Tribute

I am amazed.

I stand in awe of those individuals (past and present) who have the talent, patience and determination to become comic book artists.

Legendary artists such as Neal Adams, George Perez, John Buscema, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Bernie Wrigthson, Jim Steranko, Arthur Adams, Curt Swan, Gene Colan, Frank Brunner, Mike Ploog, Michael Golden, Barry Windsor Smith, Frank Miller, Jerry Ordway and scores of others have brought great pleasure to me with their drawings.

To be able to take blank sheets of paper and illustrate a story is an astounding talent. 

To do so month after month is Herculean.

To master drawing perspective, shading, anatomy, architecture, layout, story flow, clothing, vehicles, composition and more is a profound talent few people possess.

When I was young I dreamed of being a comic book artist (I still do sometimes).  I constantly doodled, drew and wrote stories.

I learned to cartoon and managed to become a competent artist-enough to make a living at it.

But, I lacked the patience, determination and ability to layout a story convincingly.

Rendering 2D drawings to look like 3D eluded me.  I had neither the talent nor skill to pull it off.  It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Even now at 66 years old that young kid in me wants to draw comic books. 

It will never happen. 

Too many years have gone by.  My eyesight and eye/hand coordination are not what they used to be.

I have to settle looking at other artist’s work, content to traverse in their self-created universes.

Occasionally I’ll pull out a classic comic book, flip through its pages and marvel at the drawings.  I’ll feel myself drawing ever line, solving every problem and marveling at the incredible talent it took to do such things.

I have my books, my toys and other comic book related memorabilia and that will have to be enough.

But, at times, I wonder what would my life have been like if only......