On Saturday the 17th, Brendan and I left the Boston area and went to New York to pick up Jerrold Farrington and Jason Farrington to go to Andy’s house. It was a long drive, but a beautyfull day. When we got to his house, we where greated by his mother, and some family members. Andy’s house was a nice small one in a quaint Neghborhood. I can see why the twins said that a former City Boy like Andy would go crazy in such a quiet place as Middletown New York.

Other Family members showed up, and many thought that the four of us, yes even Brenden where distant cousins of Andy since we looked alot like him. They where suprised to hear that we where just good friends from College/post college years. Its funny that I’ve known Andy for about 9 years now. Always quiet but as from what his family have said also about him.. He was always that way. That was who he was, quiet, gentle and if he hung around you, or did art for you, he did so because he liked you even if he didn’t show it in traditional ways.

Brenden did a nice job of taking photos to catalog Andy’s room and the art at his Memorial. As incorrectly reported before, Andy was not infact 29 but still only 28. Andy would have turned 29 at the end of this month on May 30th. I was displeased by this because he really was to young and still had so much more potental. At the memorial we saw photos of Andy that not many of us actuly saw in real life. We saw him with a smile. The guy had a really good smile, I saw cracks and hints of it over the last 9 years, but never in full force as the photos showed. The photos while nice, probably would not have done the real thing justice.

After talking to his mother and some of his family members they where suprised about this other life he had. They didn’t know that he worked with and touched so many, but thats who once agian he was.. Quiet and Humble. Kept on producing volumes and volumes and Voulumes of work even up to his last day.

When the Twins showed us Andy’s Room and while it was cleaned up, you knew it was an Artists’ room and litterly saw the full gulf of art full of stories, scripts, character desgines, turn arounds, items, weapons, and clothing he created on pages. And there was pages. Anything he could draw on he used as his canvas.

While Andy never masterd the use of Digital coloring, he did use Traditional forms, something that is becoming rarer in these days. At the Memorial, little “Trading cards” with Andy’s art was made. That way everyone in atendence could take a part of Andy back with them. I thought that was a great way to honor him.

Now while I’m not so good at Endings, I’ll just end it at this…
Andy was a great friend and guy to be with and around, even if he just went off in to the corner, he still was always there. Some thing you could count on some how even if he didn’t interact much… His art talked for him what he him self could say with his words.