A True Master Of The Absurd

This afternoon we got some freezing rain – the mere threat of which led Loudoun County to close school early – but by the time I was driving home it was neither raining, nor freezing, really.
The roads were not at all icy and were, at worst, a bit damp. No worse than what you might see after a gentle summer sunshower.
This bit of moisture was sufficient, however, to induce enough panic in the commuters of Northern Virginia to lead them to drive 35 miles an hour below the speed limit and spend a fair amount of time just coming to a dead stop at random.
Thus my half hour drive was stretched out to a full 45 minutes.
It did very little to improve my mood, which was already bad due to the fact that I learned this morning that writer Steve Gerber had passed away.
While he had never reached the dizzying heights of acclaim that such figures as Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore have achieved, Steve Gerber had a monumental talent and made an indelible mark in comic book history. I can’t honestly think of a Steve Gerber comic that I read that I didn’t enjoy, and his Phantom Zone mini-series – which I re-acquired during my recent spate of back issue purchasing – remains one of my all-time favorite Superman stories, ranking right up there with Moore’s “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” and “For the Man Who Has Everything.”
If for no other reason – and there are far too many other reasons to list – Steve Gerber earned his place in comic book history simply by making possible one of the greatest pieces of background art ever in the form of a random piece of graffiti in an issue of Alan Moore’s Top Ten which read “I have a Giant-Size Man-Thing.” It’s as fitting a tribute as any to a master of the absurd.
Lots of people in the industry as well as fans have had much to say about his life and his work, but I think that Gail Simone – as she so often does – hit the nail on the head in this tribute to a comic book master who will be missed.
(For the record, I was also dismayed and saddened by the recent passing of actor Roy Scheider.)
So my first-ever Heroic Portrait sale is complete and I’m very pleased that the finished product got such a positive response. Hopefully it’s the first of many to come.
If I start making a regular income from it all I may use some of the money to hire someone to finally put together a decent site and maybe actually start marketing it.
(Of course, I’ll also use the money to buy new toys.)
Beyond completing that first transaction, not much of note has been going on in my life. I’m pretty much following the pattern of work, sit on the couch, sleep, work, sit on the couch, repeat.

Welcome to the Blogosphere Department:
Stacy, with her hair of many colors, has launched her own blog. Check it out here.
Hopefully she’ll post more regularly than her husband…or a certain reclusive blogger who shall remain me. Er, I mean, remain nameless.