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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132645
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| Posted: 02 July 2024 at 6:08pm | IP Logged | 1
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In all likelihood, I wouldn’t have had a career in comics, but for him. LINK
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 30971
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| Posted: 02 July 2024 at 7:04pm | IP Logged | 2
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Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing the link.
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6277
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| Posted: 02 July 2024 at 9:52pm | IP Logged | 3
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I owe John Mansfield more than can ever be told.
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Steve Gumm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1461
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| Posted: 02 July 2024 at 10:20pm | IP Logged | 4
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JB thanks for article it was nice tribute to a man that I would have enjoyed meeting.
If you don’t mind me asking, how’d he help you with your comics career?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132645
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| Posted: 03 July 2024 at 1:15am | IP Logged | 5
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I did a comicbook for a gallery show at the Alberta College of Art, he saw it, offered to use his contacts in comics to help me find work if I was interested. Up to that moment it had not occurred to me an actual career in comics was an option.
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Steve Gumm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1461
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| Posted: 03 July 2024 at 4:14am | IP Logged | 6
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Ok that’s a wonderful story that has tipped over many dominoes. Without Mr Mansfield help to point you off towards a career in comics, my closet would contain something other than many many great John Byrne comics and my life would be lesser for it!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132645
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| Posted: 03 July 2024 at 12:15pm | IP Logged | 7
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My last contact with John makes for an odd story.We’d drifted apart after he left Calgary, and it had been several years without communication. Then, I was at a convention in Toronto when I found him standing somewhat sheepishly in front of my table. I rose to shake his hand and introduce him to the gathered fans come seeking my autograph. “The guy who discovered me!” A round of applause ensued and he seemed embarrassed. This was not the John Mansfield I remembered! I had to leave to do a panel, but I asked him to come back. Maybe we could grab lunch and catch up. But he didn’t return, and I was left with the weird feeling he was actually intimidated by me. By JOHN BYRNE—SUPERSTAR—-who he’d helped create!
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Steve Gumm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1461
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| Posted: 03 July 2024 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | 8
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It must be weird to have talent/fame that it intimidates people that you had some history with. It is totally understandable. I met you three or four times and you were always friendly and pleasant, but when your work is SOOO impactful to me it does tend to make a bit of a fanboy tongue tied nervousness pour over me when talking to you, but it was through no fault of yours.
I suspect Mr Mansfield felt the same way.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132645
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| Posted: 03 July 2024 at 9:46pm | IP Logged | 9
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I met you three or four times and you were always friendly and pleasant…••• Well, there goes the reputation I worked so hard to build!
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Steve Gumm
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 10 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1461
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| Posted: 04 July 2024 at 12:25am | IP Logged | 10
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One of the surprising aspects of seeing you at cons is how engaging you were particularly if the crowds died down… where you had time to talk at a more relaxed pace. Telling industry stories or some of the unfinished plot lines. One of my buddy’s favorite convention memory was you telling him the end of the last Galactus story, he really loved the story and also the whole exchange. Then the Mid Ohio Con send off party you hosted while you fielded questions and told us of all about your upcoming DC Demon story it was just great.
This is way I feel bad for those who prescribe to the “Never meet your heroes” philosophy. They don’t know what they are missing.
JB, do you have any memories to share of when you first met your heroes?
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132645
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| Posted: 04 July 2024 at 2:07am | IP Logged | 11
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When I started working in comics I had been away for a while. I had stopped collecting around 1964, and didn’t really come back until around 1970. In that time there was a big turnover on the creative end. So when I met Neal Adams, for instance, tho I knew (and was already imitating) his work, he didn’t quite occupy “hero” status. And many of the new breed were my age, so “hero worship” seemed odd. Over the next few years, attending cons I met the likes of Jack Kirby, Curt Swan, Joe Sinnott and even Bob Kane, names I knew from my younger days, and those were pretty unremarkable encounters.
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6277
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| Posted: 04 July 2024 at 2:36am | IP Logged | 12
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Thank you for explaining that, John. I could never have quite grasped that
mindset, being from such a different era of fandom.
I have assumed for a long time that hero-worship was an integral part of
modeling your style so much on the work of Adams and Kirby.
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