TWFK Pinup by Adam Walmsley

Every Tuesday night at the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning, Clinton House dorms, me and the rest of my housemates, would crowd into our buddy’s tiny room. It was the only room in the house that had cable. There we would, like clockwork infringe on our friend’s boundaries, and personal space to watch the newest episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. No matter how much it annoyed him, he let us come in and watch because he is a good friend. This is Adam Walmsley.  

Like the good friend that he is, one day, after Adam had read the first two issues of The War for Kaleb, he, out of the blue, posts a drawing of The War for Kaleb that he did, on Facebook. This is the very first time that I had ever seen my characters drawn by someone else. The best part is, that I never asked. The book spoke enough to Adam that he took it upon himself to do the amazing piece. I get too sentimental, but it brought me to tears.  

I’ve said it before, but art is the closest thing we will get to seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. The way he saw my characters were different than the way I do. But the integrity that makes the characters, are still intact. What is amazing about Adam’s piece is that he gave all the different characters a slightly different look. Like a spectrum of anxious evolution. Starting when Kaleb is a bright-eyed boy, to a worrisome young man, to his light superhero representation with a slightly larger build, and then the overarching, menacing dark hero to loom over Kaleb’s every desire and ambition. It is subtle, but it is there.  

One of the things that I have always noticed about Adam’s work is how exceptionally clean his style is. Every line matters, and nothing is wasted. It is confident and demands to be looked at.  

Even when we would argue about stupid “nerd” stuff like whether or not the Star Wars Prequels were good (they are good, sorry Adam), or whether or not he should let 6 other people in his room to watch a stupid TV show, Adam has always been a great friend, and I’m proud to have his work as an addition to this book.