It's hard to know where to begin, there is so much that I want to say, but sometimes it's best to make things simple and forward.

Two years ago today a great man lost his battle that he had been fighting since his birth, but the calm courage he had is something I will never forget, just like the first and only time I met him face to face at Confurence 10 in 1999....

James Hardiman treated everyone with the same amount of kindness and respect, and it was through him that I truly felt that this is how you treat your fans, interact with everyone at the Dealer's Table, and how you conduct yourself as an artist and businessperson. His art had an amazing blend of both realistic and toony. He wasn't afraid to be in your face, quite literally, and he had a sense of humor that worked perfectly with his variety of characters.

I have been told that I am a progeny of his, and I couldn't be prouder of that compliment. I still have a thank you letter he wrote me back in 2001(?), and it was from that letter that I learned how to reply in kind to those who wrote me.

His passing hit me hard. At the time I was hiding from many things, one of which was the fandom. I was dealing with 6 year bout with crippling depression, and when I found out James was gone it affected me to such an extent that it actually brought me out of my depression and back to the fandom, searching for my friends.

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I wanted to share the letter James wrote to me, though it wasn't easy to read
(see the YouTube link below).
But I want to show you all how much he meant to me, and how much you all mean to me. Thank you so much for your support, not just here on Weasyl, but in my life. You all mean so much, and I can never, ever, say thank you enough.

Be well, and take good care of yourselves.

Rest In Peace, James Hardiman. Thank you for being who you are without fear or shame.

http://www.furaffinity.net/user/skunkworks

Love,

Grrrwolf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK1nI9j5Dbc