by John | Dec 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
Besides paying tribute to Stan Lee, today’s comic is also special because it’s given me an idea for something new for Last Kiss. Or rather something old that many of you haven’t seen before.
You see, I originally created today’s Last Kiss years ago as part of my long-running comic strip for Comics Buyer’s Guide (CBG.) While looking at it and my other CBG comics, I thought, “Hey some of these aren’t bad. And most of ’em have never been reprinted. Hmmm…”
So, for the next few Fridays, I’ll be reprinting the best of my CBG strips. Whether I continue doing so will largely depends on reader reactions. I hope you like ’em. Let me know what you think.
—John Lustig
Original Art:
Art from an old, Fox News interview with Stan Lee.
Dialogue Transcript:
CAPTION: Welcome to the exciting world of comics–where all sentences end in exclamation marks! All wars end with knockout punches! And outrageous fantasies never end!
PANEL #1
SCENE: Stan Lee is being interviewed by a man as a beautiful, scantily-clad woman in a super-hero-ish costume sits in the background,
INTERVIEWER: I’m here with Stan Lee and one of the many super-heroes he…
WOMAN: Me? A super-hero?
STAN: Try again, True Believer!
PANEL 2
SCENE: Closeup of Interviewer.
INTERVIEWER: Oh, my! Then you must be a…(gulp!)…super villain, right?
PANEL 3
SCENE: Cut back to all three of them. Stan smiles and pumps his fist.
WOMAN: No! I’m just Stan’s secretary! He says all the women who work in comics dress like this!
INTERVIEWER: Sheer genius! And that’s why Stan’s the man!
STAN: Excelsior!
CAPTION: Playfully dedicated to Stan Lee on what would’ve been his 96th birthday.
Art © 2018 Marvel Characters, Inc. Used with permission.
Art Code: RomitaStanLeeStrip
↓ TranscriptCAPTION: Welcome to the exciting world of comics--where all sentences end in exclamation marks! All wars end with knockout punches! And outrageous fantasies never end!
PANEL #1
SCENE: Stan Lee is being interviewed by a man as a beautiful, scantily-clad woman in a super-hero-ish costume sits in the background,
INTERVIEWER: I'm here with Stan Lee and one of the many super-heroes he...
WOMAN: Me? A super-hero?
STAN: Try again, True Believer!
PANEL 2
SCENE: Closeup of Interviewer.
INTERVIEWER: Oh, my! Then you must be a...(gulp!)...super villain, right?
PANEL 3
SCENE: Cut back to all three of them. Stan smiles and pumps his fist.
WOMAN: No! I'm just Stan's secretary! He says all the women who work in comics dress like this!
INTERVIEWER: Sheer genius! And that's why Stan's the man!
STAN: Excelsior!
CAPTION: Playfully dedicated to Stan Lee on what would’ve been his 96th birthday.
Art © 2018 Marvel Characters, Inc. Used with permission.
Art Code: RomitaStanLeeStrip
Text ©2010 & 2018 Last Kiss Inc. Color by Allen Freeman
by John | Nov 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
The list of people who’ve influenced my work is long. But somewhere near the top, you’d find Stan Lee.
It’s been said that Stan Lee’s greatest creation wasn’t Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The Hulk or any of the other Marvel characters. It was Stan Lee himself.
The things he said and wrote about the Marvel Universe (and himself) were as entertaining as any of his characters. His hype was so over the top, irreverent and good-natured that you knew he wasn’t taking himself seriously.
As a kid, I was firmly hooked on the heroics and drama of the Marvel Characters. But it was Stan’s sense of humor that—without me even realizing it—probably influenced me the most.
Apparently, with great power comes great humor…if you’re Stan Lee.
(To read about how I met Stan, check out my blogpost here. And for further giggles you can read another Last Kiss comic featuring Stan here.)
Original art from First Kiss #40 (1965) minus the Stan Lee head by John Romita, Sr. This gag first appeared in Comics Buyer’s Guide—where Last Kiss appears every month.
Transcript:
SCENE: Stan Lee and a young female companion enter a room where people are celebrating Stan’s birthday.
