R.I.P. Chris Barat.

Image above is from Chris' Blog: News and Views by Chris Barat. 

Christopher Eugene Barat, devoted husband to Nicky, best friend to me since 1987, and beloved member of our little Blogging community passed away on Sunday, February 22, 2015, from complications following kidney transplant surgery, at the unthinkable age of 52.

At TIAH Blog, we routinely mark the passing of comic book creators and character actors whom I’ve admired but never met – but THIS is not only difficult for me to write, but difficult to accept personally as well. 

Together and separately, Chris and I have experienced too many good times and great things to even begin to count.  Now, those good times have ended – but they will never really be over! 

Left to Right: Chris, Joe, and Dell and Gold Key Comics writer Don R. Christensen, at some unspecified time in the late '80s. 

I’m fond of saying that everything begins somewhere.  Just as someone must have introduced Ub Iwerks to Walt Disney, Bud Abbott to Lou Costello, Dean Martin to Jerry Lewis, Jerry Siegel to Joe Schuster, Bill Hanna to Joe Barbera, Stan Lee to Jack Kirby, John Lennon to Paul McCartney, and Jerry Seinfeld to Larry David, it was Dana Gabbard (through his fanzine “The Duckburg Times”) who introduced me, still relatively new to fandom myself, to a college-age writer named Chris Barat. 

In those pre-Internet days of 1987, I had recently completed a paper-printed index to the MICKEY MOUSE comic book series, and had set my indexer’s eyes on a new animated television series based on the Disney character comic-book work of master artist Carl Barks, called DuckTales. 

Seemingly out of the blue, Chris expressed a similar desire to Dana and, as any good editor would, Dana introduced me to Chris, stepped back, and let unexpected wonders happen. 

Though the mails, Chris and I worked on our DuckTales Index, each taking notes and contributing observations on every episode, then recorded daily on VHS tapes.   All the more incredibly, as I recall, Chris did not have a VCR, and formulated all of his contributions strictly from memory. 

When the project was complete, Dana published it as the double-sized, now-legendary, DUCKBURG TIMES # 24/25, which covered only the First Season and, of necessity, shortened or otherwise limited our commentaries.  

Published by Dana Gabbard. Cover by William Van Horn

A deluxe, full version was privately produced by Chris and myself, covering all episodes with detailed summaries and long commentaries – but, alas, being produced before the Digital Age, we were unable to reproduce it in modern times. 

Reading it then, and all the more so reading it now, the most amazing thing to me is that Chris and I meshed SO WELL that I can no longer tell exactly who contributed what to this research work. 

Some vestiges of this emerged in the text intros to the two trade paperback volumes of “Carl Barks’ Greatest DuckTales Stories”, published by Gemstone in 2006.    

  

From there, we went on to produce complete, to that point in time, indexes to the UNCLE SCROOGE and DONALD DUCK comic book series.  All three of these efforts hold a proud place on my den bookshelves – and I’ll often consult those before logging-on to the Internet, if such information is needed. 

Chris became a true “Friend-in-Fandom” over the years that followed. 

The period of transition from Gladstone Series One to Disney Comics (1990-1991) was an memorable time to share with Chris.  Excited and enthusiastic phone calls occurred almost every Thursday night (recall that “New Comics Day” was then on Thursday, not Wednesday), after 9 PM when the (pre-cell-phone) telephone rates went down.  The third week of the month, when Disney Comics’ MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES and UNCLE SCROOGE were released was a “must-call” night.  As soon as these comics were read and digested, we’d be discussing stories and material for our Letters of Comment. 

To one extent or another, this would persist throughout the nineties and beyond, covering such topics as “The Disney Implosion”, some of the high points of DC Comics like “The Death of Superman”, “Knightfall” (Batman vs. Bane), and especially LOBO, Don Rosa’s “The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck” (…and Chris’ particular objections to the “interfering” and “intrusive” ghosts that talked to and guided Young Scrooge), transitions of Disney comic books to Gladstone Series Two, Gemstone, Boom! Studios, and the coming comics from IDW in 2015. 

