Showing posts with label RIP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RIP. Show all posts

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Deaths in the Comic Arts Field 2025

 by Mike Rhode

This will be updated as notices continue to come in. The list is an annual feature of the Comics Research Bibliography and will appear in the 2025 edition. Updates are marked with *

Deaths in 2025 (with thanks to Bruce Guthrie’s Wikipedia mining, D.D. Degg at the Daily Cartoonist, Stripspeciaalzaak, Animation Magazine, Anime News Network) included Argentine comics scholar Mariela Acevedo, Nigerian artist Olu Ajayi, British graphic novelist Richard Appignanesi, British-Canadian animator Victor Atkinson, Norwegian animator Kine Aune,  Malaysia’s Azmi (aka Mohd Azmi Mohd Hussin), Dutch comic creator Harry Balm, voice actor William Bassett, Hanna-Barbera writer and storyboard artist Tony Benedict, editorial cartoonist Steve Benson, ‘It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman’ Broadway musical and Superman The Movie cowriter Robert Benton, Ed Berdej, Histoire du Québec graphic novel scripter Léandre Bergeron, Belgian artist Jean Claude Block of ERCOLA, editorial and sports cartoonist Tom Bone, Pot-Shots cartoonist Ashleigh Brilliant, New Zealand’s National Business Review editorial cartoonist Bob Brockie, Nickelodeon licensing executing Leigh Anne Brodsky, Keith Brown, Elijah Brubaker, British comic artist Iain Buchanan, California comic book shop and convention worker Alison Buckles (aka Alison Buckles Hennessey), science fiction fanzine artist and cartoonist Grant Canfield, DC Comics editor KC Carlson, freelance writer for Marmaduke Doris Carr, Pokémon voice actor James Carter Cathcart, DC and Marvel editor Margaret Clark, The Simpsons composer Alf Clausen, animation writer David Steven Cohen, British graphic novel reviewer Rachel Cooke, Mexican experimental animator Aria Covamonas, animation writer Skip Craig, former U.S. Army cartoonist turned fine artist Charles Criner, editorial cartoonist Ken Crook, Shanda Fantasy Arts cofounder Carole Curtis, Tony D’Adamo, Peter David, Myth Adventures comic book store founder Helgi Davis, Belgian cartoonist Eric De Rop, Belgian cartoonist Chantal De Spiegeleer, editorial and alternative cartoonist Tim Eagan, Edika aka Edouard Karali, DC Comics production staffer Shelley Eiber, animator Jerry Eisenberg, Hy Eisman, voice actor John Erwin, Argentine comic book writer Walter Fahrer, Private Eye cartoonist Barry Fantoni, Irish comic artist John Farrelly, Jules Feiffer, Fat Jack’s Comicrypt store owner Mike Ferrero, Czech-American animator Paul Fierlinger, Staten Island Advance editorial cartoonist Tom Flannagan, editorial cartoonist Fleg aka Christian Daigle, Loading Snacks Anime Chat podcaster London Fogg aka Sin, Italian editorial cartoonist Giorgio Forattini, animator Gail Frank, newspaper illustrator Laurie Gambill, voice actor Jeff Garcia, Dutch animator Harrie Geelen, animator Joseph Gilland, Tintin expert Philippe Goddin, Jackson 'Butch' Guice, Star Fruit Books founder Matt Haasch, Disney animator Joe Hale, The Maxx voice actor Michael Haley, Seriefrämjandet - The Swedish Comics Association supporter Agneta Hallin, Jim Hamilton of UK’s Forbidden Planet chain, manga creator Kunichika Harada,  Japanese manga creator Shohei Harumoto, anime voice actor Takaya Hashi, New Zealand political cartoonist Eric Heath, comic book inker Andrew "Drew" Hennessy, Canadian animator Co Hoedeman, illustrator and cartoonist Brad Holland, Marvel Comics editor Norah Horwitz, Japanese voice actor Takashi Inagaki, Japanese voice actor Ryō Ishihara, animation timer Christine Smith Ishimine, animator Todd Jacobsen, Brazilian cartoonist Jaguar (aka Sérgio de Magalhães Gomes Jaguaribe), Czech caricaturist Oldřich Jelínek, comic artist and editorial page illustrator Randy Jones, ’King of the Hill’ voice actor Jonathan Joss, small press comics creator Larned Justin, Indian political cartoonist Kaak (aka Harish Chandra Shukla), animator Karenia Kaminski, mangaka Sui Kasai, animation producer Steven Philip Kasper, Jack Katz, Batman Forever's Val Kilmer, cartoonist/illustrator and musician J.D. King, ‘Dry Bones’ cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen, animation publicist Fumi Kitahara, Hakusensha publisher founding member and manga magazine editor Nobumasa Konagai, Classics Illustrated cover artist Mort Künstler, animator Richard