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Rest In Peace Len Wein
Sep. 11th, 2017 07:37 amI honestly don’t remember the first time I met Len Wein. I do know it was at some convention in Atlanta probably Fantasy Fair but that’s about it. I went to a panel he was doing to Chris Claremont where the topic was the X-men but some people did get a Swamp Thing question or two in. I had him sign my Giant Sized X-Men.
I would go to panels Len was on because I knew I would get at least one good story. I thought that I would love to have a meal with him because he’s such a good story teller.
Fast forward to some convention and Peter and I find ourselves with Len and some other members of the Marvel crew going out to dinner. I had been introduced to Len by Peter so he had an idea who I was. We talked about the state of comic book stores and the industry needed both men and women to be buying comics. He liked that I used a lot of Independent comics to get the women who were being drug to the story by their significant others to get them interested in comics too.
We would run into Len and, on occasion, his wife Christine at various conventions. Schedules would be hectic and it got rare that we found time that we could all sit down and just talk. There would be brief interactions and quick catch-ups but ‘Next time’, we would say, ‘Next time we will have that meal we want to have with each other.’
Now there is no next time.
We knew he had health problems. He never made a big deal about it. I kept up with happens on Facebook and gave my support where I could. So it was one of those that we couldn’t say that we were surprised but it still hurt a lot.
His work in comics was amazing. A lot of things he did behind the scenes and he didn’t trumpet all that he did. He created iconic characters that live to this day in film and television and on the comics page. Hugh Jackman jumped off stage at a SDCC to shake Len’s hand and thank him for creating Wolverine which was the character that launched his career. I remember a friend working so hard to get his Swamp Thing costume right so he could show it to Len. Len complimented him on it and made sure to get some pictures too (before digital folks so this was more expensive).
We lose a giant in the comic book industry. Peter and I lose a friend. We now have a Len sized hole in our lives that will be noticeable at various conventions
My sympathies and prayers to his family and friends.
I am grateful that I got to know Len.
I would go to panels Len was on because I knew I would get at least one good story. I thought that I would love to have a meal with him because he’s such a good story teller.
Fast forward to some convention and Peter and I find ourselves with Len and some other members of the Marvel crew going out to dinner. I had been introduced to Len by Peter so he had an idea who I was. We talked about the state of comic book stores and the industry needed both men and women to be buying comics. He liked that I used a lot of Independent comics to get the women who were being drug to the story by their significant others to get them interested in comics too.
We would run into Len and, on occasion, his wife Christine at various conventions. Schedules would be hectic and it got rare that we found time that we could all sit down and just talk. There would be brief interactions and quick catch-ups but ‘Next time’, we would say, ‘Next time we will have that meal we want to have with each other.’
Now there is no next time.
We knew he had health problems. He never made a big deal about it. I kept up with happens on Facebook and gave my support where I could. So it was one of those that we couldn’t say that we were surprised but it still hurt a lot.
His work in comics was amazing. A lot of things he did behind the scenes and he didn’t trumpet all that he did. He created iconic characters that live to this day in film and television and on the comics page. Hugh Jackman jumped off stage at a SDCC to shake Len’s hand and thank him for creating Wolverine which was the character that launched his career. I remember a friend working so hard to get his Swamp Thing costume right so he could show it to Len. Len complimented him on it and made sure to get some pictures too (before digital folks so this was more expensive).
We lose a giant in the comic book industry. Peter and I lose a friend. We now have a Len sized hole in our lives that will be noticeable at various conventions
My sympathies and prayers to his family and friends.
I am grateful that I got to know Len.
