A year and a half ago, I wrote a letter to Pia Guerra. Pia was the artist for one of my all time favorite comics, Y the Last Man. This comic was important for another reason besides just being one of my favorites - it was arguably the comic that got me back into comics. No less, the letter I wrote was two and a half pages telling her my story about getting out of comics and getting back into them after someone at Bosco's suggested Y. I also happened to send a comic backboard and asked for a drawing of Yorick and Ampersand, the main character and his pet monkey.
A year and a half later, I still thought about it time to time, but I never really expected to get any response. Predictably, just when I stopped thinking so often about it, it came in the mail and my parents surprised me with it this morning. Contained in it were a handwritten response from Pia, letting me know my letter was well received and why it took so long. Also enclosed was a wonderful drawing of Yorick and Ampersand, which to me (I of the rather untrained eye) looks like it took a good amount of work. It's really hard to tell what I loved more - the letter or the piece of art. Either way, I'm taking them both in to get framed together so I can treasure them forever.
Thank you so much Pia for the truly special gift.
Closer look on drawing