Thanks, Beeb, for making a ‘true believer’
If comic book experiences were the barometer of my maturity as a person, I would be a late bloomer. I didn’t get into the print animated side of life until I was 8 years old. I was a youngling interested in getting away from the monotony of the grocery store with my mother when I discovered Archie comic books in the checkout line. I soaked up the adventures of Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and the gang.
From there, I jumped into early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tales. Already a huge fan (and still am) of the original cartoon series, the four green dudes with attitudes captivated my reading attention for years. It wasn’t until I discovered that my artist uncle held the comic book world in his domain that anything like Marvel or DC caught my attention.
My uncle Beeb is a phenomenal artist. He is one of the few people I know that can look at something and reproduce it without trouble. He doesn’t trace; he draws it by sight. He works with all kinds of materials, be it paints or pencils or even crayons. Comics are his favorites, really. He can recreate almost any panel he sees with ease.
So as a small child you can imagine my delight when I realized he had a comic stash tucked away for his own reading enjoyment. When I visited my grandmother, which was nearly everyday, I was free to read his comics as long as I didn’t damage them. It was through him that I learned that the art of comic book storytelling was a sacred thing, something to be revered and respected with the utmost care.
It was also through him that I learned that visiting comic book shops were almost like going to church. My philosophy: You take everything in when you get there and there is always a lesson to be learned. With his guidance I began learning about the X-Men, Superman and Batman. Out of those, the X-Men intrigued me the most. And it’s because of Beeb that I am blessed with the immense knowledge of comics that I have acquired over the years.
Thanks, Beeb.
Lyndsey Mosley is the editor of Gaming Insurrection. Contact her at gicomics@gaminginsurrection.com