Hi Joe. Enjoyed your story very much. I suffer from dry eyes, but you almost cured me. In my head I certainly misted up. Nice thing your dad did there. Such a hard, hard job being a father, worrying about our children. Something at least a little similar to the social scenario you recalled is becoming increasingly familiar in Britain.
When I used to read Marvel comics (or more often, the British B&W reprints) all those decades ago, New York, with that amazing array of sky-scraping locations, for all those super showdowns between the likes of Spider-Man and The Goblin, seemed wonderfully exotic. Although I did a credible job imagining Spider-Man duking it out with deadly foes like Kraven, Electro or even Dr Doom, amidst the narrow, sooty, two-storey, terrace housed streets of 1960s Stoke-on-Trent, it wasn't quite the same as battling atop the Brooklyn Bridge or joining Spidey in his subterranean search for The Lizard. However, the high rafters and dark, echoing corners of the large church were a useful catalyst. We school kids were forced to attend. The rafters and other highly decorative . . . hanging, swingy stuff up there, were host to many an acrobatic battle above the aisles. Fortunately, the vicar, by the nature of his job, never looked up much.
What an impact those comics had on me!
It wasn't only the sheer epicness* of everything in those comic books that reached me. As comics began to (hesitatingly?) tackle all sorts of social issues, because I loved my comics, I eventually took notice of all those non-action, boring bits of morality in the word balloons/speech bubbles. The not-so subtle sermonising suddenly seemed more interesting and less irritating. Well actually it was still a little irritating, taking up valuable art and story space. Not to mention all the 'WHAMs, KALABALAMS and of course good old POWs that could have fitted in there.
Seriously, comics, and Marvel under Stan and company, did a lot of good in stimulating my interest in many subjects, and in flagging up life's pitfalls to watch out for. Yes, there was also a lot of bias and . . . baloney, in those days, but of course that was the case everywhere and still is.
Well, we still don't have the New York skyline here in Britain. Clay-based Stoke certainly hasn't made it into the Manhattan skyscraper league. There are no villains to be seen hanging in webs, awaiting the arrival of Stoke-on-Trent's finest. But we finally got our own (not so friendly) neighbourhood drug problems. So, while Britain doesn’t have its’ own Amazing Spiderman, we seem to have Venom.
Looking forward to enjoying more great stuff Joe. Thanks!
Eric Veric
*Everything gets to be in the dictionary eventually. Trust me
Thanks so much for your wonderful comment. I feel like I’ve known you for years.
With respect to fatherhood. My latest newsletter deals with the subject, as will next week’s. But yeah, it can be tough. I do have a belief that the advice I’ve given my daughter over the years has had less impact on her than the actions she’s seen me take. My interactions with my wife (the Boss!), friends, work associates, and collaborators. I could go on and on, but need to answer a few more emails.
It's a rollercoaster at times isn't it. Lots of fun, mixed with heartache and stress. But I wouldn't swap it. Not even for Amazing Fantasy #15 in mint+++++++++condition:)
And I'm sure your right in your observations Joe. My own boss told me you are.
Since Daredevil Father came out, I've read it 3 times. Only the 3rd time recently did I truly "get it." And I finally cried finishing it. And I get teary thinking about it. I'm also finally a dad at this point. I think it requires that life experience to truly understand it. It's quite a layered work. A masterpiece with nuances. I also recently lost my father in law, who was a mentor to me. It's been very hard. And that also reminds me Daredevil Father. Like a father who shows you the way through tough lessons. Thank you for telling that story Joe. 😢 And Happy Father's Day!
I'm also writing my first comic in the Bendis class here. Brian said "Write your truth." Well my truth is my son Paul! He's 5 years old and we're attached at the hip. (He's laying on me now asleep as i type! 😴 😆) He's my greatest joy. But my comic will feature him for probably 3 pages of 20. And has evolved alot since then into a crazy fictional adventure, based in truth. It's been fun writing so far.
I genuinely enjoyed reading that you are sentimental. I’m 42, my 4 year old daughter graduated Pre-K this week, she’s grown so fast, I’m not too proud to admit I was fighting back some tears!
I also was reminded the timelessness of these characters. When she came home, she saw my 2 year old son, playing with a 1984 Secret Wars Iron Man action figure- she needed to have it back...I’ve had that figure 30+ years.
