As a kid, I had never really owned any real comic books, but I grew up with so many of the characters and remember watching a lot of animated shows. It was 90′s shows like X-men, Spider- man, The Ninja Turtles, Batman, Dragonflyz, and Gargoyles (even the CG- animated shows of the time like Max Steel, Transformers: Beastwars, or Starship Troopers: Roughnecks) that got me interested in art and the animated world. My favorite was The New Batman/Superman Adventures, by Warner Bros.

Fast-forward to High School, when social networking sites had just exploded into popularity for me and I was filling my “page” with images of Michael Turner’s and Jim Lee’s DC Superman covers. I started taking some art classes in school and started taking it seriously when I got to college.

It was one of my dreams to make it to Comic-Con for the first time, at 18, and see Mike in person and just shake his hand. I felt no need to get his signature or autograph -I didn’t feel like I was even a real fan since I had no books- I just wanted to be there and appreciate more of his work.

For the short two days I was there, I had not known of his passing and was only just getting the feel of the place, so I didn’t get to see his booth at the exhibit hall at all really. The following con, in 2009, I was determined to become more acquainted with his work and in comics in general.

That year, I had met Marc Silvestri and grabbed a signed print from him. I saw Dark Horse’s Buffy series for the first time and bought a poster from them. Even Stargate, North America’s longest running scifi series for 2007 was there for the first time and they even brought the gate with them!

At last I got to the Turner booth, where I found out about Fathom for the first time and bought my first real comic: the Fathom TPB Definitive Edition. I got some remembrance buttons and the tribute booklet. I also picked up his sketchbooks and the print to Soulfire #10, signed by Mr. Steigerwald.

It was all just really cool and a lot of fun. I knew in the back of my mind he was gone, but I was celebrating him too…I still am. The more I learn about who he was through online posts and pictures and his art, the more inspired I am to celebrate who he was to me and be my own person as an artist.

This is something that has become an uncompromising source of inspiration for me when I’m stuck artistically or unmotivated. I think about how incredible his attitude and love of life was and how it all shows through his art. That’s the spirit of Mr. Michael Turner: fun-loving, energetic, unafraid to live, and so loving!.

I want to take what he has given me and use it to bring to life my own creations and inspire others who are fans of his work. Let us all celebrate the person and his art, so we can keep his spirit alive.

I never got to meet you Mike, but like any other fan, I’m sure you would have greeted me happily and full of life just the same, maybe you’d have given me a sketch or an autograph and like any fan I would have been dazed by the experience for months.

Thank you, Mike. I’d like to say something clever and meaningful here for the end, but I feel like this whole journey you’ve taken me on was just one huge, crazy ride on the waves, so I think it’s more appropriate just to have fun with it and say what’s been on my mind since reading my first Fathom book. Hang Loose!

Ever since I have decided to collect all of his comics. His art has always been amazing and even if I don’t care too much for the story I’m constantly mesmerized by it. I was terribly sad to find that he had passed away a few years ago and I hope that he knew how much he inspired people with his art.

You may be gone, but your artwork will always live on with me. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us.

At that moment I got my mother, who was helping my brother find a certain Wolverine title. My parents didn’t make much money back then and with that in mind I tried not to get my hopes up and went to ask her if I could have it anyways. It was $35…She reminded me the rules of our deal, which I new was coming. I was ready with my rebuttal, telling her I was willing to strike up another deal. I told her that if she got me that comic book she wouldn’t have to buy me any new comic books for two months afterward. She hesitantly agreed, probably not sure if I meant it, but I implored that I would stick to my side of the deal.

After getting home and carefully reading the comic something like 5 times I sat content, for at least a few hours. I couldn’t stop thanking my mother that day for the comic and I worked extra hard at my chores for after then. I must admit I completely forgot about the other titles I was currently collecting and even went back the following weeks with my Marvel comics to eagerly trade in for ANYTHING Michael Turner had his hand in. I had been drawing since I was 7 or 8 years old and he was my new hero at that point.

When I was using myspace, I friended Aspen Comics and wrote a long comment (much like this one) on the page and not 2 or 3 days later I got a personal message from none other than Michael Turner himself!! I never thought one could get star struck over the internet, but there I was, light headed and smiling like a powerball winner. I must have read that message 100 times. It wasn’t a short “thanks for your comment” message either. He addressed me by name, and spoke very humbly, person to person, on the same level. He thanked me for his kind words and said that my comment made him feel so good that he thought he would pass it around the Aspen office (as I was thanking him and everyone that worked so hard to bring out such amazing titles). His message was a good paragraph long.

Fast forward a year or so and there I was in Phoenix going to college, and with a perfect attendance record to boot! I was driving to school one day in early July, listening to the radio and the DJ mentioned about a comic book artist dying the friday before. When they said it was Michael Turner, I immediately called my mother back in CO and told her. She said she thought she heard but wasn’t sure if that was “my guy”, referring to the artist I was collecting comics from for so many years. I said yes and she knew I was broken up. I couldn’t stop crying. I turned my car around and drove right back home. A bunch of my friends from class called my phone, they thought I was dead because I never missed class. I couldn’t bear to go to class, I couldn’t hold myself together long enough to focus on anything but the loss I felt.

Over the years I had collected anything I could afford to get my hands on of his, even going into a bidding war on a Soulfire Limited Edition Pittsburgh OP, that I finally one, paying over $300 for. I knew I had to have it there was only 50 of them and it just so happened to be #10 of the 10 “Artist Proof” versions, so only 9 others existed out of the 50.

After all this, being someone who’s never actually really “met” Michael Turner, I can’t even begin to imagine how his family and friends must feel with this. I want to wish those people as well as all his fans who feel the same way I do about this person that wasn’t just a great artist, but also someone who was very humble, and treated his fans like extended family. I’ll always remember Mike and how seeing that first Witchblade #1 hanging on the wall made me feel those 15 years ago, a feeling that has kept me enthralled through all his work, falling in love again and again….and remembering how he treated me with such kindness and uniqueness when I finally was able to contact him through the internet. He will truly be missed by all. Rest In Peace Mike, I hope you don’t mind I call you that, I feel like we’ve come that far by now.

Joshua Romo

Thanks for making the world more beautiful and inspiring me to be a better artist.

Vixey♥