Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
Happy Mother's Day

"And as long as we were drawing comic books that was okay, because our mother grew up reading comic books as a child. She went through the same things all children go through with comic books - her mother threw them away, told her they were garbage. So when we were children and we began to buy comic books she thought that was okay because she knew it was okay for her. So she actually encouraged us to read comic books and to draw." - Gilbert Hernandez



Like Mrs. Hernandez, my mom was super cool with my love of comic books. In fact, if it wasn't for her, there's no way I would be reading comics today. It's not quite as simple as her having bought me Pink Panther and Spider-man comics for the long car rides to Temagami (though she did that, too). No, my mom went the extra distance. We weren't very well off when I was born, but my mom was determined to see that I developed a thirst for knowledge right away, before being placed into the school system. A talented, self-taught artist, my mom made dozens of individual flash cards for me, each one a handmade labour of love, with a word on one side and a beautiful illustration on the other. It was my first exposure to the juxtaposition of words and pictures. I can still conjure them up in my memory today.

So, thank you, Mom, for your patience, your encouragement and your tolerance. My interest in the visual arts, literature, and a mix of the two wouldn't be as strong as it is today if it wasn't for your hard work. From Ottawa to Paris, I send you my love. Happy Mother's Day.
posted by Steven at 11:30 PM