I met Al Feldstein several years ago, at the Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC. Obviously, I was a big fan of his work with Mad Magazine, but I also knew that he had several other interests. We talked a while, and I had him pose for some photos. I promised to send him some photos. I was still shooting film at the time, so there was an extra layer of scanning and editing the negatives, but I was excited to show him what I'd gotten.
A few days later, I got an email back. "Your photos are great," Al said, "and you actually did what you promised to do. You promised to send photos, and you did! No one ever does that! You're a one-percenter!" Looking back, I think that was one of the best emails I've ever gotten.
In retrospect, I wish I had stayed in better touch with Al. He was a good guy, and very funny. He reminded me of the people that my grandparents knew, but much funnier. But I didn't want to bother him, and he was still busy. Al worked on his paintings up until his recent passing. To the end, Al Feldstein was thinking, and creating, which is something that all of us can hope to do.
Safe travels, Al,
-Daniel
May 7, 2014
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