazed at the "modern" prices that the old comic books were getting and that was then! LOL

Anyway, that had to have been 1978 or thereabout and there have been many changes, in my life and in my pursuit of the hobby, since then.

In the unlikely event, that you will ever read this post, please contact me at:

chrisholmes@sympatico.ca

Because I would really like to have the opportunity to "chat" with you again.

I actually have a weekly Skype, with a guy that I used to frequent Andromeda with and we reconnected, after a break of 35 years.  So it can be done.

Here is hoping that this finds you.

Your old pal,

Chris

Jim Steranko's Rocket Robin Hood Storyboards, for "Escape from Xanador!"

 Many years ago, when we were still acquainted with each other, Ronn Sutton, the artist on Claypool Comics' Elvira, among other things, gave me these photo copies, knowing that they would interest me.

Ronn had been quite close with Jim Steranko and I am guessing, that these either came from him, or were passed along to Ronn by someone who knew them both.

To say that I was surprised, when so many other bits and pieces of paper ephemera are here, on the Web, for Geeks like me, to enjoy and collect, that these are not already available.

I hope, that by posting them, I am providing a service, to the collectors and academics, who find this type of "hidden gem", to be like catnip.

I sincerely hope, that Mister Steranko, sees it in that light and doesn't take exception, to these images being disseminated.

So, without further ado, I present "Escape from Xanador!"....some fifty years after they were drawn.

(The first eleven images were reduced, in the original photo copying.) 

These last two frames, are 'size as' and give an idea of the scale, that Jim Steranko, was working at.

Now and Then Books, 26th Anniversary Flyer

 Time flies and it really doesn't seem that long ago but it was 1997 and Harry Kremer was celebrating the 26th anniversary of his fantastic comic book emporium.

Unfortunately, it has been a very long time and I am sorry to say, that I really don't recall much about the event.  At the time, I was not really paying attention, to the comic books being published by the special guests.

It took me a while, a long while to discover what Mark Oakly and Tara Jenkins were doing...and while I remember Lethargic Lad, vaguely, I am still ignorant of what Greg Hyland's comic book was about.

Harry Kremer was a very special guy and while we all knew he was dealing with health issues, it was still a shock, when I learned from Tim Simms, the proprietor of Worlds Collide, in Oshawa, that Harry had died.

That was 2002...eighteen years ago!  It doesn't seem possible.