Jack Kirby Silver Surfer

This one has a funny story to it. So, my friend Mike, who had just moved out here from Detroit a few months ago, invited Sherry & I to come up and visit for dinner and just to hang out and catch up. We were hanging out looking through his art collection & Mike proceeds to tell me that he had sent a copy of a Jack Kirby Silver Surfer con sketch he owned (I dont remember seeing it that night) to a bronze-age artist to ink and that it had been almost a year and nothing. I thought "jeeze, what the hell can be taking so long?" A year? I laughed to myself and continued through the art and that was that. Later on the next week I remembered Mike's story and wanted to see the sketch for my self. So I searched it down. You can see it here: http://tinyurl.com/qwkp8. There it was, a Kirby Silver Surfer pencil sketch. "Wow" I said. It was nice and vintage from a convention in 1978, cool right? So it was too cool to pass up this opprotunity to zing Mike. We had planned to get together in early Oct., andthat was about 2 weeks away, so I grabbed the scan, grabbed my brush, and in 2 hours I'd finished it. I could barely stand not being able to tell him or send him a scan. It was going to be a suprise so I buttoned my lip and forgot about it (hardly) I made a copy, framed it and stuck it on the wall in my office. There it hung for 2 weeks, just waiting for Mike to see it. Oh the anticipation was killing me. The big day arrives. I was in the office w/ another friend of mine when Mike arrived and came in. I was busy but kept looking over my shoulder to see if Mike had spotted it yet, nothing. After about 15 minutes I just had to say something so I mentioned "See anything new on the walls?" It took a few seconds as Mike scanned the room and then...... this is how he decribed it

"I'd mentioned a while ago to Dave about having paid another "Bronze-Age" veteran to ink a Kirby con sketch I had. (Still waiting for it.) While helping Dave and Tom pack up some stuff for eBay, Dave CASUALLYasked if I notice anythng new on his walls (which are filled withincredible art, mostly by Gene and him). As I looked around the room, Ifelt like I was on a game show; and not having visited in over a month, Ireally didn't remember every piece. To be polite, I just kind of threw outa suggestion or two, until my eyes landed on a cool Silver Surfer piece.Well, first I didn't remember seeing the character on his wall before.Then I realized it was a Kirby drawing. And while I was mouthing thewords, "Is that Silver Surfer new?", I suddenly realized that it was MYKirby Surfer sketch in that frame!! It was the slowest burn I'd ever had,because it just didn't connect at first. (Kind of like being on a trip andseeing one's spouse in a totally different city you've never visited.) While Dave started to laugh, I blurted out, "HEY, THAT LOOKS LIKE THE ONE I HAVE!!" And he lost it. I'd been "art-punk'd"! (Thankfully it wasn't filmed.) Well, even more to my surprise, Dave pointed out he'd framed a copy and generously gave me the original...(after he picked me up off the floor, of course!) I was speechless! Thanks so much, Man!!"

Classic!