Comments on: A Mother’s Loss: Part 2

By: Linda K. Durham

Linda K. Durham — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:17:54 +0000

Hello,
I am William Jaaska’s oldest non-biological sister. We never called him William. We always called him “Billy”. So I will continue to call hiim Billy. I was desvastated and shocked to hear of his passing. My sister, Tolanda, called me and told me that she saw it on the internet. What an awful way to find out something so tragic about your loved one. We always considered ourselves brother and sisters because we group up as such. We always wondered what happened to Billy, since he kind of disappeared later in his adult life. We didn’t know where he was or how to find him. I’m just hoping that he was happy in his life. He certainly was growing up as a child and well into his adult life. My brother was a phenomenal artist, but it sounds like he didn’t get the recognition that he should have. I was very saddened to read that he was receiving food stamps and living in a rooming house. Like my sister, I’m having a hard time accepting his death. MJJaaska, I read your blog and I realize that you are connected to William biologically, but we are the only family he’s ever known. Your mom made a choice to give him up for whatever reason and I’m not faulting her for that. She did what she felt she had to do at that time. I just want you to know that Billy was a very happy child. He was loved very much; however, he was picked on quite a bit because he was bi-racial and he had dancing eyes. We always had to defend him, especially my sister when we went to school. Please know that we love him and miss him so much. My heart breaks to read that he died alone. He was such a kind-hearted, funny person. We all miss him.

By: Tolanda Harrison

Tolanda Harrison — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:10:06 +0000

My name is Tolanda Harrison,I am sitting here crying and cannot stop. I have been looking and wondering for several years,what happened to my brother Billy as we all would call him (known as William Jaaska ) Biologically he is not my brother,but when my great grandmother – Billy’s foster mother passed away, Billy did not want to go and live with her daughter (my grandmother in Fresno, Ca),and wanted to stay in the house that we all came up in,therefore my mom and dad told him if he wants to stay in Milwaukee with us,it is his decision. Billy did not hesitate to stay. He was happy and the three of us girls and my parents were also happy.This is why I say my brother. My children know him as “Uncle Billy”. I have pictures of Billy from when he was young and as he got older and with my family. Billy have been drawing all of his life. He was so inspired by my dad’s tons of comic books laying around the house,milk cartons and cereal boxes,he would always try to draw the characters.Him and my husband even did T shirts one year with a African American “Bart Simpson”displayed on the front.
I hope that this message will land in the right hands.Please note: Billy is my family…and all of my family is the only family that he has ever had. This is coming from my heart because when me and billy were kids, I was responsible for him as we walked to and from school,because kids would pick on him and I would fight them off,you see Billy was bi-racial and his eyes would dance and kids seen him as different. My eyes are filled with tears writing this,I can’t believe that he has passed. We lost touch and I never gave up on trying to find him thru out the years,my kids from time to time would say”where’s Uncle Billy at?”They really missed him especially during the holidays, Billy had a hudge apetite and I would cook soo… much food,he had plenty to take home also.however,his passing away was my worst fear.
Please someone contact me as soon as possible, my email is th6strings@yahoo.com.

By: Costard

Costard — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:50:08 +0000

You should make a little tinychat room for your blog, I’d love to see what you and your readers look and sound like haha

By: charles_yo

charles_yo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:40:37 +0000

Maija – came to your blog by way of the comic book resources message board. Sadly, the comics community is far more together now online than it used to be in the good ‘ol days of even the 1990′s.

I worked with Bill on one issue of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter for Acclaim comics (issue #23 i believe), but in comic book terms that means that I spent three weeks working over Bill’s pencils to produce the inks on the book (the black and white line art that then needs to be colored), and yet never met or talked to Bill during that time. Frequently, creators will request phone numbers and call people out of the blue, but more often we work in solitude creating our little fantasies in our heads and putting them down on paper. Many artists are, by their very nature, solitary. Had Bill continued to do the book, I would have called him, but I was told this was a one off issue and so didn’t make contact.

In any case, its a sad story, one that i’m sorry to hear for both you and your mother’s sake. I still have someof the originals from that book and would love to send you one if you would like. Please feel free to contact me via my blog or email.

best –

charles

By: Bill Jaaska has Passed Away – Can Anyone Confirm? | Comics Should Be Good! @ Comic Book Resources

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:42:38 +0000

[...] November, according to Wikipedia. And, probably, these two posts here which was found by member "devildinosaur" of the Classic Comics Forum. If anyone can [...]

By: Don

Don — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:40:11 +0000

I was stunned to read this after looking up Bill’s entry on “Wikipedia”. I saw that the site listed him as deceased. After frantically searching Google, I stumbled upon your moving entry by using his full first name. I had no idea Mr. Jaaska has passed away. I followed his art while he was at First Comics, and then with other publishers. He was a terrific talent, and I will miss that talent. God Bless you, Bill.

By: Well, We Did It. « Pinch A Pig Toe

Well, We Did It. « Pinch A Pig Toe — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:28:04 +0000

[...] We Did It. 2009 November 28 by mjjaaska Today was the day we cleaned out my deceased half-brother’s room. My mother had spent 5 hours on Wednesday tossing out 7 loads of trash from it. The room, [...]

By: Allison Sumpter

Allison Sumpter — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:10:25 +0000

Maija,

Your writing is well worth hunting down. I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog, and I look forward to reading more. So far, you haven’t proven people wrong! ;)

Keep writing lady. Keep writing! :)
Allison

By: mjjaaska

mjjaaska — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:39:45 +0000

Wow. Thank you is not strong enough for how much I appreciate your encouragement and feedback, Allison. I don’t think I really “get” the fact that my writing can affect people emotionally. When I see here that it does I am rather flummoxed. I need to let this sink in. I am used to making people laugh, not so much making them cry. I so appreciate your reading, commenting, tweeting- and hunting me down! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

By: Allison Sumpter

Allison Sumpter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:47:52 +0000

My comments, part 2:

Girl, you are so gifted! It’s not just what you share, but HOW you share it. The story is profoundly intimate (especially with your mom being a closed book and opening up to you for sharing this with others and encouraging your writing…and about this!). The way in which you write just flows from your heart straight into the heart of your reader. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your gift and the fact that you’re sharing it with the world on this blog.

As I read this post I felt it coming. By the time I finished reading, I was overcome with goosebumps and my eyes had welled up with tears. Wow. Just a beautiful expression of life, humanity and so many thoughts, emotions and struggles we all experience in so many ways.

Thank you for sharing this story. Your writing delivered your story straight from your heart to mine. That’s such a gift, Maija. Keep writing and sharing! :)

Allison