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Description
One of my favorite authors of all time, Brian Jacques, sadly passed away on Saturday February 5th, 2011. I only just got the news on Monday, while I was waiting for a class to start and was checking some news. I was devistated.
Brian Jacques was an incredible author. He wrote Redwall series, 21 books. Each book was so packed with adventure you never wanted to put it down. The details were so rich you could see it. And the food he described sounded so delicious that reading it on an empty stomach could make the rumbles heard across the room. I loved how he incoporated dialecct into his characters species, from moles to hares to squirrels. His stories fascinated me and inspired me to draw and write my own stories and make my own characters.
I read my first Redwall book when I was in sixth grade. I had a high reading level and wandered to the more difficult book section of the library. When I picked up Redwall, it was a huge, heavy hardback that looked dinged and beat up. I was soon to see why the book looked like it had been read so many times. I flew through the book, gobbling up chapters and pages greedily to see what happened next. I was hooked for life.
Years past, Redwall took to the shelves as I picked up Harry Potter, and later on Warriors. But I never stopped reading it, and I never stopped loving it. Redwall dosn't fit into the ordinary genre of animal fantasy, it's like a genre in itself.
Years ago I combined my love for animal stories and westerns and started inventing the characters for my own story, which would become Skytown.
Having no intrest in writing a western with people, I decided to take a leaf out of Jacques's book, and use anthropomorphic rodents. They are so expressive and fun, no wonder Jacques was so enthralled with them.
Brian Jacques was a master of writing. He was a riddler, a poet, the hero, the villain, the comic releif, and always perfect. You never knew where his books would turn. Just when you thought you had the riddle pinned he'd flip your world up side down and leave you reeling. Somehow, after I would finish one of his books, for some reason I would feel smarter. Perhaps I was just shocked at how brilliant the books were. So artistcally written. When I later found out that Brian Jacques's books were written for a school for the blind the amazing ammount of detail made sense. I'm sure that if I were blind, reading by brail, this imaginary world would still be as real to my senses.
Over Christmas break I got to revisit my old bookshelf, and decided to delve back into the world a Redwall. I was re-hooked. I started some more fanart and reading the books of his I haven't yet read.
I was still on my returning Redwall high today, when I read the terrible news. The man who inspired me so much, had died from a heart attack at the age of 71. I was in class, I couldn't leave, I couldn't cry, I couldn't do anything but try and listen to the lecture in a state of numb shock and disbelief.
I feel like I've lost a hero. It's strange to miss someone so much you never knew, or didn't even know was gone. If I'd known and could go back in time, I wish I could have met him. Tapped his brilliant mind. Asked him about his ideas and characters and inspiration. Or even merely just meet him and shake his hand to say thanks for all the great adventures. Staying up late under the sheets with a flashlight just to read through just one more chapter... or maybe two... or the rest of the book. Get yelled at in summer camp for reading past lights out and snickering at the funny lines when I was supposed to be asleep.
Even though I'm sad for the loss of Brian Jacques I know darn well he won't be forgotten. His adventures and writing will live on. His characters will be immortal reminders of the brilliant man who dreamed up the mythical Redwall Abbey.

Rest In Peace Brian Jacques, and God Bless You
Brian Jacques: 1939-2011

Drawing:
I drew the entire thing almost non-stop for almost nine hours today. Its drawn with Rosearts of Bristolboard.
The flowers are lilacs, roses, speedwells, dogwood, lupin, daisies, strawberry blossoms, English Ivy and hedge leaves.
The character at the bottom paying his respects is Martin th Warrior, The flower above Martin is a cactus bloom, which symbolizes how much Brian Jacques work influenced me when I began writing Skytown all those years ago.

Its not much, but it's my goodbye to a favorite author.

Description
One of my favorite authors of all time, Brian Jacques, sadly passed away on Saturday February 5th, 2011. I only just got the news on Monday, while I was waiting for a class to start and was checking some news. I was devistated.
Brian Jacques was an incredible author. He wrote Redwall series, 21 books. Each book was so packed with adventure you never wanted to put it down. The details were so rich you could see it. And the food he described sounded so delicious that reading it on an empty stomach could make the rumbles heard across the room. I loved how he incoporated dialecct into his characters species, from moles to hares to squirrels. His stories fascinated me and inspired me to draw and write my own stories and make my own characters.
I read my first Redwall book when I was in sixth grade. I had a high reading level and wandered to the more difficult book section of the library. When I picked up Redwall, it was a huge, heavy hardback that looked dinged and beat up. I was soon to see why the book looked like it had been read so many times. I flew through the book, gobbling up chapters and pages greedily to see what happened next. I was hooked for life.
Years past, Redwall took to the shelves as I picked up Harry Potter, and later on Warriors. But I never stopped reading it, and I never stopped loving it. Redwall dosn't fit into the ordinary genre of animal fantasy, it's like a genre in itself.
Years ago I combined my love for animal stories and westerns and started inventing the characters for my own story, which would become Skytown.
Having no intrest in writing a western with people, I decided to take a leaf out of Jacques's book, and use anthropomorphic rodents. They are so expressive and fun, no wonder Jacques was so enthralled with them.
Brian Jacques was a master of writing. He was a riddler, a poet, the hero, the villain, the comic releif, and always perfect. You never knew where his books would turn. Just when you thought you had the riddle pinned he'd flip your world up side down and leave you reeling. Somehow, after I would finish one of his books, for some reason I would feel smarter. Perhaps I was just shocked at how brilliant the books were. So artistcally written. When I later found out that Brian Jacques's books were written for a school for the blind the amazing ammount of detail made sense. I'm sure that if I were blind, reading by brail, this imaginary world would still be as real to my senses.
Over Christmas break I got to revisit my old bookshelf, and decided to delve back into the world a Redwall. I was re-hooked. I started some more fanart and reading the books of his I haven't yet read.
I was still on my returning Redwall high today, when I read the terrible news. The man who inspired me so much, had died from a heart attack at the age of 71. I was in class, I couldn't leave, I couldn't cry, I couldn't do anything but try and listen to the lecture in a state of numb shock and disbelief.
I feel like I've lost a hero. It's strange to miss someone so much you never knew, or didn't even know was gone. If I'd known and could go back in time, I wish I could have met him. Tapped his brilliant mind. Asked him about his ideas and characters and inspiration. Or even merely just meet him and shake his hand to say thanks for all the great adventures. Staying up late under the sheets with a flashlight just to read through just one more chapter... or maybe two... or the rest of the book. Get yelled at in summer camp for reading past lights out and snickering at the funny lines when I was supposed to be asleep.
Even though I'm sad for the loss of Brian Jacques I know darn well he won't be forgotten. His adventures and writing will live on. His characters will be immortal reminders of the brilliant man who dreamed up the mythical Redwall Abbey.

Rest In Peace Brian Jacques, and God Bless You
Brian Jacques: 1939-2011

Drawing:
I drew the entire thing almost non-stop for almost nine hours today. Its drawn with Rosearts of Bristolboard.
The flowers are lilacs, roses, speedwells, dogwood, lupin, daisies, strawberry blossoms, English Ivy and hedge leaves.
The character at the bottom paying his respects is Martin th Warrior, The flower above Martin is a cactus bloom, which symbolizes how much Brian Jacques work influenced me when I began writing Skytown all those years ago.

Its not much, but it's my goodbye to a favorite author.