Critic's Choice Files Looks at the X-Men

"Critic's Choice Files Looks at the X-Men" volumes one & two, 1987. I have a personal connection to both of these publications in that I was the interior artist for each one. If you will indulge me, I will give some background about them and how the experience relates not only me, but possibly a legal matter between "Comics Feature" magazine and Marvel Comics Group.

These magazines, and other various "Files," "Spotight On...", and "Critic's Choice" publications from the 1980s were put out by Heroes Publishing, Inc., which was a company owned by Hal Shuster, whose other company, NMP/New Media published the fanzine "Comics Feature" from 1980-1987.

In 1986, I was a high school student who wanted to work in comics. I regularly picked up "Comics Feature" each month. As many of you know, before "Wizard" magazine and the internet, it was publications such as "Comics Feature" and "Comics Scene", and others, as well as fan-published periodicals that we fans depended on for our industry news.  When I read in CF that there had been a change in the art directors, I figured I'd send in my submission and see what happened. I didn't receive an actual rejection, but a letter which informed me that they were looking for a more cartoony style than I had sent in. So, since I didn't get a direct "no", I whipped up some more samples, sent them in, and got hired to do illustrations for the magazine, mostly for the "Fun & Profit" articles by writer Mike Benton.

After most of a year sending in my art for the magazine, and a couple of other publications by Shuster, I was given the assignment to draw the interior illustrations for the first "Critic's Choice Files Looks at the X-Men". The cover for that one was by art director Jim Keegan. At this point, while the X-Men were one of my very favorite titles I bought, I hadn't yet acquired or read the earliest "new" X-Men comics. This was back when the only reprints of those comics was just being published, "Classic X-Men", and when I got this assignment, it had yet to reprint many of the stories in "Critic's Choice Files". 

So, when I was asked to draw Nightcrawler being carried away by leprechauns, or Phoenix flying through a star gate, I didn't have any reference to draw upon! Therefore, I winged it. That first volume was also drawn close to its deadline, in the middle of the night, with me a bleary-eyed teen in high school trying to desperately finish it before shipping it in the mail the next morning. So, if you have the book, or see it in the future, please keep that in mind. LOL!

After that project, I was assigned again to the second volume. I was even more excited to do this than the previous one. Not only would I make sure I didn't procrastinate and have to rush it like the first volume, but this volume would be all John Byrne stories covered in it! Since these two books featured my artwork on every interior page, unlike "Comics Feature," where I only did a few pages each month, and this one was exclusively Byrne era X-Men stories that I was basing my art on, I couldn't wait to get my comp copies. However, I never did get my comp copies of volume two from the publisher. :-(

Now, I don't know for certain the whole deal, but as I recall it, Jim Keegan, the art director, told me that the second volume was not published due to legal action taken by Marvel. As I understand, it had to do with the use of original artwork (mine??) that Marvel had taken issue with. Hal Shuster was apparently told he had to use official Marvel art for the books. I never had any more confirmation on this matter, as Hal ceased publication of "Comics Feature" and his other publications at that point. Was there a correlation between those cancellations and Marvel's legal action? I can't say for certain.

Flash forward over a decade later... I am attending a convention in Indianapolis with my friend. I look at some books on a dealer's table and see the cover to  "Critic's Choice Files" volume two, but it didn't register immediately what the publication was that I was looking at. What had caught my attention was that John Byrne art on the cover, which I recognized as being a colored version of the piece in "The Art of John Byrne." When I realized what the title read on the cover, I thought, "Omigawd!! That's MY book!!" I asked the dealer if I could pop it open, and then I checked and verified that, YES, it was the supposedly unpublished second volume!

I don't know if Keegan was simply mistaken when he told me it was not published, or if that was what he was led to believe by Shuster, but there it was in my hands. After a quick transaction, I then owned a copy at long last.

Was THIS second volume really the publication that brought down "Comics Feature"? Was the use of my artwork in place of Marvel licensed art then thing that caused the problems? Obviously, the magazine was published and distributed nationally, but Shuster's publications did fold not long afterwards. 

I never spoke with Shuster, and never had any direct communication with him about anything. My only contacts with the editorial (or anyone at "Comics Feature") was with Keegan and co-art director Ruth Kennedy by mail and phone calls. I lived in Indiana, and they were out in California. I was able to keep touch with Keegan and Kennedy for but a short period after the magazines folded, and I was not brash enough at that age to press the matter on what happened exactly.

Anyway... For you Byrne completists out there,  that second volume has that cover with his art. I hope anyone who reads this will enjoy the background behind the books. :-)

BELOW: The interior art from "Critic's Choice Files Looks at the X-Men" volume one, including editorial instructions and preliminary sketches of unused art:

BELOW: The interior art from "Critic's Choice Files Looks at the X-Men" volume two, including editorial instructions and preliminary sketches of unused art:

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--And The Art of Matthew Hawes!!

THE CASE OF THE MISSING PEP JUG: A True Story!

Over the course of the past year, I have not have not had a lot to write here that would be considered very positive about my history with my alma mater, Evansville, Indiana's Central High School. However, since the whole matter concerning the Evansville Vanderburgh School System and Central giving me public credit and acknowledgement for my drawing of the bear mascot has finally been amicably resolved, I am more in a mood to share more pleasant stories about my experience with Central.

Interestingly, like that bear tale, this story also begins with the late David Koehler, former long-time and respected CHS faculty member. Mr. Koehler was one of the biggest boosters of Central, himself having been a past student in addition to his many years as a teacher there. In fact, he was so passionate about the school that when a graduating student from the class of 1985 took the school's beloved "Pep Jug" as some sort of parting prank, Mr. Koehler was the fellow determined to find the culprit and return the jug to its rightful home.

