Tag: comic creators

Rest in peace, Will Murray

The prolific writer and co-creator of Squirrel Girl has passed away at 73.

Will Murray, the prolific pulp writer and historian who co-created Squirrel Girl with Steve Ditko, died on Aug. 25 at the age of 73.

Murray had a long and varied career as a writer, researcher and historian, but he was perhaps best known for his deep knowledge of pulp magazines and the characters they created. He wrote numerous novels featuring characters like Doc Savage, The Shadow, The Spider, Tarzan and The Destroyer, while also writing extensively about pulp fiction and its creators.

Murray grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a fan of comics and pulp novels at a young age. His career would grow out of his fandom. As Murray explained in a 2019 interview with Alex Dueben here at Smash Pages, he began as a Doc Savage expert writing for fanzines before those interests led to professional opportunities.

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Rest in peace, Dave Lanphear

The comics letterer and designer has passed away at the age of 58.

Dave Lanphear, a comic book letterer and designer whose credits included Thunderbolts, Mighty Avengers, Secret Warriors, Spider-Man Noir, Batman: The Long Halloween, Superman ’78 and hundreds of other comics, died last week at the age of 58.

His death was shared by his sister, Tera Lanphear, on Facebook, as well as by his business partner, Jan Utstein, who said he died of complications from diabetes.

“David was kind and generous to a fault,” Utstein said. “He loved his family and he especially loved his fiance Laura Bee and their cats. What ultimately took him was an insanely high blood sugar level. Dave was an incredibly talented guy. I will miss him.”

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Rest in peace, Roger McKenzie

The editor and writer of books like Daredevil, Captain America, Sun Runners and more has passed away at the age of 75.

Roger McKenzie, writer of Captain America, Daredevil and other titles throughout the 1970s and 1980s, passed away last Friday at the age of 75 while under hospice care, according to a post on his Facebook page.

The post says that McKenzie has been fighting “He’d been dealing with end-stage heart failure and kidney disease for the past several months,” the post reads. “He was certain that he still had some stories to tell in the time he had left, and struggled mightily to write one last script.”

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First trailer for Bill Sienkiewicz documentary ‘That Polish Guy’ debuts at SDCC

The film explores the artist’s career through interviews with Vincent D’Onofrio, Jim Lee, Jimmy Palmiotti and more.

The first trailer for Bill Sienkiewicz: That Polish Guy dropped during a San Diego Comic-Con panel, giving fans a look at the upcoming documentary on the influential artist. The title comes from a nickname Sienkiewicz received from actor-director Clint Eastwood.

Sienkiewicz was joined by the documentary’s director Remsy Atassi and producer Sal Abbinanti at the con to discuss his career and the making of the film, followed by an audience Q&A.

“I’m incredibly excited about the documentary; it’s both humbling and nerve-wracking to see my life’s work splayed out on-screen accompanied by observations by so many of my creative heroes,” said Sienkiewicz. “But more, I’m excited because the documentary discusses the obsessive need to make art, as part of the unifying human experience, a drive that defies language, place or even medium of choice. That drive is something we all share and I’m proud, in the words of the great Cormac McCarthy, to carry that fire.”

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Rest in peace, Marjane Satrapi

The creator of ‘Persepolis’ passed away this week at the age of 56.

Marjane Satrapi, the French-Iranian cartoonist and filmmaker who created the renowned graphic memoir Persepolis, died June 3 in Paris. She was 56.

A statement from close friends and family sent to the Agence France-Presse newswire announced her death. “Marjane Satrapi died of sadness a little over a year after the death of Mattias Ripa, her husband and the love of her life,” the statement read. Ripa, a producer, actor and screenwriter, died in April 2025.

Born Nov. 22, 1969, in Rasht, Iran, Satrapi had an upper-middle-class upbringing in Tehran. She became one of the most internationally recognized voices of the Iranian diaspora through her writing, artwork and outspoken criticism of Iran’s government.

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Nominees announced for the Reuben, NCS Divisional Awards

The National Cartoonist Society has announced nominees for the 80th Annual NCS Reuben Awards, which will be presented in August.

The National Cartoonists Society has announced the 2025 NCS Divisional finalists and nominees for the annual Reuben Award, which recognize creators of comic strips, illustrations, comic books and more.

The awards recognize the cartoonist or artists specifically, so you’ll note that the actual comic, the writer and other creators, and the publisher aren’t called out in the nominations. Winners will be selected through a vote open to all NCS members.

This year’s Reuben list includes everyone who was nominated and didn’t win last year: Dave Blazek, Tauhid Bondia, Will Henry and Dana Simpson. Also nominated this year are arguably the two most prominent kids graphic novel creators right now, Raina Telgemeier and Dav Pilkey.

The comic book category features two veterans, The Goon creator Eric Powell and Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai, along with Jackie Musto, creator of Kay and P. On the graphic novel front, Raised by Ghosts creator Briana Loewinsohn, Sunder creator Pierre-Alexandre Comtois and One Path creator Greg Broadmore were nominated.

The winners will be announced in August. Check out the full list of nominees across all the categories for this year:

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Rest in peace, Gerry Conway

The writer, editor and co-creator of the Punisher and Firestorm has passed away at the age of 73.

