Thomas Manning

My friend Thomas is gone and I don’t know what to do about that, or say, or any way to make myself feel better, or any way to make anyone else feel better. It was sudden. He was only 40 years old, visiting his in-laws. It appears to have been an aneurism or a massive heart attack.

When I first got the news, I didn’t want to believe it. I made up all kinds of crazy schemes. “Maybe Tim misunderstood” or “Someone fooled him with a truly evil joke” or “Maybe he had a sudden schizophrenic break with reality.” But it’s the real thing.

If you’re a gamer, you might know Thomas’ work, even if you never had the good fortune to meet the man. He did the artwork for Meatbot Massacre and the first cover for Unknown Armies.

Thomas hosted our weekly game sessions. He was a good host. A good friend, too. He’s been there for me when I needed help, whether that was a place to stay for a couple days, a price break on art, or helping me install a floor. Yes, a whole laminate floor, he put in something like a twelve-hour-day on that one. He was a gentle soul. A generous man. I’ll miss him.