R.I.P. Derrick J Wyatt

Remembering Derrick J. Wyatt

by Sarcasm Kid 

I remember watching the Legion cartoon when it originally aired on Kids WB, and I tried to keep as many episodes as I could, saved on my DVR. Just recently I acquired the second season DVD set, making it the first time in years I'd been able to watch the show. I never stopped thinking about or focusing on the cartoon in at least some way in all these years. Incorporating the Cartoon Legion into my ideas for writing at DC has been a major element in my drafts for the past decade, and I'm not giving up on it. Though I'll say Teen Titans Academy has shown me how to not do it.

Joining the fandom for the cartoon was my first real dive into supporting the Legion on a regular basis aside from reading the odd back issue and learning about minor characters. In 2008 I became very active on fanfiction.net via submitting stories blending the Legion cartoon with elements from the comics. This was my first attempt at posting fan stories, getting my writing out there. Conversing with the other creators on ff.net was also my original connection with comic fans and my first actual friends. Sadly I've lost touch with everyone from back then, save my friend Cleome on Legion World.

Many of you know of my habit of commissioning artwork of Lightning Lad as heavyset, and my hopes to somehow write about him like that officially for DC. At this point I've probably acquired the biggest amount of Lightning Lad (and Arsenal) artwork in the entire comics community. That concept started here with the show, after he'd been redesigned for season 2. As weird as it is to discuss, if not for focusing on this idea I would've never figured out some things about my identity as an autochorrisexual following years of confusion and discomfort.

Last year I worked up the nerve to contact Derrick J. Wyatt through instagram about setting up a commission. Derrick pointed out he hadn't worked on LOSH's second season, but he had no issue with working on a fat Garth commission.

Being able to receive such a piece from one of the creators of the Legion cartoon was not something I could've imagined doing years ago. More importantly, being able to talk about it with Derrick and receiving the finished piece gave me a much-needed escape from dealing with my grandfather's dwindling health and eventual death that December. The fact Derrick passed away in December a year later is not something I enjoy thinking about.

So even if the subject matter's weird, Derrick and this piece gave me a much-needed break from having to think about the loss of the only grandfather I ever had. The cartoon brought me to the first real friends I ever had in my life. For that I'll be eternally grateful to him.