Martin Skidmore [RIP 2011]

a memorial page for martin skidmore

May you rest in happiness and peace, Martin.

I've been on ILX about 8 years and only attended 1 or 2 meetups, but I certainly remember Martin and his instant amiability. Seemed like a lovely guy and I'll miss his odd comics posts on ILC. RIP.

Keep trying to think of a way to express in real life why I would feel sad about this but it's kind of difficult and ends up coming out like Dorothy trying to describe her trip to Oz:

"You see there was this internet message board called ILX and there was this fellow named Martin, and whenever he posted something everybody would pay attention. He loved comics and cricket, M. John Harrison and Joyce Carol Oates, soul music and Japanese art- oh, all sorts of things. And then he and Mark S and Tom E would - oh, it was really quite extraordinary."

"What's that you say, a computer, eh? Maybe you need to take a rest from staring at that screen and go outside and get some fresh air."

But there is something that pretty much expresses exactly how I feel and it was something Gear wrote on Liz D's memorial thread, which I haven't looked since it was first posted but have certainly thought about more than once, and which I will cut and paste here, I hope he doesn't mind and nobody else minds.

the way this has troubled me over the past few days, perhaps irrationally, has given me pause, in that it makes me feel particularly vulnerable and powerless. emotionally speaking, that is. i've had more contact with some people on ilx than others on here, liz being somewhere in the middle i suppose, and it's made me realize how much it would affect me if anyone else were to be in a similar situation as she is. i've searched through the archives a number of times in recent days for other reasons and inevitably i've come across several liz postings and it kills me. because there's something alive and immediate about any post on here, even one from four years ago.
and some might think, 'gear, you're overreacting', but that doesn't take into account that everyone here has a very distinct personality. to see a post from roxy or jon or teeny or liz or amateurist or alex nyc or spencer or allyzay or blount and to think, 'oh of course they'd say that' is to realize you've come to know people on here and you have a certain affection for them and if any one of them were to be snatched away, it would hurt.

i told my father about this and he related a story about how when he and my mother were working at first national bank of chicago in the early '70s, there was a security guard downstairs in the lobby who they always saw standing in one corner. he was there the first two years they were. they never spoke to him, he was always just at his station in the corner, reading the paper, drinking his coffee. one morning he wasn't there, the same morning there was a particularly terrible train accident in chicago. they discovered the next day that this man had been killed in the accident. my father says everyone he knew at the bank, most of whom had never spoken to this very quiet, private fellow, were affected for a long time. he told me that he has never forgotten this man and to this day, whenever business takes him back to first national, he'll look to his corner and remember him fondly.

right now i don't want to not ever meet liz. if i don't have the opportunity to do so, i still think i'll always remember her.

― Gear! (Ill Cajun Gunsmith) (Gear!), Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:20 AM (6 years ago)

i got the phone call about this several days ago and have still not managed to deal with it, emotionally, at all

martin was one of the first people i met when i first moved to london in 2003. we played bar billards, of course. i almost beat him in a fluke match and then got thoroughly schooled in the next. he was an extraordinarily clear and patient writer. i can't ever remember him going easy on any work of art, for any reason, but those things he liked he celebrated endlessly. i wish that the culture of italian and french and japanese comics had come to britain in his lifetime. i wish the art and comics world had found more of a place for his intellect. i wish he had taken better care of himself. i wish he were still alive.

i'm trying to put my finger on his mein and can't do it - "wry" doesn't really get it. he was grumpily amiable. he always had tired eyes. yes it was bad, things were bad, his eyes seemed to say, but here's a couple of reasons you might get on with a few things anyway. i'm failing terribly at this i know

tom gets it perfectly on freaky trigger of course:

an endless, unshowy curiosity, a frank and level judgement, and the depth of experience to give that judgement weight.

i just came upon this news. what an awful thing. one of the names that always stuck out, fixed below something worth reading, when i found this website. RIP.

one of the names that always stuck out, fixed below something worth reading

^^^

"yes it was bad, things were bad, his eyes seemed to say, but here's a couple of reasons you might get on with a few things anyway."

Hand, I admire the stoicism of this plausible formulation.

thank you pinefox, though i fear it doesn't quite get at the core of the man. Ewing has managed it better.

Am I allowed say that I found him funny? I used to love his allusions to his louche lifestyle.

yes!! his total, disarming frankness about sex!

Those are the posts I imagine in a wide Somerset accent.

I felt like I had led such a sheltered life after reading those posts.

Is there any sort of memorial charity fund that people are donating to? If so, I'd like to donate.

Am I allowed say that I found him funny? I used to love his allusions to his louche lifestyle.

