Comic art and cartooning deaths in 2021

 Updates marked with *

Deaths in 2021 (with thanks to Randy Tischler of the Baltimore Comic Con, D.D. Degg of the Daily Cartoonist, Cartoon Brew’s animation list by Amid Amidi, and Animation Magazine) included British cover painter Chris Achilléos, ‘Simpsons’ artist Edwin Aguilar, Universal Press Syndicate co-founder Kathleen Andrews, voice actor Jack Angel, gag cartoonist Sam Ansell, Don Asmussen, ‘Up’ voice actor Ed Asner, Disney animator Dale Baer, British animator Bob Baker, early black women animator Brenda Banks, first woman contributing editor for the National Lampoon Anne Beatts, animator Vinnie Bell, animation historian Giannalberto Bendazzi, comic book colorist Liz Berube, Ryan "Bode" Bodenheim, animation consultant Jamie Kezlarian Bolio, Lou Brooks, Alison Brown of London’s Cartoon Museum, Claymation director Barry Bruce, armadillo cartoonist Bill Bryant, Newton Burch, former animator Allan Burns, animator Ron Campbell, French BD writer Raoul Cauvin, comics-influenced Pop Artist John Clem Clarke, editorial cartoonist Ray Collins, animator Sam Cornell, Bob's Burgers lead character designer Dave Creek, Gene D’angelo, Patrick Dean, Willie Who… cartoonist Matt Dent, animation producer David DePatie, Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner, Canadian animator Jacques Drouin, animator Don Duga, Pittsburgh comic book store owner Greg Eide, comics scholar Mark F. Fertig, Chris Foote, Belgian-American cartoonist Gérald Forton, Spiegelman's Maus editor at Pantheon Dan Frank, gay cartoonist Fran Frisch, sports cartoonis John Furlow, Claude & Ernie cartoonist Dan Gola, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, gag cartoon writer and gatherer Al Gottlieb, Michel Vaillant creator Jean Graton, Disney animator Troy Gustafson, Mexican comic book writer Francisco Haghenbeck, Jesse Hamm, Maryland cartoonist Steve Hauk, Eddy Hedington, Dennis the Menace’s tv mother Gloria Henry, fantasy artist Stephen Hickman, gekiga manga creator Hiroshi Hirata, ‘Down on the Farm’ cartoonist Bruce Holman, Filipino comic book inker Jeff Huet (of COVID), comics scholar M. Thomas Inge, Japan's most prolific manga historian Shimizu Isao, MAD writer Frank Jacobs, Croatian comic book publisher and translator Tatjana “Tanja” Jambrišak, Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics, French animator Olivier Jean-Marie, Australia’s ‘first woman animator’ Anne Jolliffe, animator Don Jurwich, Jules Feiffer’s collaborator Norton Juster, Canadian cartoonist and animator Bob Kain, beer label cartoonist Bart Kaminski, student cartoonist Sharon Smith Kane, Wonder Woman writer Joye Evelyn Murchison Kelly (neé Hummel), Graphic Canon editor Russ Kick, Canadian editorial cartoonist Alan King, anime director Osamu Kobayashi, Easton Star Democrat editorial cartoonist Rick Kollinger, David Anthony Kraft, cartoonist and caricaturist Dick Kulpa, pioneering American anime producer Fred Ladd (aka Laderman), former Canadian comic book artist Jerry Lazare, cartoonist and animator Gary Leib, comic book artist John Paul Leon, comic book artist Steve Lightle, British strip editor and letterer Gerald Lip, comic book and gag cartoonist George Mandel, magazine cartoonist Don Margolis, *“Way up North” comic strip cartoonist Jayson Martin, Hungarian animator György Matolcsy, New Orleans cartoonist Bunny Matthews, NPR