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CliffordMeth
Lubber
Posts: 31
Registered: 26/11/06
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Mood: No Mood
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Dave Cockrum has passed away
November 26, 2006
With a heavy heart, I regret to inform you that Dave Cockrum passed away this morning. After a long battle with Diabetes and its varied complications,
Dave died in his sleep early this morning.
Dave’s many creations—including some of the X-Men’s staple characters—brought tremendous joy to his legion of fans. For three decades, he was a
beloved fixture at comics conventions across the country where he would sketch for a pittance and encourage would-be creators. Those of us who knew
Dave personally will remember him as one of the sweetest, jovial, most generous individuals in the comics industry. I’ll miss my friend very much.
There are no details of services at this time. Dave asked to be cremated and his widow Paty is burdened with the news, so well wishers are asked not
to call. Email can be sent to magnetorampant@yahoo.com
Clifford Meth
cliffmeth@aol.com
[Edited on 27/11/06 by CliffordMeth]
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STEPHANEGARRELIE
Lubber
Posts: 22
Registered: 30/4/06
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Terrible news.
Condolences to Paty and the rest of Dave's family.
[Edited on 26/11/06 by STEPHANEGARRELIE]
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JGM Comics
Lubber
Posts: 3
Registered: 27/1/04
Location: New Jersey
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood.
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Once again, my condolences. I am deeply saddened by this.
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JasonSacks
Lubber
Posts: 14
Registered: 15/1/04
Location: Everett WA
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood.
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Terrible news
Wow, this is horrible news. My sympathies to Paty, Dave's son, and all his close friends. I never knew Dave personally, but I had a wonderful time
creating davecockrum.net and revisiting all his terrific artwork and other creations. Dave was truly a man who affected others simply by force of his
tremendous personality. Dave was a legendary figure when he was alive - just look at the regard that Legion fandom of a certain age has always had for
him - and his legend will only continue and grow.
Cliff, thank goodness that you were able to negotiate the settlement with Marvel for him, so that he could get out of that awful VA hospital and get
back to South Carolina. And I'm very glad that Paty will still be covered under the settlement as well.
My deepest sympathies to everybody. I am not looking forward to the chore of updating the website with this terrible news.
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Indigo
Lubber
Posts: 19
Registered: 22/9/02
Location: San Diego, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sad
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This is a very sad day.
My condolences to Paty and all of Dave's friends and family. I miss him already.
[Edited on 4-12-0606 by Indigo]
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etherpunk
Lubber
Posts: 5
Registered: 20/9/06
Location: Seattle, WA
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
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My condolences to Paty and Dave's family and friends. He was a wonderful man who gave us so many lasting memories.
He will definitely be missed.
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Knighthealer
Banned
Posts: 2
Registered: 26/11/06
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Mood: No Mood
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Mr. Meth...thank you for letting us now! I am mourning with Paty right now. I am going to miss Dave dreadfully. My love to Paty and the whole of their
families!
Mary M. Ward
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CliffordMeth
Lubber
Posts: 31
Registered: 26/11/06
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Mood: No Mood
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Folks,
Forgive me for not replying to personal emails right now; I have many calls to make and am dealing with the press. Frankly, I find that having
something to do--some measure of responsibility that unburdons Paty--is theraputic. I'll post a more in-depth statement soon at CliffordMeth.com and
SilverBulletComicBooks.com ... Know that Paty is receiving your messages and your love. --Clifford Meth
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HoodedMan
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My thoughts are with Mr. Cockrum's family, especially Paty Cockrum, who I hope will continue to grace Nightscrawlers with her presence. This is a sad
day for comics, so influenced by Mr. Cockrum's legacy, and for us, his fans. Nightscrawlers has lost a member of its family.
Wind to thy wings, David Cockrum.
(USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
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CliffordMeth
Lubber
Posts: 31
Registered: 26/11/06
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Mood: No Mood
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There will be plenty of tributes, I'm sure. I'm thankful I wrote mine while Dave was alive to read it.
I had to get this out of my stomach, though:
http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/masters/
Cliff
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Harlekein
Shoulder Parrot
Posts: 144
Registered: 3/9/02
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Mood: No Mood
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My deepest condolences to the entire Cockrum family.
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fourpawsonthefloor
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My deepest sympathies. Dave will be very much missed.
Life is eternal, and love is immortal,
and death is only a horizon;
and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
~Rossiter Worthington Raymond
Paws
Cessily: Reaching into Rogue's cleavage is kinda dangerous with the whole sucky powers thing. It's a... booby trap.
