#ripdarwincooke

   The world lost a truly great artist today,  Darwyn Cook has lost his battle with cancer. Unfortunately I only got to meet him once, for all too brief a time. I recall that 15 minute conversation at SDCC in 2012, with much fondness though. I remember thinking at the time that this was a creator who I would look forward to seeing and talking to again. Although I never got that chance, I am left with the feelings of warmth, genuineness and sincerity he showed to me as a fan. Not to mention that great, wry sense of humor. His talent was unquestionable as was his loyalty and love for his friends and fellow creators. The outpouring of love, support and well wishes when the comic community learned of his illness was immense and even that pales in comparison to the love, sympathy and compassion shown for him and his family upon his passing. There is an idea that the measure of a man upon his passing can best be ascertained by the quality of the company he kept throughout his life. I believe this to be true and very appropriate in the case of Darwyn. By that yardstick there can be no doubt that the only thing that might have possibly exceeded Darwyn’s talent, is the respect and love his peers in the comic community have for him. My heart goes out to his wife and family of course, but also to those of his colleagues who worked with him and knew him best. Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Connor, Frank Tieri, Scott Snyder, Ed Brubaker, Dave Johnson and so many others.

         The loss of this incredibly talented man also got me thinking. As a lifelong comic fan who has turned that love into a podcast, a blog, a YouTube channel, I have had the pleasure of meeting many creators over the past 5 or so years. Some I even consider friends and it makes days like today much tougher. If I hadn’t taken the time to get to know so many creators, losses like Darwyn’s probably wouldn’t affect me so much. That’s life though, isn’t it? Loved ones, colleagues, idols, mentors, they are all human and affected by the passage of time and mortality. So what is left behind? In the case of an amazing artist like Darwyn, quite a lot really. Beyond his amazing body of work, his passing reminds me about the true uniqueness of the comic industry, a community of creators, who create, shape, mold and affect icons who will outlive us all. This community is a relatively small one. The majority of the public does not and will not ever know many of their names. Certainly not the way they know the legends through which their talent’s shine. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Captain America, these are household names. Some of us have grown up reading about their adventures extensively, but even those who have never picked up a comic know who they are. There is something profound in that. An immortality borne in the culmination of what’s best about the comic book medium; telling stories through sequential art and words. Firing up the imaginations of all of us who are lucky enough to enjoy the rich worlds created for us by the wonderful people, like Darwyn Cooke. These individuals don’t work in the comic book medium to become rich or famous. They do it because they love it and I, for one, consider myself lucky that they share that love with me through the stories they tell.