Big Apple Con — Sinnott and Son and Steranko

A big highlight at the Big Apple Con in New York last weekend was seeing legendary comic book artist Joe Sinnott, who is featured at this link. It’s been thirty years since Dennis and I first met Joe. Dennis saw him earlier this year, a few months after Joe lost his wife Betty, and shortly before Joe had a heart attack! So it was with great relief that we saw Joe looking hale and hearty, with the ol’ Sinnott gleam and glint in his eyes. Here’s Joe with Dennis and myself.

At a panel moderated by Mark Evanier (more about that later), Sinnott commented that he felt he’d reached his peak in 1962 and hadn’t diminished since then. Joe is a modest fellow, so that isn’t boasting, it’s just plain fact! At the convention Dennis bought an original Spider-Man strip from this past August that Joe had inked over Alex Saviuk’s pencils, and it looks as clean and slick and snappy as anything Joe has ever done. The man is amazing, especially considering that he’s retired!

Dennis spotted Joe talking with Steranko (with a name like Steranko, I wouldn’t bother with my first name either!) and snapped this great picture. That’s Joe’s son, Mark Sinnott, behind these two titans of comic book art.

One of the many memorable examples of Sinnott inking over Steranko’s pencil drawings can be found in Strange Tales #167, from almost exactly 40 years ago. The story was called “ARMAGEDDON!” In it is something that had never been seen before — an extravaganza of four full pages that formed a single picture. I’ve always wanted to see these pages put together, and thanks to my scanner I’ve finally done it!

Click to enlarge

I was 12 years old when I saw that. What a time it was to be a comics fan! These gifted gentlemen were paid so relatively poorly, for turning out page after page of stunning material like this! I’m so glad that I can tell them how much their talents are appreciated.

Did you see the Zaro’s black and white cookie I got at Penn Station? While Dennis was at the counter I saw Joe and Mark Sinnott outside of Zaro’s, deciding if they were going to eat there. Well, I wasted no time helping them decide! What a surprise Dennis had when he came back to the table! We sat and ate and chatted with Joe and Mark, and for me it was the highlight of the weekend — yes, even more special than meeting Stephen Colbert.

P.S. The man in the blue shirt behind Joe is Mike Burkey, otherwise known as Romitaman, the highly reputable dealer in original comic book art. Dennis and I will probably be doing some business with Mr. Burkey in the near future.