books editor Petra Mayer, comic book artist Gonzalo Mayo, British cartoonist Frank McDiarmid, comic book writer Pat McGreal, Penvy Pages cartoonist Moira McDonough, gag cartoonist Rod McKie, co-founder and chairman of Andrews McMeel Universal syndicate John McMeel, artist William Neal McPheeters, editorial cartoonist Barry McWilliams, Kentaro Miura, Afghan animator Fatima Mohammadi, Sport Day comic strip cartoonist Bill Morgan, fantasy artist Rowena Morrill, longterm student newspaper cartoonist Mike Mundt, Afghan animator Tayiba Musavi, animation layout artist Roy Naisbitt, anime writer Keiko Nobumot, Tetsuji Okamoto, *comics indexer George Olshevsky, Japanese animator Yasuo Otsuka, animator Vera Pacheco, Stampede cartoonist Jerry Palen, gag cartoonist W. B. Park, Straus News contributor Peter Pereira, Italian cartoonist Tuono Pettinato, Funny Times gag cartoonist Jeff Philcrantz, Canadian centenarian cartoonist Ernie Poignant, effects animator Kathleen Quaife-Hodge, Swedish comics writer Claes Reimerthi, German cartoonist and comics historian Reinhold Reitberger, vampire fantasy writer Anne Rice, all-around cartoonist Ron Rice, Simpsons producer David Richardson, occasional animation voice actor Peter Mark Richman, Dark Horse Comics series The Star Wars writer J.W. Rinzler, Sheena actress Tanya Roberts, Professor Comics Kevin Robinette, Scholastic CEO Richard Robinson, Brazilian comic book artist Robson Rocha (of COVID-19), *French editorial cartoonist Robert Rousso, Reynold Ruffins, pioneering Mexican animator Fernando Ruíz Álvarez, voice actor Will Ryan, Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito, editorial cartoonist Bill Sanders, comic book printing representative Gabriel Sauro, Italian horror comic book cover artist Enzo Sciotti, New Yorker cartoonist Danny Shanahan, Jack Kirby assistant and animator Steve Sherman, Sanpei Shirato, Margaret Shulock, gag and newspaper cartoonist David Simonson, Benoît Sokal, Canadian voice actor Paul Soles, UK writer Si Spencer, Hake’s Auctions employee and Disneyana collector Deak Stagemyer, Disney animation background artist Robert Stanton 'Heavy Metal' model Julie Strain, Japanese animator Masami Suda, *animator David Schwartz, Chicago editorial cartoonist Keith Taylor, toy designer for He-Man and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T. Mark Taylor, writer Brandon Terrell, cartoonist turned Pop Art painter Wayne Thiebaud, Frank Thorne, British comic book artist Bill Titcombe, Dan Dare comic artist Greta Edwards Tomlinson, 111-yeard old Disney animation supervisor Ruthie Tompson, letterer Bill Tortolini, former Golden Age comic book cartoonist turned sculptor Louis Trakis, Brian “Renrut” Turner, Andrew Vachss, Canadian Quebecois underground cartoonist Henriette Valium aka Patrick Henley, comic book artist Dheeraj Verma, Swedish Mohammed cartoonist Lars Vilks, editorial cartoonist Clyde Wells, Danish Mohammed cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, ‘Muriel’ voice actress in ‘Courage the Cowardly Dog’ Thea White, editorial cartoonist Bob Wilson, underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson, G.I. Woes cartoonist Cliff Witkowski, 'D&D' cover artist Robin Wood, voice actor Samuel E. Wright, animation character designer Derek Wyatt, Japanese animator Eiichi Yamamoto, Chris Yambar, Marvel colorist Andy Yanchus, Disney animator Phil Young …

