Rob & Dan: The Early Years

This is a pic--the only one, I think--of Dan and me while we were first year students at the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, 1989-1990.

Between us is a fellow Kubie, Sean Murphy, and seated is the legendary artist Tex Blaisdell, who was an instructor at the school and stayed overnight at the Clinton House, which is where Dan and I (and others, like our pal Sean Tiffany) lived.

Tex was a raconteur, a storyteller, a card, a character, and any number of other colorful terms. He would sit at our kitchen table (like he is here), working on comics pages, while chain smoking and eating yogurt. He would tells us amazing stories about his time in comics, illustration, and newspaper strips.

At the time, we called this picture "The Master and the Three Young Jedis." I have to think that, in some small way, Ace Kilroy was born when this photo was taken.