by John | Oct 29, 2017 | Uncategorized
Happy Halloween from me & my frequent collaborator Mike Pascale. May all your tricks be treats! —John
Art Notes: Few pieces of Last Kiss art have gone through as many changes as today’s comic. Here’s the original 1963 FIRST KISS art:

Art by Vince Colletta Studio from FIRST KISS #33, 1963.
And here’s the art after I asked Allen Freemen to extend the drawing (of the woman on the left) back in 2009. (To simplify the art and focus on the coffee drinker, I also asked Allen to omit the woman on the right:)

Years later, I needed a higher-res version of the image for a zombie coffee gag for a Finnish licensee who put it on a travel mug. So Diego Jourdan Pereira re-drew Allen’s art for me and then Mike Pascale added the zombie touches:

And then this year—when Mike and I were scrambling for Halloween gags—I suggested he modify his coffee zombie (removing the coffee and adding some blood around the mouth.) See? Simple! (When!)
Transcript:
SCENE: Zombie woman thinking.
ZOMBIE WOMAN: When we broke up, he told me to…eat my heart out! But his was so much tastier!
1963 Artist: Vince Colletta Studio Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Master of Macabre Modifications: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk77_MP_17WHearts
FK33.3.7.5
Art by Vince Colletta Studio from FIRST KISS #33, 1963.
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Zombie woman thinking.
ZOMBIE WOMAN: When we broke up, he told me to...eat my heart out! But his was so much tastier!
1963 Artist: Vince Colletta Studio Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Master of Macabre Modifications: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk77_MP_17WHearts
FK33.3.7.5
Art by Vince Colletta Studio from FIRST KISS #33, 1963.
by John | Oct 26, 2017 | Uncategorized
A big thanks and a (virgin) Bloody Mary to my buddy Mike Pascale for the sharp-toothed art modifications and basic idea for this gag.
On Sunday night, I’ll be posting another Halloween collaboration I did with Mike. So stay tuned, kids—same vampire bat time, same vampire bat channel!

Artist unknown. From FIRST LOVE ILLUSTRATED #52, 1955.
Transcript:
SCENE: A flight attendant/stewardess is holding a tray of food and looks nervous as a vampire guy behind her looks like he’s about to bite her.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: So, uh…coffee, teA, or <gulp!> me?
1955 Artist unknown Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Director of Vampire Dental Care: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk278_MP_Flat400
First Love Illustrated 52.0
Artist unknown. From FIRST LOVE ILLUSTRATED #52, 1955.
↓ TranscriptSCENE: A flight attendant/stewardess is holding a tray of food and looks nervous as a vampire guy behind her looks like he's about to bite her.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT: So, uh...coffee, teA, or <gulp!> me?
1955 Artist unknown Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Director of Vampire Dental Care: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk278_MP_Flat400
First Love Illustrated 52.0
Artist unknown. From FIRST LOVE ILLUSTRATED #52, 1955.
by John | Jul 3, 2017 | Uncategorized
Happy Fourth of July courtesy of Mike Pascale, Diego Jourdan Pereira and me.

Art by Vince Colletta Studio from the story “His Future Bride” in BRIDES IN LOVE #10, 1958.
Transcript:
SCENE: Uncle Sam and a woman embrace.
UNCLE SAM: Wanna make me great again?
WOMAN: You already are!
1958 Art: Vince Colletta Studio Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Fourth of July Makeover & Magic: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk129
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Uncle Sam and a woman embrace.
UNCLE SAM: Wanna make me great again?
WOMAN: You already are!
1958 Art: Vince Colletta Studio Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
Fourth of July Makeover & Magic: Mike Pascale
DJP.lk129
by John | Jun 15, 2017 | Uncategorized
Unlike poor Bucky’s dad, I expect to have a great Father’s Day. For the first time in many years, my daughter Caitie and I won’t be in different states on Father’s Day and can spend the day together. Hoo haw!

Art by Reed Crandall in SMASH #25, 1941.
Transcript:
SCENE: Bucky holding a toilet plunger and pointing back to a wave of water on the hardwood floor that he’s standing on.
BUCKY: Hey, Dad! I fixed the toilet!
1941 Artist: Reed Crandall Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
It’s Always Bucky™
DJP.lk81
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Bucky holding a toilet plunger and pointing back to a wave of water on the hardwood floor that he's standing on.
BUCKY: Hey, Dad! I fixed the toilet!
1941 Artist: Reed Crandall Re-Creation: Diego Jourdan Pereira
It’s Always Bucky™
DJP.lk81
by John | Jun 13, 2017 | Uncategorized
Unlike most Last Kiss comics, this one isn’t based on vintage comic art. Instead, Diego Jourdan Pereira drew this from scratch and features Bucky—a character inspired by mid-20th Century TV shows such as LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.
Bucky—created by Jack Enyart and me for an animation project—has appeared many times before here. And he’ll be showing up again later this week in a special Father’s Day comic. (Hopefully, Bucky’s dad will survive his Father’s Day surprise.)—John
Transcript:
SCENE: Bucky in his scout outfit stands, salutes and flies an American Flag.
CAPTION: Happy Flag Day!
BUCKY: This flag’s even nicer than the one I made…out of
my sister’s underwear!
It’s Always Bucky™
Art: Diego Jourdan Pereira
DJP.lk288
↓ TranscriptSCENE: Bucky in his scout outfit stands, salutes and flies an American Flag.
CAPTION: Happy Flag Day!
BUCKY: This flag’s even nicer than the one I made...out of
my sister’s underwear!
It’s Always Bucky™
Art: Diego Jourdan Pereira
DJP.lk288