| Shel Dorf and Me by Patrick Culliton |
I spent three years working on my book, Houdini--the Key, and it
sufficiently took me away from life that I was somewhat sheltered from
the full impact of losing three of my best friends. Shel Dorf was the first
of the three I met and the last of them to die.
I met Shel in Ocean Beach, California, in the summer of 1973. I was
living in Ocean Beach during the 5 1/2 months I acted in three of
Shakespeare's plays in revolving repertory at San Diego's Old Globe.
One Saturday, I was driving the more scenic route from Ocean Beach
to Balboa Park (home of the Old Globe Theatre) when I saw an
intriguing sign outside the El Cortez Hotel: "Comic Con" (and the
dates). I thought it meant stand-up comics.
I drove on to the Globe and acted in the matinee, then, went by the El
Cortez again and popped my head in. It wasn't stand up comics at all; it
was the kind of comics I had adored all through my childhood, and had
owned many hundreds of--and pissed them all away. And here they
were.
A man named Ken Kreuger introduced himself, and we chatted and
walked through the dealer's room.
sufficiently took me away from life that I was somewhat sheltered from
the full impact of losing three of my best friends. Shel Dorf was the first
of the three I met and the last of them to die.
I met Shel in Ocean Beach, California, in the summer of 1973. I was
living in Ocean Beach during the 5 1/2 months I acted in three of
Shakespeare's plays in revolving repertory at San Diego's Old Globe.
One Saturday, I was driving the more scenic route from Ocean Beach
to Balboa Park (home of the Old Globe Theatre) when I saw an
intriguing sign outside the El Cortez Hotel: "Comic Con" (and the
dates). I thought it meant stand-up comics.
I drove on to the Globe and acted in the matinee, then, went by the El
Cortez again and popped my head in. It wasn't stand up comics at all; it
was the kind of comics I had adored all through my childhood, and had
owned many hundreds of--and pissed them all away. And here they
were.
A man named Ken Kreuger introduced himself, and we chatted and
walked through the dealer's room.
I realized that I'd been buying used
comics--readers, not collectables--at Ken's
store in Ocean Beach.
Ken explained that by the time I finished the
evening show, the Con for that year would be
finished as well, but, he said that the next
day, Sunday, the dealers would be packing
up and it was a great time to shop for
bargains. He said he'd find a badge for me.
The next day, I struck out early for the
matinee so I could have a bash at that
dealer's room, and that is when Ken Kreuger
introduced me to Shel Dorf.
Comics fans can tell a certain amount about
each other by who they like. Shel was a
media child, and he could discuss an amazing
bunch of things, which included comic art,
movies, plays, humor, etc., that had been
lifelong passions of mine.
comics--readers, not collectables--at Ken's
store in Ocean Beach.
Ken explained that by the time I finished the
evening show, the Con for that year would be
finished as well, but, he said that the next
day, Sunday, the dealers would be packing
up and it was a great time to shop for
bargains. He said he'd find a badge for me.
The next day, I struck out early for the
matinee so I could have a bash at that
dealer's room, and that is when Ken Kreuger
introduced me to Shel Dorf.
Comics fans can tell a certain amount about
each other by who they like. Shel was a
media child, and he could discuss an amazing
bunch of things, which included comic art,
movies, plays, humor, etc., that had been
lifelong passions of mine.
Shel said, "You know what Ken told me about you?
He said, 'Hey, I met that guy that gets killed every
other week on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.'"
He asked me if I was looking for any comics in
particular and I said, "Little Lulu."
He said, "The comics and the one panels?" and I
explained that the humor in the one panels was OK,
cute, but, the comic books were about the funniest
things I ever read. "Oh, then, you're a John Stanley
fan."--and I was, very much so--but that was the
first moment I ever heard John Stanley's name.
Shel steered me to a guy that was just packing up
and said, "He's looking for Lulus." By the time I beat
it to do the matinee, I had thirteen of my favorite
Lulu comics. I came into the backstage with them
and by the end of the matinee, word had spread
like wildfire that I had Lulu comics, and it turned out
there were a lot of Lulu fans in the company, my
dressing room mate, Marc Singer, and his wife,
Haunani Minn, chief among them.
He said, 'Hey, I met that guy that gets killed every
other week on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.'"
He asked me if I was looking for any comics in
particular and I said, "Little Lulu."
He said, "The comics and the one panels?" and I
explained that the humor in the one panels was OK,
cute, but, the comic books were about the funniest
things I ever read. "Oh, then, you're a John Stanley
fan."--and I was, very much so--but that was the
first moment I ever heard John Stanley's name.
