Comic book writer Roy Thomas celebrated Saturday, awarded key to uptown Jackson

Feb. 23 was declared Roy Thomas Day during a special ceremony during 2019 February Annual: A Celebration of Roy Thomas on Saturday in Jackson.

The daylong event highlighted Jackson native Thomas’ career as a comic book writer for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and initiator of dozens of comic books, including the first “Star Wars” comic book series.

Thomas follows in his predecessor Stan Lee’s footsteps, symbolically carrying the torch of other comic book icons that are long gone.

Friends, family and fellow comic book fanatics awaiting Thomas’ speech about his hometown filled the auditorium at Montgomery Bank Conference and Training Center in Jackson.

As the crowd cheered, Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization board member Craig Milde said, “This (ceremony) is in tribute to our honored guest, rock star and native son.”

Uptown Jackson member Wanda Young presented the proclamation declaring the day on behalf of City of Jackson Mayor Dwain L. Hahs.

“So, I get an award for going to the Lutheran School, Jackson High School and [Southeast Missouri State University], that’s pretty good,” Thomas said jokingly, referring to the declaration.

Uptown Jackson vice president Tyler Wolfsberger presented Thomas a key to uptown Jackson.

Thomas’ manager and friend John Cimino gave Thomas an autographed letter from Marvel Comics editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski, congratulating Thomas on his accomplishments.

An excerpt from the letter reads:

“... Your town should be justly proud of producing such an esteemed writer, editor and historian.”

Thomas and his wife, Dann, were endowed a lifetime membership to the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society by Terri Tomlin, followed by a lifetime membership to the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization.

“As one of my idols Yogi Berra says, ‘I want to thank everybody who made this night necessary,’” Thomas said. “It was very flattering when (Cape Girardeau County History Center director) Carla Jordan, who’s the real head honcho of all this, called me. I thought it was a crazy idea.”

Thomas joked that every time he visits Jackson, he has more trouble navigating the streets because of the growing number of roundabouts.

“I like traffic lights, I’m sorry. Roundabouts, I don’t know how to drive them,” he said. “I never liked them in England. I spent one night in 1970 driving for 20 minutes around one. ... My first wife was crying, ‘Where are we going?’”

He also reminisced of early childhood memories, including his first home on Greensferry Road in Jackson, which he visited Saturday, Thomas said.

The celebration continued in uptown Jackson at the Cape Girardeau County History Center among colorful window displays of fan art by Jackson High School students and Southeast’s Department of Art and Design.

Benjie Heu, professor of ceramics at Southeast, was in line outside of the center. Heu, Southeast students Jared Carlson, Natalie Gladbach, Emily Harris and Maddie McDuffy, local freelance graphic artist and animator Kevin Hand and Southeast professor of interior design Michelle Brune contributed many hours to completing the three-window display commemorating the event.

“We had three weeks. It was a real intense two weeks of planning, coming up with the idea, then coming up with designing, and implementing the design into actually printing it,” Heu said. “It took only a day to install. It was a ton of work.”

Across the street at 101 High St. was Cape Comic Con co-organizer Ken Murphy with his pop-up comic book shop.

“This is the excitement of welcoming back to the community where he was raised, a true giant,” Murphy said. “He’s that significant to what he has done, creating and storytelling. This is a great day for community.”

A steady and long line of fans nearly wrapping around the corner waited for a meet-and-greet chance with Thomas.

Inside the center, 250 comic books from the collection of Mike Day were suspended from the ceiling. Multiple superhero life-size balloons and photos of Thomas from various points throughout his career were displayed within the center, along with superhero-themed snacks.

Thomas’ classmates from 1958 Janet and Dave Ludwig, both of Jackson, had just made it inside the center, packed among the continual stream of guests.

“He was older than I was. He was a senior; I was in eighth grade,” she said. “But I can remember going to the Palace Theatre. Gary (Friedrich) and Roy were the main people there. Roy took the tickets and Gary would pop the popcorn.”

Friedrich eventually followed Thomas into a comic book writing career.

Thomas was very laid-back, she said, never standing out in a crowd.

“He was just a regular guy,” she said.

Thomas was “real studious” at school, Dave Ludwig added. And at Jones’ Drug Store, he’d frequently see Thomas and Friedrich in the comic book section.

Carla Jordan said she expected the enormous crowd Saturday.

“It has been magnificent. It’s been so highly organized,” Jordan said of the event. “The Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization, the committee, they did a fantastic job of getting this organized. It was wonderful to partner with them.”

Jordan added, “Mike (Day) is probably one of the biggest comic book fans; his collection is unbelievable. We started planning this in about August of 2017. He knew about this, and what we were planning. Mike lost a mighty battle with brain cancer, glioblastoma (in December 2017). ... This is a way that Mike can be here with Roy.”

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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