Turns out Johnny came to all the #TalkBizarre gatherings when we'd get together in-person from around the globe--but he always stayed in the background, you know? Just like on usenet.
He showed up for parties at Casa Canetoad in NYC and Chez Iguana in the Bay Area. Bad lighting and lots of drugs... I never got a picture of him that I'm sure of. I remember at one point, I heard him reading some of his own poetry out loud.
The year we all met at Winter Carnival in Quebec, it was unbelievably cold! I mean, we were so bundled up, it's no wonder no one recognized him.
He was there at Burning Man, too, the year Camp Illuminati built the giant anglerfish. Yeah, Johnny even held up the PVC ribs during that crazy wind storm, and helped serve up felafel out of the mouth of the fish. Which one was he? ... I don't know, we were all so covered in dust, and anyway everybody looks different with their clothes off.
Then there was the wedding in Taos, New Mexico. He might've been the guy with the bright red hair. Like, Coke-can red, you know? But I'll never know for sure; that was the one meet-up I missed because my dad had just died. I only ever saw some blurry video afterward.
But even now, #JohnMastodon gives me strength, just knowing he was there, just knowing Johnny exists.