It’s interesting to me that, in the past year, the one guy who most influenced me in blogging, comic book artist/scribe Fred Hembeck, has seemingly left the blogosphere. He hasn’t posted a thing since April 10, 2011. He started FredSez on January 1, 2003, and for several years wrote almost every day, an inspirational pace. But the output slackened in the last couple of years before he stopped altogether. Hasn’t used his Twitter account very much anymore.
Seems that his chosen medium is now Facebook, which is fine. He has over 5000 “friends” there. In fact, it’s a better way to contact him than by e-mail, in my experience.
For me, though, I know I’ll never go back and peruse anyone’s Facebook or Twitter posts like I read Fred’s blog for the pieces he wrote during the nearly two years before I discovered his blog.
At least I usually get to see Fred twice a year at the comic book show in Albany, although he didn’t make it last October because of a freak snowstorm south of Albany, where Fred lives.
But Fred DID make it into other blogs, a couple of times as a topic in Jim Shooter’s blog, here and here, plus in the comments here. His artwork was also highlighted by Mike Sterling.
In any case, happy birthday, Fred, old friend. You’re more elderly than I am for five weeks and TWO days this year, because of leap year. Let me know how it is just shy of 60.