Michael, to answer your question.
As many on these boards know, I'm involved with a group that puts on the local comic book conventions in our area. As such I've gotten to know, and make friends with many talented artists and writers. The Twin Cities has been blessed with several top knotch comic book creators over the years and I've been fortunate to know them fairly well.
In the Superman department, I can call both Dan Jurgens and Doug Mahnke friends. I've been able to meet and spend some time (due to our conventions) with former Superman artists, Doug Hazelwood, Stuart Imonen, and the highlight of my convention experiences, Curt Swan.
Concerning the Shazam reference. Most of the issues of Power of Shazam were drawn by another friend of mine, Peter Krause. As a lark, he put me in one of his books. I make an apperance in Power of Shazam number ten. I'm the bartender serving Uncle Dudley and Tawny Talky. It's fun knowing comic book artists.
Tank (who also has in his collection, a portrait of Lois Lane done by the Lois Lane master himself, Kurt Schaffenberger)
