I just have time for a brief post concerning Comic-Con. We (The Milton Caniff Estate) will be hosting a panel on Saturday July 28th from 2:30pm to 4:00pm, called REMEMBERING CANIFF/CANYON: 100th/60th (1907/1947-2007).
You'll not only get to meet Harry Guyton (Executor of the Estate and Milton's nephew), R.C.Harvey (author of Meanwhile...A Biography of Milton Caniff), Denis Kitchen (Steve Canyon Magazine publisher), Russ Maheras (Steve Canyon's 50th Anniversary comic strip author/artist), Diana Doalson (Milton Caniff's Grand-Niece who was put in the Canyon strip in 1969 by Milt), and myself (John Ellis, Caniff Estate Representative and Steve Canyon DVD Producer) in a rollicking remembrance of all things Caniff, but you'll also get to witness the first public screening of the restored 1959 NBC Steve Canyon episode "Operation Intercept" in over 40 years. This is arguably the best episode of the series and is not to be missed! Don't take my word for it, just google "Steve Canyon and B-47" and read what Time Magazine and others said about the episode.
We'll screen the show at the beginning of the time slot and will have over an hour to talk about it and anything else that rises to the surface!
It'll all be in Room 4 at 2:30PM.
I know all of that was a mouthful, but I had to get it out on this post while I have a quiet moment, as we are hard at work preparing a surprise for attendees of the convention (and readers of this blog). We are issuing a limited release Special edition featuring 4 excellent episodes of Steve Canyon that haven't been seen in the US since 1960. And a couple of extras...there'll be more info on this before the con.
The reason we are doing this is that we have begun to see the light that there is just WAY too much work yet to be done to see a full release of the series in 2007, and yet we wanted to commemorate the birth of Milton (1907) and of Steve Canyon (1947), and this is the logical way to do that. It will be moderately priced (to make it reasonably affordable) and will also provide us with a "shot in the arm" to help fund the restoral on the rest of the 34 episodes. So far we have been scrimping, saving and selling some original art to fund this project over a period of time, but this will help speed things up. As I have explained to a few people recently, The Estate doesn't have deep pockets, money hasn't "rolled in" since Milton passed away in 1988. This is a seriously expensive process and we don't have a major studio or conglomerate funding us, it's all just Harry and I doing this by our lonesomes.
And also let's not forget that 2008 is the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Steve Canyon on television...! So when you take that fact into account it all begins to make sense. I've been kind of down in the dumps recently over how long the work has been taking, and not wanting to disappoint everyone with news of the delay...but this is just obviously the path we were meant to take.
Harry and I are EXCITED about Comic-Con, and getting to meet everyone that attends...so mark your calendars and gather your questions. And buy R.C. Harveys bio-book "Meanwhile..." on Milt...it's double-plus-good!
Keep tha faith...more news shortly!
John Ellis
