Well, suppose I set the story straight[er], as to my reasons for writing the Heidi poem in the Creation '74 [Jan] program I editied and published for Malin/Berman's convention
I always harbored a little bit of attitude against entrants for a Costume Parade Prize who didn't personally make their own costumes [like 'buying' a prize away from those fans who wroked hard - or using steroids in a sports event].
However, I always was polite to the Saha's and their daughter, even when Heidi's mom pestered me for photo's of past events with Heidi.
The turning point came when Phil held a reception for the guests and workers of the '73 July Comic Art Convention [for which I ran the dealers room]. Held in one of the smaller ballrooms with large banquet-style round tables, one table was taken by Neal Adams and his Crusty Bunkers, and so on.
I witnessed the following up close:
Heidi's mom physically dragged an on-the-verge-of-tears Heidi into this reception, along with a cassette boom-box, which she turned on and nastilly [sic] ordered Heidi to pirouette around the room. Heidi refused. Her mom got louder and nastier. Heidi again refused and started crying. Her mom then slapped her hard
The conversation in the room stopped, all eyes on this embarrassing scene. The entire Adams table got up and walked out, followed en masse by most of the guests. the reception prematurely over.
I felt really bad for Heidi. And my suspicion of that *spoon* of a mother's politic in USING her to vicariously live through her daughter was confirmed in spades.
So later that year, I saw a picture of a young girl in Gallery magazine who was reminiscent of Heidi - and all of a sudden an idea popped into my head [at that point I had already been commissioned to produce the Creation program booklet] on how to make a public comment that would force the issue, and perhaps foment a situation wherein her mother would cease such behavior.
"With a word she commands her 'bout the floor" [from my Stairway To Heaven parody]
Al Schuster [who started the Star Trek conventions, and was also the printer for many fan related publications in the comic and SF worlds, and also of this booklet] decided to put his ad directly across from this page - and he was a friend of the Saha's!
Many people/artists/writers, including witnesses to the reception travesty such as Neal Adams, came up to congratulate me for having taken such bold action. Others whom I had been friendly with beforehand, such as the Saha's good friend Gray Morrow, never spoke to me again.
At night of the first day, Art Saha came running up to me in the lobby screaming, "That's not my daughter!" and proceeded to throttle me against a wall, my feet off the ground. I said it wasn't, he accused me of using a 'spoonerism' [named after a certain preacher of the 19th century who would switch the first letters of two sequential words in his sermons to make a point humorously). Phil Seuling came to the rescue, and man-handled Art off of me.
(Phil did not attack me, Phil did not ban me from his conventions. Ahh, blogging is far worse - and more damaging - than the game of 'telephone']
The results are well known and can be seen by anyone by viewing the booklet - hopefully the less dim-wits amongst this blog can see that this attacked the manipulative mother, NOT the daughter.
Warren himself was tight-lipped, but civil. He came up to me and expressed his sorrow that my father had passed [a couple of days before the convention]. Future issues of Warren mags no longer advertised the Heidi book - he presumably had the rest destroyed as a result of the reception
Heidi herself understood - while walking away from her room on the eve of the second night, a few doors down from mine, one of her girlfriends peeled off from her clique and came up to me: "Heidi says 'Thank You'"
She knew [or hoped] her parents [mother and weak father] would never do this to her again.
Well, suppose I set the story straight[er], as to my reasons for writing the Heidi poem in the Creation '74 [Jan] program I editied and published for Malin/Berman's convention
I always harbored a little bit of attitude against entrants for a Costume Parade Prize who didn't personally make their own costumes [like 'buying' a prize away from those fans who wroked hard - or using steroids in a sports event].
However, I always was polite to the Saha's and their daughter, even when Heidi's mom pestered me for photo's of past events with Heidi.
The turning point came when Phil held a reception for the guests and workers of the '73 July Comic Art Convention [for which I ran the dealers room]. Held in one of the smaller ballrooms with large banquet-style round tables, one table was taken by Neal Adams and his Crusty Bunkers, and so on.
