Ken Spears (1938-2020)

We lost Joe Ruby a few months ago and now we’ve lost Ken Spears.

Joe’s demise saddened but didn’t surprise me; I knew he had been in declining health for a while and even back in the day he had a few health issues (smoking gawd knows how many cigars a day didn’t help, either).

But Ken…Ken I always assumed would be there.  He always exuded health -- physical / mental / emotional.  I’ve met few people as well grounded as Ken was; I thought he’d be around for at least another decade or two.

Mark Evanier wrote a fine tribute to Ken and there’s precious little I can add to it that I haven’t already said.  I liked Ken a lot (truth be told, my relationship with him was a lot less prickly than my relationship with Joe -- and I liked Joe a lot as well).  He was always charming and gracious, and willing to give any harebrained scheme of mine a fair hearing before saying, “You’re nuts, Buzz.”

He was without question one of the nicest people I’ve ever met -- and it’s been my privilege to have met and worked with a lot of super-nice people.

I’ll close with a true story.  Once, when Ruby-Spears occupied a former dental office that we called “the submarine” because there were no windows in it, Joe and Ken came into my office and found a bull session going among artists John Dorman, Gordon Kent, and Larry Huber, and writers Jack Enyart, Steve Gerber, and yrs trly.

“What have we got here?” Ken asked.  “Three artists not drawing, and three writers not writing.”

“And hopefully, two executives not executing,” said Steve.

So long, Ken, and thanks for being half of the best producing team I ever worked for.  I’m sorry we broke into your and Joe’s liquor cabinet and drained it dry after finishing work on the Marvel Dog And Superhero Show presentation back in 1980.*

  
© Buzz Dixon 

*  No, I’m not.