 
Michael Turner
April 21, 1971 - June 27, 2008
It's difficult to imagine a world without Michael Turner, the acclaimed artist and creator that brought us the defining run on Top Cow's Witchblade, a plethora of beautiful comic book covers and, of course, the creation of Fathom and several other characters through his Aspen Comics.
Yes, it's hard to believe that he's gone—and harder still to believe that a full month has elapsed since his passing.
As a tribute to the life of Michael Turner, we spoke to several of his friends and colleagues this month for their thoughts and praise for the talented man gone-too-soon. Here is what they had to say:
• C.B. Cebulski (Marvel editor)
"As comic creators, we work in worlds inhabited by super-powered beings. We're surrounded in our daily lives by high-flying heroes and golden gods, mythic men and women who accomplish the impossible. In these escapist fantasies we know and love, good usually triumphs over evil. But sometimes, despite our best efforts to avoid it, cold hard reality creeps into our lives.
"Michael Turner had been battling cancer for years. And much like the heroes he so beautifully illustrated, Mike fought and overcame the illness inside him on numerous occasions. He had the strength and the will to beat it back time and again. For those of us who knew him, it became almost an after thought. If Mike had a relapse, we took for granted he'd be back on his feet before long. We knew in the back of our minds that there was always the possibility things could take a turn for the worse, but that was never part of our reality. Until now.
"Mike passed away on Friday. And with him, the worlds of his family, friends and fans immediately fell into darkness. His light, one that burned so brightly to everyone whose lives he touched, be it through his friendship, his smile, his attitude or his comics, was extinguished. We really did lose a hero that day.
"Mike's death reminded so many of us of our own mortality. But through his spirit, his talent, his art and the memories of the good soul that he was, Michael Turner leaves behind a legacy that guarantees him immortality."
• Matthew Senreich (Exec Producer, "Robot Chicken")
"Mike Turner always made me smile. He was a dear friend.
"I can recount a million comic book stories that we shared, but three stories stick out.
"We had these dinners. Five friends. Sometimes with an additional guest star. Since 1997. As often as we could make time to go in our busy schedules. We'd all meet at a steakhouse here in LA. Even when I lived in NY, every time I'd visit, we always found a way to get together. It's embarrassing to say we joked that we were a 'brat pack' of sorts. A bunch of guys striving to make it in the entertainment industry. It became tradition. It's amazing to see where we started and watch our careers grow in similar, yet different directions. We all inspired each other at these dinners to continue going after our dreams. I always loved these dinners and Mike was always the first one asking when the next one would be.
"My second was at Wizard World Chicago just when Aspen was formed. At comic conventions from San Diego to Orlando, Mike, Frank, Vince, Peter and the rest of the Aspen guys became family to me. One night, Mike taught me a magic trick. The only magic trick I know. With two wine corks. It's my one party trick now and every time I'd see Mike, he'd find two corks to make sure I still remembered how to do it. I still remember how to do it.
"But my favorite Mike memory was the way he and his fiancee Kelly taught me and my wife Kim how to dance. Five dance moves. According to Mike, we mastered three of them, the sprinkler, the lawnmower, and the most important, the 'where's my keys.' Mike, we'll continue to work on the others.
"Mike Turner always made me smile. He was a dear friend."
• Matt Cherniss (EVP, Programming at Fox Broadcasting Company)
"As an artist Mike's work jumped off the page. Like all the great comic book artists, when you saw his rendition of a hero, it felt like you were seeing that character for the first time. Characters that you took for granted became new again, and captured readers' imagination. I think it is why his covers were so beloved. I felt that way when I first saw Neal Adams' Superman, Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man, Jim Lee's Wolverine, and Frank Miller's Dark Knight; and I felt that way as I gazed at Mike's amazing covers to Identity Crisis, Civil War, and his work in Superman/Batman. Great art comes from within, and when you got to know Mike it was no mystery that his dynamic art came from his enthusiasm for life, and the amazing spirit with which he lived each day. If we all approached the challenges in our life the way he approached his, we would all be better off, and the world would be a better place. I will miss him."
