An accounting of GM Magic

I met Grant Morrison briefly at a signing in Philadelphia in 2002.  I was 21, hungover, sleep deprived, and rather well in tune w/ the dune. (This being the day after the first Punk Rock Prom on Madison Drive.) I’d brought a small collection of my comix to show them, which I clutched nervously.

I was trying to think of ways to communicate quickly and clearly that I was hip to real arcane shit. My skepticism about the explanatory power of a few short words, esp. in matters zen, led me to briefly entertain the harebrained notion that the body language of a hearty *THUMBS UP* might somehow be the ticket.  As the line shuffled forward I decided the more practical approach would be to ask them if they read Robert Anton Wilson.

Along my way to the front of the line my shyness and introversion also changed my mind about showing them my comix.  Which suddenly seemed like a stupid and embarrassing thing to do.

Frank Quietly was at the signing too, parked right next to GM.  I got to him first and gave him a copy of Earth 2 to sign. While exchanging pleasantries w/ FQ I heard someone say, “Did you make these?”

I look over and Grant Morrison is happily flipping through the comix I had decided not to give them!

Mind you, I was in a few altered states at the time, but my genuine experience was/is of having no clue when/how they got those comix.

They were indeed a reader of Robert Anton Wilson, succinct encouragement for my work was offered, they signed my copy of Animal Man #26, and off I went.

Though just as I was stumbling away I heard a booming voice call “Oi!”

I turn around and GM is beaming a huge grin and pointing at the hand lettered title block on one of the comix I gave them:

“SUBURBAN LEGEND COMIX: Sort of like Alan Moore before he stopped selling drugs and read all them books”

Thence they gave me an enthusiastic *THUMBS UP*

A few months later GM opened up a short lived website for their new creator owned work, wherein I had a cringe inducing fan letter published, with the following generous response from Morrison, reproduced here in its original glowing red :)))

YOU AND YOUR KIND ARE THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME SLOSHING FORWARD THROUGH THE SILT OF TIME.

THERE’S ONLY ONE GENERATION. I’M GLAD TO SEE THAT IT NEVER DIES

SEE ALSO