Steve Greber

Gene Colan

Klaus Janson

Val Mayerik

Klaus Janson

Paul-
A quick bio (a mini-me) for you-anything else you need to know-don't hesitate to ask. Questions are better than me just rambling around.

Born in 1952 in a small town in the south of Germany called Coburg ( a great place with a huge castle on a hill overlooking the city). Emigrated to US in 57 and settled in Connecticut. Discovered comics very shortly thereafter. I still remember that exact moment-it was a whole new world for me, never seen anything like it. Soon became my favorite "new thing" (along with orange soda). Started cutting the panels and figures apart and repositioned them on paper to make up my own stories. Quickly realized the problem with that approach: no more comics left. So I started to draw as a result of that. Drew everywhere-in school, on the bus, in the library, during tests, in church, in the car--you name it. Around the age of 12, I discovered fandom (as it was then). Started doing art for a few and was busy with that until I turned pro in my early twenties. Great fun and a great training ground. Started going to the Seuling Cons in New York.

When I was about 16 I went up to DC Comics to hook up with a tour that I knew they were giving every Friday. I got there and they had discontinued doing it for awhile. I started begging and pleading and whining. "But I came all the way from Connecticut---" Secretary took pity on me and searched to find someone who could take me around. Jack Miller (Deadman) came out and walked me around the offices. It was like magic. Met Neal Adams and watched him pencil an Adam Strange cover. Met Dick Giordano and was surprised that
he recognized my name (from all the pestering letters I was sending Charlton Comics through the years). By coincidence he lived in the bordering town next to me in Connecticut. I struck gold.
Painfully shy, I managed to form a relationship/friendship with Dick- Interviewing him for a fanzine, showing him my work and eventually being his inking assistant for awhile. Learned enough to develop the usual snotty attitude of "I'm ready why doesn't Marvel or DC recognize I'm a genius."

Made the portfolio rounds for two years at Marvel and DC before I got my big break (great times though-sitting in the park or on some doorstep looking at Gil Kane Xeroxes they gave me to ink/get rid of me). Sol Brodsky at Marvel hired me to apply grays with zip-a-tone to those horrible 50's monster stories that Marvel was reprinting in their magazine sized books. I think it was two dollars a page.
But that was enough for me! Moved to New York around 1972-lived in the basement of East 4th St in the Village (woke up to dogs crappin outside the hole that was my window). I loved it!
One day in the offices applying my zip-a-tone wizardry, Rich Buckler, who had seen my work (as had every human within a mile radius), asked me to ink him on Black Panther. Against the wishes of editorial and management, he gave the job to me and the rest is hysteria.
The first years or so were great fun because I knew nothing and so that allowed me to be bold and obnoxious and full of myself. Those were the days, I must say.
Howard the Duck came after a long run on the Defenders and some various other projects. I was very happy to work on Gene Colan and Carmine Infantino specifically (both of whom I later inked on Daredevil), and I loved drawing a duck! I had done some black and white books with Howard and also an oversized book with Sal Buscema I think. It was great fun.

Paul-guess it wasn't so mini after all-please, if you have any questions at all-now or later-just ask, you know where I am.

Talk to you
Klaus