I remember the Contagion storyline, and how Penguin was such a cold, sinister villain.  He was played straight, as a ruthless mobster, who had delusions of being suave and sophisticated.  His nail-on-the-head portrayal is just about all I remember from that storyline.

At least in the modern era, he's more of a crime boss than anything else.

In the old days, it was the trick umbrellas, as well as a criminal gang, which the tv series latched onto. Still, he had a criminal gang; so, the modern version of a crime boss isn't that far off the mark, either. They just stepped away from the gimmick umbrellas, for the most part. The old comics overdid it; but, the modern ones need to relax a little and embrace the gimmick, at a reasonable level. When your star dresses up as a bat, drives a unique vehicle that no one can trace, drags kids into his fights, and has a belt full of gadgets, what's wrong with a few trick umbrellas? The KGB used them to inject targets with poison; so, there is a real world precedent.

I've been online-acquainted with Tony since the days when he had his own message board. I sent him a link to your post and he sent me this response, with his permission to post it here:

I have no idea what he's talking about. Barb and I loved our time in Albuquerque. It was a wonderful convention. Our rental car was great, though it was a little scary when we drove up this mountain to get a view of the whole area. Our hotel room was great with the desk clerks giving us tips for restaurants and such.

If this guy had asked me specific questions about the issues, I would have happily answered them. I don't generally go into long stories about the comics I sign unless asked. A lot of fans just want a signature, not a routine. Though I do great routines with funny slices of my comics career and comics history in general.

But the bottom line is...I remember the convention very differently than he claims. I'm sorry if he was disappointed, but, without him asking even something as simple "How did you like writing this series?" or "What inspired your take on it?", I don't think I was under any obligation to go into the whole history of my work on the title.

Albuquerque is why I want to drive Route 66 from start to finish. The city made a real impression on me. Heck, a dear friend of mine lives there part of the year and I would love to back to spend some time with her.

You can post this to the group if you want.

Tony

Sounds to me like you two were just out-of-sync that day, for whatever reason. I hope you get a chance to meet him again and have a better experience.

I'm always tickled pink when I see a letter from New Zealand published in a comic book. 

I like the Ringmaster and the Circus of Crime, but they are hardly the most incognito team. I mean, surely word would get around to be very careful when the circus comes to town. Bit hard for their gimmick to remain incognito, to be honest. At least a team such as the Frightful Four or Sinister Six can plot in secret and attack when necessary, but it’s very hard for the Ringmaster and his Circus of Crime to hide their presence or remain low key prior to any villainous plan they have.

I’m not saying any villain can really remain incognito, but the likes of the Vulture can swoop in, do what he does and then get away. Someone like Bullseye can hide in the shadows. But a travelling circus can’t do that kind of thing.

There, I said it.