Those Who Came Before

Minas Tirith - Screen Capture from the Film

As a creator of artistic works, I owe a huge debt to those who have gone before me and paved the road as far as it has led me to this day.

In the realm of writing, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, L.B. Graham, Orson Scott Card, Asimov, among others.

In comics/graphic novels, Bill Watterson, Jeff Smith, Stan Sakai, Travis Hanson, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, among others.

In film and cinema, Nolan, Spielberg, Lucas, Peter Jackson, Ryan Connolly, and many, many others.

In LEGO even, Nnenn, Jordan Schwartz, Michael Jasper, DNL, also among many others.

I admire these people even as I grow frustrated over them, for my works in any field will constantly be--even if unconsciously-- compared against theirs. Theirs is the talent, theirs is the past, theirs is the foundation or the continuation, each a Citadel or a Tower, either anchoring the rest or passing all others to reach the heavens. Theirs is the shadow that threatens to starve the budding artist for want of light.

I don't expect to become famous in my lifetime. I don't expect to become well known in my life time. I fully expect to die penniless if not homeless, a starving artist to the bitter end. Well, maybe not THAT bad.

But it is a strange place to be in. To create something that will stand on its own is nigh impossible these days. And it certainly will receive its share of assaults and sieges. So to look at those who have carved their niche and receive adulation for it...sometimes makes my blood boil. Not anger. But frustration.

Where the future leads? I do not know...where my future begins? Heh...a depressing oxymoron, that.

What even to classify this post? Not really Scholar, not really Dreamer...perhaps I need another voice? The Ranter? The Knave? I shall think on that...

~ Tommy