Deaths in the comic arts field in 2020

 by Mike Rhode

 COVID-19 has killed over 1,834,356 people in the world, and at least 303,823 in the U.S. as of December 31, 2020. We normally list the people who have passed in the comic book and strip, animation, editorial & political cartoon fields. This year, the list is probably the longest we've ever run. This list is excerpted from the Comics Research Bibliography (available here) which is updated daily on Facebook.  1/8/21: Additions marked with *.

Deaths in 2020 (with thanks to Randy Tischler of the Baltimore Comic Con, D.D. Degg of the Daily Cartoonist, Cartoon Brew’s animation list by Alex Dudok de Wit, and Animation Magazine’s list) included voice actress Patricia Alice Albrecht, comics journalist Bob “Mr. Media” Andelman, “Thomas & Friends” narrator Michael Angelis, comic strip artist and animator Román Arámbula, animator Kelly Asbury, Golden Age artist Allen Bellman, Vagrancy Comics’ Justin Benedict, voice actress Julie Bennett, assistant animator Dorris Bergstrom, Belgian cartoonist Arthur “Berck“ Berckmans, "Comics I Don't Understand" blogger Bill Bickel, cartoonist and comics historian Ed Black, animation matte painter Denise Blakely Fuller, “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, Frank Bolle, Claire Bretécher, “Norse by Norsewest” strip writer John Brinkerhoff, “Dear Basketball” star Kobe Bryant, animation background artist Alfred Budnick, editorial & sports cartoonist Bil Canfield, “Snow White” model Marge Champion, French cartoonist André Chéret, animation character designer and story artist Curtis Cim, Ron Cobb, comics collector & publisher Russ Cochran, 102-year-old “Buck Rogers” fan Jim Coffeen, Richard Corben, animator Doug Crane, Croatian cartoonist Alem Ćurin, Nick Cuti, animation & gag cartoonist Dan Danglo, animator Bill Davis, voice actor Jason Davis, British illustrator Jon Davis, Marvel television art director Matteo De Cosmo, animator Gene Deitch, French comic book creator François Dermaut, Mort Drucker, voice actor William Dufris, Ralph Dunagin, animator Tony Eastman, comic book artist Hy Fleishman, “PS Magazine” editor Paul Fitzgerald, Latin America specialist scholar David William Foster, German historian and translator Wolfgang J. Fuchs, Bob Fujitani, Carl Gafford, gag cartoon and fumetti writer Gerald Gardner,  illustrator Hector Garrido, underground comix cartoonist David Geiser, Thomas Gianni, Pixar’s Rob Gibbs, Argentine comic book artist Juan Giménez Lopez, animator Mark Glamack, DC Comics logo designer Milton Glaser, Peanuts correspondent Harriet Glickman, Swedish cartoonist Rolf Gohs, voice actor Danny Goldman, homeless cartoonist Ronnie Goodman, Archie Comics editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick, amateur cartoonist Carl Granath, X-Men cartoon’s Magneto voice actor David Hemblen, animator & Astrodome scoreboard cartoonist Ed Henderson, “Bill and Sue” comic strip illustrator Dorothy Henry, animator Harry “Bud” Hester, Grand Comics Database indexer and editor Jerry Hilligas, cartoon editor & gag writer Phil Hirsch, Marvel vice president Mike Hobson, voice actor Sir Ian Holm, animation director Cullen Blaine Houghtaling, political cartoonist Sandy Huffaker, gag writer Choc Hutcheson, Jim Janes, comic book & strip cartoonist Frank Johnson, African-American editorial cartoonist Samuel Joyner, French cartoonist Edmond Kiraz, Canadian animator Blair Kitchen, animator Bill Knoll, animator Helen Komar, Canadian animator/director Hana Kukal, SpongeBob ‘Sweet Victory’ songwriter Bob Kulick, Jiro Kuwata, voice actor David Lander, animation artist Nancy Lane, *Golden Age collector Lamont Larson, *Congressman and ‘March’ writer John Lewis, Belgium’s Ronald “Bing” Libin, editorial cartoonist Robert "RWL" Light, British small press cartoonist Marleen Starksfield