A Letter to The Land of Darkness

I found out today that Richard Stoneman passed away on (or near) the day Alexander the Great himself died. Legend… but also,
I am so devastated and heartbroken to have lost Richard. As the foremost expert on the Alexander Romance, Richard was my consultant and collaborator since my graphic novel’s very beginning in 2019. At the time I was a noob author and hadn’t released my debut graphic novel (The Carpet Merchant) yet - so the fact that he humoured my ambitious intent to retell the 21st century Alexander Romance and jumped on board this project anyway was a kind gesture I never took for granted. He reviewed the outline, checked the script, and offered suggestions and advice that are and will be present in the comic. For a long while he was the only other person to know the ending of Alexander Comic, and I regret that he will never be able to witness it.
However brief he was my mentor… and my model for the kind of author, the kind of person I want to be when I “grow up”. His kindness, generosity, openness and energy for study impacted me deeply - if I can get to his age and be like he was, that is my life’s wish.
Here’s an Alexander Romance story:
When Alexander received omens portending his inevitable death, he wrote a letter to his mother. He comforted her through her future tears, and said that she should host a party, inviting only the people who never known loss. He then said that no one will come, because who in this world has not lived without grief?
That is what the poets and painters have passed on to us as Alexander’s wisdom.
In the future, my friends, I will retell this story once more, and in this face, my Alexander will say to his mother:
“Host a feast and invite all who has ever known loss. You will find that the whole world shall be in your company.”

Thank you Richard. All of what my Alexander Romance is and will be, is for you.