Dick Giordano

I've been pretty wrapped up the past week with the new addition to our household, so much so that I only today learned that the great Dick Giordano passed away this weekend.

I never met Mister Giordano personally. Anything I know of the man was gleaned by religiously reading his editorials every month in the back of DC's books. He had left his position at the company before I started working for DC although I did actually ink him on a job for a Flash annual in the mid-90's.

Imagine that. Me inking one of the greatest inkers in the history of the comic book medium. And man, did I fuck it up. You ever want to talk about stagefright, that job was a classic case. Mr. Giordano was an artist whose work I studied for years. Every page he inked was a textbook in what an inker does. So you'd think I might have been a little more competent but sadly, that wasn't the case.

Nonetheless, I still have the originals filed away and it's a small joy of my career that our paths touched, at least briefly.

There are a lot of people who knew Mr. Giordano personally, who are more eloquent than I am, and will write about the man, the artist, the executive, and his accomplishments in much more touching fashion than I ever could.

I would just like to say that the name and work of Dick Giordano touched my life on a monthly basis for many, many years. I read his columns, I studied his work, I hoped that one day he might hire me if I were ever lucky enough to impress him with my samples. His passing leaves a hole in my youth (which is starting to look like Swiss cheese as more of my heroes pass away), and a void in this crazy little business that will never be filled.

I am deeply, deeply saddened by his passing.

As Dick would always say, "Thank you and good afternoon."