Tuesday Ten: Mike Wieringo, In Memoriam

The comics community continues to reel with the horrible, unexpected passing of Mike Wieringo. Many blogs and message boards have started their slow march towards business as usual, but Jimmy Olsen's Blues isn't quite ready to do that yet. It's Tuesday, time for a Ten, but this week we're not ranking anything or goofing around. Just a look back at some memorable covers done by the late "Ringo". Enjoy.














Most of these graphics courtesy of the most bad-ass of comic art repositories, Comic Art Community.

Mike Wieringo, 1963-2007

Mike Wieringo has passed away at age 44.

By all accounts, the friendly, welcoming nature of his artwork paled in comparison to the gracious and kind nature of the man.

Thank the internet and curse it at the same time; Wieringo's availability to us all through bulletin boards and the like gave the fan community the sense that we knew him at least a little, though he'd only met a fraction of us. His work lives on and can be accessed with a mouse-click or two. But sadly, it's a constant reminder of what a huge talent and a huge heart that we have lost.

Goodbye, Mike Wieringo. "You'll be missed" hardly seems to cover it.

Vibe Responds!

Received via e-mail from deceased JLA Detroit (Justice League of America Detroit?) veteran Paco Ramone, d/b/a Vibe...

"Dear" Allen:

My man Apache Chief emailed me a link to your inadequately researched and horribly executed post, in which you stated I was so awful in my role with the Justice League that I was in a class of my own, and as such unworthy of inclusion. Aren't you so smart, Allen, if that's your real name.

While I'd love to meet you mano y mano and call you names like gringo or pendejo, I can't make room for the "hot-blooded Latino invectives" stereotype right now, loaded down as I am with "gang-leader", "spectacular breakdancer" and "brightly colored red, green, and yellow fighting gear" stereotypes already.

(Which reminds me, DC: you're on my list too. While you were bringing back Jason Todd, you could've at least had Superboy "punch" the whole "spectacular breakdancer" bit from my continuity. Pendejos.)

And again, if you'd bother to do the same kind of legwork that Tim did, you'd have found out just how beloved I was during my tenure with the League. Zatanna, Black Canary, Hawkwoman, Vixen, Supergirl... they all loved having Vibe around the ol' Headquarters during monitor duty, if you know what I'm saying. (J'onn J'onzz too, but don't ask further.)

Seriously, Tim can track down Bart Allen beyond the grave, but you can't do the same for me? Or shoot an email to a living Vixen? I would say it sounds like racism, but again, I can't fit that sweeping generalization into my psyche with all the others.

Pop and Lock this, buddy.

VIBE