My Anecdotage: Mr. T
He came to national attention in such entertainment as The A-Team and Rocky III and was identified with the Rocky III catchphrase "I pity the fool."
The first issue of Mr. T and the T-Force came from Now Comics in 1993. The Now Comic Card that came with the first issue described him: "A three time city wrestling champion, Mr. T was also a star football player at Chicago's Dunbar High School, where he received his diploma. He is living proof of his motto: 'Don't be a fool...stay in school!'" The Now Comics folks invited Don and me to discuss the project - and we ended up at lunch with them and Mr. T on February 3.
That business lunch was at Bob Chinn's Crab House in Wheeling, Illinois, a large and excellent restaurant that the Internet assures me is still there. And it was there that Mr. T told us that his goal in being involved with the comic book was to encourage kids to read. As he told Stephen in an interview later that year, "If I couldn't read, I wouldn't have gotten the part in Rocky III. If you can't read, the only thing you can do is enjoy the pictures, not the whole story. Reading is the key to knowledge. Knowledge is the key to understanding. So read on, young man! Read on, young lady!"
That restaurant meeting was memorable in many, many ways. Mr. T never got to eat. He'd brought with him a case of photos so that anyone who wanted an autographed picture could have one. And people (including restaurant staff) lined up for the treat. (Yes, we got that treat, too.) He was brilliant, painstaking, and kind to all.
And later? As an unexpected bonus for us (and a tribute to the trade journal we were producing), he (and Now Comics) sent us this poster.
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