the sideways sig in the second-to-last panel reads

Barry Smith

...and the story itself seems to have 'inspired' the movie Wall-E

I think it was done middle to late 80s, but not yet found any way to prove it. Obviously I haven't had it since then, only acquired recently...

just remember that strips printed in August were probably done at the very least three months before...

Yes, Hamilton Comics pubs was the first place i looked, but no dice. Nonetheless, i bet this was published somewhere - I doubt Gray did a piece this specific (and non-sexy) just on spec.

actaull, more like middle Wrightson, not late, as this was done ca. 1992-3, which is only halfway through his professional art years (1969-2015)

Agreed! (also, big JR fan, although not the last few since his broither has shared writing chores, which I suspect he already was doing for a few before those)

A couple of other pages from this same story were sold through Heritage a while back

A couple of other pages from this same story were sold through Heritage a while back

Thank You!  I thought so, too!

Thanks again - i have changed the description for this piece, and credited you with hepping me to the actual facts.

Much thanks for that! Can you point me to any comic book that has that Kaluta house ad? (I already have the Wrightson/Shadow house ad in one of my books...)

I think you're right (and am revising the description), Thank You! I just looked at my Moscoso Comix (1989) and elements like the Sphinx and palm trees are in the finished KSAN strip, though nothing exactly like this prelim - plus the prelim itself mentions "portable radio on back". This was Victor probably creating some basic images he would employ in the finished work. AS for buck-naked babes in thigh-high boots, they're damn near everywhere in his works, so that's no help!

Well, I used to hang at DC office's bullpen weekday afternoons after HS 1971-1972, and I was friendly with Carmine, so probably at the office. Most of the others in my sketchpads came from either the 1971 or 1972 NYCACs (Seuling JulyCons, for which I ran the dealer's room in 72 and 73) although the early Wrightson, Jones, Weiss, and Kaluta sketches came from me being at their homes, since they lived only a couple of blocks away from me.

NO doubt you're right, although Che in the backgorund IS a reference to Spain. Might you help me and spot other bits of artist tribute[s] (perhaps EC) that I didn't catch? ASLO, with this Albatross! piece ( https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1831284 ) the person who is speaking to the Danklefs character is obviously another EC personage. I was thinking Gaines (thick glases?) or Feldstein, but perhaps you might be able to say whom it is...?

that's very good - I'm going to use tha title if i may?