What Joseph Linsner Means to Me

I hope you're ready for a gushing fan girl post, because that's what this is going to be. I have such a deep and longstanding respect and love for this man's work, that I'm going to actually have to keep myself composed while writing this. Buckle up!

How it started

I grew up playing video games and reading comic books. I'm an only child and my dad worked at an arcade when I was born and he loved comic books. So, comic books were a thing that I don't ever remember NOT loving or knowing about. I have no memories of ever feeling less than "at home" in comic shops or arcades.

Fast forward to when I was about 12 years old. When I got into 6th grade, and my English teacher had a Superman shirt on, I remember randomly quizzing him on Clark Kent. Turns out, he wasn't a casual fan and was jazzed that a comic book lover ended up in one of his classes. Once he realized that I, and several other kids, were really into comic books he started up an after-school program we called "Comic Book Club."

My Second Home was a comic book Shop

One of the things the club did was walk down the street to the nearby comic shop and he'd buy us each 2 books a month. That was the first time I had actually been in a comic shop without my father. So, instead of following him around and letting him guide my choices, I explored the shelves. That was when I first found Cry for Dawn #1 by Joseph Michael Linsner.

It was in the boxes in the back and I absolutely needed to have it. I knew the cover was likely going to prevent the teacher from approving the item, so I made note of it, picked some stuff with tamer covers (some Elsa Bloodstone books if I recall correctly) and had my parents bring me back later for Cry For Dawn. I'd already gotten pretty into heavy metal music, and there's some album covers that are more graphic than the cover of this comic, so they had no issues buying it for me. I've been in love with his art, and his character Dawn specifically, ever since.

A Fan-Girl was Born

I quickly reached the cringe-level of obsessive fangirl. It was the character, Dawn, that truly captivated me. So, that lead me to wanting to find more artwork and creations by the man who created this goddess that I nearly worshipped in a literal sense (not really though, because I understand the difference between reality and fiction).

His style is something that is truly unique in the masterfulness of it. The way he draws women as powerful and sexy beings is something I truly admire. Looking at the women he draws makes me feel powerful. The way that he writes and creates fills me with awe and inspiration. That's why I ended up with more comics and creations by Joseph Linsner than any other since creator out there. I became more infatuated with his work than anything else for the longest time.

If it wasn't for the restraints of finances and available space, I'd probably have at least one of everything that man has every created in his entire life. For now, I'll have to settle for collecting when I can, when I'm able.

In Conclusion

I'd like to start doing little feature articles about different artists and creators that I find noteworthy or inspiring. This article is more about me being obsessed with the character Dawn than it is about JML as a creator. I'll probably do another write up that talks more about his career, accomplishments, and creations. For now, let's all just be happy that I'm posting to my website again! LOL