How Green is My Lantern

O, east is east and west is west and woe betide the kid who got caught buying the wrong books. When I was a kid, Marvel and DC were the Sharks and the Jets. You were one or the other. None of this Tony and Maria stuff for us… until I saw Gil Kane's work on Green Lantern (D'oh!) How do I explain this to the gang? Easy. You don't.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'd hit the stands with the rest of the gang and play the good little Marvel Zombie. Wednesdays and Fridays, I'd sneak back and pick up Green Lantern and the occasional Atom.

Quite frankly, the stories only cemented my Marvel bias. But I had a serious Jones for Kane's work. I had no interest in the Atom himself but Hal was cool. He remains the only DC character I'm actually interested in.

Billions and billions of years ago, just before I left the X-Men (which was a one year deal from the beginning so nobody was poaching nobody) Steven Grant came to me with an offer I couldn't refuse: Green Lantern! Unfortunately, by the time I was free, DC chickened out. Steven's name wasn't "big" enough. Would I work with Len Wein? All respect to Len but, Steve and I were a package deal. DC stuck with Len and I went back to Dr Strange.

Shame really, Steven and I were hungry and loaded for bear. It would've been a great run.

Foo.

Today's gallery: Me inking Gil, a couple of sketches and one of my favorite commissions.

Happy Trails,
Smitty