• Peter Johnson (Co-Executive Producer, "Chuck," "Supernatural")
"Mike Turner was always the guy you wanted to be around. Or put differently, if there were ever a few of us hanging out, it was never really complete if Mike wasn't there. You always hoped for the day he'd announce his latest poker party, or a Halo-meets-Mario-Kart group showdown, or a well-timed Laker game, or even just a call to come over and look at his latest pencils. Because he burned a little brighter than most people I know. He had that thing, some kind of extra charismatic strand of DNA, that quality that effortlessly invites others to join you in your own world of seize-the-day good times. In other words, he made other people feel good. All the time. That's a hell of a gift, and he gave it. He's the kind of guy who would call and say "Laker game starts at 7; let's meet there at 4." Three hours early?!! Yeah, because he didn't just want to do something – he wanted to REALLY do it. He wanted to spend time, soak in every nuance, see how you were doing, enjoy a fat steak, talk about a tiny detail on a new cover, and then his creative ideas and ambitions for the next 10 years. Who DIDN'T want to be around this guy?
"Or put differently, no one ever wanted to think or talk about a time when Mike wouldn't be around.
"The day after all of our shock, a bunch of us got together. Then we knew what that felt like. I really didn't know what to do, or what to say. It was sunny and hot and beautiful outside; you kinda looked around in a different way, maybe aware of more details than normal. You take some small, familiar comfort from the various Turner cover art on the walls. You laugh when a bet whether or not you can locate a copy of Punisher Meets Archie somewhere in Loeb's labyrinth of a garage turns into a full-blown scavenger hunt (we found it). You then admonish Loeb for not bothering to seal his comic bags, only to have him argue that an expert told him that's a good thing since moisture will accumulate inside if you do. But you don't for a second forget that someone's missing.
"I really wish Mike was there. It wasn't the same without him."
• Brad Meltzer (novelist, comic writer)
"Mike wasn't just some guy who drew the covers and sold some copies. He wasn't the guy who could do that movie poster feel for your book (look at his first Flash cover), always making every 60-year-old character suddenly seem brand new. He wasn't the guy who made every book we worked on jump off the shelf (Think for a moment: He was the only true 'name' on Identity Crisis. Why do you think people picked it up from issue #1?). And he wasn't just another superstar.
"He was my friend. A good friend. And a friend who would've given up something he really wanted. For someone else. In life, those are the friends you treasure.
"And I treasure Mike Turner."
• JT Krul(writer of Soulfire for Aspen Comics)
"Mike was simply incredible, not just as an artist but as a person in general. He was one of my closest friends and I miss him terribly. As I look back at the four plus years I had the privilege of knowing him, I find myself in awe of just how positive he remained through all his adversity. He was always fighting the cancer one way or another, but you'd barely notice unless you looked very close. Mike didn't even talk about it much. At the most, he would say a word or two about the pain, but he treated it more like an annoyance, and would always cut himself off: 'Cancer, blah, blah, blah. Enough of me complaining, how are you doing, buddy?' He never let the disease take over his life; he was too strong for that.
I'll never forget the very last time I saw Mike outside of the hospital - it was at his house for his birthday party. Everyone knew he was a great guy, and it showed in his personal life. He had almost as many friends as he had fans, coming from every aspect and stage of his life. We all knew he was struggling, but the way Mike acted...again, you'd never know. Sure, he was in a wheelchair, but he zipped around the house, up and down the ramps like he was a kid pretending to be a car. He sat in his chair jamming on Rock Band...playing lead guitar of course. He was thin and pale, but all you had to do was look into his eyes and see that sparkle and catch that smile on his face and it made it seem like the cancer was no big deal. Mike and I even talked about Soulfire and how he was excited to be working on new pages. There was just no quit in him. It was just typical Mike. He was the brightest spirit I have ever met. He had an immediate and lasting impact on each and every person he came into contact with. I will never forget him...none of us will.
Later this week, Wizard Universe will be honoring the legendary comic book artist, publisher and creator with an extensive report from last weekend's San Diego Comic-Con where a tribute to Turner was held. |