THE PEP JUG appears in this photo taken from the CHS Yearbook for 1977. I added the color enhancements to emphasis the jug.

Now, I'll be honest and note here that to this day I am not quite sure what the overall purpose of the Pep Jug was supposed to be. Near as I could ever fathom, it was simply used at pep rallies as a symbol of school pride. And, frankly, it seemed that most of my fellow students were not quite sure what a "Pep Jug" was. However, the whole situation fascinated me, and I decided to create a series of comic strips in my position as cartoonist for the school's newspaper "The Centralian" that would playfully satirize the mystery.

So, for your amusement I present here the harrowing serial of "The Case of The Missing Pep Jug" (NOW IN COLOR!), which ran in "The Centralian" way back in October of 1986:

NOTE: The caricatures of faculty members include (From left to right): Mr. David Koehler, Mr. Jim Wootton, and Principal Joan Finch. The gag here being that even the principal is not aware of what a "Pep Jug" is.

 The rumor as to had taken the jug had made the rounds at the school, and so I decided to "cleverly" add some clues in that final strip. As noted above, the Pep Jug was recovered, and I assume it's likely still placed somewhere within Central High to this day. As likely is that most people there still ask, "What's a Pep Jug?"


-- Matt

HEY! The Facebook page I created to help get the word out about my Central bear art credit is now being used to showcase different items of interest relating to the history of Evansville's Central High School. If you have any interest in the matter, check it out, "like" and follow the page:

History of The Central Bear: Credit Where Credit Is Due

Thanks!!

THE BATTLE IS WON!

On Friday, January 20, 2017 I viewed the  "Central Bear Through The Years" displays at Central (yep, "displays," one in the hall by the media center, the other hanging in the gymnasium). 

I wish I could say I felt proud to finally see my public credit and acknowledgement, but after the battle I fought, the resistance I met, to simply get the EVSC and Central to simply just admit the bear they used for all these years was my artwork, the actual feeling I have is that of vindication.

My mother accompanied me to the school, and when we both entered the school I noticed immediately that the "Welcome to Central" banner, which had been hanging there at the beginning of the school year -- The banner which featured my drawing -- had since been removed.

I noticed online and such that school sites, social network pages, and other places that used my bear drawing have replaced it since I brought up my battle again this past year. As you will see in my photos of my trip, they weren't able to remove all traces (not counting the displays, natch).

When I spoke with the secretary, there was apparently no word given to the lady that I was coming to view the display. Paul Neidig and Pamela Hight did show up on time, however.

Mr. Neidig was cordial enough, but Ms. Hight was more obviously cold and short on words towards me or my mother. No surprise, there, as she was perhaps the most persistent at denying me credit st the August meeting I had with the EVSC over my art. Hight was almost ecstatic at the conclusion of that meeting when she thought I was going to accept their offer to credit me for a recreation of my older drawing. I'm sure it unnerved her when I ended up rejected that solution and continued my fight for crediting me for the actual artwork in question.

They arrived and took me to see the displays before Principal Andrea Campbell arrived. I asked Mr. Neidig if he would like to pose with me in front of the display, knowing he would almost certainly decline. Decline, he did, but offered to take my picture. I agreed.

Mr. Neidig did allow me to take pictures in the gym, and then he and Ms. Hight accompanied my mother and me back to the school offices, where he parted minutes after Principal Campbell showed up. She was nice and pleasant, in sharp contrast to Ms. Hight, who was still being distant. It was clear she really hated having to concede to me. Not that Neidig was much happier, but Hight wasn't doing much to mask her resentment at having to bow to pressure and give me my rightful credit.

I am sure Ms. Hight was also not too terribly thrilled that I spotted a fabric computer cover on a secretary's desk that sported my image of the Central bear. I asked Principal Campbell if I could taker a picture, and she cheerfully said, "why not?" Ms. Hight did not look so approvingly. Tough for her. She had sought to downplay how much the school been using my image over the years, after all.

So, it appears that except for a few stray examples, and now the displays, my drawing of the bear will be retired. I did not receive any official word on that, but it's pretty obvious. That's fine. I mentioned before that this ordeal to get the school and the EVSC to recognize me for my artwork has robbed me of any pride for the work.

I noted to both Mr. Neidig and Ms. Hight how interesting that Jon Sia, a famously North alumni and former North teacher was the co-creator of the new image of the bear commissioned in 2016. Ms. Hight seemed to bristle at my insinuation, noting the other contributor to the art, Scott Wannemuehler (creative director at Acclaim Graphics) was a former Central student.

Still, a North guy designed the new bear logo. Particularly interesting, as I brought up Jon Siau at the August EVSC meeting, noting how North has always been proud of him, and how sad that my own school and the EVSC was fighting to even credit me for my work and contribution.

So, even though the school seems to be retiring my artwork during the 30th anniversary of my having drawn it, it was used longer than any other image of the bear to represent Evansville's Central High School. I noticed that I am the only artist credited on the display who was still a student when the artwork was drawn. The other instances being professional graphic artists or a teacher who were commissioned for their work.

Excuse the length of this post, but this is obviously one of the final posts where I will have to discuss the matter, now that it has been resolved.

Let me finish this post by giving a huge, sincere, heartfelt THANK YOU to every single friend, family member, former classmate, and concerned individual who showed me support on this cause. I know I said it more than once, but I can't stress enough how much it has meant and how very appreciative I am that so many of you stood with me. 

Thank you.