THANK YOU, DAVID LETTERMAN

This is my tribute fan art to veteran late-night talk show host David Letterman. This is in honor of his imminent retirement from late-night television on May 20, 2015.

I first learned about David Letterman in one of those birth date books that tell you facts about the day of your birth. In the April 12 birthday book, I learned that I shared a birthday with Letterman. Not long after, one of the local networks in my area was actually airing the Late Show with David Letterman. So I decided to tune in and see my fellow April 12 celebrant on TV.

I wasn't too fond of Dave at first, mainly because I was still a very young kid then. Eventually, though, I enjoyed his brand of humor. It has a nice mix of irony, sarcasm, satire, absurdity, and self-deprecation, and they are often written in a smart way. It's a far cry from the kind of humor that I was often exposed to as a kid. At one point, I wished I could attend one of his shows.

I don't always agree with some of the things he said, but generally, I really liked Dave's humor. In comparison, I tried watching Leno's more popular show, but it just didn't catch my attention as much as Dave's show did.

Dave influenced the way I dealt with humor to people. At one point, my brother told me that it irked him to see me being serious-looking when I deliver jokes. But I shrugged it off, because eventually this style worked very well for me. And in a sense, I'd like to believe that it made me stand out from my peers whenever we deliver jokes.

Those who have known from theOtaku would also know that Dave has influenced me so much that I would make my own version of the Top Ten list for anime fans. Maybe in the next few days, I'll revive the list one final time to commemorate Dave's retirement.

For this piece, I tried to employ a style that diverges from the typical style that I do with my other fan art. I do hope my drawing depicted Dave in a convincing way. And if Dave ever gets to see this piece, I do hope he'll enjoy it, even if it's for the wrong reasons. :D

At this point, I wish you the best in your retirement, Dave. Thanks for the laughs and the memories that you shared to us. And may you and your family live a healthy life.

#ThanksDave