In the Spirit of the Season, Being Grateful

In the spirit of the season, and a bit of a forced break which is not too common for me, I felt the urge to sit down and write about those people who I am grateful for. After all, if I’m not doing something I get a little stir crazy.

This is in no means written in any particular order, but instead just as the names come to mind.

I am grateful to the artists who I work with and publish. Frank Cho, Mark Schultz, Jim Silke, William Stout, Craig Elliott, Gary Gianni, Richard and Wendy Pini, Arthur Adams and Joyce Chin, James Bama, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Bruce Timm, Bill Carman, Warren Chang, Daren Bader and Lance HaunRogue, Petar Meseldzija, Steve Rude, Brom, Dice Tsutsumi, Robert Kondo, and Al Williamson’s wife, Cori. Many of them I have been fortunate enough to become friends as we share a bond bound in passion while in life’s journey.

I am grateful to the Spectrum Advisory Board. These are exceptional people who serve as mentors and help guide the future of Spectrum and advise me in business and in life: Brom, Alice “Bunny” Carter, Mark Chiarello, Rebecca Guay, James Gurney, Charles Kochman, Iain McCaig, Virginie Ropars, Harlan Ellison, Tim Underwood as well as Cathy and Arnie Fenner.

I am grateful to the Spectrum community. All of the artists who take part in the Spectrum annual each year, those who attend the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live event and Spectrum Awards Ceremony and to its many fans. This is a beautiful community that I feel lucky each and every day to be a part of. I will continue to work toward a better community where we can share and grow together and keep the door open to all to enter.

I am grateful to Arnie and Cathy Fenner who saw something in me, opened their hearts and brought me into the Spectrum community as its current caretaker. The have all my love for being so good to me.

I am grateful to the dedicated and wonderful crew who helps run Flesk and Spectrum. This includes Keith and Rachel Silva, Josh Ford and James Walker who are the core regulars.

I am grateful to the many supporters of Flesk and Spectrum who buy our books which allows us to continue doing what we love. None of this could happen without you.

I am grateful to Colin and Kristine Poole who are far more to me than just the pair that creates the Spectrum Awards each year.

I am grateful to Greg Preston for his friendship and for helping to capture the Spectrum community through his brilliant and gorgeous photography.

I am grateful to my close knit group of friends who have stood by me for an eternity, offered their help when needed, and who have kept me grounded and balanced. This includes friends and mentors Jim Vadeboncour, Jr., Manuel Auad, Dick Swan, Art Lim and Jim Reid. And I have a few dozen old school friends in my private life that I grew up with that I can mention–you know who you are.

I am grateful to my coach Monica Carson who keeps me mentally and physically fit to take on all of life’s daily challenges while feeling great.

And most importantly, I am grateful for being blessed with having a terrific son, Ocean, who keeps me happy and full of youth by helping me to see all of the splendors of life that adults sometimes have a tendency to become blind to. Being a dad is something I am very grateful for.

It feels good to write this down as a reminder at how good the people in my life are and how much I appreciate them. Thank you all!

Enjoy,

John

John Flesk

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