Lots of people are going to write things about Darwyn. They should. Someone who gave us so many great stories deserves more than a few himself. Here’s mine. I came to Darwyn’s work through The New Frontier. It’s still one of my favorite comics ever. I had it next to me when I started Love and Capes. In a lot of ways, it was my bible. Just having it next to me made me try harder. It was that good.
When Love and Capes moved to IDW full-time, Chris Ryall wanted the book to have variant covers and he asked who I’d like to have do one. I laughed and wrote “You’ve got Darwyn Cooke doing the Parker books. How about him? Hah hah!”
To my surprise, Chris asked him. And Darwyn wrote back: “Thom’s a good kid. I’d love to.”
I don’t think Darwyn knew me well. And this isn’t one of those stupid remembrance of “Let me tell you how cool person X was by telling you this time person X liked me.” It’s the opposite of that. Knowing me as little as he did, he still took the time from his schedule to draw a cover for my book. I never found out if he charged for that cover. I know he gave me the cover as a gift.
Gave, not sold. Believe me, I would have paid for that cover. I certainly offered to. But nope, Darwyn just gave it to me. It’s hanging on my wall in my studio just to the right of where I’m typing this. It’s never coming down. It’s the physical embodiment of an act of kindness that I can’t imagine what I did to deserve.
Darwyn and I weren’t close. But we’d see each other at conventions and talk and smile and exchange a firm handshake. It was always a highlight when I got to see him. I shared a few drinks with him in Cincinnati last year and I’m so glad I got that chance now. It was a very Darwyn conversation: sometimes fiesty, sometimes prickly, but always energetic and smart and with a smile.
Darwyn and his work both had a charisma that was uniquely him and impossible not to feel. A friend of mine says that he was our generation’s Alex Toth, and he was definitely that. But he’s also my Frank Sinatra: a great combination of craft and skill, complexity and charm. He’s what I’m trying to be.
Darwyn was, as he wrote on that cover, “my pal.” And I’m going to miss the hell out of my pal.
[image src="http://thomz.com/blogall/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/darwyn.jpg" align="left" border="image_border" link="#" alt="" title="Goodbye, Darwyn" lightbox="false" ]