Lowe, illustrator Annie Lunsford, Richard A. “Dick” Lupoff, Disney animation artist Sue Nichols Maciorowski, British pocket cartoonist Ken Mahood, Viz anime production assistant Peer Makepeace, comic book store owner Tommy Maletta, Belgian comic book author Malik (aka William Tai), Italian animator and cartoonist Ro Marcenaro, gag cartoonist Henry Martin, “Doc and Raider” webcartoonist Sean Stephane Martin, Izumi Matsumoto, amateur cartoonist Duane McKenna, comic book artist Frank McLaughlin, animation concept artist Syd Mead, Mexican voice actor Luis Alfonso Mendoza,  Croatian animator Vatroslav Mimica, indy cartoonist Kurt Mitchell, animation timer Maureen Mlynarczyk, animation cel servicer Francisca Moralde, voice actor Kirby Morrow, British amateur cartoonist Rose Mortleman, Minnesota comics and animation fan & historian David Mruz, “The Climax” comic panel cartoonist Ted Mullings, color flatter Garth Murphy, comic book artist Daniel Nakrosis, “Funny Fizzles” cartoonist Bill Nellor, Japanese voice actress Kumiko Okae (aka Kumiko Owada), sports cartoonist Murray Olderman, Denny O’Neill, animation storyboard artist Dominic Orlando, animation ink & paint supervisor Joan Orloff, Cuban animator Juan Padrón, Martin Pasko, animation checker Lisa Poitevint, illustrator Jason Polan, political cartoonist Stu Pomeroy, Wall Street Journal cartoon editor Charles Preston, Russian animator Anatoly Prokhorov, Malibu Times editorial cartoonist Fred Purucker, Canadian amateur cartoonist Qinni Qing, Quino, visual effects producer Rebecca Ramsey, “Pete’s Dragon” actress Helen Reddy, Grand Comics Database member Gene Reed, Canadian animator Nick Rijgersberg, gag and editorial cartoonist Marty Riskin, African-American political cartoonist Ron Rogers, Italian comic book artist Giovanni Romanini, stop-motion costumer and puppet maker Cesar Romero, executive director of Toronto Animation Arts Festival International John Rooney, Savannah political cartoonist and animator Jim Rose, Jumbo Pictures production manager Pamela Ross, animator Joe Ruby, Richard Sala, “Bev Hills” cartoonist Janet Salter, Russian animator Boris Savin, animation songwriter Adam Schlesinger, advertising artist Don Schnably, effects animator and teacher Gary Schumer, editorial cartoonist Tip Sempliner, Joe Sinnott, Sesame Street animation sound designer Jerry Slick, New York animator Ed Smith, animator Ken Spears, Canadian voice actor Norm Spencer, German cartoonist Uli Stein, underground cartoonist Steve Stiles, animation layout and background artist and art director Herbert Stott, animation designer and background and layout artist Marty Strudler, Disney animator Ann Sullivan, animation checker Rudy Tomaselli, animator Tuck Tucker, Asterix creator Albert Uderzo, Belgian animation designer and director Pino Van Lamsweerde, comic book inker Juan Vlasco, minicomics cartoonist Morgan Vogel, Alex Raymond background artist Mary Frances “Mae” Von Egidy, Wonder Woman TV show’s Lyle Waggoner, British cartoonist Brian Walker, animatio writer Phillip Walsh, Tom Ward, comics collector and Grand Comics Database member Gary Watson, Bob Weber Sr., voice actor Fred Willard, TV animation writer David Wise, animation director William “Bill” Wolf, No Huddle comic strip writer Sam Wyche, sports and editorial cartoonist Joe Yeninas, voice actress Hikari Yono, editor and translator of Tintin albums in Spain Conchita Zendrera, “B.C.” and “Wizard of Id” gag writer Elmer Zinner, Belgian comic artist Ward Zwart. Cartoon Brew listed the following people as “other members of the animation community” - Patricia Blackburn, Maureen Crane, James P. Finch, Hubert Gagnon, Michèle Pauzé, Al Sens, Craig Welch, and Catherine Zar - without any additional information as to their roles in the field. 

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 …