“The hardest thing in the world to do…is take a blow you can see coming.”
So, comic artist Michael Turner passed away early this morning after a lengthy battle with chondrosarcoma. I’ve known for a few hours, but it seemed the rest of the internet hadn’t been informed, and I didn’t want to be the a-hole to break such a delicate topic on some vanity project blog. That said, I think this is the first comic death that truly hits home for me. Typically, we get news of the passing of the pioneers, the Old Guard – people who were the architects of the medium, yet who haven’t been treated as kindly in their later years. Still, these people were revered for their history, and respected by fans until the end. I didn’t know those creators from the beginning, and watched from the sidelines with awe.
Michael was different, though, as I watched his career from the ground. Starting around the same time that I really gave myself over to comics, I’ve been there from the beginning of his career to, sadly, the untimely end. As far as respect from his peers, Michael, however, has always had a different road to hoe. He’s a pioneer in his own right. While he may have started as a student of “the Top Cow style”, he’s one of the first of that wave to break free from the stable and set up his own studio. Despite the sickness, he was still the go-to variant cover guy for BOTH Marvel and DC over the past 3 years, as well as working to get Aspen Studios back on the map.
I think Michael will be remembered most for his work ethic, as well as for his intense battle with cancer. I say “battle” and I mean it. The man had so many ups-and-downs, but it never stopped him as long as he had a say in the matter. Some might say that he was more prolific over the past few years than earlier in his career. Even after all of that, I’m still surprised by the amount of fanboys and professionals who used the topic of Mike’s illness to offer their not entirely positive, or necessary, two cents about him. I worked in comics for almost 2 years, and I can’t count how many times at cons I would hear something like, “Did you hear about Mike? It seems he’s had a relapse. Never really been a fan of his work, ya know, but he’s just such a great guy.” I mean, really…was that middle part even necessary?
Now, this morning, we’re getting posts like,
“Could never stand his work, so much so that I even commited [sic] a personal sin numerous times by buying the more expensive variant covers just to avoid the cheaper regular version that he did.
But that doesn’t mean I ever wished him ill.
Condolences to his family, friends and fans.”
Everyone deals with death in their own way, but I can’t begin to tell you how much this did, and still does, bother me. Sure, I could take the whole “If you can’t say anything nice,…” approach, but Lord knows I’ve never followed that to a tee on this site. That said, I guess it bothers me how these people have always made it about themselves. It’s been almost like they were dying to find a way to work in that slight. And now, today, it seems that nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that the world has lost a talented workhorse, who (while I tend to shy away from throwing this around) courageously fought his illness.
I only hope that the same basement critics will, in time, find a way to truly understand the man and his work. I’m not even saying they have to like it, but they need to appreciate the ethic, appreciate the dedication, and appreciate the man. They may not realize it now, but the world of comics won’t be the same after today. This isn’t one of those “He meant a lot to me, and I’ll miss him” posts. He meant a lot to all of us, just some don’t realize it yet. We’ll all miss him, and the medium is better, in many ways, for having the benefit of his contributions.