Mike, what are you doing? There's an unwritten rule of fatherhood. Refusing to give your kids your old action figures is not an act of selfishness. Let them get their own damn action figures 😀
a wonderful tribute, was a tough day for me i lost my dad in 2014 unexpectedly he was just 70. i also had fond memories, my folks ran a used bookstore in Chicago from 1966-1986, we always had a shelf or too of comics i would browse through. ususal suspects xmen spiderman batman superman etc. being a kid that had to have my legs amputated from a birth defect walking on prosthetic legs since 14 months always felt like a mutant, wished i has wolvie healing factor ha! my dad never coddled me he always just let me do whatever i could to the best of my abilities. always respected and appreciated that.
cool how your dad bought you art supplies. and comics. john romita sr was a awesome artist. so is john jr. i enjoy your art. marvel knights painkiller jane. im looking forward to seeing you draw a batman comic. im sure your dad was proud of you.
I just turned 69 (no jokes) and I live with my son and everything makes me cry. Happy, sad, amazed, shocked, everything. Thanks so much for this story, Joe, it means a lot today. Now I have something in my eye...
That’s a beautiful story and I’m glad you had such a great relationship with your father. It’s a relationship that can have a lot of ups and downs. But it sounds like he was a very positive influence on you.
... For me it's a really sad day. I have lost contact with my father since 8 years... I don't know where he lives, if he's well... Happy... He doesn't know my 7 years old son... We had a bad relationship, but no day has gone without thinking about him. Thank you again Jo, I love to know this kind of stories
Hi Joe. Enjoyed your story very much. I suffer from dry eyes, but you almost cured me. In my head I certainly misted up. Nice thing your dad did there. Such a hard, hard job being a father, worrying about our children. Something at least a little similar to the social scenario you recalled is becoming increasingly familiar in Britain.
When I used to read Marvel comics (or more often, the British B&W reprints) all those decades ago, New York, with that amazing array of sky-scraping locations, for all those super showdowns between the likes of Spider-Man and The Goblin, seemed wonderfully exotic. Although I did a credible job imagining Spider-Man duking it out with deadly foes like Kraven, Electro or even Dr Doom, amidst the narrow, sooty, two-storey, terrace housed streets of 1960s Stoke-on-Trent, it wasn't quite the same as battling atop the Brooklyn Bridge or joining Spidey in his subterranean search for The Lizard. However, the high rafters and dark, echoing corners of the large church were a useful catalyst. We school kids were forced to attend. The rafters and other highly decorative . . . hanging, swingy stuff up there, were host to many an acrobatic battle above the aisles. Fortunately, the vicar, by the nature of his job, never looked up much.
What an impact those comics had on me!
It wasn't only the sheer epicness* of everything in those comic books that reached me. As comics began to (hesitatingly?) tackle all sorts of social issues, because I loved my comics, I eventually took notice of all those non-action, boring bits of morality in the word balloons/speech bubbles. The not-so subtle sermonising suddenly seemed more interesting and less irritating. Well actually it was still a little irritating, taking up valuable art and story space. Not to mention all the 'WHAMs, KALABALAMS and of course good old POWs that could have fitted in there.
Seriously, comics, and Marvel under Stan and company, did a lot of good in stimulating my interest in many subjects, and in flagging up life's pitfalls to watch out for. Yes, there was also a lot of bias and . . . baloney, in those days, but of course that was the case everywhere and still is.
Well, we still don't have the New York skyline here in Britain. Clay-based Stoke certainly hasn't made it into the Manhattan skyscraper league. There are no villains to be seen hanging in webs, awaiting the arrival of Stoke-on-Trent's finest. But we finally got our own (not so friendly) neighbourhood drug problems. So, while Britain doesn’t have its’ own Amazing Spiderman, we seem to have Venom.
Looking forward to enjoying more great stuff Joe. Thanks!
Eric Veric
*Everything gets to be in the dictionary eventually. Trust me
Eric,
Thanks so much for your wonderful comment. I feel like I’ve known you for years.
With respect to fatherhood. My latest newsletter deals with the subject, as will next week’s. But yeah, it can be tough. I do have a belief that the advice I’ve given my daughter over the years has had less impact on her than the actions she’s seen me take. My interactions with my wife (the Boss!), friends, work associates, and collaborators. I could go on and on, but need to answer a few more emails.
Thanks for subscribing and talk to you later.
