THE REPTILE AND MISTER AMAZING PART V

FREE YA’ HUMPS

The Reptile &

Mister Amazing THE ORIGIN Part 5 House of Mirrors

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The Reptile and Mister Amazing The Origin Part 5 Was originally presented In book format in October 2002 remastered free online edition Published September 2012 All characters and stories are the intellectual property Of Dan Nokes 2002-2012

The Reptile And Mister Amazing A somewhat brief history Part V 2000: Chicago, Wizardworld, Neal Adams, and crushing realities By the time I got to the summer of 2000 I had been to quite a few local and regional cons with small to medium populations. I had sent several submissions of scripts and copies of Reptile to comic book companies.

At this point all those submissions had resulted in either no response or kind generic rejection letters.

I had decided to take my portfolio and book to the cheapest national level show I knew of at the time, which was in the late 90’s-early 2000’s were very far and few in-between. Chicago was my destination, and to the Windy City I went.

This was the largest con I had attended at the time and I definitely was bright eyed and astounded at what I saw. I started shopping my portfolio to pros and companies of many different levels. Some gave me praise, and some gave me a verbal pounding that at the time seemed harsh, but I appreciate now. Then I saw a near empty line for Neal Adams. Now bear in mind, this is before I heard about his reputation in the business for his…CANDID reviews. This is the guy who tore George Perez and Frank Miller to shreds at a portfolio review, and I was about to show my substandard crap to him.

Fortunately there was one guy ahead of me with a portfolio of work himself. Now to tell you the truth, his work was LIGHT YEARS ahead of me. He had, in my opinion what it took to be a damn good artist in the comic field. I would have told him so if he had seen me today.

Neal Adams ripped him to shreds. He gave the WHY ARE YOU WASTING MY TIME shtick to this kid, and to his credit the guy did try to defend himself.

Meanwhile I figuratively pissed my pants as I watched Adams savagely beat this individual to a pulp. As he watched his victim scurry off into the crowd, I tucked my tail in between my legs and ran for the hills.

The one time I ran from a portfolio review folks! But at the time. I don’t think my frail ego could handle it.

NEXT TIME: 2002: THE YEAR I MADE CONTACT…

Tink R.Toy’s unreality, April 18th, 1992, 2:30 AM., EST

ROGER, HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU OF MY LATENT CHILDHOOD FEAR OF THE DARK?

RELAX CARTER, I THINK I FOUND A LIGHTSWITCH..

ROGE? YES, CARTER?

YOU THINK YOU CAN TURN THE LIGHTS BACK OUT I THINK I BETTER OFF BEFORE?!?

YEA, DITTO!?!

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STRANGELY APPROPRIATE CHOICE OF WORDS, IF I MIGHT SAY SO MYSELF….

WELCOME TO NIGHTGALLERY. I AM YOUR HOST, ROD SERLING, PORTRAIT OF A MAN IN TRANSIT.

HAVE TO ADMIT , THOUGH THE IMAGES IN THESE MIRRORS ARE A BIT ON THE SUGGESTIVE SIDE?

TELL ME ABOUT IT...

OH, COME ON NOW ROGER, YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW WE SEE OURSELVES HOW WE WANT TO BE SEEN!

TRUTH HURTS DOESN'T IT?

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ADMIT IT OLD MAN! YOU’RE A RELIC FROM A FOREGONE ERA, WHO REFUSES TO BE BURIED! LOOK AT YOU, JUST LOOK AT YOU!

AN EIGHTYSOMTHING SUPERHERO?!?

DOES THE HOME KNOW YOUR OUT THIS LATE?!?

ROGE!

OH NO CARTER, NOT NOW!

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN DEMONS TO FACE! TELL ME, ARE MY INNER DEMONS SUPPOSE TO HAVE THREE FOOT CLAWS AND ADVANCED PERIODONTAL DISEASE!?

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DENIAL, DENIAL… DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM? ME? I THINK I’M THE MANIFESTATION OF YOUR FEAR THAT IF YOU STAY WITH ROGER, THIS IS HOW PEOPLE WILL SEE YOU!

A FREAK!

WHAT DID YOU GET ALL THAT OUT OF YOUR EXTENSIVE YEARS AT PRINCETON?!

A MONSTER!

WHAT DO THEY CALL THIS KIND OF SITUATION?

NO LET ME GUESS RICKI LAKE?!

PROJECTED ANGER? PERSONALLY I THINK IT’S A PIECE OF BULLCRAP! GET THE PICTURE!

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HE’S GOT A POINT SCALES!

IT’S OVER ROGER!

DO WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS?

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!?

FROM PROJECTIONS STEMMING FROM OUR REPRESSED CHILDHOOD TRAMAS BURIED IN OUR SUBCONSCIOUS?!?

BEEN READIN'’ COSMO!

GO FIGURE!

AND SILLY ME ALL I HAVE IS A DOCTORATE IN PSYCHOLOGY!

SOME THERAPY!

TELL ME ABOUT IT!

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SO WHAT NOW WELL EXCUSE ME IF I NWT BACK TO COLLEGE AND GOT THREE DOCTORATES!

“DOC”?!

SORRY...

NO PROBLEM..

AND IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION I… HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST CLUE!

WAIT!!!

I’M GETTING A FAINT IMPULSE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS MIRROR!

THAT WAS HELPFUL!

WELL THREE DOCTORATES AREN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE!

STAND BACK CARTER, COVER ME IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG!

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GOD NO! ROGE, DON'T YOU SUPER-HEROES HAVE A UNION?!? WE CAN FILE GRIEVANCES RIGHT?!?

CAUSE THIS… THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

JEEZOFLIP!

GLAD YOU LIKE IT KIDDIES!

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ROGER! DRAGON-BOY!WASSUP! HOPE YOU LIKE WHAT I’VE DONE TO THE PLACE? COME ON DON'T BE SHY SPEAK UP! I WAS TRYING TO GO WITH A

CIRCUS MAXIMUS MEETS BARNUM AND BAILY MOTIF! BE BRUTAL BOYS! IT’S NOT TOO OVER THE TOP?

NOT IF YOUR OZZY OSBORNE LOOKING FOR A SUMMER GETAWAY!!

WERE DEAD, AREN'T WE ROGE?

THAT’S A RHETORICAL QUESTION?!?

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RIGHT?

END PART V

To Be Continued

Reptile & Mister Amazing By Chris Rubenstahl