Another of my online friends, Tim made a vivid impression from the first post of his that I read. He was justly ticked off by a particular event (that affected him personally), but wht impressed me was his sharp, satricial turns of phrase. He may make humble reference to the limits of his formal education, but he has a sharp mind and a love of reading that elevates him above the average.
It was a bit later that I learned he was also a cartoonist. The first piece of his that I saw was a cartoon sock puppet. There had been some discussion online of a particular person who had a practice of creating false personae on boards in order to create turmoil. Tim had created this cartoon of a snake-like sock puppet sporting the most disdainful expression. Simple, clean lines that were highly effective. I loved it.
When he posted the image of the Sock Puppet, I had been looking about for the right artist to do the cover art for The Scribbler’s Guide to the Land of Myth. I knew what I wanted the image to be: friendly, a bit humorous, approachable. And I knew my own drawing abilities wouldn’t get me precisely the reaction I wanted. No sooner did I see Tim’s work but I knew I had found The Man for the job. Tim’s personal life as a single father raising two youngsters meant that his available time for doing artwork was limited. I did not mind waiting for him to be able to do the cover art. It was worth it — he delivered exactly what I wanted. It’s a joy to me to see people smile when they pick up the book and look at the cover.
One thing I really admire about him is the amount of time he devotes to his children. Even though he has just cause to complain about the hard knocks he’s dealt with, he doesn’t. Instead, he is attentive to what his kids need. When the school bus company did a poor job of meeting their schedule and getting the children to school on time (a general operating principle, you would think), Tim because Crusader Dad and registered his dissatisfaction with all concerned parties. And when the company slacked off again when the heavy snowfalls hit their area, he was at it again, because he was not about to have his children standing out in freezing cold for an hour on the off chance that the bus would finally show up.
This is one terrific dad.
He’s even preparing a cook-book of easy recipes for single dads to prepare. And as he experiments in preparing the various dishes, he’s apparently turning into an excellent Family Chef.
I have come to greatly respect Tim’s focus on being a good parent. If that were the only notiable thing about him, it would be a lot. But he is also a sharp cartoonist and a wonderfully evocative writer. I’m glad to count him a friend and wish him well in all his endeavors. He deserves success.
