Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk is the last of the core figures of the jam that I'm presenting here, but probably the second or third contribution to the jam. I think I misremembered the process previously, and had Linsner keep the initial Spawn drawing overnight. The next morning, I think he had the linework either in process or done, and that's when I asked to circulate it around the convention. I only have one photo of the black & white Spawn (joined by Beto's Supreme,) and it was either taken back in the hotel room on the first night or on the showroom floor on Saturday. All the other pictures have Spawn in color, and I'm still trying to tease out that reveal, which explains the awkward cropping and late arrival of Paul Johnstone here.
I know that I at least talked to Evan Dorkin first, because I specifically remember him begging off of drawing Shadowhawk because he couldn't understand the helmet. And I mean historically, not just when I offered it as one of several options. Dorkin selected another character, and didn't want the time pressure of a jam in progress, so we discussed my coming around again for his contribution. So most probably, it went Spawn, Supreme, Witchblade, Shadowhawk, Huntsman, Invincible, The Maxx, and Fortress. Both Tim Vigil and Joe Staton are notably fast artists, so they would have been ideal choices to catch-up for lost time on Saturday while my girlfriend held my place in line for Alan Davis.
Joe Staton was one of those inescapable artists when I was growing up in the Bronze Age, and I'd say my favorite work was his collaboration with Steve Englehart on Green Lantern Corps. He earned his creator-ownership pioneer credentials through his co-creation of E-Man with Nicola Cuti in 1973. Initially appearing at Charlton Comics, the energy being starred in one of First Comics' earliest titles, and offered a showcase for numerous other creators' properties. Steve Ditko even did a couple of Killjoy back-ups there. E-Man also made his way through Comico, Digital Webbing Press, and a few Charlton revival publications. E-Man was even part of the War of the Independents, a small press mega-crossover of several hundred indie characters. While Staton was an art director at First for a time, he's probably best remembered by comic book fans as a DC Comics fixture throughout the Bronze Age into the '90s. In the 21st Century, he mostly handled cartoon adaptations like Scooby-Doo for them, but also took over the Dick Tracy newspaper strip.
Staton's a good guy who took on the unenviable task of not only drawing that damned helmet, but also cramming Shadowhawk into a small space between a defined arching horizon line, Supreme's forcing his head down to the height of Al Simmons' ass, and into the curve of Spawn's pose with all the typical accoutrements (huge cape, swinging chain, clawed hands, etc. Most any other artist would rightly have told me to scram or done some low-down half-effort, but Staton is such a masterful pro that he made everything work perfectly in scale. These jams can be a nightmare and easily fall apart, so you don't know what a lifesaver a talent like Joe Staton can be, delivering under these circumstances.
