But it went beyond that. My best friend Ethan was a DC Zombie I guess you’d call it, devouring just about any and every DC book the company put out. So while I’d roll my eyes at books with titles like Animal Man or Swamp Thing, his persistence finally wore me down. And I’m definitely glad it did, because those were some of the best comics I’ve ever read. He also got me into a number of great books written by John Ostrander, mainly Firestorm and Suicide Squad. Later on, I loved his work on The Spectre with the perfect artistic teammate Tom Mandrake.

So why am I bringing up John Ostrander? Because he could use your help. John’s been battling glaucoma for years and recently underwent surgery, as he’s grown resistant or allergic to some of the medications he had been taking to help. The procedure was expensive and John’s health insurance didn’t cover it all. So John’s friends have joined forces to help raise money to cover the cost of John’s treatments. For starters, they’ll be holding a charity auction on Saturday August 8 at the 2009 Chicago Comic-Con. But you can also donate directly to the cause (as well as get more information about glaucoma and John Ostrander) by visiting Comix4Sight.com .

Hopefully John’s friends, family and fans can help him raise enough money to continue the treaments and save his eyesights. And then we can all look forward to reading more of his books for years to come.

Mike Wieringo passed away on Sunday of an apparent heart attack. He was only 44 years old. A vegetarian. And in seemingly great shape.

He was an extremely talented artist. I still remember being blown away by this “new guy” on The Flash. And then absolutely going nuts when I found out he was jumping over to Marvel to work on a Spider-Man book. While Todd McFarlane will forever be known for giving Spidey his “spaghetti webbing,” Wieringo’s the guy who made Spider-Man “bounce.” His fluid motions and slightly cartoony brush strokes just made Spider-Man fun. The character literally bounced off walls, displaying a physical playfullness that matched his personality. And it’s all thanks to Ringo. And that’s not to take away from his earlier work on The Flash, particularly with the introduction of Impulse, another fluid, non-stop force of nature.

You don’t just look at Mike’s art… you participate in it. You move along at the speed of light with Wally West. You bounce off a brick wall into another and another and another until you’re swinging high above the rooftops of Manhattan on a line of webbing. And then there’s his work on Fantastic Four and his own co-creation Tellos. The guy drew a talking, fighting, walking tiger for crying out loud. And yet it seemed anything but ridiculous.

Somehow Mike always managed to put a piece of himself in his art. How can you look at any work of his and not get filled with a sense of pure fun, calmness and peace? Some artists want their work to speak for itself. In Mike’s case it speaks volumes. In the 10 or so years I worked in the industry, Mike was most definitely one of the nicest guys I ever had the privilege of working with. I used to head up Wizard’s How-to-Draw column called “Basic Training,” and Mike was always my #1 go-to guy. Not just because he was fast and always met his deadlines, but because he put 110% in to it every single time, offering suggestions, alternatives, additional artwork, you name it. He was always available to chat about it or just shoot the bull in general. It was also great just hanging out with Mike in Chicago or San Diego or wherever the latest comic convention was. Either just popping in the Marvel booth for a quick howdy or chugging back a few beers at the Marriott bar. Didn’t matter where or when, it was just great to hang out with Mike. The guy was just too damn likable, y’know?

And while I haven’t seen him in years, exchanging brief emails here and there, it seems like just yesterday we were collaborating on some projector other. And now he’s gone. Forever. His artwork remains for all to enjoy, but the man who put fun, dedication and loyalty into comics is gone. I offer his family and friends my sincere condolences. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all. I’ll miss ya, Mike.

Mike’s official website
Mike’s flickr account with some of his more recent work