RIP Bernie 3 3

[My young Padawan]

This is very sad news.  May the Force be with him.

[deadleg]

Man what a bummer. He was one of the best for me. RIP

[Aweandlorder]

What a great great loss to our community

[Real Frantic One]

Farewell to a great artist that I will miss terribly. Got to meet him in Chicago in the mid 90's, where he signed my sketchbook, and again in 2015 in Dallas. My father had just had a stroke and we talked about health (he said, "well, strokes aren't fun") and how he had been an inspiration to me with his art and with his fight against his brain tumor. It was a great pleasure to talk with him and for him to sign my Frankenstein book. R.I.P. Bernie...

[Ken Aldred]

6 hours ago, goldust40 said:

It was Bernie's art in Swamp Thing #10 that got me into this hobby, or rather stopped me buying British comics and got me into American ones, which were waaaay more interesting for the impressionable ten year old that I was when I picked up that book on a seaside trip in the early '70s.

I still think that series is incredible, and Wrightson for me has remained my favorite comic artist. I finally got round to chatting to him at a London show a few years ago (despite having numerous opportunities at all the U.S. Cons I attended when he was there). I brought that copy of Swamp Thing 10 for him to sign (and I rarely if ever get stuff signed), while telling him that it was his fault that I was such a massive comic nut. He took my little jibe with the humor in which it was intended, and was great to chat to.

Needless to say I'm gutted at this news, even though I knew he'd been ill for some time. RIP Bernie, you were great.

I’d already been reading American comics for about 5 years before I even saw any of his artwork.  I started collecting  seriously in 1977, and found a store in Manchester which had some material from the more gifted comic artists of the time.   I bought my copy of The Studio there and was absolutely amazed by Wrightson, also purchasing a couple of his exhibition catalogues and art books. 

I received considerable ridicule at school for being extremely enthusiastic about the comic book medium, but it was Bernie’s fine art in particular which made me realise how very, very wrong and ignorant all of that nonsense was, creating a resolve to continue on the same path; a diehard geek for 4 decades now. 

Edited March 19, 2017 by Ken Aldred

[Bird]

It is amazing to realize that 50% of The Studio is now gone. Just like The Beatles.

[MisterX]

R.I.P., Bernie.

[cheta42]

Bernie's work on DC horror in the 1970's is the benchmark of the highest level , that has not, and will not  be duplicated in comics again. 

It was groundbreaking.

RIP Bernie.

What a class act.

[Cat-Man_America]

This is horrible news.  Even though we weren't close friends and never discussed health issues I could sense he wasn't himself the last time we visited.  Bernie and I were both passionate about illustration art and painting even to sharing some of the same artistic influences.  Beyond that we worked in different genres, Bernie predominantly comics, graphic novels, book illustration and painting, myself in SF/fantasy painting and commissions.  Our paths crossed infrequently over the past four decades, although I knew Bernie better back in the 1970's when he was one of several young visionaries reinvigorating DC's mystery and horror comics lines. 

My fondest memory of Bernie has nothing to do with his many artistic achievements ...too numerous to properly detail here..., but rather a "Little" Lebowski moment shared over 40 years ago at a bowling alley in Tulsa, Okla.  One of the last Oklahoma comic conventions I attended before refocusing my own work on science fiction was a Winter-con in Dec. of '75.  Among the featured guests were Al Williamson and Archie Goodwin.  Bernie and Steve Leialoha attended ...I'm not even sure they were invited guests... to hang out with Al and Archie over the weekend.  As a logistical coincidence our room was where everyone ended up reconvening when not in the dealer's room. doing panels or deciding on area restaurants.

I don't recall who suggested it, but bowling came up in one of the conversations and the Yale Bowl was recommended as being close enough to the convention hotel.  According to my recollections there were six of us on two lanes, Steve Leialoha, Mike Campbell (college buddy) and my ex, Kathy on one team, and Bernie, Archie and myself on the other.  I can't say who won the day because the scores wouldn't have gotten any of us on the pro-bowlers tour, but I did keep a copy of the sheet (do bowling alleys even use paper score sheets anymore?)...

I realize that a bowling score sheet isn't a proper way to eulogize the greatness of Bernie Wrightson's art and how his creativity has inspired so many fans of his work, but I can think of no better way to humanize the man than reflecting upon the side of him I remember best.

Rest In Peace, Bernie 

Edited April 8, 2017 by Cat-Man_America
.

