I just talked to Dave Scroggy on the phone who let me know the very sad news that Dave Stevens just died of leukemia.

It’s a little known fact that Stevens was supposed to do the cover of the first Arf book–at least part of it. I had a mock up of Arf at the San Diego ComiCon way back in ‘91. Scroggy introduced me to Stevens at a party, and I showed it to him. Stevens really liked Arf, so, on the spot, I came up with an idea for a new cover, different than the mock up I had. I would draw a cubist artist painting a canvas. On the canvas, Stevens would draw a realistic girl. Dave said he’d do it. Of course, that is precisely the cover idea I did, 15 or so years later, for the first Arf book, Modern Arf. Except, by the time I got around to actually doing the book, I thought maybe Stevens wouldn’t remember me. So, I used a Charles Dana Gibson Girl instead, thinking that that would go good with the emphasis that Arf has on classic material. Maybe a mistake. I’ll always wonder now what a Stevens’ girl would have looked like!

Last year Scroggy commissioned YOE! Studio to do a Syroco statue of the Rocketeer. Dave Stevens was slow in getting comments back on our initial rough sculpt. Scroggy told Stevens “That’s okay, we’re not on a tight deadline.” Stevens replied, “Yes, but I am!”

Except for that brief meeting at the party, I didn’t really know Dave Stevens, but I’m told he was an extremely nice guy, we know he was an incredible artist, and the guy most of us have to thank for turning us on to Bettie Page, and, if I hadn’t dropped the ball, he would have been an Arf cover artist. I’m well aware that all that pales next to the wonderful, much loved person Dave Stevens’ family and friends have lost and my thoughts and prayers are with them.