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BATMAN -- SEDUCTION OF THE GUN -- GRAPHIC NOVEL |
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Seduction of the GUN DC Comics, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019 JENETTE KAHN, President & Editor-in-Chief; DICK GIORDANO, VP-Editorial Director, DENNIS O'NEIL, Editor; SCOTT PETERSON, Assistant Editor; JIM CHADWICK, Director-Design Services; JOE ORLANDO, VP-Creative Director; PAUL LEVITZ, Executive VP & Publisher; BRUCE BRISTOW, VP-Sales & Marketing; PATRICK CALDON, VP & Controller; TERRI CUNNINGHAM, Managing Editor; CHANTAL D'AULNIS, VP-Business Affairs; LILLIAN LABERSON, VP-Legal Affairs; BOB ROZAKIS, Production Director On July 31, 1990, I placed a call to Bob Daly, the Chairman of Warner Bros. "He's unavailable," said Marisa O'Neil who works for him. "Sandy Reisenbach's son was murdered last night." "What?" I wanted Marisa to repeat it. I was sure I hadn't understood what she said. "Sandy's son was murdered." It was incomprehensible. Sandy Reisenbach, the caring, sensitive man to whom we report. John Reisenbach, his first child, his only son, just 33 years old. He had gone to make a telephone call down the block from his apartment in Greenwich Village, because the phones in his building were out. Standing at the pay phone a little before midnight, John was shot. He wasn't robbed. There was no apparent motive. A random, senseless, unbearable killing. Paul Levitz and I attended the memorial service. It was excruciating. John's friends, so full of life with the future ahead of them, got up to speak and remember him. John had abundant good-nature, they all told us in one way or another, a mischievous sense of humor. He was deeply in love with Vicki, whom he'd married in 1979. He was a wonderful host. Jokes and stores were forever popping out of his mouth. He was head of the advertising department at a television syndication company where he was enormously respected and liked. His possibilities seemed limitless. John loved animals. He and Vicki had a dog, Fang, and had adopted two strays. John loved nature, too. Vicki and he regularly had their friends up to the country where John barbecued and laughed and somehow made everyone feel that these were the best days of their lives. Paul and I left the service with grief so sharp we didn't know where to put it. Talking to one another, we felt the only release for the pain was to channel it into something positive. We resolved to publish a strong comic book story that would indict the proliferation of guns in this country and the ease with which they are used. With the full support of Warner Bros. Studio heads Bob Daly, Terry Sernel and Barry Meyer, the proceeds from Batman: Seduction of the Gun are going to the John A. Reisenbach Foundation for gun-control education activities. We hope with all our hearts, for Sandy's sake as well as for John's, that both the comic and the funds it generates make at least some small difference. Jenette Kahn, November 12, 1992 We would like to acknowledge the young people whose names are listed below. They are all students of St. Angela Hall Academy, in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and their help with the street language that appears in our story helped make Seduction of the Gun true to what's happening on our streets and in our schools. La Var Cabiness, Jesus Gineste, Shun-Mahn Jarrett, Christopher Smith, Mark Ward, Louis Colon, Clifford Harmon, Kyle Judge, Salema Tyler, Tsahai Weir Special thanks also to Ruthie Thomas |