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NachtcGleiskette
A Virgin Who Can't Drive
Posts: 3787
Registered: 14/1/03
Location: NY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Clueless
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Deepest condolences to Paty and Dave's family. As Northstar said, we lost a member of the Nightscrawlers family, a huge member, and he will be greatly
missed.
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cinlach
Lubber
Posts: 3
Registered: 24/9/05
Location: Greenville, SC
Member Is Offline
Mood: contemplative
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i was stunned to hear the news of dave's passing.
i was fortunate enough to meet dave on three occasions, each more pleasant then the one before.
the last was little less then a month ago at a small local convention here in greenville, sc.
since my friends rob and chris had put the show on, i was volunteering my time to help them run things.
i also had an out of state friend who requested a sketch, which dave was most generous to agree to do.
that con was the first time i'd had the pleasure of meeting paty and i made sure to tell both of them that if they needed anything during the day to
not hesitate to let one of the volunteers know.
they were well received by not only the dealers, and other pro's...but the fans as well.
my heart and thoughts go out to paty and everyone else touched by the loss of a genuinely good person.
his memory will live on.
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JSherlock
Blaidd Drwg
Posts: 1819
Registered: 25/7/03
Location: Metallicar
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Mood: IN DA FASE!
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"Beauty is truth, truth beauty" - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
-John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn
You will never be forgotten and your art shall live on with each generation that discovers it.
My sincerest sympathies go out to his family.
Feel free to add this banner to your signatures everone:
[Edited on 27/11/0606 by JSherlock]
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BH123
Bilge Rat
Posts: 62
Registered: 4/6/04
Location: Queens NY
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Mood: No Mood.
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I am so sorry to hear about this. Dave Cockrum was such a brilliant artist and an incredibly nice guy. I count myself fortunate to have met him on a
few occasions and obtained some nice artwork by him. He was one of my all-time favorite comic book creators.
My condolences to Paty and to the rest of his family.
Ben Herman
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CliffordMeth
Lubber
Posts: 31
Registered: 26/11/06
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Mood: No Mood
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The Last Days of Dave Cockrum
My very first column at SBC dealt with Dave Cockrum. I was pissed off at the time because Dave lay in a hospital bed at a neglected Bronx V.A.
facility and didn’t have two nickels to rub together. Despite the fact that he’d created a good portion of the X-Men characters that everyone knows
and loves. It was one of those huge injustices that was too big and too close to ignore. I was getting ready for a fight. Perhaps guys like me are
always getting ready for a fight.
Guys like Dave Cockrum are just the opposite. If it hadn’t been for the burden of his illness, he would never have even mentioned his missing
royalties to anyone. For companies that take advantage of that sort of guy, that’s a ready-made sucker, a patsy. But for Dave Cockrum, it was about
getting on with life. He was happy to have created what he created, to have found a career drawing comics. He never verbalized any regret about his
chosen field. At least not to me, and I was his pal. Dave never considered the road not taken. “What else could I have done?” he’d say. “I love
comics!”
Dave did love comics. He loved everything about them. He would talk about plot devices and character motivation as seriously as he discussed art
technique. He’d been a fan of Murphy Anderson’s and Neal Adams and Wally Wood and Julie Schwartz and then he became their student. He worked closely
with Marv Wolfman and Len Wein and Chris Claremont. It was a fan’s dream come true and Dave never forgot it. It was never about the money.
While the mid- and late-70s were his halcyon days, the 80s and 90s brought less and less work. Dave wasn’t political. There was no salesmanship to
him. What you saw was what you got. He made no efforts to ingratiate himself in the eyes of the new wave of editors and so, by the late 90s, Dave’s
work was rarely found in comics anymore. He was effectively forced to retire into obscurity. Without royalties. Despite the fact that he’d created
Nightcrawler; that he’d designed Colossus, Storm, Phoenix, Thunderbird, Mystique, The Black Cat, The Starjammers, The Imperial Guard and The Brood.
This last decade was a very tough time for this very capable man. But you’d never have known it because Dave continued to make convention appearances
across America where he’d sketch for a pittance (or no money at all, if the fan claimed poverty). Dave always had a smile on his face. He was always a
fan’s favorite.
Then came the stroke and the collapse and hospitalization. Then, at least, came the Marvel settlement.
Following the settlement, Dave’s last three years were spent in South Carolina. He and his wife Paty moved there, from upstate New York, to get away
from the cold. Dave spent most of his days in a wheelchair watching television, rarely drawing, reading when he could. He had dialysis on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays—a four- to five-hour affair that always left him drained and exhausted. He knew that a new kidney might change his life, but
hoping for one at his age (and in his condition) was like hoping to win the Lotto, and the odds were just about the same. He had no illusions.