― The New Dirty Vicar, Friday, August 5, 2011 5:14 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yes!! his total, disarming frankness about sex!

― Dark Noises from the Eurozone (Tracer Hand), Friday, August 5, 2011 5:23 AM (5 hours ago) Bookmark

yes, i meant to say this but was too cautious.

Woah, I only just caught this. Martin was one of the first ILXors whose name I would recognize on ILX. He was also among the first group of ILX people I met in person, way back in 2000? 2001? at The Pint Pot on Tottenham Court Road- I wonder how many of those people are still regular posters - Steve? Julio? Kate?Mark C? Tom? I guess Matt is still around... I remember Martin being among the first of the group that I spoke to and he was very friendly indeed, as always somewhat recognizable from his online persona but in other ways not. I wasn't aware of his health problems but he seemed to have lived in interesting if complex life and had a sincere and obvious passion for the people and things he loved. RIP

Hi Adam yes I remember the pint pot - does it have Karaoke? - that was a wonderful evening.

Kind of want to start on Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy. Martin discovered him a few months ago and naturally enough went on to read a few quickly.

Haha, I just figured out who you are.

Never met the guy , but he was an excellent contributor back in the glory days of I Love Comics. RIP.

I've been on a vacation, so I only heard the news today, and even though this was expected it's still terribly sad and unfair for us to lose such a human being. Like many others I only knew Martin via the internet, but his immense knowledge and generous personality certainly made a big impression me. Good night and farewell, Martin.

Adam - I remember that night! Martin and Mark S had promised/threatened a rendition of All The Things She Said, complete with lezzing up. It goes without saying we were deprived of this...

"complete with lezzing up" <-- i am not at all sure i recall this aspect of the promise

Been away from ILX for a long time, and this is the first news I got on my return. Shitty. Loved reading Martin's posts on virtually everything, and he put me in my place comics-wise on a few occasions. Thoughts are with those who knew and loved him IRL.

Martin's brother has been in touch about the funeral, here are the details for anyone who hasn't heard yet, and would like to attend. I will see you there:

I'm finally in a position to be able to confirm the funeral arrangements for
Martin. The ceremony will be held at East Finchley (a.k.a. St Marylebone)
Cemetery East End Road, East Finchley, London, N2 0RZ on Thursday 18th
August at 3:00pm. Their website showing travel information etc. is at
http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/communityandliving/burials/eastfinchl
ey/

As per Martin's wishes it will be a humanist ceremony, no flowers please but
any donations to Macmillan Cancer Support
<http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx>; who made a massive difference to
the quality of life Martin had over the last few months would be most
gratefully received.

bump for the brits

Bump for anyone coming tomorrow.

Went on vacation and realized that two of the books I brought along to read had been recommended on this board by Martin. Well, him and Rock Hardy- take care of yourself, Rock Hardy! And warm thoughts for tomorrow from here to over there

I haven't been on ILXOR in years, for some reason I felt compelled to do so today, and saw this terrible news. :( Martin was such a kind, nice gentleman. Rest in peace.

thank you!

::tries to remember what's on the calendar for tomorrow::

You will be chairing memorial

meeting of Mississippi chapter of Martin Skidmore Appreciation Society

Sorry, didn't read upthread. Now I feel foolish. I will raise my coffee cup tomorrow morning at 3pm UK time and think of Martin and comics and music, and maybe even cricket.

Don't forget The Man in the Tree, which you both liked so much.

have just been at the service. tough to deal with. buzzcocks and al green. RIP Martin.

he would have chuckled at the cliche of the absurd downpour

xxx ms

Sadly I wasn’t able to come because I couldn’t get off work. Thursday’s my busiest day of the week with multidisciplinary team meetings to arrange/coordinate and clinics to be run but I hope I’m doing my best, professionally, to make sure that our cancer patients receive proper treatment and care so I’ll call that my tribute to Martin. mc xx

I've been thinking about Martin all day, I hope whatever place he is in now has an awesome stash of comics and good music. RIP Martin, you were a grand fellow.

LinkedIn just suggested I connect with Martin

If you can pull that off, I'm not giving LinkedIn as much credit as I should.

nice piece about mark millar's early work that mentions martin:

http://sequart.org/magazine/21053/what-if-superman-was-really-the-antichrist/

miss you, ms

One of the best.

yup

That was nice, thanks for linking that article.

I have been butting heads with a guy irl who has nothing good to say about Martin from the Trident era so this is a welcome palate cleanser. Thanks Ward.

martin was lovely, friendly, generous and very open, one of the ppl who made me stick around this place when i discovered it

i never interacted with him, but from reading his posts here as well as his pieces on Freaky Trigger, i could tell he was a great guy.