AT SAN DIEGO'S Comic-Con International, the nation's largest comic book convention, Michael Paulson trembles with excitement as he watches Tony DeZuniga putting pencil to paper. "Oh my God! I'm so excited; my pants are going to explode! Nobody does pencils like Tony DeZuniga anymore. Tony's a legend!" Paulson says.

A few deft, masterful strokes later and he's drawing Jonah Hex, the gun-slinging comic book anti-hero he helped create for DC Comics over 30 years ago.