To All Who Have Died...

Today, I find out Michael Turner died on Friday. I've pretty upset.

Michael Turner is responsible for Witchblade, one of the most influential comic book series of the 1990's and was responsible, along with Lady Death, the "Bad Girl" comics era of the 90's. I'm not going to lie, I never read any of his books. The art, though, always influenced me. I was going to try and meet him this year at Wizard World. Today, I want to kick my ass for complaining that he wasn't there this year like he always is. I was pissed because I REALLY wanted to meet him this year and... well, just talk to him.

Wizard Magazine had an article about him a year ago about how he battled cancer since 2000 and basically overcame it. Sadly, unlike the comics, the good guys didn't win and cancer, sadly, beat Mr. Turner at 10:24PM on June 27, 2008.

To anyone who is reading this and is a big fan of his work, my apologizes for this not being a more fitting eulogy. Today, I'm kicking myself for never meeting him, despite having so many chances to do so! I always wanted to, but the lines for him were so long I never could! I feel like the biggest asshole in the world because I always complained that he was the biggest name at Wizard World East for about 5-years straight... and now he's gone.

It seems every year that about 2 or 3 people who have made an impact on the world leave us at any given time. This year, this time, it seems that we are losing more and more in this summer of mourning.

Within the past month, we have lost 4 great human beings in the world: Musician Bo Diddly, Hard-hitting reporter Tim Russert, Comedian and Social Commentator George Carlin, and now comic book artist and innovator Michael Turner.

I will never forget what Michael wrote once, and it's advice I still hold close to this day. He said he never knew where an idea would come, so he kept a sketch pad by his bed to sketch down any ideas he got at night so he wouldn't forget. I won't forget his lessons on learning how to draw women, and I will never forget how he has redefined how to draw comics. If you don't believe me, look at his art and the way comics have basically evolved since 1995.

When Christians write and talk about "The Rapture", it's always prsented as a single moment, a single event. That all the people who would be "Saved" would be gone in an instant before the end of the world. Instead, it seems that if this is it, if this really is the end, The Rapture, instead, is a slow process where the very people we looked up to, relied on, trusted, and almost worshipped... they are the ones that leave us first instead.