Tag: passings

Rest in peace, Joshua Cassara

The artist of ‘X-Force,’ ‘Deadpool/Wolverine’ and more passed away yesterday.

Joshua Cassara, the artist whose detailed, kinetic work helped define Marvel’s Krakoa era, died Sept. 22.

Cassara’s wife, Martha Cassara, announced his death Wednesday on Instagram, saying he died from heart complications. She described him as “a good man, a wonderful father and husband, my best friend, and the love of my life.” Her post has been shared across multiple social media sites by Cassara’s friends and colleagues.

“If you knew Josh, you know that he approached the world with humor, sweetness and kindness,” she wrote. “He would not have wanted your condolences. He would have wanted your laughter and toasts.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Joshua Cassara”

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.

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Will Murray”

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.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Dave Lanphear”

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.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Roger McKenzie”

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.

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Marjane Satrapi”

Quick Hits | ‘trAPPed’ by Anand RK, Suparna Sharma + Natalie Obiko Pearson wins a Pulitzer Prize

Plus: News on the Minicomics Awards, Nicole Hollander, Len Strazewski and more.

“trAPPed” by artist Anand RK and reporters Suparna Sharma and Natalie Obiko Pearson has won the Pulitzer Prize in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category.

Published by Bloomberg, “trAPPed” highlighted the case of a neurologist in India who was trapped by cybercriminals through what’s described as “digital arrest,” which is when a scammer impersonates law enforcement and psychologically “trap” victims by keeping them under continuous phone surveillance. The comic uses vertical scroll to tell the story and was published by Bloomberg last year.

The other finalists in the category this year were Adolfo Arranz, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot Ghoshal and Han Huang of Reuters for “Scammed into Scamming;” Ivan Ehlers for his work at the L.A. Times; and Peter Kuper for “a portfolio of vibrant and wordless political cartoons on the climate crisis, politics and emerging technology rendered with a fresh perspective and a unique approach to visual storytelling.”

Continue reading “Quick Hits | ‘trAPPed’ by Anand RK, Suparna Sharma + Natalie Obiko Pearson wins a Pulitzer Prize”

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.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Gerry Conway”

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.

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Sam Kieth”

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.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Jacopo Camagni”

Rest in peace, Tatjana Wood

The pioneering DC colorist passed away at the age of 99.

Tatjana Wood, the German-born colorist who brought a distinctive sensibility to decades of DC Comics covers and interiors, including Alan Moore’s Saga of the Swamp Thing and Grant Morrison’s Animal Man, passed away Feb. 27. She was 99.

Her passing was confirmed by former DC editor Karen Berger. Today would have been her 100th birthday.

“So sad to share that legendary colorist Tatjana Wood has passed away at the age of 99,” Berger wrote. “Her pioneering painterly touch graced scores of DC & Vertigo series. She was truly one of a kind and a special friend. May her memory be a blessing.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Tatjana Wood”

Rest in peace, Sal Buscema

The Marvel legend passed away this month at the age of 89.

Sal Buscema, a classic Marvel artist whose work spanned decades for the publisher, passed away Jan. 23 at the age of 89, just a few days shy of his 90th birthday.

Buscema pencilled and inked a number of comics for Marvel throughout the years, including Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thor, Marvel Team-Up, Sub-Mariner, Daredevil, Nova, Eternals, Marvel Two-In-One, New Mutants, Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Ms. Marvel, Howard The Duck, Master Of Kung Fu, and three major Spider-Man series — Amazing, Web of and Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man. He pencilled key runs on Captain America, ROM: Spaceknight and The Defenders, and a 10-year run on Incredible Hulk.

His death was reported by artist Sterling Clark on Facebook, who worked with Buscema on a project. “When I think back on my childhood and all of the comic books that I read, Sal’s name seems to have appeared in just about all of them,” Clark said. “I didn’t just read the books that he illustrated, I studied them. Every nuance in his pencils and his inks I saw and tried to mimic. He was definitely one of the greats during those years at Marvel, when handling more than three titles a month was not just a requirement but a necessity.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Sal Buscema”

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.”

Continue reading “Rest in peace, Jim Shooter”