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<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\nI met Graham Joyce in 2000 at the World Fantasy Convention. He was one of my favorite writers. Still is.<\/p>\n
I first heard his name four years earlier. It was my first visit to Michael and Linda Moorcock\u2019s house. I was there to meet Mike because I was doing my first book cover gig \u2014 for the 30th Anniversary edition of his novel BEHOLD THE MAN. I was sitting in his studio sanctorum with Ben Ostrander and Rick Klaw, and Mike had just finished writing a review for The Guardian<\/i>. The subject was a novel called REQUIEM by Graham Joyce. Mike had high praise for it, and I remember writing the name down in my sketchbook.<\/p>\n
I bought REQUIEM shortly thereafter, and Mike was right. Graham was good. I started collecting Graham\u2019s books.\u00a0I was a newbie cover artist, in the embryonic stages of building a career.\u00a0When WFC came to Corpus Christi in 2000, I barely had enough money to attend, but I did, and Graham was one of the first people I wanted to meet.<\/p>\n
For those that didn\u2019t see my Facebook post today, here\u2019s a brief recap of what happened \u2014 but I also want to share something extraordinary<\/i> that I haven\u2019t yet shared elsewhere\u2026<\/p>\n
Virtually no one knew who I was at that convention. I had never met Graham, and I went to see him talk. I waited until everyone exited, and showed him my portfolio. He took the time to visit with a total stranger like me, and treated me like the center of the world. A few minutes later, a bald man with dark-rimmed glasses ran up to me in a hallway, and said, \u201cGraham Joyce just told me I needed to meet you!\u201d And that was Lou Anders, who has been my best friend since that fateful moment. It was Graham who brought us together.<\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not where the extraordinary ends\u2026..<\/p>\n
I saw Graham at the end of the con. We were parting ways. I told him about that first time that I heard about him, when Mike was reviewing his book, and when I was working on BEHOLD THE MAN. He said, \u201cBEHOLD THE MAN?? When that one first came out, back in the day\u2026\u2026that<\/i> was the one that made me want to be a writer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham said, \u201cDid you really mean that you could show me around after the con?\u201d I said, \u201cSure, man. Where do you want to go?\u201d I figured Graham wanted to find some dinner. He said, \u201cHow far away is this place where you live?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout three hours,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Halloween good around San Antonio?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, but in Austin, it\u2019s bonkers. Sixth Street. You\u2019d love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thirty minutes later, one of my favorite writers in the world was riding shotgun in my Saturn coupe as I sped us north to my home in San Antonio. Graham stayed at my house for two terrific Fall days, and yeah, we spent a rollicking Halloween night on Sixth Street together. Better than that though \u2014 I took him to meet Michael Moorcock that same evening, and Graham was so happy. Mike meant the world to him, and it was one of my favorite Halloweens ever. Linda was there. So were Rick Klaw and Brandy. It was the best of times.<\/p>\n