Postcard image of Shel Dorf in front of his watercolor portrait painted by Hal Scroggy.
David Scroggy writes, “If you read my Guest Book entry, you’ll see I make reference to a watercolor portrait my father, Hal Scroggy, did of Shel. My dad is a prominent watercolorist – he is a member of the prestigious American Watercolor Society, for example, and has won many awards.
“[Shel] extended his kindness to my Dad, taking him on a trip to Tijuana on the trolley and other adventures. After a visit with Shel, he painted a portrait of him and sent it to him as a gift. This is a ‘thank you’ postcard from Shel to my Dad. I was back in Akron this weekend and borrowed the photo from Hal so I could scan it for the Shel Dorf Tribute site.
“My father…has the photo of Shel posing with it hanging in his house.
“A number of people have written me expressing curiosity to see the piece.”
David Scroggy is Vice President, Product Development at Dark Horse Comics. He writes, “In 1975, Shel took a couple of young men from Ohio, just arrived in San Diego, under his wing. It was me and Jon Hartz. Not only did he get us started as Comic-Con volunteers, but we wound up moving into the next-door cottage in Ocean Beach. Shel encouraged me to write a column for Comics Buyer’s Guide, arranging it with publisher Alan Light. Comic-Con and the column got me a job at Pacific Comics. This started a 35-year career in the business, and I am happy to acknowledge that without Shel it never would have happened.”
Jack Kirby (left) and Shel Dorf — Nov. 9, 1969