Rory Murray's Contribution to the AFTERCON 2010 Show in Shel Dorf's Honor
Longtime Comic-Con attendee Rory Murray has created the above artwork and is generously contributing it to be auctioned at the AFTERCON 2010 show, which is being held in Shel Dorf’s honor. The AFTERCON show will run concurrently with San Diego’s Comic-Con International, July 22-24, from 8PM to midnight each day. For more about the show, visit https://www.sheldorftribute.com/2010/04/19/shel-dorf-benefit-art-show-to-run-concurrently-with-comic-con-2010/.
Here’s what Rory has to say about his art and the show:
“I met Matt Lorentz through our mutual friend, Phil Yeh. I first met Shel at the 1975 Comic Con, what an amazing time I had. I’ve attended many more since then, but the first time was magical…Kirby! Bradbury! I could go on and on. Needless to say, I was very moved by Shel’s passing last year. When Matt asked me if I wanted to contribute, I was honored. And yes, it was created epecially for the AFTERCON, as a tribute to both Shel and Jack Kirby!
“The piece itself is a cartoon of Shel going through sort of a Hulking transformation (if you’ll notice, only his eyes are green). He is jumping off the roof of San Diego’s fabled EL CORTEZ Hotel, which was my favorite of all the Con’s locations.
“This was a labor of love. Although I won’t be attending the actual COMIC CON (I wish! Sold Out a year in advance?!), I am hoping to make it down there for the opening of this wonderful event.”
Jack Kirby (left) and Shel Dorf — Nov. 9, 1969
Great piece Rory! (as always)
Thanks Cheri. Your approval means a lot to me. Your friendship means even more!
Great job, Rory! I am really excited about this event as it gives many folks who could not buy a ticket into the con a chance to see some of their friends and great artwork. One of the suggestions that I had to honor Shel is a cartoon museum in a local park so that all these folks who come to the convention each year could visit even before and after the actual convention. Shel built the convention on the idea that this would be a place to honor the people who wrote and drew cartoons and comics. It was a place where young writers and artists could meet professionals and learn from them as so many of us did. I would suggest that Comic-Con and the city of San Diego cover the costs of this museum as they have both benefited greatly from Shel’s work and the many early volunteers who made those first Comic-Cons possible.
Thanks Phil! I agree that a Cartoon Museum would be a great idea.
At the very LEAST, they could rename San Diego’s Main Library after him. The revenue generated from COMIC CON should ensure that San Diego’s Libraries and Parks remain OPEN & FULLY STAFFED, despite the rest of California’s financial woes. San Diego owes Shel a great deal.
It pains me to say it, but as a resident of San Diego, a cartoon/comic art museum will never happen. Even if it was privately funded, it is damn near impossible to get anything done in this city. Just ask the Padres or the Chargers (And before anybody brings up Petco Park’s cost overruns, let me remind you that if Bruce Henderson and Donna Frye hadn’t of kept on filing lawsuits on the city’s behalf -thus using public money- everything would have been done on time and on budget!)
I personally would love to see a cartoon art museum in my hometown. I mean, we started Comic Con, we should have one! Still, with the way things are right now, I just can’t see it happening anytime soon.