Despite the ailments and the lack of funds, Dave stayed happy. Not to say there weren’t bouts of depression, but following the comics’ industry
tribute that all of you gave him, Dave felt somehow fulfilled. He knew he hadn’t been forgotten. Indeed, Dave discovered an entire new generation of
fans on the web who were only too eager to talk with him. So when he could, he’d answer questions and make new e-mates across the i-planet. He refused
to be bitter about anything. The nastiest thing I ever heard him say was, “I wish I had John Byrne’s money and he had my feet.”
Dave’s fans, many congregating at NightScrawlers.com, didn’t realize how much of Dave’s waking time was devoted to them. But one fella had it right
this morning: “Dear, sweet Dave, taking the time to chat with his fans on a message board up until the end. He really gave us so much more than we had
the right to ask for. It’s so hard to believe that Nightcrawler’s dad is gone.”
Dave’s last post to his fans came exactly two weeks ago, before he was hammered by a flu. He had just turned 63 and lost his own father on the day of
his birthday. In reply to a combo birthday-and-condolence wish from a fan about to visit Tennessee, Dave wrote (on November 12), “Not only did my dad
die on my birthday—his SECOND wife died on HIS birthday. I see an uncomfortable tendency here! Hey, Tennessee's right next door! If you get that far,
you definitely have to stop round here! We've got the room here and we’d be glad to have you!”
That was my pal Dave.
Gosh I’m gonna miss him.
Clifford Meth
[Edited on 27/11/06 by fourpawsonthefloor]
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Blue_Demon94
Swashbuckler
Posts: 1634
Registered: 30/8/04
Member Is Offline
Mood: Indifferent 
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I just heard the bad news and had to come back here to pay my respects to Mr Cockrum and to offer Paty my deepest condolences.. from the few times I
actually spoke to him on this site, I could tell that he was genuinely a nice and caring individual and he'll be greatly missed.
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Slarti
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My deepest sympathies to Paty and all of Dave's family and friends. As has already been said, we at Nightscrawlers have lost a dear member of the
family today. If not for Dave, this site wouldn't exist.
I'm truly grateful I had the chance to know him, and meet him in person.
Jeanette and Scott
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littlebamf
Sometimes the bark isn\'t worse than the bite
Posts: 1988
Registered: 29/10/02
Location: the drama studio
Member Is Offline
Mood: kill all essays ><
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My deepest sympathies to the Cockrum family. Mr Cockrum gave us all something in his incredible creations and inspired many people. He will be greatly
missed, but greatly remembered.
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Scumfish
Humps Many Legs
Posts: 1053
Registered: 11/8/06
Location: Housing Assoc. with a chainsaw.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Fucking enraged and going to kill someone.
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Rest in peace, Dave. You won't be truly gone while your art is still loved.
All my love n thoughts to Paty and family. Dave was an inspiration for the short time i've been here.
The hardest thing in life is to know which bridges to cross and which ones to burn.
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Ogrebear
Lubber
Posts: 5
Registered: 28/10/05
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Mood: *grin*
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RIP
I am so sorry to hear that Dave has passed on.
Best wishes to Paty and the family.
R.I.P.
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Angelique
Dread Pirate
Posts: 2464
Registered: 22/8/05
Location: sailing under the Jolly Wagner
Member Is Offline
Mood: Adventurous
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Slarti said it best. There wouldn't be a Nightscrawler family if it weren't for him. And I don't think it will be quite the same without him.
Thanks, Cliff, for letting us know, for the tribute both in print and what you just posted.
As for me, the lousy timing of it (not that there's any good time to lose such a guy as Dave) has me kind of reeling now. Barry and I would rate this
Worst. Anniversary. Present. Ever.
Tell Paty we're sending her a barrage of virtual hugs from eastern Idaho.
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Bamfette
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I know I've been away from the forum for a while, but as soon as I heard, I came back, so I could offer my condolances to Paty and everyone else who
knew him. He was a great artist and a great person, he will be missed deeply.
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Nightcrawlis
Shoulder Parrot
Posts: 164
Registered: 7/8/03
Location: Bàghbaile School for Mutants
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Mood: Bamftastic
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I have just heard the news, my deepest sympathies to Paty and his family.
'To be a good designer, you have to be a very violent psychopath.' Stan Lee.
"If you've got Mystique as your girlfriend the fun you could have in bed - I've just imagined X-Men 3 might open with me in bed with Patrick Stewart."
-- Sir Ian McKellen
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