I remember the first time I discovered I was a Bernie Wrightson fan. My mother knew I was a fan before I was even aware I was a fan.   Though I have considerably poor eyesight I do have a certain love of various genres and styles of art.   

My mother passed away in 2006 and she knew me perhaps better than most people who ever tried to know me.  She had an instinctual bond with me, and not just because I was her daughter.   One day many years ago my mother bought me a book from The Adirondack Trader called Monsters Color-The-Creature.  And it had been signed by the illustrator, Berni Wrightson (at the time he didn't write the e).

  I have always loved monsters and creatures of Gothic literature.   But there was something special to this book.   It had been signed by the illustrator, himself.  And my mother had recognized it, not just as a genre of artwork that I like, but as a particular artist who had made recurring appearances in my book collection.  I had not paid attention to the name but I had always loved Bernie's artwork. I already owned the Creepshow graphic novel and Cycle of the werewolf illustrated by Bernie Wrightson. 

Bernie Wrightson along with Brian Froud (for very different reasons) were my two favorite illustrators. I have long since lost that Color-The-Creature book that had been signed by Bernie Wrightson.  It had disappeared on me during a move.   But it seemed as I got older Bernie was always there when I needed him. When I became obsessed with Frankenstein (around the age of twelve) I eventually found and loved his illustrated edition of the novel.   When I became discouraged with awful Frankenstein sequels that were buy authors who clearly never touched the actual book, Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein Alive Alive was there, capturing the spirit of the original novel.

  Bernie's artwork was always with me, bearing a particular and nearly forgotten style of Gothic horror ambiance that you rarely see anymore even in comic books.  And it all started with my mother seeing a coloring book and recognizing it as being something I'd want and appreciate.