An (early) Birthday Salute from SUNDAY FUNNIES WITH KERRY CALLEN!
By KERRY CALLEN
Frank Miller’s 69th birthday is Tuesday (January 27). I own an oddball piece of art by Miller, which I thought would be fun to share. Here’s the story behind it:
I attended a Chicago comics convention in 1980. My goal was to get a piece of art by John Byrne. This was at the very beginning of his extreme popularity and his table always had a large group around it. I couldn’t really get to him.
Then I saw Frank Miller, who had just started drawing Daredevil, sitting alone at his table. I liked his art, so I asked him how much for a drawing. If I remember correctly, it was $15 for a figure.
I asked him if he would draw my own character creation, and he did!
I created the character when I was 13 years old. He had the silly name of “Catlen” because I liked cats and it was similar to my last name. I kept drawing him, and even made homemade comics, throughout my teenage years. I recently stumbled across the Miller drawing and decided to scan it in to give it inks and color.
As an aside, before I decided that a blue costume made him look too much like Batman, I made an 8mm movie in the late ’70s. My Mom would have filmed it properly, but instead I asked a cute girl to do it. There’s no sound, so I added captions with iMovie. It’s 5 minutes long, complete with “special effects!” You can see it here, but please note, I knew NOTHING about making movies.
In 1985, I was fortunate enough to have a story included in DC’s Talent Showcase #18:
Cover by Jack Arata and Al Williamson
Even thought I was too embarrassed to call him by name, I wrote and drew a story where Catlen appears!
By this time, I was in my 20s and I stopped drawing him. Too bad. I no longer had the urge to wear the sweater vest my Mom knitted me.
So, um, happy birthday Frank Miller!
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January 25, 2026
Wow. What a great story. I especially enjoyed hearing how your mom indulged your hobby. Moms are great. My mom made bat shaped patches for me using the outline of BAT-MAN from Detective #27 Treasury reprint “1st Edition”.
January 25, 2026
Buen sweater
January 25, 2026
Fantastic story for so many reasons! And I’m happy for you that you still have the drawing and sweater. Priceless!
January 25, 2026
I bet that sweater vest was a “babe magnet” at the nightclubs.
But seriously, “Catlen” was a terrific looking superhero character!
January 25, 2026
That sweater tho’!!
January 25, 2026
Very cool!!
January 25, 2026
Amazing. I loved this post.
January 25, 2026
Cool character and cool story!
January 25, 2026
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I know a lot of us have fun, childhood stories about comics.
January 25, 2026
Wonderful story there, Kerry. I will say your creation reminds me of the Green Lantern villain, Replikon (Green Lantern #s 108 and 109, from 1978), the sentient, shape-shifting alien from the asteroid belt seeking to alter Earth’s atmosphere for its offspring.
Replikon could mimic the appearances and abilities of potential opponents, and after a quick telepathic look into the JLA satellite, he models his appearance and costuming after Wonder Woman, the Flash and esp. Batman, who were on satellite duty at that moment. Catlen’s look esp. with the mouthless face with the head silhouetted with long pointed ears head was shared by Replikon too, even if the latter’s was more darkly blue as very influenced by Batman, and as Replikon turned Bat’s cape into an actual pair of wings.
Thanks for the memories!
January 25, 2026
That’s a wondeful story. The sketch, the appearance in New Talent Showcase, and THE SWEATER!!!
January 25, 2026
I clicked on the link to your movie, and there are some cool stunts in it. I also enjoyed the animated comic book covers on your blog.