I’m at Comicon taking money from fans and signing books when I look down on my phone and read the message, “Andy died last night at 11:45 pm.” My eyes teared up. I turned to look for Quentin, who is helping me run my booth, but he went back to check on Ethan to see if he needed some help at his AxeCop table. What happened next is hard to explain, it’s so painful it’s even hard to remember, but I fell on the floor in front of everyone and started sobbing.
I opened my eyes and saw only blue carpet, then realized there were a bunch of fans on the other side of the table that probably thought I was having a heart attack. Still, I didn’t care. I just tried pulling my legs in completely under the skirt that covered the convention tables so that maybe people would forget about me. I tried pushing the screen on my iPhone to send a text to Quentin, but my fingers didn’t work, and my mind couldn’t put together where I kept Quentin’s contact info anyways. I might as well have been a monkey trying to read Plato.
Quentin walks into the booth and just sits down next to me. Given I was a wreck on the floor, he assumed Angie or one of the kids had died or something. I said, “Andy died!” He encouraged me to go for a walk, but I didn’t want to walk through the crowds to get to the exit. I told him to man the table. I just kept crying… then it stopped. I wiped my tears and put myself back together. Andy deserved more mourning than this, but it would have to wait. I said a prayer for his surviving wife and 10 month old son, then sat up in my chair, put a smile on my face and started signing books again.
Comicon is a place where we celebrate fun things, and shallow, goofy things, and all the while, real life still happens. I dedicate today’s comic to my pal since 4th grade, Andy Wedin, cut down by cancer way before his time.
You might just want to give a little something to this fund that will help float Andrew’s wife and son in this tough time: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/164967
Newts in Love
So sorry for you loss Doug
<3
I, too, am sorry to hear of his passing, Doug. I lost my father a couple years ago, and it still hurts.
I’m very sorry for your loss. I will be praying for them and for you as well.
Ah man, Doug. It’s horrible to get a memo like at especially at place within the public premiss, but it’s good that you put yourself back together.
Interestingly, I have a similar way of looking at a death. I feel that when someone dies, it’s almost inappropriate to keep morning over them because they would probably want better than that. You would be only beating yourself up, which anyone with a heart would not want you to continue to experience. Be strong, have a positive outlook and keeping them in your hearts to push you onwards is how they would want you to live, because drowning in your sorrow wont bring them back.
There’s some advice for anyone struggling with that kind of scenario, take care of yourselves.
Darn it, I mis-read. Still, it’s applicable.
I am sorry for your loss. I’ll be praying for you and for his family. May Christ be glorified.
My mom got the news of her brother dying the exact same way, via text message.. Seems like it makes it so much worse. Just getting this sentence that doesn’t go away no matter how many times you read it..
that’s beautiful Doug.
sons will always protect their mums, even if they don’t know how or why that responsibility was thrust upon them.
condolences to you and his family.
I’m sorry. Somehow, the deaths of the people we care about are so much worse than the prospect of our own death. I guess it’s a reminder not to take one single damn thing for granted.
This third panel is my favorite in Nnewts so far. It just “pops” so much. I’m sure Katherine’s rendering helped with that, but the water and the bigness of it and everything is just so good.
That is a long time to have a friend, and the circumstances of the situation make it doubly sad. Know that you, and they, will find strength when you need it.
Doug,
I am terribly sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine the grief or pain– to lose a friend of such a long time. If I lost my best friend of 6th grade.. it would be inexplicable. I hope and pray that he and his family share our hope of the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come found in Christ. He is with you all.
It seems a bit unfitting to talk of lighter matters, but I do also want to say I’ve been enjoying Nnewts and looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Also, panel 3 is perfect. Layout, dialogue, his look and the color all work together perfectly to make this panel pop.
I know this is late, but I’d like to throw my condolences in as well. I know your friend is being well taken care of by those on the other side awaiting his arrival.
Also, I just wanted to add that the last panel of this page is awesome. There seems to be a little bit of fear and forced determination in that kid’s expression. Very cool.