I witnessed the following up close:
Heidi's mom physically dragged an on-the-verge-of-tears Heidi into this reception, along with a cassette boom-box, which she turned on and nastilly [sic] ordered Heidi to pirouette around the room. Heidi refused. Her mom got louder and nastier. Heidi again refused and started crying. Her mom then slapped her hard
The conversation in the room stopped, all eyes on this embarrassing scene. The entire Adams table got up and walked out, followed en masse by most of the guests. the reception prematurely over.
I felt really bad for Heidi. And my suspicion of that *spoon* of a mother's politic in USING her to vicariously live through her daughter was confirmed in spades.
So later that year, I saw a picture of a young girl in Gallery magazine who was reminiscent of Heidi - and all of a sudden an idea popped into my head [at that point I had already been commissioned to produce the Creation program booklet] on how to make a public comment that would force the issue, and perhaps foment a situation wherein her mother would cease such behavior.
"With a word she commands her 'bout the floor" [from my Stairway To Heaven parody]
Al Schuster [who started the Star Trek conventions, and was also the printer for many fan related publications in the comic and SF worlds, and also of this booklet] decided to put his ad directly across from this page - and he was a friend of the Saha's!
Many people/artists/writers, including witnesses to the reception travesty such as Neal Adams, came up to congratulate me for having taken such bold action. Others whom I had been friendly with beforehand, such as the Saha's good friend Gray Morrow, never spoke to me again.
At night of the first day, Art Saha came running up to me in the lobby screaming, "That's not my daughter!" and proceeded to throttle me against a wall, my feet off the ground. I said it wasn't, he accused me of using a 'spoonerism' [named after a certain preacher of the 19th century who would switch the first letters of two sequential words in his sermons to make a point humorously). Phil Seuling came to the rescue, and man-handled Art off of me.
(Phil did not attack me, Phil did not ban me from his conventions. Ahh, blogging is far worse - and more damaging - than the game of 'telephone']
The results are well known and can be seen by anyone by viewing the booklet - hopefully the less dim-wits amongst this blog can see that this attacked the manipulative mother, NOT the daughter.
Warren himself was tight-lipped, but civil. He came up to me and expressed his sorrow that my father had passed [a couple of days before the convention]. Future issues of Warren mags no longer advertised the Heidi book - he presumably had the rest destroyed as a result of the knowledge of the reception travesty becoming widely known through this controversial poem
Heidi herself understood - while walking away from her room on the eve of the second night, a few doors down from mine, one of her girlfriends peeled off from her clique and came up to me: "Heidi says 'Thank You'"
She knew [or hoped] her parents [mother and weak father] would never do this to her again.
Registered: 06/23/03
Posts: 9885
Loc: Texas Hill Country
Wow. Thank you for sharing. I mean Wow, that was a helluva story and makes me never want to pursue a copy of that book again.
_________________________
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C. S. Lewis
Registered: 05/18/07
Posts: 14
Loc: Louisville, KY
This is all bullsh*t! If you want the book buy it. If you dont want the book then dont buy it. Simple. All you *spoon* who cry foul are only adding to its desirability by all the BS stories you keep posting. This is a nice book and low print and valuable. I treasure mine and besides, what am I going to do to change history from 30+ years ago??? Nothing...nor are you. Enjoy it or ignore it.
Registered: 06/23/03
Posts: 9885
Loc: Texas Hill Country
For you...
_________________________
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C. S. Lewis
Just setting the story straight - from de horses mouth to sow's ears
I did not comment either way whether one should pursue [or not] this "collector's item", merely the history of it's being pulled. I for one was further appalled at the time - it was an additional impetus to the ballroom incident which further spurred me on
Registered: 06/23/03
Posts: 9885
Loc: Texas Hill Country
Originally Posted By: Jayman
Thanks for the insight, very interesting events!
In my mind Manny's post is probably the most significant one we have had on the mag boards. If they ever update the Warren Reader they need his story in there!!!
_________________________
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C. S. Lewis