There were frequent visits to my place in Brooklyn, particularly during the period we were both single, where we’d watch hours and hours of vintage live-action and animated TV shows on VHS, and look at older comics.  Chris was for me the friend I did not have, growing up in the sixties and in the Silver Age of comics.  One day, while watching a random episode of VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, our mutual sentiment was: “Imagine having a new one of these every week!”  (…and, for me, imagine having someone to enjoy it with.) 

Naturally, the Disney and Warner Bros. animated series of the late ‘80s thru the ‘90s were prime material for us.  We thrilled to the TV animation renaissance that was occurring before our eyes.  Especially, after those dark times of the ‘70s thru mid ‘80s.   

DuckTales was his favorite Disney show, and Pinky and the Brain was his favorite Warner Bros. show.  

Chris began to accompany me on my annual trip to Comic Con International San Diego where, at first, he was overwhelmed, but he quickly acclimated and enjoyed the experience immensely.  Over the years, more and more of our mutual friends would become a part of this, creating some of the greatest memories anyone of the fannish persuasion could have. 

It's all thanks to Dana!  Left to right: Chris, Joe, and the guy who introduced us, Dana Gabbard, at San Diego Comic Con 1995. 

Once the San Diego days wound down after 2003, I would still see Chris every year at Baltimore Comic Con, until I eventually made New York Comic Con my event of choice.

And, no discussion of those “fannish” activities could be complete, without the glue that held everything together, our mutual journey into the world of APA and Fanzine writing, starting sometime in 1994.  It was here that “The Issue At Hand” (aka TIAH) and “News and Views” became our mutual “brands”, which we carried forward into multiple publications (Chris also did “Richville Ruminations” for Mark Arnold’s “The Harveyville Fun Times” , while I simply ported “TIAH” over there) and finally into the Blogosphere in 2008. 

At his 2003 wedding to Nicky, it seemed only fitting that I quoted from Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge in my speech – and it was a month or so later that I would meet Esther, so 2003 was a “Forever Milestone Year” for both of us.   Nicky was the best thing that could have happened for Chris, and their mutual love was always clearly on display! 

I quoted from this comic.  If you're going to borrow, borrow from the best! 

…And it all started with a Mouse… er, “Gabbard”!  See all the great things you’ve been responsible for, Dana?  

Chuck Munson and Chris ride the New York City Subway.  Thankfully, I'm BEHIND the camera for this one!

Over those years, beyond 2003, the enthusiasm continued, though with fewer phone calls and more e-mail – and, of course, eventually the Blogs.  We both found our way into script-writing for the comics we loved, thanks entirely to David Gerstein.

 

When Chris entered the hospital, there was no doubt on my part he’d be free, clear, strong, and well to enjoy the coming Disney comic books from IDW that we both anticipated.  This leads me to my last (and perhaps most unforgettable) memory of Chris.

The last night that we spoke by phone, January 30, 2015, he was in the hospital and sounded very weak. We were discussing those comics and how I expected him to be home and well, long before they began. I had just finished my first draft of dialogue for the backup story to appear in the second issue of UNCLE SCROOGE, which I liked a lot. I ended up READING IT TO HIM, doing the dialogue, and describing the accompanying art. He got a lot of laughs out of that, and told me how good it made him feel.

The upcoming UNCLE SCROOGE # 2 (# 406) from IDW.

He was the only person (other than David, as editor) that had any knowledge of it, at the time. It was so good to hear him laugh. He was looking forward to getting a copy when it came out. So sad that will not happen, but he DID get to experience "that much of it as did exist", and I'm forever happy about that.

Such a final interaction was an extraordinary one that I don't think COULD have happened between two other people!  I’ll never forget it.  

And, Nicky… Esther and I feel so profoundly for your loss!   Chris was truly one of a kind!  He didn’t have a mean bone in his body, or a negative thought in his mind.  It showed in every word and in every deed.  He was the best kind of friend a guy could have and, doubtless, was an extraordinary husband.  

Image above of Nicky and Chris is from Chris' Blog.

Other members of our Blogging community have their own special tributes to Chris.  Please visit them. 

Mark Arnold.

GeoX.

Pete Fernbaugh. 

Ryan Wynns.