Comic_Book_Guy

Yes. Someone broke into my uncle-in-law's car. Scarborough teacher's grieving family faces more loss after money for funeral stolen https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/01/20/scarborough-teachers-grieving-family-faces-more-loss-after-money-for-funeral-stolen.html Raph's funeral is today. Thank you for your thoughts on Raph. Please give your well wishes to his family and also to Leena.

Hello, everyone. I am a cousin of Raphael, on his mother's side. My father noticed the link to these forums from Raph's Facebook page. I never knew that my cousin even frequented comics forums. I am myself a regular poster on two forums, on GameFAQs boards and a now-retired moderator for NarutoForums boards (as Comic Book Guy). Small world. I never knew about these forums. Well, I've signed up here now to make a post. Raphael was the first comic book guy of his family, and also of my family on either side. He was only a few years older than me, so I grew up reading his collection of Marvel superheroes and borrowed his videotape recordings of X-Men: The Animated Series to watch because I couldn't get home in time to watch the episodes. Two other cousins and myself, we four were regular comics readers but it was me and Raph that were leading the way. I accompanied him to his Fan Expo (Canada's equivalent of the San Diego Comic Con -- I had attended a year before him) when Jim Lee, Leonard Nimoy, and the late Carrie Fisher were the major attractions. I think it was also his first convention experience. He and I, along with his girlfriend now wife, were standing in line for Jim Lee's autograph. And it was a huge line, every day he was there. We were lucky to have most of our stuff signed by Jim and get free sketches from him too. I believe he asked Jim Lee to sketch Cap (I asked for The Question). I don't quite remember if he asked Jim Lee for another sketch for the next day (because of popularity and time, security limited it to EITHER get three/1 thing signed by Lee, or get a free head sketch. Third day, no more free sketches). Later on, we later had Jim Lee sign our exclusive All-Star Batman Fan Expo promo posters when we bumped into Lee just as he was leaving the convention. There was about 7 or so people just laying their posters on the ground and Jim Lee was kneeling and signing everyone. Just about we were to join him, Raph joked that, "Look at him. It's like fans are kneeling before a god." After that weekend, he asked for my poster and, later, surprised me that he had it framed for his GF and us family that were there. That's Raph. Since that first Fan Expo, he has been a regular at Fan Expo as an attendee and a vendor along with his wife, developed his love for commissions and for custom sketch covers, and became one of the CGC members/adjudicators. As we grew up, comics also began to influence us. He was Marvel, I was DC who later grew to love comics beyond the superhero. He collected singles and trades, I only bought the collected trades with the most extras for the behind-the-scenes stuff to better study as an aspiring comics writer. I'm a PhD student whose main topic of interest is in comics studies, Raph became an English teacher that would have loved to include comics in his teaching curricula. The times I met/talked to Raph, we'd talk a lot about the current stories in comics, how some current writers are screwing up characters, the upcoming cons of interest, and also things from my comics studies that would be applicable to him pitching comics to his highschool higher-ups to accept for his English curricula. The last time we talked, I don't know if he succeeded or completed his pitch and make its case. I was going to give him "Teaching the Graphic Novel" edited by Stephen E. Tabachnick (2010) to contribute to his pitch. That's Raph. He loved comics, and he wanted to contribute to others enjoying them as well, be it in school or at the conventions or at the store or, as I learned, in the forums. He was our family's first comic book guy. Thank you for thinking of Raph. Well wishes to you all.