Laslo, ‘Riverdale’ writer Yolonda E. Lawrence, Cuban cartoonist LAZ (aka Humberto Lazaro Miranda Ramirez),  French BD cartoonist Lidwine (aka Dominique Legeard or Marcel de la gare), Disney animation cel colorist Dawn Little Sky, Space Ghost voice actor George Lowe, French cartoonist Patricia Lyfoung, The Angriest Dog in the World cartoonist David Lynch, Tribune Media Services Sales Manager and Senior VP Walter Mahoney, American voice actor Dave Mallow, Italian comic book writer Gianfranco Manfredi, French BD writer François Marcela-Froideval, French BD writer Marie-Mad (aka Marie-Madeleine Bourdin), comic book store worker Frank Marcucci III, voice actor Julie Mayfield, Eric McConnell, animation writer/producer Dan McGrath, Titan's Hard Case Crime imprint cover illustrator Robert McGinnis, Latin Times political cartoonist Edward Medina, Belgian artist Marc Michetz (aka Marc Degroides), small press comics creator Christopher Mills, founder of Kaiyodo anime figure manufacturer Osamu Miyawaki, Canadian animation industry produce Rick Morrison, writer Peter Morwood, Super Mario mangaka Kazuki Motoyama, Boston cartoonist Dan Moynihan, Irish-English indie animator Phil Mulloy, Randy Myers of Baltimore’s Collector's Corner store, Toei Animation director Tatsuya Nagamine, comic book artist Arthur Nichols, Japanese voice actor Tomomichi Nishimura, TV’s ‘Dennis the Menace’ Jay North, Nigerian cartoonist Obe Ess (aka Olaseinde Obe), Jeanne O'Neil the model for Cookie the daughter of Blondie and Dagwood, animator Yōichi Ōnishi, founding father of the Black Age of Comics Turtel Onli, IDW Star Trek writer Roberto Orci, London comics fan Steve Pay, Belgian comic artist Frank Pé, John Peck (aka The Mad Peck), animation writer and ‘Wild Thornberrys’ co-creator Steve Pepoon, editorial cartoonist Clyde Peterson (aka C. P. Houston), Ukrainian animator Marharyta Polovinko, comic book writer Dave Rawson, Italian cartoonist Enea Riboldi, Italian comics artist Angelo Maria Ricci, *editorial cartoonist Barry Rumple, Australian cartoonist and polymath Peter Russell-Clarke, Strip Art Features founder Ervin Rustemagic, Ukrainian animator Radna Sakhaltuev, Wonder Woman fan and letterhack and voice actor Joanna Sandsmark, Italian comic book cartoonist Pierluigi Sangalli, David Schaffer the subject of Miriam Libicki’s ‘A Kind of Resistance’ in “But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust”, Belgian comic book writer Michel Schetter, political cartoonist and illustrator Ralph Schlegel, Wil Eisner and Al Capp biographer Michael Schumacher, first live-action Spider-Man on “Electric Company” Danny Seagren, animator and military cartoonist Ed Seeman, Belgian cartoonist Serdu (aka Serge Duhayon), Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist John Shakespeare, Strange Attractors comic book writer Mark Sherman, Manchuria Opium Squad manga artist Shikako, manga creator Shino, Jim Shooter, Belgian artist Alain Sikorski, Jim Silke, comic artist Louis Small Jr., animator Jim Smith (aka James Carl Jobb), comics artist Tod Smith, Playboy cartoonist Doug Sneyd, Dutch writer Gerard Soeteman, Russian animator Andrey Sokolov, assistant animator at Walt Disney Features Alissa Solomon, Superman the Movie’s General Zod Terence Stamp, Ron Stanfield, English comic artist Adam Stone, ‘Annie’ and ‘It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … It’s Superman’ composer Charles Strouse, Drew Struzan, inker Rob Stull, TV animator Joe D. Suggs, manga creator Ukyou Takao, UK comics artist Dave Taylor, Japanese designer and illustrator Jun Tamatani, Canadian animator Mark Thornton, English comic book artist Ron Tiner, Italian comic book creator Angelo Todaro (aka Paul Bennett and Al Todd), Mort Todd aka Michael J. DelleFemine, New Zealand cartoonist Garrick Tremain, manga creator Shin Tsukumo, Ada Uderzo the widow of Albert Uderzo and model for Asterix and Obelix’s Walhalla, Dutch comics journalist and editor Rob van Eijck, Studio Vandersteen director (and Wiske model) Leen Vandersteen, Dutch animator Danny Verbiest, Canadian animator Robert Verrall, French animation director Philippe Vidal, animator Dirk Von Besser, voice actor Jim Ward, minicomics and children’s book illustrator Dalton Webb, Birmingham Mail cartoonist Colin Whittock, Shaloman cartoonist Albert Wiesner, Canadian voice actor Dale Wilson, Manx cartoonist Phil Woodford, Tetsuko no Tabi manga storywriter Hirohiko Yokomi, Mark Zingarelli.

