Karl Moline, the artist known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for CrossGen and more, has passed away at the age of 51. No cause of death has been reported.
“In a week of awful news, there is unfortunately more,” Marz wrote on social media. “I learned that artist Karl Moline has passed away. Lovely guy, beautiful artist, one of my studiomates at CrossGen. Gone much too soon, deepest condolences to his family.”
Moline’s career in comics started in the mid-1990s, drawing comics for Harris, Mike Wolfer Entertainment and Marvel’s 2099 line. In 2001, he received his big break when he drew Fray, a high-profile series written by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. The book featured a Slayer in the future, Melaka Fray, who was chosen to battle a resurgence of vampires. She wielded a mystical scythe that appeared on the TV show around that same time.
After her six-issue miniseries concluded, she would appear in issues of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series as part of a time-travel crossover, which was also drawn by Moline.
Moline’s work on the series gained notice by CrossGen, which was based in his home state of Florida. The company signed him to an exclusive agreement, and he worked with Tony Bedard to create the horror series Route 666. Moline drew a majority of the comic’s 22-issue run, which ended when CrossGen declared bankruptcy in 2004.
Moline returned to Dark Horse for additional issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and also drew books like B.P.R.D. The Dead Remembers. He also did more work for Marvel, drawing books like Loners, Avengers Academy, Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird and Rogue. In more recent years, he’s drawn covers and comics for IDW, Scout Comics, Valiant and Dynamite.
Moline had diabetes since he was a teenager and endured many health issues as a result, including regular dialysis. Following a kidney and pancreas transplant, the Hero Initiative helped pay for some of the medications he needed to survive. He talks about it in this video:
“Karl Moline was made of light and love and brought those things out in everyone who got to know him,” colorist Laura Martin posted. “He was a fantastic artist who always wanted to try the next thing, to expand his knowledge. I remember an after-con dinner in my hometown of Ocala, Florida, with Randy Martin and Tim Townsend, where Karl talked about wanting to create a webtoon. He was so inspiring and he encouraged me to pursue my own next step. We’d do it together. I don’t think either of us ever actually took that step, but I’m still inspired to try. Gods-speed, my friend.”