Since I have no shame, I made this suitable-for-framing wall mural celebrating my birthday. I hope you enjoy it and I hope I enjoy this day.
Yeah, yeah, I know — another birthday coming around. Big deal!
When I was young, my family made a big deal out of the fact that my birthday was “The First Day Of Spring.” Actually, the Vernal Equinox would occur on Mar. 20 sometimes and Mar. 21 others.
It also marked the first day of Ares, for those who follow astrology.
But some few years ago, I lived long enough that the universe rotated and my birthday was no longer the first day of spring — which now will be either Mar. 19 or 20 some years.
“The precession of the equinoxes refers to the observable phenomena of the rotation of the heavens, a cycle which spans a period of (approximately) 25,920 years, over which time the constellations appear to slowly rotate around the earth, taking turns at rising behind the rising sun on the vernal equinox.”
So I will have to be patient if I want to wait around for my birthday to synch with spring.
What this means in astrological terms — I really don’t care.
Alfonso “Al” Williamson shared a birthday with me. I wish I had shared in some of his talent.
Al was one of the all-time great comic artists and was rightly recognized as such early on in his career.
He was a friend and collaborator of Frank Frazetta and his body of work included many of the big titles of the 20th century — Flash Gordon, Tarzan, the EC horror comics of the 50s and the Star Wars comic books.
Al’s artwork was dynamic and action-packed, like Burne Hogarth and Alex Raymond before him. It could be beautiful and intricate, like Hal Foster and John Cullen Murphy.
RIP: Alfonso “Al” Williamson (March 21, 1931 – June 12, 2010)
WADE
TAGS: Al Williamson, artist, comics, newspaper, Flash Gordon, Star Wars, Tarzan
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