It's been about 36 hours now since I got an e-mail from Craig Rousseau w/ the Subject line "Ringo".
When I first saw Mike's work, I was 16 and working at a little comic book shop in the mall. I've always been a Marvel fan, but for some reason this book caught my eye. It was the flash, but it was the flash like I'd never seen him. He was a little more round, a little thicker, and he had some kick ass running boots on! His feet were huge! It was so cool... and it had cool treds on the boots, the kind that if the Flash stopped real quick he'd rip a hole in the ground! It had a Kirby meets Anime feel about it, crazy stuff, I loved it!
As time went on, he was off to Robin, and I followed, and I followed him to any and every book he went to. Always amazing, always super cool feet :-)
A little later I learned a good friend of mine Rob Stull was inking Mike on Spider-Man, boy was I excited, a friend of mine inking Ringo! Can't get much better than that, I love Rob's inks, so crisp and clean, I have to say, he's always been my favorite over Mike.
Mike's run on Spiderman had him teamed up with another friend of mine (although not at the time) Todd Dezago. They told some of my favorite Spider-Man tales. My all time fav was the 3 issues that Dr.Strange appeared in. I love how Mike drew Dr.Strange, huge mustache!
Then came what I'm guessing is Mike's favorite project Tellos. Every issue had love in it, Mike and Todd pulled out all the stops for this one, it wasn't your normal everyday comic, it was fun and packed with adventure and all the other cool things (including big feet!) you came to expect from the team of Ringo and Dezago.
Needless to say, I followed Mike's career to every book he went to , Superman, FF, Spidey/FF, everything. I ate it up.
I've only met Mike maybe twice... the first time probably doesn't count, cause I just stood at his crowded table and watched him draw. I just stood there, I didn't want to bother him, I didn't have any money, and I always felt like a dork hanging around the guys I've grown up on... I just turn into a Chris Farley in an elevator w/ Paul McCartney... "Remember that time you drew Dr.Strange in Sensational Spider-Man? Awesome..." so instead of making an idiot of myself, I elected to just watch. Mike at one point looked up and I just smiled and he smiled and went back to drawing. The 2nd time was almost as bad, I came to the table he was sharing with Craig and Todd and knowing Craig very well, but not yet knowing Todd or Mike, I again watched as Mike happily drew for his fans. At one point again, he looked up and asked if I needed anything (I must have looked like a stalker) I just shook my head and asked if he knew when Craig would be back... I don't remember exactly what he said, but before he finished I transformed into Chris Farley... "I just wanted to tell you, I LOVED your Spider-Man issues w/ Dr.Strange!" he smiled and we chatted for a brief moment, then I told him I didn't want to keep him and let him get back to drawing.
Outside of that there was maybe an e-mail or two, a couple posts on his blog, and that's about all the interaction I had w/ Mike. I went to his blog at least twice a week, always interested in what he was going to post. I saw his interaction with fans on the Image boards... and was always amazed when he'd just pop up in the middle of some thread... here you have some random topic... a tv show, a favorite artist or comic or something that you'd see on a million boards, and there would be Mike. And I'd sit back and think to myself, holy crap, here's a superstar, a guy I've followed for the last 10 + years and he's posting on the same thread I am!
About a week or two ago, Craig e-mailed me asking if I'd got my tickets for the Red Sox game in Baltimore during the Baltimore Comic Con... he told me where he was sitting and I quickly bought my tickets. He said he had 4 tickets, so I got nosy, and asked who else was going... "Oh, you know, Me, Todd, Todd's girl, and Ringo" Holy crap! I couldn't believe it, I was going to go to a baseball game w/ Craig Rousseau, Todd Dezago, and Mike Wieringo! The Mike Wieringo! One of my heroes, a guy I kinda identified with after hearing him talk about how he wasn't sure how he fit into comics w/ his cartoony style. A comic book LEGEND!
I warned Craig that I might geek out, but I'd try to contain myself. Craig assured me that Mike was just one of the guys. I was so excited, called my Mom, my Grandma, talked about it endlessly to my Wife and kids.. and even though they didn't really understand my excitement, they were excited for me.
So yesterday around 8am, I get this e-mail from Craig entitled "Ringo" and Craig writes something like "Crap... I still can't believe this" and I'm thinkin' oh man, Mike can't make the game, he made other plans or something... and I continue to read... and I can't believe what I'm reading.
I let out a pretty loud "Oh My God..." teared up and re-read the e-mail, thinking I must have mis-read the e-mail.
I hardly knew Mike, but I felt like I did after our brief encounters and reading his blog every week. I do know his friends, Craig and Todd. I know they are beside themselves. My heart goes out to them.
I cried on and off yesterday, for a man I never really got to know... that's how much Mike touched people. He was a pretty awesome guy, and from what I've read in the past 2 days from fans and friends alike he was one of the best people you'd care to meet.
A friend of mine sent this to me last night and I thought it really said what I'd been thinking
"I keep expecting to wake up and find I've just been having a really weird dream. Mike turned in monthly work that always looked amazing. He worked so steadily and with such consistancy that it was easy to take him for granted. I can't think of a single time I was disappointed with his work. He easily had another twenty years of monthly work ahead of him. The artform has lost a hell of a lot with his passing. A hell of a lot. He was right up there with Romita SR and JR as my personal favorite Spiderman artists. I have the Spiderman Fantastic Four mini he did with Jeff Parker and I had held off on reading it until all four issues were out.
So many guys now can't do monthly books and the top guys now can't do a book without some of it looking substandard with messed up perspectives or inconsistant anotomy. They have to cut corners to turn something in four months late. As a fan I am literally dumbfounded and heartbroken I can only imagine what his peers, collaborators and family must be going through.
God can be a real douchebag sometimes."
I've mentioned one of the Beatles in this post, Paul. I was a kid when Lennon was shot, I've grown to appreciate the Beatles, and I look back and think of what the world lost with John. I'm pretty sure the comic book world just lost our John Lennon.
Big Hugs go out to Mike's family and Friends.... We'll miss you, but never forget you Mike.
all in the living room. I kept it (pretty much) contained to a 5 foot by 5 foot space... but when I put in the spinner rack, my wife knew it was time to find a bigger living area. :-)
same, only it's got 18 boxes of comics (so nothing you haven't seen before). Anyway, I'm excited about my office, I love it... cable, a couch to snooze / read on, my desk filled w/ crap, but the think I love most about my room is that I can put all my posters and comics on the walls. That is so much fun!
