Posted: Tuesday November 1st, 2005
by
Great people are not bound by the simple convention that exists within the boundaries of a single lifetime. Their spirit fans out and expands, strengthened by the impact they had on the lives of the people they encountered. Keith Parkinson was that kind of person. In the span of a moment he left his mark on you.
From the time I was introduced to fantasy as a genre, I knew Keith's name. And I wouldn't trade the few hours I spent near him when I first visited Sigil, for anything. Being a fanboy fails to define how I felt talking to him. That inherent nervousness from meeting one of your "idols" slipped casually away. Put simply, he made the notion seem somewhat ridiculous. He was "just Keith" and he seemed genuinely pleased to meet you.
And when it comes to Vanguard, how can someone ever fill his shoes? The look and feel of that game is, as I've said before, like walking around in one of his paintings. The entire game is a tribute to his legacy and vision.
Ultimately, Keith will be sorely missed by his friends, family, the Sigil staff, and aspiring artists around the world. My thoughts go out to those who were nearest to him.
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