Demon with a Glass Hand was done as a DC Graphic novel back in the early eighties.

~

Coat

I met him once, in the late 1980s as he began his Silver Surfer issues. It was a very small Con in the basement of a Holiday Inn in Wheaton, MD. I showed him my copies of his first several issues so that he could see that his work was not being printed properly on the relatively new flexographic printing presses. He apologized for how the books looked, offered to pay me for them and asked if he could take them back to Marvel as proof that the book needed a different printer. It was an amazing moment - he was a man of real integrity, I think. Anyways, a few months later, Marvel took the book off the flex (I assume at his request) and the art looked just stunning (check your back issues - you’ll see it).

Well, he was a real hero of mine. Now he’s gone. This sucks . . .

And Russ, I will be the best supporter I can be for these hard times friend, we will all get through this together.

We will miss him.

I met Marshall Rogers twice. Once in Philadelphia in 1983 (or 1984) at the “Multimedia” con. He was very nice, and graciously answered all the questions a 15-year old fan could think up. Then, I met him again briefly last summer at the Big Applecon. My friend was amused to see me again become a starstruck fanboy, briefly, when I learned that Marshall Rogers, Steve Englehart, AND Terry Austin were at the show.

I couldn’t find a copy of the “Batman: Strange Apparitions” trade paperback, so I ran to nearby Jim Hanley’s Universe and purchased a copy. Now its signed by three of my heroes, and though there have been times when I could have used the money, I would never sell it — you’d have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

Marshall was very gracious in answering a few questions, even though he was surrounded by well-wishers wanting a sketch. I wasn’t there for the unruly fan, mentioned above, but I saw many people who were fascinated to watch his artwork come to life.

I suppose it feels like a chapter of comics history is closing. Someone turn off the lights when you lock up.

Think I’ll get out my Strange Apparitions tp and read it tonight.

His collaboration with Steve Englehart on the Ecilpse Coyote series was a inspiration for me to seek out Carlos Casteneda books.

When he released that Batman Dark Detective mini series two summers ago - I thought I had died and gone to four color heaven.

~

Coat

Paul Kupperberg

I have so many good memories of him, in person and in print.

One of America’s best artists.

I’d like to share a story he told not that long ago on ‘Nuff Said!, my radio
show. We could have lost Marshall at the famous Kent State murders (his
word) in May, 1970 (I think I have the year right). They happened in front
of the architecture building and he had a project due that day. But he’d
been up all night doing it and asked a friend to deliver it for him when he
dropped off his own project. That friend was shot (not killed) while
standing on the steps of the building. Marshall was sure he would have been
shot, too because he would have been standing right next to the friend.
The experience at Kent State motivated him to drop out of school and
become an artist because he started looking into his own reasons for being
in architecture school and realized it was the closest thing to art he could
do that would satisfy his father, not because he wanted to be an architect.
What he wanted to do was draw comics and he started pursuing that dream.
Lucky for us that he did! Not that I’m glad those four kids died so we
could have Marshall Rogers draw Batman, but that there is something
positive - and for me personal - that came out of that day.

I’ll miss him! I wish I’d called him when I didn’t see him at the New York
con in February, but I was all wrapped up with Arnold Drake in the hospital.

Ken

Ken Gale
Host/producer
‘Nuff Said!, WBAI-FM, NYC