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In Memoriam of an Innovative Artist |
I have been lucky that I got to spend 32 years with Michael Rhodes, my soulmate and the love of my life. Pancreatic cancer took him from me on November 27, 2023. Sitting here with pen and paper and my thoughts and feelings, trying to sum up what was special about Michael, there were so many things, it’s hard to know where to begin.
I’ll begin with his accomplishments. He earned two degrees, an Applied Science degree in electronics, and a Bachelors degree in digital arts. He taught web design at Silicon Valley College and taught cartooning classes for children. Michael wrote a book, Manga Studio for Beginners, which was published by a London-based company, Packt Publishing.
But there is so much more to Michael than these accomplishments. He was kind, funny, imaginative and loved cartooning, drawing, and writing fantasy and science fiction stories. He was working on graphic novels, including Devil May Care, and A Wish for Wings. It gave him joy to create stories and read and watch them on TV.
Aside from the imaginative twists and turns Michael’s stories took, there was a strong sense of standing up for the underdog. He felt passionately that no-one should be an outsider because of race, gender, or sexual preference. He volunteered his time for organizations supporting racial equality and LGBQT rights. These themes sometimes found their way into Michael’s stories. First and foremost, his stories were always entertaining and fun to read, with the more serious themes inserted as a subtle thread running through the background.
Michael had some unconventional beliefs. He eschewed mainstream religion and identified himself as someone with a leaning toward neo-Paganism. He also described himself as a bisexual man who was married to the woman he loved.
In the days since Michael passed away, many people have asked me how we met. We were living in the same neighborhood and going to the same coffee shop, but had never met, until a mutual acquaintance, an artist named Miron Murcury, introduced us. The three of us sat at a sidewalk table with our coffee and talked.
Something unusual had happened to me that week and I told the story. I was wrapping up work at a housecleaning job when I noticed two tiny baby birds, hatched days before, lying on the cement step of the back door. They had clearly fallen out of the nest. I looked for the nest and couldn’t find it. I saw an army of ants poring across the backyard toward the baby birds. I rushed inside, found a kleenex box, put the birds in it, and brought them indoors. I called the Oakland Animal Control Unit and they sent an officer out to locate the nest. He found it quickly and put the birds back in it.
Michael was captivated by my story. He not only loved stories and storytelling, but he also loved animals. One of my nicknames for him was the animal whisperer. It was astonishing the way animals were drawn toward him. One time we were having burgers and beer at a microbrewery in Healdsburg. A big wooden deck swept around the whole building. It was a beautiful spring afternoon and all of the doors were wide open. The restaurant was full, probably thirty to forty people sitting at the tables.
A bird flew indoors and immediately panicked, dodging and diving as several people jumped up from tables trying to catch it or shooo it back outside. Michael and I were at the opposite side of the restaurant. Michael quietly stood up, stretched his arm straight up in the air with his hand partly cupped. The bird flew clear across the restaurant right into MIchael’s hand. He carefully brought his hand down against his chest, cupped his other hand over it, and walked slowly outdoors.
A collective hush fell over the restaurant. As Michael came back indoors, everyone including diners, waiters, and waitresses, gave him a standing ovation.
A page is too little space to sum up a life and share the essence of what made a person special. There is so much more that I could share. His favorite song was, My Way by Frank Sinatra. His favorite color was purple. He loved to cook. And we both loved the ocean and the redwoods. We took many trips to the Northern California coast. In short, Michael loved life. He stood up to cancer over and over again. He was brave and he was taken from us far too soon.
Michael was in my life for thirty-two years. He is forever in my heart.
With much love,
Janet Rhodes