Yesterday marked two years since we lost our friend Gerber. I dunno about you but his name still comes up in conversations around me and I often hear folks lament the loss of one of their favorite writers…and sometimes, he isn’t even “one of their favorites,” he’s Numero Uno. I still miss my pal.
That’s not news. What is news is that Steve Gerber is a nominee for induction this year into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. The other nominees are Carl Burgos, Dick Giordano, Mike Kaluta, Jack Kamen, Frans Masereel, George McManus, Sheldon Moldoff, Marty Nodell, Bob Oksner, Bob Powell, Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Mort Weisinger. Four of those folks will be inducted along with the two judges’ choice inductees for this year, who are Burne Hogarth and Bob Montana.
I suspect there’s a fair amount of likelihood that Steve will be selected, if only because his name and credits are probably better known than at least three or four of those folks. Also, I think most people actively liked Steve’s work, as opposed to several of the other nominees, who I suspect are on the list because they simply worked on a number of significant projects.
A couple of folks are asking me how I think Steve would have reacted to this. Well, if Steve were alive to react, it would be a little different. He’d be taking it, as most living recipients seem to, as a collective decree that their most important work is behind them. We can all understand why someone wouldn’t like to think that the whole industry views them that way. As it (unfortunately) turns out, Steve’s most important work is inarguably behind him…so I guess if he’s watching from somewhere, he’s flattered but also modestly thinking others should be ahead of him in that line.
Once again, I’m going to lock down the comments on all earlier postings and invite you to post whatever you want to post about Steve — on these topics or anything else — in response to this message.