Tuesday, July 08, 2025

A literal loss to the ComicsDC family: Art Rhode R.I.P.

Birthday caricature by Mike Jenkins
My father Art Rhode passed away this Monday July 7th, probably from a heart attack. He'd been having heart problems for months by this point. He never made it to the cardiac surgeon's appointment he had scheduled that morning. I spoke to him the day before and he was feeling good and optimistic. I was too because he was tough. He snarled at me on Saturday when I offered to buy him a Rollator walker. He and I talked, admittedly about mostly nothing, every day as I drove home from work, or walked to the farmers markets on weekends.So take it from me and tell your family and friends you love them while you can. 

 Dad and Mom were big fans of comics - such as Superman, Mad Magazine, Peanuts collections, Disney Digests. Even though money was usually tight, I grew up reading comics of all types.

 A few months ago I republished this tribute to my Dad on his 83rd birthday.  This is all still true and accurate, and while I'll miss him more than I can say, I appreciate the foundations he (and Mom, but she's been gone since 1987) gave my life. And it's not just me - as many people have said, he was a good man, or a kind man, or a kind and compassionate individual (I'm not sure about the patience also mentioned there though). I agree and there are few better ways to be remembered. He always had time to help someone out, not infrequently to my mother's chagrin, who wanted our own home worked on.

Donations in his name can be made to North Shore Animal League, selected by our family as he got 2 dogs from there. Or, if you want to keep with this blog's theme, I personally support Team Cul de Sac, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Cartoonists Rights, and Hero Initiative.

I'll be inheriting Dad's set of IJOCA I guess unless my sister wants it; he didn't read it in recent years, but he's got almost a complete set in my old bedroom. I'll be looking for a good home for that as I don't need a third set. For those of you unfamiliar with it, I'm an editor of  and also run the blog for the Int. Journal of Comic Art published by Dr. John A. Lent.

 Here's some photos over the years... 



This was my computer background for years.

The Little Free Library he built for his house after seeing how popular ours was.