Gerry Conway, the writer and editor whose work helped define the landscape of superhero comics across the 1970s, 1980s and beyond, has passed away. He was 73.

Marvel announced his death on behalf of his family. No cause of death was given. Conway had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022 and underwent surgery to remove the tumor before declaring himself cancer-free in September 2023.

“From Spider-Man to the Avengers, Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Gerry Conway has deftly written almost every character in the Marvel Universe,” said Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski. “He thrilled us with new characters like the Punisher and broke our hearts in emotional tales like ‘The Night Gwen Stacy Died,’ a story that affects Spider-Man to this day. Gerry Conway’s legacy has made an undeniable and indelible impact on the super hero stories we know and love. He will be dearly missed.”

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Rest in peace, Sam Kieth

The creator of ‘The Maxx’ and co-creator of ‘The Sandman’ has passed away at the age of 63.

Sam Kieth, the visionary comic book artist, writer and creator of The Maxx, passed away on March 15, at the age of 63, following complications from Lewy body dementia.

Former Wildstorm and IDW editor Scott Dunbier confirmed the news on social media and shared a statement from Kieth’s family. As per Kieth’s wishes, there will be no memorial service, and in lieu of flowers, his family has asked for donations to be made in his name to the Hero Initiative, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund or the Lewy Body Dementia Association.

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Rest in peace, Jacopo Camagni

The artist of ‘Generation X-23,’ ‘Nomen Omen’ and more passed away after complications from heart surgery.

As reported by Bleeding Cool and several Italian outlets, comic artist Jacopo Camagni died this past Sunday following complications from heart surgery. He was 48 years old.

Camagni’s work spanned continents, as he began working in the industry in Italy in the late 1990s and eventually found success in the United States working for Marvel, most recently on Generation X-23, which launched in February. His final Marvel work, Generation X-23 #2–4, is scheduled for release in March, April and May.

“We are deeply saddened to share artist Jacopo Camagni has passed away,” Marvel said in a statement on social media. “To those who experienced his work, he brought undeniable energy both on and off the page. He was Marvel family and a dear friend to so many more. We will be honoring his memory and work in the weeks to come.”

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Rest in peace, Jim Shooter

The former Marvel editor-in-chief and founder of Valiant Comics has passed away at the age of 73.

Jim Shooter, the prodigy who began his career in comics as a teenager and went on to become editor-in-chief of Marvel, passed away at the age of 73 yesterday. According to writer Mark Waid, Shooter had been battling esophogeal cancer “for some time.”

As Waid points out, Shooter was a somewhat controversial figure in comics, especially during his time at Marvel. But during his tenure, Marvel published Chris Claremont and John Byrne’s Uncanny X-Men, Frank Miller’s Daredevil and Walt Simonson’s Thor — some of the most beloved comic runs of all time. He also introduced Marvel’s first direct-market only title, Dazzler, which was only sold in comic shops, and spearheaded event crossovers like Contest of Champions and Secret Wars (which he also wrote). And he launched the Epic Comics line, giving Marvel a creator-owned imprint. Still, his management style alienated many creators at the time, with many leaving to work for DC or other publishers.

“Jim was an excellent super hero writer, a character creator, an editor with an eagle eye, and a man who gave his all to what he did,” former DC Publisher Paul Levitz wrote. “From my perspective, he was far weaker as an enterprise leader, and unfortunately that was what he most wanted to be. His sense of history was not, in my view, as good as his sense of fiction. But what he did well, he did gloriously…and my inner child will always be grateful for his inspiration.”

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Rest in peace, Peter David

The writer of ‘Incredible Hulk,’ ‘Young Justice,’ ‘Spider-Man 2099’ and more has passed away.

Peter David, the legendary “Writer of Stuff,” has passed away at the age of 68.

David’s long tenure as a writer included runs on Young Justice, X-Factor, Aquaman, various Spider-Man titles, Wolverine, She-Hulk, Supergirl and an epic decade+ run on Incredible Hulk, among many others. He was also a novelist and screenwriter, and for years contributed a column, “But I Digress,” to Comic Buyer’s Guide.

David passed away yesterday, according to his wife Kathleen O’Shea David. David’s health had been in decline for several years, as he suffered from kidney disease and some recent small strokes, according to a GoFundme page for his medical expenses.

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Rest in Peace, Butch Guice

The co-creator of Resurrection Man and Apocalypse, and artist of everything from ‘Iron Man’ to ‘The Death of Superman’ storyline has passed away at the age of 63.

Jackson “Butch” Guice, the artist who rose to fame drawing Micronauts, X-Factor, The Flash, Doctor Strange and more, has passed away. He was 63.

The news was reported by his brother-in-law, James Hettel, on Facebook. Guice had reported on his own Facebook page in early April that he was experiencing health issues that landed him in the ICU, and noted he had been in a “losing a fight to a strong case of pneumonia.”

“Words to describe Butch: Solid. Dependable. Influential. Kind (in a very straight forward, get your ass back up and get back in there kind of way). Loving. Love for his family like a mountain. And a Holy Anger like a Mountain Slide if he saw you looking sideways at those he protected,” his brother-in-law said in his post.

Guice was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1961, and became a fan of comics not long after that.

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