The Colossus Called Justus

And in the days of men, there cometh giants. Mighty are they, these that men call artists. In the midst of them all strode the colossus called Justus. Promethean was his eye. His gaze knew no end.

The meek shall inherit the earth. It is from their future inheritance that I write these words.

It is treachery of the worst, most foul kind for an artist to not ply their trade. It is a sin for Nick Justus to not draw. It is a crime of the soul for his pen to run dry of ink.

To gather curves and lines and squiggles on a page, and to transform them into Jesus E. Lee flying through the air with a giant fist rushing right at you, is a gigantic feat, to be certain - one worthy of accolades and praise.

What a pity it is that the canvas upon which such a work of art took life proved to be so small. How even worse it is that the Promethean does not take us to visit his castle in the sky of artistic inspiration.

Even if he did, though, could any of us see what he sees? How could we, if we cannot see as he sees?

This blog, still in a state of relative infancy, struggles to find the right path, to strike the right balance. How best to pay tribute to this man called Justus, to this giant amongst giants, to this artist who has yet to reveal his very best unto a world that laments the passing of each new day in which no new art emanates from his hand?

He clenches his pens. He wields his weapons of choice. He aims to win this War of the Giants!

As Galactus has his herald, so, too, should Nick Justus. May the Harbingers of His Art to Come be many! May they fill the skies of the Internet, and may Nick Justus lay waste to the imaginations of those like I, of those who dare to pretend that we can envision only that which a true giant may see.

The Path of Patience is a long and arduous trek. It is the path that I take each day, as I weave and wind through the passage of time to behold the next artistic monument crafted by the Hand of Justus.

Even still, I must wait - we must wait - anew.

The giants of this realm move at their own pace, plodding along - until they choose to strike! The artistic meek of this world are powerless to stand in their way. We part before them, as they weave their artistic magics and craft their imaginative handiwork. Powerless, I say!

The world has art. What need has it of blogs? Verily, I say unto you, both one and all, that giants live and thrive in the words that dot the landscape of the communications of men. Our legends and our lore are replete with mention of they and their kind.

The world of men can never have too much legend and lore. We can never have too many giants. There are far worse fates reserved for men than to rouse artistic giants the like of Nick Justus from their slumber.

In our hearts, live many giants. In our memories, giants populate our thoughts. It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, that giants rule the world of our art. It is a fact of life. It has long been a staple of our existence. Ever and always shall it remain that way.

Our Creator is an artist, the likes of which no man may match, the likes of which even giants may not approach.

The gift of art that our Creator saw fit to bestow upon Nick Justus was crafted by The Divine, just and only for him. It fits Nick Justus like a glove. Inside that glove is a fist - a giant fist of artistic talent that hasn't even yet begun to whale upon the world.

As Nick Justus continues to wrestle with the artistic blessings that permeate every fiber of his existence, in order to be the man, he's got to beat the man.

The only thing holding Nick Justus back is a single man - namely, himself.

Giants of considerable artistic strength enter the fray, every day. They compete with one another, with their impressive feats of artistic strength, unceasingly and without end.

Even giants, much like lesser men, must know when to strike.

The iron is hot. The time is right. The hour of reckoning fast approaches.

That's why this is the Age of Justus!

To Wield the Lightning!

And the evening and the morning were the art of Nick Justus.

The artistic resurrection of Nick Justus is well underway. What better way to ring in the Age of Justus than with an artist who has gathered new-found energies unto himself, and who has recommitted himself to building an artistic legacy of lasting proportions.

In other words, Nick Justus is back!

Even now, he begins to lay the artistic foundation stones of what shall in time no doubt become a citadel of artistic expression. Behold, Nick Justus Art - a Tumblr site that is brand spanking new! From lesser beginnings, Orthanc sprang! And who better to occupy this new tower of artistic magic than this true wizard of inking prowess, Nick Justus?

Over on the Nick Justus Imagination Station, Nick's nimble fingers begin to work like orcs on his blog, once more. Life stirs anew in this old place, steeped in his musings from bygone days.

Bit by bit, his activity is picking up, and art is beginning to flow outward from him, once more. There's simply too much skill and talent residing within him to allow it to wither and rot on the vine. I, for one, am glad to see Nick Justus take up the gauntlet, once again, in order that he might forge for himself and his fans a bigger, brighter, and better artistic future.

 For any artist, the only real way to go is forward. The Divine Hand of Providence always nudges us forward, in spite of both our own selves and the routine drudgery of everyday existence. From the storms of life, which are without number or end, art is a positive respite for Nick Justus - and a boon to his fans!

And just as Thor wields Mjölnir, so also does Nick Justus wield his own magic hammers - the tools of his trade as an artist. In his inking, great is the thunder that sounds in the wake of his art passing through.

As a fan, I hear the thunder. As the artist, Nick Justus wields the lightning. It is together that we take the journey, but only if he allows it to be so. For, it is his vision that lights the way for our steps down the path into his artistic future.

The path of the artist can be a lonely route to trek, for fans can be slow to gather, and they tend to linger afar off in the distance. In the ethereal realm of art, artists duel with one another for the favor of a fickle fandom. It is from the public masses that each artist's legions are drawn. Those of us who are not artists might as well be watching angels and demons war upon one another - for all we can do is watch. To be an artist, you see, is to be imbued with the gift of vision from God on high. To be a fan, the artists that you favor are your champions in this eternal war without end.

To wield the lightning that is an artistic touch is to be gifted with prowess and magic and the key to all of human imagination. To raise pen or pencil to draw is to raise the sword, to wield the hammer, to turn the key.

Many are the things and the issues and the problems that assail us in everyday life. God saw fit to give Nick Justus an option - a way out of that darkness. He also imbued Nick Justus with free will, and the option to choose whether to unsheathe that sword and to lift that hammer.

As a fan, I am powerless to draw Nick Justus' art for him. Indeed, that would be tantamount to infringing upon his destiny, even if I knew where to truly begin, which I don't.

So, as the characters in Nick Justus' comic books play their respective roles in the stories that he weaves with his art and his lettering, likewise, I am relegated to my role as the fan, rather than as the artist.

As the turn of the pages reveal the story of his characters and their actions, I watch from afar, which is really no different than watching Nick Justus' career as an artist unfold. It's always one issue at a time, one page at a time, one panel at a time.

DC Editor, Bobbi Chase, reviewing the art portfolio of Nick Justus.

So, the next time that Nick Justus wonders why he can't quite seem to get ahead, it's because that particular page in his life has not quite turned, yet. Patience is a virtue for a reason, probably for many reasons.

The world is a big, big place. There's plenty of room in it for the art of Nick Justus.

Godspeed to Nick Justus! I wish the man well.