You know, I had a whole different subject I had planned to write about, but when a friend emailed me the news this afternoon about DC legend Jim Aparo's passing, I felt I had something to contribute to the growing outpouring of condolences and shared loss. We've lost a lot of great comic book entertainers (sure they didn't sing and dance, but the entertained us, right?) over the years.

   I don't plan on writing obits on every subsequent passing of a comics creator, because frankly, I would wind up repeating myself, just changing the names and comics titles. But the loss of Jim Aparo triggered something in me...

   Despite a lengthy and happy inking career at DC, mostly, my first formative years were spent a Marvel Zombie. Maybe it was the more attractive trade dress on the covers in the '70's. Maybe it was the shameless hyperbole, promising "Wait'll you see our SHOCK ENDING!". DC had a less garish, more adult look to their covers, and I wasn't ready for the gritty Kubert Rock, the horror titles, and the ultra-realistic covers by the likes of Adams, Cardy, Wrightson, etc. Marvel's packaging was safe fluff for me, as even their 'horror' color comics had the glossy sheen of Romita, Giacoia and Kane to almost convince me that they were a but a step away from my comfort-level of mindless superhero comics. And the seventies had plenty of mindless superheroics, but that's what drew me in to the art form.

   When I'd run out of my favorite Marvel mags to purchase, I would challenge myself to check out a DC comic(or Charlton comic if I was in a really quirky mood). JLA was okay, although at the time I was reading it, Marvel vets Gerry Conway and Steve Englehart basically regurgitated some of the team-dynamics (i.e. bickering) they had used on Avengers and The Fantastic Four. I had missed out on the Neal Adams-era Batman, but there was this team-up book with Batman called The Brave and the Bold that caught my interest. I loved team-up books then. The regular Batman titles didn't have a very steady art team for any length, except this Jim Aparo guy who's Batman was an impressive figure in, you guessed it, Brave and the Bold. It's safe to say, Aparo became one of the essential Batman artists, even though he worked on what could be argued as an ancillary Bat-title. It was evident that he took pride in his work, not only inking himself, but doing his own lettering. This made for a wonderful blend of lettering and graphic storytelling, which has since been sadly segregated with the use of computer lettering. Much as I miss hand lettering, the computer is far more efficient for dealine-oriented periodicals, so you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube...

   Jim Aparo's style really grabbed me. B&B was a perfect vehicle to wean this Marvel Zombie on the DC universe, and it's decidedly different style! It probably also helped that Bob Haney wrote the book as if the other titles didn't exist! There's been furious debates about Haney's deliberate disregard for comic book continuity, as he may've believed that it got in the way of a good story.

   Jim Aparo singularly, through his exciting work on Brave & the Bold, got me to read more and more DC comics. Once I got a little older, though never too old to read comics, DC became more and more a part of my diet. When the age of the team-up books withered away, B&B was shelved for a new Batman book, Batman & The Outsiders. It was Batman's own JLA, where it was clear who was in charge! I followed Jim for a couple years, but a group book struck me as an inappropriate match for Aparo's strengths. Too much Halo & Geo Force, not enough Aparo Batman! I dropped it, and picked up Aparo's work when he was finally given the main Batman title to draw. As time went on, he must've found it disadvantageous to attempt to ink himself monthly, and outside inkers (no pun intended) like Mike DeCarlo did solid work, if falling short of Aparo himself. But that's a natural outcome. I myself fell terribly short of Aparo in 1998, inking a ten-page Huntress story in The Batman Chronicles.

   Christmas of '97, I had signed what was then called a 'continuity contract' for the upcoming Birds of Prey ongoing series. However, the editor who nutured this new Black Canary/Oracle book, Jordan Gorfinkle, didn't want to do the book in a cancelled-by #12 carefree manner. He spent months developing the direction of the title with writer Chuck Dixon and other Bat-Editors (I've always pictured the 'Bat office' as having a single bare light bulb hanging, offering little light). Chuck, Greg Land and I were contracted specifically for that title, so we weren't concerned. Greg and I didn't start until the summer, so in the meantime DC kept us busy separately on some fill-ins and story arcs here and there. It was nice knowing there was a year of contracted work that kept getting pushed back. More 'job insurance'! When I had a hole in my schedule, I pestered Jordan or somebody to fill it. I casually mentioned that I would love to ink an 'old school' penciller to test my inking chops. When I was offered Jim Aparo, I was beside myself with glee!

   Jim's pencils for this story were more breakdowns, leaving scribbles where hands would be on some panels. I didn't mind, however, as I felt it would showcase my own drawing abilities. Plus I was able to touch Aparo pages!

   It was, to my mind, a failed experiment. Sure, I punched up some panels where the backgrounds were implied, but I went in with a heavy-handed (what I thought would be) Silver Age approach. I inked it in a clumsy Joe Sinnott attempt. Just think Joe Sinnott without the control! At the time I felt I was giving it my all, and thus emboldeded, I requested Jim Aparo's phone number from the Bat-office (you know, the one with a red phone under a cake dish). I got it and called, very nervously. He picked up after two rings. I introduced myself, and let him know what an honor it was to ink him and many other humble mumblings. He had seen the inks, and when I pressed for his opinion of them, he said they were great! I was doing cartwheels in my mind, and tried not to take up too much of his time, keeping my questions brief, but mostly thanking him for all the great entertainment his work provided. Looking back now, I don't know if Aparo was satisfied my inks or not (As I continue to be malcontented about the golden opportunity I wasn't ready for), but he said he was, and I'll take him at his word. If nothing else, he could've just been extremely nice in his encouragement, whether the inks had fit the pencils or not, and for that short conversation, I'll always have been enriched.

   I know this isn't much of a story, but is saddens me that someone of Aparo's caliber doesn't merit a mention in, say, CNN or Entertainment Tonight. The big media barely covered Kirby's passing, and considering the D-list actors who make news, it's a shame that comic creators aren't afforded a proper remembrance.

   Mr. Aparo...Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world! We miss you already!