Anyone who truly knows me past my work and past seeing me in a working environment/context is well aware that I am extremely resistant to personal recognition or adulation. Whether it be a new graphic novel, a panel, or even a karaoke performance, my preference is always to keep the focus on the work itself rather than on me, personally. Ignore the man behind the curtain… or in this case, the mask, hat, and glasses.

After my acceptance speech (which I bumbled through despite my notes — and you can view on my YouTube channel HERE) someone asked me if I really had really written it 10 years ago… and the answer was “yes.” Why did I have a speech written — and for the past ten years at that — especially if I didn’t expect to win? Because, on the off-chance that I won it that first year of the award (or any of the following four times I landed on the final ballot before winning it this year), I wanted the focus to remain on Gary Reed.

As those who pay close attention to such things can tell you, the history of the comic industry is especially… undocumented… in regards to the people who supported the people and systems that go on to propagate their own versions of how things happened.

Gary was one of those people who helped launch more careers, and even institutions, in the comic business than will ever be recognized by the masses or, sadly, the annals of history.

Under Gary’s leadership, Caliber Comics was one of the first publishers of many modern creative pillars of the industry. A deep dive into his work on DEAD WORLD will reveal numerous very close similarities to THE WALKING DEAD, which went on to become an industry juggernaut. Gary was also instrumental in not only helping Twiztid launch their HAUNTED HIGH-ONS comic, but also their pop culture convention Astronomicon, both of which helped prompt a new and lasting ripple effect regarding the intersection of the music and comics industries. He was also at the ground floor of what became Todd McFarland‘s toy figure empire, too, alongside Paul Burke, another unsung hero in his own right. These are but a few of many examples, and I’m sure there’s plenty of other things he did in the background that I’ll never know.

Maybe these are the things I should have spoken about in my speech… but, be it right or wrong (no pun intended), I instead chose to focus on the lessons I hoped other creators – be they established or aspiring – should take from Gary.

Looking back, I think these comments would have hit much differently were I to have to actually taken the trophy home and made this speech any year prior, allowing me to now realize that the synchronicities involved in me winning the award this year ultimately made it much more impactful and meaningful not only to me, but hopefully to others as well. Timing truly is everything, and the Universe often gives us those little reminders of how we’re rewarded for letting things play out in their right time — especially if we pay attention. Ha-ha.

There was so much more I wanted to say, but I was fighting back bursting into tears the more I spoke about Gary and what I learned from him and wanted others to, too, so ultimately the speech I delivered (recorded by The_EXP) is what it is and will forever be.

I was honored when Gary agreed to publish WRITE OR WRONG, when he wrote the foreword to NIGHTMARE WORLD Volume 3, when he asked me to write the foreword to his book NIGHT PIECES, and when he tapped me to write HAUNTED HIGH-ONS, which – upon his passing soon thereafter – is what led to me first working with Source Point Press, where, following a similar path to Gary, I now proudly serve as both a writer and the Publisher.

As I said at the beginning of the speech linked above, I will say again now, this time in closing: Thank you to everyone who has stood by me, both personally and professionally, throughout the ups and downs of my career, especially when it was hard, and thank you to everyone that saw fit to put me forward for this award so that I can once more shine a light on Gary Reed, a mentor and friend who I think about every day, as he should continue to get more recognition for his contributions to the comic industry than he most likely ever will.