Dave Hamrick is a name not recognized as instantly as the creative giants whose passing we mourn, but in a lot of ways, he was just as important. Hamrick was one of Diamond Comic Distributors' earliest men behind the curtain. As a Distribution Center Manager, he was a key player in making sure the comic stores across the country get their shipments on time and with as little hassle as possible.

In the early days of Diamond, he was instrumental in setting up and running Distribution Centers in Charlotte, Tampa, Atlanta, Baltimore and Sparta. Growing with the company, he eventually moved up to Regional Manager, where he helped train and mold many managers in the company. He also made strong connections with many of the customers he serviced over the years in various parts of the country. So while you may not have stood in line for his autograph, Hamrick most likely had some kind of positive impact on your comic book buying in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hamrick passed away over the weekend in his home in West Virginia after years of battling emphysema and cancer. He will be missed.