With Friends Like These…

Looking back at ’07, I find the emotion that predominates for me is gratitude. In the main, people were awfully nice to me in 2007, helping me cope with everything from deadline difficulties problems to panic attacks — yes, real ones, brought on by extreme shortness of breath — to, on occasion, maintaining a simple sense of self-worth in the face of encroaching disability.

The list is long, and it’s almost inevitable I’ll forget somebody, but even so, I need to thank all of the following:

Buzz and Soon-ok Dixon; Art and Judy Ginsberg; Gordon and Donna Kent; Jim McLauchlin and the members of the board of The HERO Initiative; Bill Willingham, for postulating the Tenth Age of Magic and giving me a ’98 Ford Windstar he happened to have lying around; Erik Larsen, Nat Gertler, the folks at Image Comics, and the folks at Marvel Comics (!), all for reasons you’ll hear about shortly; Dan Didio, Paul Levitz, and Joey Cavalieri of DC Comics, for keeping me working during the year; Justiniano and Walden Wong, for making my scripts look wonderful in Doctor Fate; Mike and Carol Gerber, my brother and sister-in-law, for their genuine concern, despite the fact that a decade or more had gone by since I’d seen them; my daughter Samantha M. Voll, my new son-in-law Jeff, and Samantha’s mother, Margo M. Macleod, for acting as if I mattered, which was asking a lot; Bret Walker, for watching me cry in my Starbucks when necessary; Carol Lay for pep talks, shop talk, and “Waylay”, one of the most original comic strips on the net; Jennifer Meyer, for her friendship.

Then, there’s Mary Skrenes, who has saved my sanity and my bacon so many times that she should just give me a Jimmy Olsen signal watch to summon her for emergencies.

And Harris Miller, my friend and attorney, who worries about me, I think, but never seems to lose faith.

And Mark Evanier, whose friendship and support over the years, from the darkest days of the Duck lawsuit to the present, has been incalculable.

And my favorite Internet Slut (yes, a real person; she finds that sobriquet funny) for reasons that shall remain unspecified.

I’d also like to thank all of you who read this blog regularly and, even more so, those of you who’ve bought COUNTDOWN TO MYSTERY. (Now if I could just get you to talk it up on the other boards a little more…!)

Thank you again.

And Happy New Year to one and all.

11 Responses to “With Friends Like These…”

  1. Starocotes Says:

    And I would like to thank you for one of the things that where good in 2007. Not only did I found out about Hard Times but you also brought a new Dr. Fate which instantly became my new favourite comic.

    I don’t know if I should be happy that you are working with (for?) Marvel again since I have come to dislike most of what they are doing, but of course it is good for you since it means more work and more money, so congrats to you (and of course I will try at least the first issue).

  2. Gordon Says:

    Thank you, Steve… for your friendship and for sharing your talent.

    For making me feel like I belong.

    We will always do whatever we can to be there for you.

    You are a very important person to me.

  3. mister_pj Says:

    Steve,

    There are more people out there pulling for you than you probably realize – hang in there! It’s the start of a New Year and hopefully it will prove to be a wonderful one and much better than the last.

  4. Wayne Says:

    Dear Steve,

    There’s a lot of us out here rooting for you. The power and insight of your writing has been an inspiration for a long time, and continues to bring us great storytelling and imaginative characters and most importantly a healthy dose of the absurd. The contribution you’ve made is priceless.

    I was just telling some friends that 2007 was the Year of Steve Gerber. Having a monthly book from you has been such a slice of heaven, and latecomer though I may be, it has also been pure joy to discover your work in Defenders and Howard the Duck. I cannot overstate the impact and staying power your words have, and they are as fresh today as they undoubtedly were when originally published.

    Hang tough, and keep us posted on your projects!

  5. Justin Says:

    Thank you Mr. Gerber, for remaining one of my favorite authors ever and of all time. Thank you for blurring the lines between literature and comics. Thank you for never bowing, and doing what you do best. The world is a better place for it, and what’s more, my life. Happy New Year.

  6. Bradford Says:

    Thanks for the great comics and great blogging!

  7. Judy Ginsberg Says:

    Thank you for being Steve. Your friendship after so many years is a delight. May 2008 bring you health and success.

  8. Justin Newberry Says:

    Okay, I have well wishes for the New Year and also some other things to say about your writing’s impact on my life, but I don’t have the energy today to get all sappy.

    I just wanted to be the first to say that the whole “incuvan” thing made me laugh harder than it should have… And that if women like Inza Fox were roaming this town, I’d make taking a header into the Bellagio fountains a part of my nightly commute to work.

  9. Stefan Immel Says:

    Yes, incuvan was pretty hillarious and that Inza is named after Gardner Fox a nice tip off to the creator of Dr. Fate. For my taste this issue had to much personal strife in it but on the other hand this is what makes that comic fun to read even if I’m not agreeing with everything.

    How did you come up with the idea to use Negal from way back in 1942 anyway?

  10. Scott Andrew Hutchins Says:

    I’ve been telling friends and strangers to read Countdown to Mystery. I don’t know if any are.

  11. Brian Spence Says:

    That’s great Steve! It’s good to hear that you’re doing much better health wise. Hopefully the lung procedure will go well for you. It looks like you have a lot of people pulling for you.