A Story about Ken Danby
been told by anyone else because it only happened to me.
Several years ago (I would guess it was late 1990s) I heard about a seminar in Delaware regarding
Ancient mysteries, ancient mapping, ancient relgions. Since this has always been a hobby of mine, I elected to go to it .
I live in NE Pa. so Delaware is a short drive and the seminar (2 days) offered a discount price at a nearby hotel.
I was checking into the hotel and a young man (early 30s?) was behind me at the registration desk. I turned and asked if he was attending the seminar in the morning, he said yes and I asked if he wanted to go somewhere and grab a beer.
We drove down the street until we found a small corner bar and went in. In our conversation during the short ride to find that bar I found out that he was employed by Marvel Comics and drew Spiderman.
We sat in the bar and I had a corner slot. Next to me was a man around 50 who was dressed in a safari jacket. He looked like a movie actor and was sitting there by himself. We all nodded to one another and there was a sign up behind the bar that said "Killians Red Beer."
I asked Spidey if he wanted to try a Killians, he said yes and I yelled over to the bartender...."Can we get 2 Killians down here?"
When the bartender dropped off the 2 beers the safari guy looked over and said "How is that beer?"
I said..."I don't know." Then yelled out to the bartender..."Hey, can you bring another Killian's red over here?"
When the safari guy got his Killians we toasted life to which one of us asked him..."are you here for the seminar?" (I think the only reason it was asked in this small bar was because none of us looked local ...most especially safari guy!"
Safari guy said that yes, he was there for the seminar. He explained that he was an artist who had done "ok" in life and he was painting some of the mystery sites
and was very excited to hear all of the seminar speakers.
As the beers flowed the three of us ended up in a long conversation about ancient Mayans and Safari Guy (who introduced himself simply as Ken) had a theory about
how they saw things different and he started drawing pictures of several mayan pieces. As we chatted about each drawing that Ken made he would push it to the side
and make another drawing which brought us to more conversations.
As the evening drew to a close and we were getting ready to leave, I said "So Ken....you said you have made a pretty good living with your art....I guess I'll just hold on to these
napkins so I can sell them some day." ( I said this jokingly and was pointing to them on the bar...not intending to pick them up or take them...after all they were just doodlings on a bar napkin!
Ken laughed, grabbed the napkins off the bar, squished them in his hands and pocketed them ( I assume to be thrown away when he got to his room)
The next two days at the seminar I saw Ken a few times, We had lunch together and he took me over to one of the tables selling books and pointed out some books and
magazines that he recommended and I bought.
I never expected to see or hear from either Spidey or Ken ever again.
But...............several years later I was reading a book entitled "Uriel's Machine" and for some odd reason the safari guy, Ken popped into my mind and I had this
"feeling" that I should call him and tell him about this book. Why Ken popped into my mind....I don't know...but I have an idea that Ken is just another of the many interesting
people who have popped into my life over the many years..
I ran through my Rolodex till I found the business card that Ken had given me and I called the number on the card. Ken Danby answered the phone.
I said..."Ken, you probably don't remember me...we met at the Delaware (I can't remember the name of the festival) several years ago......
Ken interrupted..."Killians red right?"
Yep
I said..."Ken I am reading this amazing book and for some reason I had this feeling that I needed to tell you about it. He asked me for the name of the book, wrote it down and then said..."I have my new website up..check it out and see what you think....he then gave me the name of his website....(again, I don't remember the exact name of the site)
When I went to the site you can guess my amazement at "who" I had befriended in a corner bar in Delaware.
I never again talked to Ken but for some odd reason he stayed in my thoughts over the years. He was that kind of person I guess.
I believe it was last year that I had another flash moment and decided to call Ken to see how he was doing. It was then that I found out that he had died in the canoeing adventure.
It was sad....mind you it didn't make me cry or put me in a funk. I didn't know him that well..
He was simply a "cool guy" I met in a bar in Delaware along with my new found friend...the guy who drew Spidey for Marvel.
My brother was a huge comic collector in his youth and when he got older and was living a bohemian lifestyle in North California he sold off many of his collectibles from Marvel. So a visit with Spidey was actually more of a thrill at the time than meeting a famous artist.
I just wanted to share this.....I see you are a writer. I am a writer at heart. I write daily. I have had a more than interesting life. I speak to many youth groups in my area and my story is simply "my story." But my story is unique enough that the kids love to hear it. I am invited to speak to a youth entrepreneur camp each summer and the kids always tell me that I was their favorite speaker and many say to me...."Wow, you should write a book about your life!"
And one day I am sure I will.....
But I wanted to put my Ken Danby story "on paper" and tell it to someone who knew Ken. It is a story that no one else ever heard about this man. And for me, it speaks volumes about the kind of person he was!
Charlie Umphred, West Wyoming
