THE DANMAN CAN

R.I.P.  Sam Kieth  (January 11, 1963 – March 15, 2026), my favorite comic book artist, responsible for my favorite comic book,  The Maxx  (later an animated series on MTV). I was so taken by Sam's art that I had a page from the first issue of The Maxx  tattooed on my back (by the also insanely talented Cory Kruger, who did my entire backpiece; pictured below). Sam wrote and/or illustrated many, many other comics as well, all worthwhile, and I have no doubt in my mind that I missed something from my collection in the images below.  Kieth had a one-of-a-kind (and instantly recognizable) voice and style, often blending techniques and media in ways that no other comic artist did. His work ran the gamut from child-like sketches to beautifully painted fine art, and his stories were deeply human and characters deeply (often endearingly) flawed. You'll be missed, Sam .

Waking to the news of David Bowie 's death yesterday morning was a doozy. To say he is a " Hero " (for me and for so many) is an incredible understatement. It's safe to say that he is my favorite musical artist. I might not know every detail of every part of his life (there was so much of it) but I have every one of his studio albums (more than any other artist I own) and I continuously feel like I'm discovering and rediscovering his discography whenever I revisit any part of it. It took some time for me to realize that Bowie is my favorite. I was familiar with plenty of his hit songs growing up, but it wasn't until my late teens/early twenties that I started collecting his albums, digging into the deep album cuts, and realizing how astoundingly varied his catalog was. I can't name another artist that I feel is as diverse and eclectic, embracing so many genres (practically every one) and personalities. But Bowie wasn't just a music artist, he was ...

My grandmother ("Nana") passed away early this morning. She was 85 . She was married to Stephen Joseph Sardella (another amazing human being) for 58 years. I'm not sure if there is any significance to the fact that today is Veteran's Day and my grandfather ("Da"), who passed away at 89 in 2007 , was a WWII veteran or that today is 11 / 11 / 11 , but I mention these things anyway. Nana loved to cook Italian food and desserts, to paint and wood-carve, to roller skate, to play the mandolin, to sing and to travel, which my grandparents did for 20 years, visiting 70 countries! She worked for many years as an assistant librarian in the children's section of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library in Wakefield, MA, where she lived for over 60 years. She loved her family enormously and they loved her the same. From left: Steven Sardella, Susan Sardella, Susan Sardella ("Nana"), Stephen Sardella ("Da"), Sharon Sardella ("Mum...