Dave Stevens died yesterday...

[Penumbra]

On March 10.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Leukemia.

That sucks.

http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2008_03_11.html#014911

[Elwell]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

damndamndamndamndamndamndamndamndamndamndamnDAMN









That
Just
Sucks

[PuppyKitten]

How sad. My dad and I used to read the Rocketeer together when I was little. :(

[Elwell]

Mark Evanier (http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2008_03_11.html#014911) and Heidi Macdonald (http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/03/11/dave-stevens-1955-2008/) on Dave Stevens

[kev ferrara]

What is there to say... He made fun stuff and stuff fun. He contributed to my enjoyment of life.

A pleasant reminder to give to your local cancer foundation. Or volunteer.

[0kelvin]

What a shame. I always thought the Rocketeer was an insanely cool character. Too bad the movie wasn't any good, the character really deserved to be more popular.



Eric

[Victor B]

A tragedy.

[Aly Fell]

That's crap. I love the Rocketeer and his Betty Page work is wonderful. :(

[Micaiah Nelson]

R.I.P. A real tragedy.

[Elwell]

The fact that this thread isn't three pages long by now is a travesty.

William Stout (http://www.williamstout.com/news/journal/archives/00000058.shtml) on Dave Stevens.

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[Ilaekae]

The world...is...just...getting emptier...too fast...

[Vanvalen]

Such a great Loss... I used to copy some of his stuff in the 80's... rest in peace Dave

VV

[dbclemons]

I used to count on seeing him at all the conventions I went to. What a great gracious guy. I had heard he was ill. What a loss.

[Infinit]

.sad.

[bhanu]

Dammit............
R.I.P Dave..............what the hell......huh.........

[jrr]

wow that's terrible news. i loved his work.

[Cookiedough]

I checked his site yesterday. Gorgeous pin ups he made. Sad news.

[JL.Alfaro]

wow, dont know how I missed this thread...
Rest in peace Mr. Stevens

[Arnie Fenner]

The fact that this thread isn't three pages long by now is a travesty.

Agreed!

A lot of people have been posting a lot of nice things about Dave in various places over the last few days--and they're all true. Too often the people we admire and look up to--our heroes--can turn out to not live up to our expectations, to have feet of clay. Not Dave Stevens. Not only was he enormously talented, but he was a genuinely nice guy, someone you would look forward to spending time with. Too often in the last decade a mention of Dave's name would draw a blank stare--"Who?"--but I think much of that had to do with the fact that Dave never beat his own drum. Sure he was responsible for The Rocketeer comic and subsequent film (which should have done better, but unfortunately opened opposite Terminator 2 and didn't get a fair chance at finding an audience). Yeah, he did elegant and tasteful pin-up art. But he also worked as a storyboard & concept artist on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Forever Young, The Flash TV series, and Michael Jackson's Thriller video. And altruistically, he championed (and befriended) 1950s pin-up icon Bettie Page and made it possible for her to get paid by all the people that had been getting rich from her photos through the years.

There was a lot to Dave Stevens. He'd been fighting leukemia for the last decade, but it was a battle he preferred to keep private. We've been working with Dave on his art book for the last three years, in stops and starts as he was hospitalized and released and hospitalized and released--but he was always optimistic and always lived each day as if it was like any other. He was wanting to finish up several oil paintings for the book--and they're gorgeous, complete or not--and said this past Saturday, despite being in terrible condition in the hospital, "I'll be on my feet in a few days and wrap them up." That was Dave.

Harlan Ellison has said that one of the worst things about getting older is having to bury your pals. Dave was my pal...and I'll miss him tremendously.

Jim Steranko has posted a great memorial here (it's the second post):
http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2008/03/nycc-featured-guests-jim-steranko-j.html

[egerie]

The world...is...just...getting emptier...too fast...

Indeed.

[Izi]

Most of what Dave did after that fell into the general category of "glamour art," including portfolios and private commissions. Many of these were illustrations of Bettie Page who, though once thought deceased, turned out to be alive and living not all that far from Dave. They met and Dave became her friend and, though he was not wealthy, benefactor. Deciding that too many others had callously exploited her likeness, Dave voluntarily aided Ms. Page financially and even took to helping her in neighborly ways. One time, he told me — and without the slightest hint of resentment — "It's amazing. After years of fantasizing about this woman, I'm now driving her to cash her Social Security checks."


THAT Is SOOOOO sweet :'(

[smugbug]

This is making me cry. OMG.

NO.

[J Wilson]

Arnie, thanks so much for writing that. While I was familair with Dave's work I never knew any of his personal details, especially the wonderful things he did for Bettie Page. It's easy to mourn the loss of a great artist, but it's something else entirely to know they were also a wonderful person. It's amazing to see the artist community come together to honor him, and it makes me proud to be an artist in this field.

[Blue]

I'm too young to know the comics, but i LOVED the rocketeer movie. Very sad to find this topic.... :(