Dustin Harbin

DIARY :: February 13, 2016 :: Alvin Buenaventura

Over the weekend Alvin Buenaventura died. I wish I had something more cogent to say about it than, "I wish he hadn't," but that's all I can come up with, after a dozen times typing out rambling thoughts and then deleting them. Alvin was one of the first people I met when I first started going to indie comics shows looking for guests for HeroesCon back in 2004 or so. Chris Pitzer showed me some Tom Gauld minicomics and when I asked where he had bought them, he pointed me to Alvin's table. "Buenaventura? Is that his real name?"

Alvin was kind to me in all our run-ins over the years, in his sleepy, sad way. We never worked together but I always admired his incredible attention to detail in publishing, not to mention his deep deep knowledge of comics and cartoonists. Every artistic community needs an Alvin, someone learned and knowledgeable who wants to stack new, bright things on the revered dusty old things they love. All while prioritizing quality and voice over profitability, often to the detriment of his businesses. This is an easy world to eat yourself up in. I miss Alvin and wish I had known him better.