Chuck Dixon
Sometimes you run across a writer who consistently entertains you, so much so that you are finally moved to write a letter of appreciation to that person. That’s what happened to me in reading Chuck Dixon’s work in comics. Chuck has an incredible knack for writing action, but I’d also been impressed by his ability to write women with all the variety they have in attitude and ways of talking. He also has a gift for supreme efficiency in presenting characters, such that you totally “get” a character in one or (at most) two panels. This ability created admiration and a bit of envy. But mostly admiration.
I wrote Chuck a short letter expressing this appreciation and got back a very friendly response. Eventually, I connected with him online and got to know him even better. It because a very easy friendship.
As a writer, I’ve learned a lot from Chuck, particularly how to be compact and economical. He is a big propoenent of starting in the middle of action, and though I don’t always agree that it is necessary for every story I keep it in mind. He has a wonderful gift for story twists you absolutely do not see coming but which feel amazingly organic and logical when they happen. That ability I really envy. I have worked with story patterns so much that I often do intuit where a writer will take a story. But Chuck frequently blind-sides me. It inspires me to try harder with my own tales.
While I might not always agree with Chuck on some topics (he is a committed conservative), I’ve never found him to be unreasonable in actual discussion. He’s one of those fortunate types who does not require that his friends share all his views. If he has a flaw in this area, it is that in perceived casual circumstances (like online message boards or Facebook status comments) he many toss off a flippant remark or pungent quip which others then blow out of proportion. But he doesn’t wail about those misunderstandings: he takes the flack in stride and moves on.
The quality I most admire in Chuck is his generousity. He has been actively supportive of the writing aspirations of some of his fans, those who have done the work to learn craft and professionalism. He makes time in his busy schedule to give occasional advice. But he has also been directly generous when someone has been in need. And he is unflagging in his support of active troops and all veterans. Controversy may come and go, but what Chuck wants most is to just tell a good story. He’s a natural born storyteller who always manages to engage me (heck, he’s gotten non-military me reading his G.I. Joe comics each month). And his work ethic is inspiring. Lest that seem too dry a conclusion — he also makes me laugh.
