Posted By Dan Greenfield on Nov 28, 2025 | 1 comment

FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS!

By FRANCO

Being Thanksgiving weekend I thought I would take the opportunity to express my gratitude for all you who take the time to read my meandering muses every week.

And because this is 13th Dimension, I figured I would give my list of 13 comic creators I’m thankful for. These are people who are special to me and who I have very fond memories of (or of their work).

So… in no particular order:

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Stan Lee. Stan’s imagination is a lot of what fueled my childhood. As a kid who had a hard time with English and no real friends to speak of, I lost myself in the world of comics and found a rich tapestry of made-up people. Getting to meet Stan and thank him for all he did was a true highlight of my career and one that I will treasure forever.

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George Perez. All the stories you’ve ever heard about this guy are absolutely one hundred percent true! George was one of the most endearing, truly genuine nice guys I have ever met in my life, but he also was one of the biggest talents in the industry! When we worked on Tiny Titans, we got to show him what we were working on and his excitement was genuine and palpable. Whenever he would see me at a show, he would always stop to chat and it always fills my heart whenever I talk about him.

Dick Giordano inks

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Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. This man is my MOST FAVORITE artist of all time! I’ve written a whole column about some of my interactions with him. His artwork is something I clamor for. I love his style and ease with figures and, no disrespect to any other artist, including the ones on this list, but in my opinion, he’s the best in the business.

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Darwyn Cooke. My feelings about Darwyn were expressed just a week or so ago on this very page. I loved the guy, and his artwork and storytelling are some of my faves.

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Mark Waid. Mark is a friend and partner in crime. His stories are always so good! I don’t know how he does this and with such frequency! One of my favorite all-time stories ever written is Justice League: Tower of Babel.

Cover by Howard Porter and Drew Geraci

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John Romita Sr. When I was a kid, Spider-man was my jam! (Do the kids still say that?) Spidey was my favorite hero and I loved all the stories and artists over the years. Gil Kane and Ross Andru among my other favorites, but for the sake of this list, I had to pick the one and Mr. Romita is it!

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John Byrne and Chris Claremont. OK, so I cheated on this one, but The X-Men was such a good run with these guys. Such rich, developed characters and stories! Mr. Byrne has always been a favorite. (Honorable mention to his Superman run.)

Terry Austin inks

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Walter and Louise Simonson. Another cheat but I met them together and they are some of the nicest people in comics ever! Their X-Factor was a great run, and with Louise on Power Pack and Walt on Thor, you’ve got the greatest team-up ever with these two. Love sharing a meal with them anytime!

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Jeff Smith. I’ve met Jeff a few times, but this one is special to me because of his Bone series. When my son was a wee lad, we would read Bone together every night at bedtime. The artwork and story were great but the memories it made for me with my son are awesome! Something i will treasure my entire life!

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Neal Adams. What can be said about the man and the master at his craft that he was. We had him sign at Aw Yeah Comics in Harrison, NY, once and it was one of my favorite events we’ve ever had. What he did for this industry behind the scenes is something today’s creators continue to benefit from. Comics weren’t his only thing and the work he did with his company Continuity was something to marvel at. The man was a true force in comics.

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Art Baltazar. My longest-working relationship in comics is with this guy. We have hit the lowest lows and highest of high in regards to comics. He is a kindred spirit and never ceases to make me laugh every single time we chat. We’ve gone from the smallest of indie publishing, when no one would take us seriously, to working for some of the biggest companies in comics and animation, to opening a couple of retail stores together named Aw Yeah Comics. The relationship in comics I truly treasure. My brother.

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Scoot McMahon. This guy has been a staple of creativity and one of my favorite artists working today! He is so talented and can work in any number of styles. Any crazy idea I have I can throw at him and he will deliver on it every time and make it better than I would have imagined. Proud to call this very talented guy my friend and co-creator on a number of projects, and look forward to many more in the future. (Shameless plug: Go order Ninja Kaiju from us due out in February from Papercutz!)

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Nick Aureliani. Last, but certainly not least, my son. I mentioned him in the Jeff Smith entry above. Love this guy so much! He’s a funny and talented young guy and a pretty darn good writer! I’m a little biased on this one, I will admit, but the fact that I get to work on some comics with him is a true dream come true! Going from those nights we would read comics together at bedtime to creating new and original content with him, has truly been a fulfilling full-circle moment for me! I’m a proud dad!

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In all fairness, 13 doesn’t begin to cover it. Frank Frazetta immediately comes to mind. Perhaps I’ll do another list at some point. After all, Thanksgiving comes every year!

Happy Friday!

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Want more FRANCO’S FREE-FOR-ALL FRIDAYS? Come back next week!

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MORE

— WHO NEEDS WINE? Pair These Wonderful Meals With These Great Comics. Click here.

— DARWYN COOKE: A Champion — and a Champion for Us Cartoonists. Click here.

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Franco and his forehead have traveled the world and he writes and draws stuff. Franco is the creator, artist and writer of Patrick the Wolf Boy and Aw Yeah Comics! Franco has worked on books/comics, including Tiny Titans and Superman Family Adventures. Franco was also a high-school teacher and is one of the principal owners of Aw Yeah Comics retail stores. Dan made Franco add that he has won three Eisners.