114th Post - Gerber Postscript

Tributes are pouring in across the internet, from people all over the world, praising the work and humanity of Steve Gerber.

I guess you could start with my humble, poorly-written tribute from Monday, and continue to nicer-looking ones on Gerber's blog, which has been hijacked (in a friendly way) by his long time bud Mark Evanier.

I still can't believe he is gone. When you grow up reading comics, featuring characters that do not age despite having been around for decades and decades, it is easy to succumb to the notion that the people chronicling the characters' adventures are similarly ageless, infallible, and impossible for mere mortals to aspire to. Instead, these are people 10, 15 years older than I am now, dying of diseases that, well, old people die of.

This is hitting me harder than it has a right to. Trying to understand why.

My thanks to "R W S" for his comment last night/this morning. I know who you are, "R W S"! I have known you since we were both lads, saplings, strumpets.

Say, everyone reading this: Who was your hero when you were growing up? I am not referring to a parent, or a guardian, or a teacher. I am referring to someone whose books you enjoyed, or whose music inspired you, or whose films you found particularly stirring. Do dish, my friends. Do dish.

Bevboy