Shel steered me to a guy that was just packing up
and said, "He's looking for Lulus." By the time I beat
it to do the matinee, I had thirteen of my favorite
Lulu comics. I came into the backstage with them
and by the end of the matinee, word had spread
like wildfire that I had Lulu comics, and it turned out
there were a lot of Lulu fans in the company, my
dressing room mate, Marc Singer, and his wife,
Haunani Minn, chief among them.
| My wife, Gerardine Arthur, and I followed Chuck and his brother Aaron, who had done a breathtaking Karate demonstration with a little magic demonstration of our own at the 1975 Comic-Con. |
Shel put a "Rocketeer" comic in front
of Milton Caniff and asked him what he
thought of it.
Caniff was a bit critical of one aspect
of the art. "It's too careful, too
studied," he said. "It takes too long to
tell the story when you're this
painstaking."
Shel said, "But, don't you think that's
this particular artist's style?" and
Milton more or less reiterated his
points.
Then, Shel introduced him to the
artist. Dave Stevens was sitting to
Caniff's right. Milton was embarrassed,
but, he, Stevens and the rest of us
had a good laugh.
The photo shows the moment Shel
told Milton he was sitting right next to
the guy he was--in a friendly, positive,
way--criticizing.
of Milton Caniff and asked him what he
thought of it.
Caniff was a bit critical of one aspect
of the art. "It's too careful, too
studied," he said. "It takes too long to
tell the story when you're this
painstaking."
Shel said, "But, don't you think that's
this particular artist's style?" and
Milton more or less reiterated his
points.
Then, Shel introduced him to the
artist. Dave Stevens was sitting to
Caniff's right. Milton was embarrassed,
but, he, Stevens and the rest of us
had a good laugh.
The photo shows the moment Shel
told Milton he was sitting right next to
the guy he was--in a friendly, positive,
way--criticizing.
Shel took this photo of Jack Kirby with a
couple of hard-core Kirby fans--I'm the
clean-shaven one. I ran into the hairy one a
few years later on a hot summer day in New
York. It was Kale Brown only now he was
Spiderman.
couple of hard-core Kirby fans--I'm the
clean-shaven one. I ran into the hairy one a
few years later on a hot summer day in New
York. It was Kale Brown only now he was
Spiderman.
In my life, I have had my photo taken with movie stars I didn't
personally know maybe four or five times. Even when I got to
work with idols like Robert Preston, I was camera shy--which is
pretty stupid for a guy who is trying to make his way as an
actor. So, typically, Shel would say something like, "Get over
here and get a picure with Chuck" to my wife, Gerardine, and
me. So there we are.
If I don't look as well-groomed as Chuck, he'd only done a
Karate demonstration with his brother Aaron and I had just
gotten out of a straight jacket.
I didn't even know Shel was going to take the shot of Jock
Mahoney and me. Jock and I were just talking about the
picture business and how he calmed a berserk elephant on
the set of a Tarzan movie and suddenly there Shel was with
his camera, and I'm in a photo with the guy who did that
hair-raising leap, headfirst, down the stairs for Errol Flynn in
"Don Juan." Jock O'Mahoney was one of the great stuntmen
in Hollywood. I'm a pretty big guy--or used to be--but
O'Mahoney made me feel like a Hobbit.
personally know maybe four or five times. Even when I got to
work with idols like Robert Preston, I was camera shy--which is
pretty stupid for a guy who is trying to make his way as an
actor. So, typically, Shel would say something like, "Get over
here and get a picure with Chuck" to my wife, Gerardine, and
me. So there we are.
If I don't look as well-groomed as Chuck, he'd only done a
Karate demonstration with his brother Aaron and I had just
gotten out of a straight jacket.
I didn't even know Shel was going to take the shot of Jock
Mahoney and me. Jock and I were just talking about the
picture business and how he calmed a berserk elephant on
the set of a Tarzan movie and suddenly there Shel was with
his camera, and I'm in a photo with the guy who did that
hair-raising leap, headfirst, down the stairs for Errol Flynn in
"Don Juan." Jock O'Mahoney was one of the great stuntmen
in Hollywood. I'm a pretty big guy--or used to be--but
O'Mahoney made me feel like a Hobbit.
Still later, Kale gained fame as "Michael
Hudson" on the daytime soap opera,
"Another World."
Hudson" on the daytime soap opera,
"Another World."
| A one panel from Milton Caniff--typical of the fun stuff Shel sent me over the years. |
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