The first time Rantz Hoseley met Dennis Eichhorn, the University of Idaho alumus told him to spray paint an illustration onto a white van at a party hosted by Fantagraphics, an alternative comic book publisher.
Hoseley, now an illustrator based in Los Angeles, said Eichhorn encouraged him to add his artwork to the van, which was meant to be a canvas for illustrators at the party to decorate, even though he was not a Fantagraphics employee.
“I told him, “I don”t do any work for Fantagraphics,”” Hoseley said. “He said, “We”ll take care of that, I have a book out with them – we”ll have you draw something.””
Hoseley, a Washington State University alumnus, said he and Eichhorn hit it off and that moment marked the start of their friendship and collaborative efforts.
Eichhorn, a Boise native and award-winning writer known for his loosely autobiographical comic book series “Real Stuff,” died at the age of 70 on Oct. 8.
Hoseley said Eichhorn, who attributed many of his stories to Moscow and surrounding communities, is remembered through his generous character and the legacy created by his work as an artist.
“Denny was by far one of the most giving people that I ever met,” Hoseley said. “He was incredibly curious and loved sharing that curiosity.”
Kathy Sprague, owner of Safari Pearl Comics in Moscow, said when she and Hoseley first read Eichhorn”s work, they immediately decided to meet with him.
“Rantz and I read the first edition of “Real Stuff” and we freaked out,” Sprague said. “There was a glut of autobiographical comics in the “90s, [but] Denny”s life was interesting enough that those stories were not boring adventures.”
When it came to comics, Hoseley said Eichhorn”s work stood out because of the artist”s humor and character.
“[His work] had much more universal pathos and they were also funny,” Hoseley said. “He had this ability to take the most ludicrous situations that he found himself in and tell the story true, having the darkness there, but at the same time, really embracing the intrinsic comedy of being human.”
Hoseley and Sprague said Eichhorn”s Idaho roots influenced not only his comics, but also the great artist he became.
Hoseley said Eichhorn was able to accurately capture the atmosphere of the rural Northwest and pre-Grunge-explosion Seattle in his comics.
Although Eichhorn had a temper that could sometimes get in the way of his work, Sprague said he also had a boisterous personality that made him the best self-promoter she has ever seen.
Hoseley said even though Eichhorn didn”t make much money starting out in the comic book industry, the artist was well-received by the community.
“So many different, varied styles of artists just completely fell in love with his work,” Hoseley said. “It was such a pleasure to work with him.”
Hoseley said Eichhorn was the kind of person others treasure to have in their life.
“A lot of our discussions that were not related to comics were just about life experiences,” Hoseley said. “He was one of the smartest, most intellectually curious people I knew, and because of that he was a pleasure to be around.”
Will Meyer can be reached at [email protected]