STAN’S FEMALE COMPANION: It’s like this everywhere!zzit’s as if someone declared today National Stan Lee Day!
STAN: I asked for “International,” but…maybe next year!
This comic originally ran on Dec. 28, 2012 to commemorate Stan Lee’s 90th birthday. Rest in piece and Face Front, True Believer!
Stan by John Romita, Sr. © Marvel Characters Inc Rest by Vince Colletta Studio Color by Diego Jourdan Pereira
Art Code: 40.1.8.1.DJP.lk28
↓ TranscriptThis comic originally ran on Dec. 28, 2012 to commemorate Stan Lee’s 90th birthday. Rest in piece and Face Front, True Believer!
SCENE: Stan Lee and a young female companion enter a room where people are celebrating Stan's birthday.
STAN'S FEMALE COMPANION: It’s like this everywhere!zzit’s as if someone declared today National Stan Lee Day!
STAN: I asked for “International,” but…maybe next year!
This comic originally ran on Dec. 28, 2012 to commemorate Stan Lee’s 90th birthday. Rest in piece and Face Front, True Believer!
Stan by John Romita, Sr. © Marvel Characters Inc Rest by Vince Colletta Studio Color by Diego Jourdan Pereira
Art Code: 40.1.8.1.DJP.lk28
by John | Aug 2, 2018 | Uncategorized
1965 art by Jack Keller from the story “Highway Halfwits” in Teenage Hotroddeers #15, November 1965.
Transcript:
SCENE: A police officer and someone else (probably also a police officer) firing their handguns at someone or something off-panel.
COP #1: Darn it! that last Kiss comic was funny! So laugh!
COP #2: I hate firing readers!
1965 Art: Jack Keller Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira
DJP.lk448
1965 art by Jack Keller from the story “Highway Halfwits” in Teenage Hotroddeers #15, November 1965.
↓ TranscriptSCENE: A police officer and someone else (probably also a police officer) firing their handguns at someone or something off-panel.
COP #1: Darn it! that last Kiss comic was funny! So laugh!
COP #2: I hate firing readers!
1965 Art: Jack Keller Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira
DJP.lk448
1965 art by Jack Keller from the story "Highway Halfwits" in Teenage Hotroddeers #15, November 1965.
by John | Jul 19, 2018 | Uncategorized
Art by L.B. Cole from the cover of Terrors of the Jungle #9, June 1954.
Transcription:
WOMAN IN TIGER-STRIPED JUNGLE GODDESS COSTUME: Beware, puny men! Today I’m a jungle goddess! But tonight…a sex goddess!
1954 Art: L.B. Cole Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Art by L.B. Cole from the cover of Terrors of the Jungle #9, June 1954.
Art Code: DJP.lk323
John Lustig’s Last Kiss
©2018 Last Kiss Inc
↓ TranscriptTranscription:
WOMAN IN TIGER-STRIPED JUNGLE GODDESS COSTUME: Beware, puny men! Today I'm a jungle goddess! But tonight...a sex goddess!
1954 Art: L.B. Cole Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Art Code: DJP.lk323
John Lustig’s Last Kiss
©2018 Last Kiss Inc
by John | May 1, 2018 | Uncategorized
Art & possibly script by Jack Keller from the story “World Champion” in TEENAGE HOTRODDERS #7, 1964. (Art scanned from black & white production stat. The comic itself was published in color.)
Transcript:
MAN #1: Sex jokes…again? When’s Last Kiss gonna deal with serious stuff like…the meaning of life?
MAN #2: According to Lustig, sex jokes are the meaning of life!
1964 Art: Jack Keller Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Art Code: DJP.lk427
↓ TranscriptMAN #1: Sex jokes...again? When’s Last Kiss gonna deal with serious stuff like…the meaning of life?
MAN #2: According to Lustig, sex jokes are the meaning of life!
1964 Art: Jack Keller Color: Diego Jourdan Pereira
DJP.lk427
Art & possibly script by Jack Keller from the story "World Champion" in TEENAGE HOTRODDERS #7, 1964.
