Yesterday I attended the Los Angeles Comic and Sci-Fi Convention and met JIM STARLIN!
While Stan Lee and Jack Kirby birthed the COSMIC CORNER of the Marvel Universe in the 1960s, Jim Starlin sculpted it into a vast, psychedelic realm of imagination during the 1970s. He gave us Thanos, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Pip the Troll, The Magus, Eon, Korvac and the Infinity Gauntlet. He also built upon Warlock and Captain Marvel, writing instant classic (and essential) stories. For those who love Guardians of the Galaxy, you have him to thank for much of it. To me "Jim Starlin" is synonymous with "Cosmic Stories".
He was also one of the 3 people who pulled me into DC Comics via his 'Batman: The Cult' and 'Cosmic Odyssey' (another cosmic story). As well as wrote 'Batman: Death in the Family' and created 'Dreadstar' and 'Breed'.
Where some creators charge for signatures (understandably so), Starlin signed all day long to hundreds of fans with stacks and boxes of comics for FREE. He said, "This is a way of thanking you for keeping me employed all these decades! It's a symbiotic relationship." Nice! He graciously signed several comics of mine, most being early Thanos appearances plus a few other issues:
I was super bummed because I couldn't find my copy of MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE ANNUAL #2 (1977). But my buddy Maker had his double signed for me! What a pal!
^ Yea!!!!
and while at the con, I bought these:
^ Concept Translucent Giger Alien
^ Old Han Solo
(for my daughter, by request)
^ These dollar-bin comics!