Oh boy – today we journey back to the summer of 1993. So peg your jeans, crank up the Pearl Jam and get ready for the next Todd McFarlane!

Getting started in comics in the early ’90s my only real exposure was standing in the magazine racks of the local grocery store, Giant Eagle. While my parents shopped, I’d be glued to the racks, rifling through Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI), Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), and, of course, comic books. Those racks were a decent gateway to a world of Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Batman. Little me, all about drawing and art, was instantly hooked on the books that looked the coolest to a 13-year-old’s eyes.

Fast forward a bit. The legendary Comic Book Connection opens up just down the street from my buddy Geoff’s house. My first visit? Life changing. This wasn’t just another spot to grab comics—this was a full blown local comic book store. The owner trying to keep a rampage of kids under control, the smell of fresh comics in the air… You knew you were in the right place.

And then there was a name I kept hearing – Todd McFarlane. Everyone was buzzing about him—how he did incredible stuff on Amazing Spider-Man, created Venom, got his own series, left Marvel for Image, made Spawn, etc. To me? He was like this legend from a past generation. I was searching for my guy.

Enter Wizard Magazine, Moon Knight #55 (see the photo above) and the hype.

When I first laid eyes on Stephen Platt’s debut cover art, my mind was blown. His style was like Todd McFarlane meets Rob Liefeld, with a dash of the other Image founders—every cover, every panel packed with insane detail. It was over the top, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Among my friends, I was the guy who cared way too much about this stuff, flipping through the Wizard Top 10 books of the month, always hunting for Platt’s name.

He quickly became my comic book hero, the perfect blend of everything I loved about the era. I even dug deep into his jump to Image Comics, where he took on the series Prophet. I remember hearing that to sweeten the deal to leave Marvel, Image Comics founder Rob Liefeld bought him a Dodge Viper.

And then—meeting him at the Pittsburgh Comic Con in Monroeville (a suburb outside of Pittsburgh). I Still have the signed books from that day. It was like meeting a rockstar. His work on Prophet, especially the variant cover of issue #4, ended up being more awesome than I hoped. This is priceless and the definition of what is key to me. Years later, I even got it CGC’d.

Cut to 2024. My comic book passion? Back with a vengeance. My new mission: snag every Stephen Platt cover ever made. I’ve got a printed list, and I’m hitting up dollar bins, warehouse sales, eBay—you name it. The thrill of the hunt is real. At last count, I am up to 26 and still finding stuff all the time.

I’ve got to tell you, collecting comics when you have money in your mid 40s is a whole different experience compared to when you had to skip part of your lunch at school just to afford new books.

And then I see his name pop up in the credits of the movie Twisters. Platt, now works as an art director for huge blockbuster movies. Full-circle moment right there. Oh, and he’s still cranking out the occasional new covers for Marvel and DC, including an upcoming Moon Knight variant. I’m still all in.

This Stephen Platt journey has been a wild mix of nostalgia, discovery, and pure comic book joy. The hunt never ends, and honestly? I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Thank you to everyone who is reading Key To Me Comics, I can’t believe how many readers we have so far! And as always, subscribe to our stuff!