Hey Joe
It's a rollercoaster at times isn't it. Lots of fun, mixed with heartache and stress. But I wouldn't swap it. Not even for Amazing Fantasy #15 in mint+++++++++condition:)
And I'm sure your right in your observations Joe. My own boss told me you are.
Always, ALWAYS listen to the boss.
Amazing memories. Thank you for sharing, Joe!
Wow. Great read Joe. Brought me back to the Newtown days and 7 train rides to Jackson Heights. Hope you had a spectacular Father's day.
Thank you for sharing, what a legacy your dad left!
Since Daredevil Father came out, I've read it 3 times. Only the 3rd time recently did I truly "get it." And I finally cried finishing it. And I get teary thinking about it. I'm also finally a dad at this point. I think it requires that life experience to truly understand it. It's quite a layered work. A masterpiece with nuances. I also recently lost my father in law, who was a mentor to me. It's been very hard. And that also reminds me Daredevil Father. Like a father who shows you the way through tough lessons. Thank you for telling that story Joe. 😢 And Happy Father's Day!
I'm also writing my first comic in the Bendis class here. Brian said "Write your truth." Well my truth is my son Paul! He's 5 years old and we're attached at the hip. (He's laying on me now asleep as i type! 😴 😆) He's my greatest joy. But my comic will feature him for probably 3 pages of 20. And has evolved alot since then into a crazy fictional adventure, based in truth. It's been fun writing so far.
David, that's great to hear. Keep writing and best of luck with it.
I genuinely enjoyed reading that you are sentimental. I’m 42, my 4 year old daughter graduated Pre-K this week, she’s grown so fast, I’m not too proud to admit I was fighting back some tears!
I also was reminded the timelessness of these characters. When she came home, she saw my 2 year old son, playing with a 1984 Secret Wars Iron Man action figure- she needed to have it back...I’ve had that figure 30+ years.
Mike, what are you doing? There's an unwritten rule of fatherhood. Refusing to give your kids your old action figures is not an act of selfishness. Let them get their own damn action figures 😀
It’s true! I’ll have to keep a closer eye on it 😀
a wonderful tribute, was a tough day for me i lost my dad in 2014 unexpectedly he was just 70. i also had fond memories, my folks ran a used bookstore in Chicago from 1966-1986, we always had a shelf or too of comics i would browse through. ususal suspects xmen spiderman batman superman etc. being a kid that had to have my legs amputated from a birth defect walking on prosthetic legs since 14 months always felt like a mutant, wished i has wolvie healing factor ha! my dad never coddled me he always just let me do whatever i could to the best of my abilities. always respected and appreciated that.
Your father sounds like he was an awesome dude. Sounds to me like he provided you with that healing factor and you didn't even know it at the time.
Beautiful memories, Joe. Happy Father's Day to you and everyone in your family.
Thanks, Zach!
cool how your dad bought you art supplies. and comics. john romita sr was a awesome artist. so is john jr. i enjoy your art. marvel knights painkiller jane. im looking forward to seeing you draw a batman comic. im sure your dad was proud of you.
The two greatest Spider-Man artists in history, both with the same last name. Thanks for the kind words, Kevin.
I just turned 69 (no jokes) and I live with my son and everything makes me cry. Happy, sad, amazed, shocked, everything. Thanks so much for this story, Joe, it means a lot today. Now I have something in my eye...
Chuck, It's crazy, right? Like someone turned a tear duct tap on that I didn't even know existed.
Thanks Mr. Joe. I really enjoyed this entry... Happy Father's Day! Looking forward to more stories. Thanks.
Thanks, J. There are more coming.
Thank you for sharing your stories Joe. I enjoyed reading this very much.
Thanks for reading, Ian. More to come.
this is awesome!
No, you're awesome, Tomic! Keep drawing, you've got a heck of a future ahead of you.
That’s a beautiful story and I’m glad you had such a great relationship with your father. It’s a relationship that can have a lot of ups and downs. But it sounds like he was a very positive influence on you.
Thank you, Andrew. Like I said, I was incredibly fortunate to have him in my life. My mom was also a huge supporter of me becoming an artist.
Really happy to hear it.
Thank you so much!
No. Thank YOU, Tuco.
... For me it's a really sad day. I have lost contact with my father since 8 years... I don't know where he lives, if he's well... Happy... He doesn't know my 7 years old son... We had a bad relationship, but no day has gone without thinking about him. Thank you again Jo, I love to know this kind of stories