I've had so many run-ins with comic folk, but because I don't attend cons no one knows me so I keep my mouth shut. Feels pretentious to be like, "Hello fellow comic creator. I too create comics!"

Once a friend and I waited in line at a NYC hotel behind @seangallowayart

We were both leaning in like "holy shit, it's HIM"!

I saw him another time in NYC on the street, happened to have my kids with me. I quietly pointed him out & told them the Spider-man cartoon they loved looked the way it did because of him :-)

Another time I had lunch in Baltimore with @sinKEVitch and said ZERO words about my work cause how does one even bother saying they draw when at a table with THE BILL SINKEVITCH!?

Dude is super nice, BTW.

I had an entire conversation with Steranko and didn't mention being an artist :-)

I got publishing advice from the great @ColleenDoran near DC, not mentioning I was already making comics.

Best advice on publishing I ever got, she didn't care that I was "nobody".

Forever grateful.

YEARS ago I handed an artbook to Kyle Baker, then walked off before he could respond.

Just wanted to tell him I was a fan, give him a book, not ask anything of him.

Much later we'd be interviewed in the same issue of DRAW! magazine.

Surreal.

Not even about being shy or anything, just hated the feeling "networking", I was just being fan.

Not totally true, I was star struck once by Sergio Argones. Saw him on an elevator and couldn't speak. Doors opened, he walked out & @Oeming leaned his head out, points at me and and yelled "He's a BIG fan!"

Doors closed, elevator moves & we hear Sergio say "THANK YOU!"

I met Wil Eisner once too. I was up for an award, I waited till he wasn't being mobbed by people, this time I ACTUALLY introduced myself as a creator.

I said I was up for an award & I'd gotten into the business because of him....

He put his hand on my shoulder, smiled at me like we were old friends & said... "I'm sorry."

I laughed my ass off. I didn't win an Eisner, but I won the day anyway because I got to laugh with the man.

He passed away the following year.

Glad I introduced myself.

People say don't meet your heroes, but in comics it usually ends up they're as cool as you'd hoped.

Anyway, I'll shut up now. Thanks!