11/27/06: Remembering Dave Cockrum...

You know, alot of people will tell you when they met this creator that he was a...hmm...well, not a nice man. However, that's NOT what I'm going to tell you.

I met Dave and his wife once, at the 2005 Heroes Convention, since it was the only show he and I both went to that year (and was the only show I went to this year, and I think for him as well). It was weird meeting him, because it was during his time on his little scooter that he was going around the convention floor, and I almost stepped in front of him, stopping to make sure we were both okay, heh.

I looked at him and immediately knew who he was, and in fact, the first thing out of my mouth was, "Sorry, Dave, I should watch where I'm going better..." to which he replied...

"Do I know you?"

Making me realize that I made the same mistake I seem to with everyone in the comic industry...thinking we're already friends based on the years of collecting their work. I'm sure stalkers justify this, but I apologized, and introduced myself as a local creator and handed him some sample pages, explaining that I didn't bring any books with me to get signed because I never really collected signed books.

I talked to him for about 10 minutes or so in the middle of the convention floor, asking how his health was, what his travel was like, and how he and Patty were doing. By the end of the conversation he told me to make sure I watch where I am going and pat me on the back.

Looking back, when you live through something like that, its almost mystifying, realizing that you are speaking candidly at a pioneer in your favorite industry. In video gaming, it'd be like talking to Harai or Miyomoto, people that truly stand out in the industry...

Here was was, a man that created the look for Storm and created Nightcrawler, and I was picking his brain, but not about comic stuff, about things that "mattered" in larger scale.

In a way I miss him more than other creators that have passed on, because he touched a little piece of me, and I hope before he left, I touched a little piece of him, too.

Finally tonight, here's a piece of NIGHTCRAWLER drawn by Travis Charest, as it was done for a Dave Cockrum donation book to help him cover his expensive costs for his diabetes. Have a nice night folks.