Fess Parker

by Roger Ash

I’ve been feeling nostalgic recently; nostalgic for a time when the world made sense and people weren’t at each other’s throats if they disagreed with each other. When I’m feeling nostalgic, certain things bring me comfort – Disney films, grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate milkshakes, and comic books. I think the recent passing of Fess Parker exacerbated my nostalgia as his portrayal of Davy Crockett in the Disney films and Daniel Boone in the non-Disney TV show were a pleasant part of my childhood.

Disney films were always a constant part of my childhood and have many good memories attached to them. Comics didn’t come along for me until a bit later, 6th or 7th grade, but the memories associated with them are still strong. Heck, that’s why I got into this crazy business in the first place – I love comics. I still do. But I’m straying from the point.

Amazing Spider-Man #217

I was a Marvel Zombie when I first started reading. The latest issue Howard the Duck, Spider-Man, X-Men, or Fantastic Four always brought a smile to my face. Creators such as Steve Gerber, Gene Colan, John Byrne, Walter Simonson, George Perez, Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner and John Romita, Jr. quickly became favorites and I’d follow them from book to book. But I wasn’t reading these books alone. Friends were reading them too.

Part of the fun of reading comics was getting together with friends and talking about them. We’d often gather in our parent’s basements (big surprise there, huh?) with plenty of soda and chips to discuss the important topics of the day. Who is the Hobgoblin? Who is the best inker for George Perez? My friend Owen swore by the George Perez/Pablo Marcos team. What’s the deal with this Beta Ray Bill guy? It was great fun.

New Teen Titans #11

On top of that, some of my friends read different comics than me, so I was introduced to new creators and comics such as Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers’ Batman, and Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Batman. Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen on Legion of Super-Heroes. This led to new questions. Which is the best Joker story, The Laughing Fish or The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge? Who is this Darkseid guy? What do you think of New Teen Titans? And that inevitably led to, who’s hotter, Donna Troy or Koriand’r?

As much as I enjoy the ability to correspond with comic fans all over the world on the Internet, nothing will ever beat getting together with my comic reading pals in person and talking about this art form that we all love. That’s one of the reasons I love going to comic conventions. Some of my favorite convention memories involve sitting with people after hours in the hotel lobby, at a bar or restaurant, or at a party just talking about comics. If you’re going to C2E2 next month, look me up at the Westfield booth. I’d be happy to talk comics with you.

Hero Initiative

Unfortunately, like Fess Parker, some of the creators from my early days reading comics have now passed on or are in ill health. In some cases, I’ve had the chance to tell these creators how much their work meant to me. In others, I wasn’t able to. But there is a good way to support the creators whose work means so much to me (aside from telling them and buying their work) and that’s donating to the Hero Initiative. They do a lot to help creators who have medical needs and such, and they are well worth supporting. I do. I hope you join me.

In case you’re wondering how grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate milkshakes enter the equation, that was the traditional Sunday evening meal growing up. And it was consumed while watching, what else, The Wonderful World of Disney.

Now, go read a comic!

The comic covers used in this column come from the Grand Comics Database.

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