It’s been fairly evident that I’ve been 2015’s bitch with all of the health issues, internal Inkwell turmoil, the loss of Norman Lee, and recently a summons for me to appear for Federal jury duty for two weeks next month in Boston. This has caused me to lose irretrievable time in the work schedule of my new assignment and this week these Acts of God lead to that project being cancelled. So I am opening up my commission list a LOT sooner than expected and already contacted my regular clients as well as three friends who were waiting to offer me small work jobs before the BIG JOB appeared last month. I regret how things turned out, albeit out of my control, but I’m not worried about the future and appreciate those who have already reached out to lean me a hand of support and work.

I wasn’t expecting to be posting so soon….

So much has happened since I first got the wake-up call about it from my pal Craig Rousseau Friday morning on March 6 as I was recovering from the bug that hit me so hard the day before I basically slept for 24 hours. That was QUITE the wake-up call. *Norman was on vacation with his wife Jan at the Cayman Islands and he disappeared while snorkeling; search and recovery had been underway since the day before.* My cellphone had two messages from Erick Korpi and Bob Shaw late the night before. Incredulous and sick, I didn’t even want to go online but hours later I did and saw that the small, tight comic book community had consolidated and taken over Facebook. Hours and days passed. It got worse; I got worse; and the world seemed worse off. It’s been a full week and my emotions and mind are gradually recovering from the shock and trauma. Healthier but sadder it’s hard to not be depressed when industry greats Fred Fredericks and Irwin Hasen pass on in such quick succession. What has helped heal and continue to heal is the passage of time and the emails, texts and calls from friends who knew and loved Norm. I’m trying to get back on top 樂威壯
of things now and function like I used to and I’m certainly getting there.  But it’s clear things have changed and I’m still missing something.

For those who missed out on details of the tragedy as it occurred, my article at the Inkwell Awards summarizes the story with a statement from poor, dear Jan and a link to the People.com press release. In it it quotes snippets from me from my statement about Norman on my Facebook wall. Here it is in it’s entirety from March 9 below. My Facebook account also has an album dedicated to Norm if you happened to know him or would be interested in checking that out. After that I think you’ll have an idea what kind of good guy Norman was and what you missed. He will never be forgotten.

What can I say about Norman Lee that hasn’t already been said in the outpouring of love expressed in social media this past tragic weekend? It’s all true that he was a larger than life personality, much like the characters he delineated professionally. He was a fiercely passionate person; He was very loyal and loving to the end but on the other hand, were you to have wronged him, you would clearly know it. He was driven in his convictions, which is obvious since he was continuously in demand in a highly-competitive market after a solo career of almost twenty years. He had tolerance, endurance, evident not only from his impressive physical prowess but the fact that he worked closely beside me for some time (not easy, ask anyone who has). He certainly inked quicker than me and could tackle the dreaded all-nighter like a champ (I barely could), allowing him to take on multiple issues within a given time (during a dry slump I ghosted/assisted him on a job later, a case of the ‘master serving the pupil’ role reversal which we both found interesting). He cherished his privacy, as his friends would often not know about huge developments/accomplishments in his life until mentioned randomly after the fact which amused us to no end. He was contagiously optimistic and enthusiastic. This would explain the sheer ease how he could network, build a multitude of working relationships with artists, and build a dedicated fanbase. He was brutally honest and called you on stuff. He did this to me a few years ago and I’m glad he did. Yet I forgot about it until a friend brought it up the other day because he had tact and was so likable that you simply didn’t hold it against him. Ultimately, I can honor him by trying to be an even better person. Norm was hope and inspiration personified. He leaves behind a proud legacy of work to the art form of inking. I miss the early days and wish our lives and careers hadn’t pulled us farther apart over time as it often does, leaving us with only flash greetings at conventions, a sacrifice to our dreams and success. But he will always be my friend.

The Inkwell Awards, a non-profit organization devoted to educating and promoting the art of inking, invites the public to vote for the industry’s best of the past year. The official public ballot will be available on the Inkwell Awards’ homepage from April 15 through April 30. Voting is open to everyone, whether fans or professional peers. The winners will be announced at the live awards ceremony at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC June 20-22 on Saturday the 21st at 12:30pm.

As with last year, the ballot will still list the nominees for the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame lifetime achievement award, which were chosen by the internal and separate Hall of Fame Nomination Committee (made up of the core committee, former committee members, ambassadors, contributors and existing Hall of Fame award recipients). To avoid a “popularity contest” where recent names have more influence than past masters, the two winners have been chosen by the HoF Nomination Committee rather than the public and will be announced at the ceremony. Current nominees are listed as a courtesy. Past Hall of Fame award recipients include Joe Sinnott, Terry Austin & Dick Giordano, Klaus Janson & Al Williamson, Wallace Wood & Kevin Nowlan, Mark McKenna & Scott Williams, and last year, Dick Ayers & Murphy Anderson.

“We’re so excited for this event, where everyone’s hard work will pay off and the best of the best ink artists and their work will be recognized,” said Bob Almond, founder and director of The Inkwell Awards (AKA “The Inkwells”). “Inkers have their own fans and followers, and often go unsung or glossed over in traditional awards events. Ours caters specifically to ink artists and allows several to be recognized and appreciated in various categories.”

Ballots and instructions can be viewed at The Inkwells’ web site beginning on tax day, April 15. A direct link will additionally be posted on their Facebook group page, where people may also ask any questions.

The Inkwell Awards is an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognize and award the best ink artists and their work. Now in its seventh year, the organization is overseen by a committee of industry professionals and assisted by various professional ambassadors and numerous contributors. They sponsor the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund for the Kubert School and host the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame Award.

Web site: http://www.inkwellawards.com/

Over at my section at my art rep’s site of Comic Art House all of my available original art is 75% off the listed prices effective immediately until January 2nd.  This includes pages from three issues of Marvel’s Heroes for Hire and the HfH: Spider-Island One Shot (all penciled by Kyle Hotz), two full issues of Green Force One: Tsunami (by Geof Isherwood) and complete short stories and related pin-ups from Stan Lee’s NHL Guardian Project with pencil art by Sal Velluto, Jack Purcell and Al Bigley! Look for a special gift for a loved one or reward youself while time and pages last!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Hi!  Sorry I haven’t been around here, friends, but my workload has been pretty busy with that project that I can’t talk about. And I’ve spent most of October being really sick causing me to fall behind in my schedule.  But, I will be attending the 2nd Rhode Island Comic Con in Providence in a week (November 2-3), along with my non-profit Inkwell Awards, so if you’ll be in the area feel free to drop by and say “hi” back!  This will probably be my last convention appearance until Heroes Con in June 2014, although if I can sneak out for Albany Con for a day just before that event I will.  I hope to add 3-4 new commisions to my gallery here within a month or so, maybe other site updates. But since I don’t expect to be very vocal here for a while with Halloween around the corner, in case I don’t get a chance or remember later, I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY HOLIDAYS!