Remember Whens-Day: Wildfire by Gene Gonzalez

From the pages of Smash Comics: Jim Mooney's Wildfire, drawn by Gene Gonzalez.

Why Didn't I Know This Sooner?

Sometimes, it really hits me hard to find out just how far out of the loop I've been. Last night, I picked up this week's comics...and there, on the back page of the DC titles, was a memorial notice for Jim Mooney. This was the first I had heard about his passing. I'm sure it's been noted on several blogs, but somehow I missed the news until now.

Jim Mooney has long been one of my favorite artists. There was a great, wholesome charm to his art...apart from his definitive Supergirl stories, I've always been especially fond of his 1970s collaborations with Steve Gerber (both Man-Thing and Omega the Unknown). You wouldn't think that Mooney's "old-fashioned" feel would mesh with Gerber's out-there madness, but it worked beautifully.

One of the prizes of my original art collection (back when I could afford to buy them) is a Jim Mooney Omega page, which I purchased through one of his own eBay auctions. It's a beautiful page, and he was a pleasure to deal with.

Rest in peace, Mr. Mooney.