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scans_daily2021-05-03 10:33 am
icon_uk) wrote in scans_daily2021-05-03 10:33 am
In memoriam: John Paul Leon
The passing of artist John Paul Leon, at the age of 49, has been announced.
He was one of the major artists on the Milestone line in the early 90's when he was the original artist on would become the breakout character of the imprint; "Static", but also worked on Earth X,
A number of major creators have eulogised him, but Walt Simonson wrote a touching tribute on his Facebook page, which I will quote here as it is from someone who knew him and watched him develop.
This one is tough to write.
John Paul Leon caught the last train out this morning. JP was a brilliant artist and, I was lucky enough to be his teacher at SVA in the early 90s. It’s not that I taught him anything; It’s that the other students and I got to watch such talent blossom.
Shortly into his junior year, he scored the penciling job on the new comic, Static, for the new company, Milestone Comics. So he was carrying a full load of classes as well penciling 22 pages and a cover every month. I taught a class on comics storytelling, and gave weekly assignments along with an overarching project running both semesters. Mine was the last class of the day in that particular classroom. So some students including John Paul would often hang out after class. We would talk about comics, about storytelling, about the industry, and about anything else that might come up really.
John Paul approached me one late afternoon, and asked if it would be possible for me to consider his Static work as his assignments in lieu of the ones I was giving the class. Since the monthly book meant that he would be producing roughly 16 and half times the work of any other student over a semester let alone carrying a full course load elsewhere, I thought I could let him slide. So he brought in pages of Static as he did them, and we talked about them.
To some extent, he was an example of the old Thomas Edison aphorism, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Except that in John Paul’s case, I’m pretty sure it was more like 50/50. Maybe 60/40.
A brilliant artist, a good friend. Never have I felt the truth of John Donne’s words as keenly as I do tonight--
“Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Godspeed, John Paul. All our love, pal, from both of us. Thank you for everything.
I know I speak for the Mod Team, and I am sure I speak for the entire Scans_Daily Community when I express our sincere condolences for his loss to his family, friends and colleagues.
He was one of the major artists on the Milestone line in the early 90's when he was the original artist on would become the breakout character of the imprint; "Static", but also worked on Earth X,
A number of major creators have eulogised him, but Walt Simonson wrote a touching tribute on his Facebook page, which I will quote here as it is from someone who knew him and watched him develop.
This one is tough to write.
John Paul Leon caught the last train out this morning. JP was a brilliant artist and, I was lucky enough to be his teacher at SVA in the early 90s. It’s not that I taught him anything; It’s that the other students and I got to watch such talent blossom.
Shortly into his junior year, he scored the penciling job on the new comic, Static, for the new company, Milestone Comics. So he was carrying a full load of classes as well penciling 22 pages and a cover every month. I taught a class on comics storytelling, and gave weekly assignments along with an overarching project running both semesters. Mine was the last class of the day in that particular classroom. So some students including John Paul would often hang out after class. We would talk about comics, about storytelling, about the industry, and about anything else that might come up really.
John Paul approached me one late afternoon, and asked if it would be possible for me to consider his Static work as his assignments in lieu of the ones I was giving the class. Since the monthly book meant that he would be producing roughly 16 and half times the work of any other student over a semester let alone carrying a full course load elsewhere, I thought I could let him slide. So he brought in pages of Static as he did them, and we talked about them.
To some extent, he was an example of the old Thomas Edison aphorism, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Except that in John Paul’s case, I’m pretty sure it was more like 50/50. Maybe 60/40.
A brilliant artist, a good friend. Never have I felt the truth of John Donne’s words as keenly as I do tonight--
“Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Godspeed, John Paul. All our love, pal, from both of us. Thank you for everything.
I know I speak for the Mod Team, and I am sure I speak for the entire Scans_Daily Community when I express our sincere condolences for his loss to his family, friends and colleagues.
no subject
His farewell to Dwayne McDuffie in the STATIC Special was just...I cried a bit. Just perfect.
no subject
Honestly, Milestone was SUCH an underappreciated, and far-too-short-lived company in its original incarnation, with some truly phenomenal talent driving it, and I hate that we keep losing those creators far too early.