Commander Kraken by Fred Hembeck (with bonus OAX swag) from Jeff Wedding

I had a piece I was going to post yesterday, but when the news of Gene Hackman’s passing broke, I wanted to post my tribute instead. Then that same day, I got a package in the mail from Jeff and knew I would have to postpone my scheduled piece again. I’ll get that posted eventually. But for now, enjoy this lovely little treat.

I’ve heard tales of Jeff Wedding’s legendary kindness and generosity. But never having experienced it firsthand, I had no personal knowledge to speak from. Well, I can now confirm all the stories are true. Jeff is one of the nicest (and most generous) people you would want to know, and a great ambassador for our hobby.

Some of you may recall a few weeks back I posted an Elmer piece by the great Gerry Alanguilan. Jeff was kind enough to post a comment about the piece and also informed me that Elmer was featured on the official OAX poker chip. I emailed him to thank him for his comment and in the email wondered out loud how I might get my hands on one of those chips. Most of you who know Jeff probably already guessed what came next. He replied by asking me for my mailing address and said he would be happy to send me one.

Well, as you can see, he sent me more than just a poker chip. Along with this amazing Hembeck sketch card, there was an assortment of OAX swag (see Additional Images). I didn’t photograph all of it, but you get the idea. And all of you who know Jeff probably would not have expected less. Needless to say, I was totally blown away.

About the art. I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs. But thanks to Fred Hembeck, I found out how easy it was to become an addict. I bought my first Hembeck as a gift. And before I could even take a breath, I had five of my own. Haha! And thanks to Jeff, I now have six. Not sure if anyone can say there are good or bad Hembecks. But for me, this one is perfect Hembeck. If you’ve spent any time tracking Fred’s auctions (with his revolving door of seemingly endless characters), you would know that he is some sort of living index for almost any property ever created. Nothing is safe from getting the Hembeck treatment. Comics, cartoons, movies, TV, music, sports, advertising, you name it. If it’s a public figure, character, or property, eventually it will end up on one of Fred’s sketch cards. For me, the more obscure, the better. That’s why this Commander Kraken is so perfect. Everyone knows Doctor Doom, Green Goblin, and Magneto. Who cares? But how many Commander Kraken pieces are out there? By ANY artist? Leave it to Fred. And leave it to Jeff to gift me a perfect Hembeck.

I think what’s special about Jeff and people like him, isn’t just that they’re nice (which is great in and of itself). It’s how that goodness and kindness sets a tone, sets an example. For how we conduct ourselves in this hobby, and even in life. People like Jeff make you NOT want to be the one jerk or a-hole in the group. You realize how good it feels to meet people like him, and you want to have that same effect on others. As human beings, everything we say and do has a ripple effect. You just have to decide what type of ripples you want to generate.

So thanks Jeff. For always setting such an excellent example. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.