MB Death and Dream - Emerald City Comic Convention 2014

I can't say enough about this fine, fine, fine piece of art. We all have key points in our comic history that stand out as fond memories: I remember the first comic I bought with my own money. I remember certain issues and what was going on in my life at certain times. I remember discovering certain artists and writers. One of those times was the late 80's/early 90's with Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Great storytelling, great art and memorable characters. It both defined the time and was a reflection of my own life at that time. The character 'Death' has since been a favorite of mine (and many others as well). I liked how the stories around her, most notably her first appearance and first two mini-series were not morose or filled with fear, but were light and filled with hope (which I sorely needed at the time). I've not really liked a whole lot of Neil Gaiman's stuff since Sandman ended its initial run, but I've held on the Death. I was thoroughly excited to meet Mark Buckingham. As the inker for the two Death minis, I've been waiting to meet him literally for years. He's a great man. Full of life, wonderful to talk with. I enjoyed every minute of the conversation. When I received the artwork, I was speechless. I've been in the situation before where you tell the artist how much you like the piece and you're worried that you don't convey the feeling well enough. After a month of thinking about it, I still don't think I would be able to tell Mr. Buckingham how much I love this piece. My fumbling, bumbling praise in front of him was poor at best and, more accurately, atrocious. My only hope is that one day he sees the piece here, reads this, and understands that I absolutely love this piece of art.