[exitmusicblue]

Hats off and much respect.

Deeply humanizing something so amorphous takes a big, big heart and superior craft.

[Jokerman]

 

Very sad news.....

Farewell to one of the greats

 

Joker--

 

 

[bronze_rules]

I was rummaging through some Wrightson greatness, and came across A special issue of ComicBookCreator (#7), with special emphasis on Mr. Wrightson. I hope that the OP can add this background image to the first post....

 

I wish I could post more of the interview, but don't want to do so without permission from Twomorrow's publishing. I highly recommend to go purchase it, though.

http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=95_137&products_id=1151

Edited March 19, 2017 by bronze_rules

[bronze_rules]

Don't know that any single image could do him justice. But for those comic fans that don't really relate to the horror genre much, there's this cover he did for the incredible Hulk (No, not mine), that is greatly coveted by at least

one super-fan.  I should add that one of the main artists that drew me back to collecting comics as a GROWN Adult, was Bernie Wrightson. His beautifully crafted horror covers and interiors, where immensely desirable from not just the eyes of a wondrous child, but even more so, from an adult with years of digesting a wide swath of some great artists (including those that surpassed the comic book medium).  Particularly his DC work on bronze horror titles, like "House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Weird Mystery, and Secrets of the Haunted House" to name a few, are some of the most coveted and desirable works sought after by countless horror genre comic book fans to this day-- and I suspect will continue to be for a long time into the future.  I never really read much of the Warren magazines as a kid, but having purchased most of the Creepy and Eerie archives as an adult, I am always slack-jawed by the immense talent that was put forth by Mr. Wrightson (including a fan image he himself wrote into the letters page, when he was just a young fan). 

I really, really can't say enough about how much this talented and humble individual has meant to myself and I'm sure many others.  Thanks again, Mr. Wrightson. You will certainly be missed and remembered for many years to come.

 

 

Edited March 19, 2017 by bronze_rules

[spideyfan68]

One of the nicest, sweetest guys in the industry, the world is a sadder place without him. Godspeed Bernie....

[picon3]

I was lucky enough to meet Bernie at a Heroes Con sometime in the 90s and again at Dragon Con about a year or two later.  He was a warm, personable guy who gave you all the time in the world.  I have some pictures of Bernie, me and author Nancy Collins somewhere and we are all smiling and laughing.  If I can find them, I'll post.  

My condolences to the Wrightson family.  May you have peace at this tough time.

Paul~

[joeypost]

Had a chance to talk to him and some of the other greats in Baltimore way back when. He had so little traffic at his table we spoke for an hour about original art, movies and life in general.

 

[joeypost]

15 hours ago, bronze_rules said:

Don't know that any single image could do him justice. But for those comic fans that don't really relate to the horror genre much, there's this cover he did for the incredible Hulk (No, not mine), that is greatly coveted by at least

one super-fan.  I should add that one of the main artists that drew me back to collecting comics as a GROWN Adult, was Bernie Wrightson. His beautifully crafted horror covers and interiors, where immensely desirable from not just the eyes of a wondrous child, but even more so, from an adult with years of digesting a wide swath of some great artists (including those that surpassed the comic book medium).  Particularly his DC work on bronze horror titles, like "House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Weird Mystery, and Secrets of the Haunted House" to name a few, are some of the most coveted and desirable works sought after by countless horror genre comic book fans to this day-- and I suspect will continue to be for a long time into the future.  I never really read much of the Warren magazines as a kid, but having purchased most of the Creepy and Eerie archives as an adult, I am always slack-jawed by the immense talent that was put forth by Mr. Wrightson (including a fan image he himself wrote into the letters page, when he was just a young fan). 

I really, really can't say enough about how much this talented and humble individual has meant to myself and I'm sure many others.  Thanks again, Mr. Wrightson. You will certainly be missed and remembered for many years to come.

 

 

[Hibou]

RIP Bernie ... 

Another legend passes.

[Brian48]

Oh wow.  I had no idea he was in ill health.  One of my all time favorites and influences when once a upon a time I was a teen aspiring to be an artist.  RIP.  Godspeed and please give our regards to Jack, Gil, Gene, Big John, and the rest of the gang.  You will be missed.

[PreHero]

Sorry to hear about Bernie.  Since I had an interest in horror movies, he was one of the creators that got me hooked when I first started collecting back issues.  He could truly capture the mood.  Was lucky enough to meet him once at a con a few years ago and got a few items signed (I almost never get autographs).