It was Saturday morning and we were getting ready for the big day at Wizard World Chicago. A friend's knock at the hotel room door delivered the bad news that a man whom I had admired long before many fans out there had passed on. Michael Turner had died at age 37 on Friday June 27th 2008. The news came as a shock to me as I'm sure it did to so many others.

As many of you know, or at least can obviously tell by looking at my work, Michael Turner has always been an inspiration to me, and my work since I started following his career in 1998. His Tomb Raider comics first caught my eye, and then in 1999 I picked up my first issue of Fathom his first creator owned property. His work inspired me to draw comics like no one else's had. I found myself going to the comic shop only to pick up his work. I used his work mostly to teach myself how to draw. But on that Saturday a shiver came over me when I realized I would never really have a reason to go back to the comic shop. The man who's work inspired me for so long would never again have new work out in stores past what he did before he had died.

On that Friday night, the world was robbed of someone who gave more of themselves than anyone else I have ever met in the comic industry. The first time I met Michael Turner was at Wizard World Chicago 2003. He was so happy and full of life back then, he looked genuinely happy to see me even though we had never met before. He made time for me to show him my work, like none of the other comic editors had. I knew at that moment that he was someone different. In an industry that was jaded and generally grumpy, here was a man who always put on a smile, and enjoyed what he did in life, he always made time for his fans even when he wasn't feeling well.

Unfortunately I didn't get to know him as well as others did, and for that I will always feel cheated, but even though I didnt get to know him well in person, I think I got to know him very well through his work. A person's work speaks volumes about who they are, and what values they uphold. Michael most certainly had high values if we are to judge him by his works.It had been my hope to one day draw with Michael Turner but that will never happen. Now, I like so many of his fans have to look to the future and carry on his legacy. Maybe not in our works, but in our hearts. Michael gave anyone who knew of him a piece of something that is special, and everyone of his fans should keep that and continue to be inspired from it now more than ever in memory of him.

Email me at

chasen@particle9productions.com