I literally have no memory of us meeting Betty Boop


My wedding day with my Uncle Herb, his next oldest brother


Caricature by Mike Jenkins

Released from the hospital with a new knee

  
Don't try this at home, or at Fort Ward 


Thursday, January 02, 2020

Deaths in the comic arts field in 2019

(updates marked  with a *)

Deaths in 2019 (with thanks to DD Degg of the Daily Cartoonist) included Gerry Alanguilan, *animation voice actor Patricia Alice Albrecht, CrossGen founder Mark Alessi, Syrian political cartoonist Wahib al-Husseini, comics scholar Donald Ault, animation voice actor Robert Axelrod, Ken Bald, French cartoonist Alex Barbier, comics lawyer and editor Mitch Berger, stop-motion animator Bruce Bickford, co-owner of Dragon's Comics & Fantasy - San Antonio Cliff Bland, William F. Brown, Scottish cartoonist Russell Campbell, Ernie Colón, Journal-Advocate political cartoonist Robert Cope, Howard Cruse, Sudhir Dar, Rockford Register Star editorial cartoonist Coila Davis, editorial cartoonist Marian Del Vecchio, letterer Ellie DeVille, religious cartoonist Doug Dillard, tv animation writer Larry Ditillio, Steve DuQuette, Texas A&M's student newspaper cartoonist Jim Earle, comics gag writer Harold Emery, gag cartoonist James Estes, gag cartoonist Dana Fradon,  TV cartoonist 'Sailor Bob' Griggs, Canadian cancer cartoonist Teva Harrison, Pluggers contributor Reed Hoover, Larry Hubbell (aka Harry Lyrico), James Hudnall, animation voice Arte Johnson, Daniel Johnston, Nurit Karlin, Kazuhiko Katō (aka Monkey Punch), Ottawa Citizen editorial cartoonist Rusins Kaufmanis, Korean cartoonist Kim Sung-whan, Everett Raymond Kinstler, animator/gag cartoonist Stuart J. Knickerbocker, *Indonesian cartoonist Dwi Koendoro, Kazuo Koike, The Realist publisher Paul Krassner, 34 of Kyoto Animation's employees; including anime director Yasuhiro Takemoto, animation director Futoshi Nishiya, animator Yoshiji Kigami, Junichi Uda, Yuki Omura, Yuka Kasama, Ami Kuriki, Sachie Tsuda, Keisuke Yokota, and Mikiko Watanabe; editorial cartoonist Mike Lane, gag cartoonist Joe Lanier, Batton Lash, Canadian political cartoonist John Latham, animation voice actor Michael Lindsay, comic strip syndicator Lew Little, Spanish illustrator Jordi Longarón, animation background artist Art Lozzi, comic book artist Tom Lyle, Golden Age African-American comic book artist Cal Massey, Massimo Mattioli, Scottish cartoonist Malky McCormick, Daytona Beach News-Journal cartoonist Steve McLachlin, gag cartoonist Thomas F. McLaughlin, science fiction movie design illustrator Syd Mead, Peanuts animator Lee Mendelson, Disney CEO Ron Miller, Laurie Mitchell, 'father of Indian animation' Ram Mohan, Guillermo Mordillo, animator and Pogo artist Don Morgan, Skip Morrow, Belgian comics journalist Rik Pareit, fine artist Joyce Pensato, Topo Gigio's creator Maria Perego, comic book artist Robb Phipps, animator Suzan Pitt, colorist Justin Ponsor, political cartoonist Dwane Powell, animator Chris Reccardi, colorist James Rochelle, Donald Rooum, comics scholar Derek Royal, Joe Ruisi, TK Ryan, caricaturist Charles Santore, Lee Salem, comic book historian Bill Schelly, San Diego's Comickaze Comics store owner Robert Scott, gag cartoonist Skip Sedore, *Schoolhouse Rock animation singer Jack Sheldon, Mad writer Larry Siegel, Walt Disney archivist Dave Smith, "Judge Dredd" artist Ron Smith, Tom Spurgeon, Ted Stearn, female underground cartoonist Leslie Sternbergh, Patrick Tandiang, Greg Theakston, Percy Crosby's daughter and defender Joan Tibbetts, Lucca Comics Festival manager Rinaldo Traini, Tomi Ungerer, Saint Just Le Martel editorial cartooning festival founder Gérard Vandenbroucke, Washington, DC area fan Ellen Vartanoff, short-time Saturday Evening Post cartoonist Peter Vatsures, British animator Richard Williams, collector Malcolm Willits, Gahan Wilson, Kevin Wolf, Mary Zins …