Darwyn Cooke Passes Away at 53

Eisner Award-winning comic artist and writer Darwyn Cooke passed away on Saturday, May 14. He was 53.

On Saturday, his wife Marsha Cooke disclosed on the artist's website the creator had died. "We regret to inform you that Darwyn lost his battle with cancer early this morning," the family statement said. "We read all of your messages of support to him throughout the day yesterday. He was filled with your love and surrounded by friends and family at his home in Florida."

"Darwyn Cooke lived life like a character from a Micky Spillane novel, a throwback to a bygone era that was, more than occasionally, reflected in his work," said DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio. "He was both compassionate and combative, approaching everything he did with a tenaciousness and temerity that is now unheard of in a world afraid to offend. The simplistic brilliance of his art and the natural flow of his storytelling not only elevated but enhanced all projects he touched and his passion and love of comics was reflected in every panel of every page. Working with Darwyn was not without its challenges. There were times we'd spend hours arguing over story then go months without talking, but we always found our way back, drawn together by the common bond and friendship comics creates. This is an industry-wide loss that I feel personally, but the sadness is mitigated in the knowing that the beauty and grace of his art will forever stand the test of time and be a monument to all that is great about comics."

Often compared to the works of Joe Kubert, Alex Toth and Jack Kirby, Cooke was an Eisner-award winning artist and accomplished writer who constantly worked on a variety of projects, ranging from Parker for IDW to DC: The New Frontier. 

"Darwyn Cooke was at the top of the list of this generation’s great comic book creators,” said Diamond President & CEO Steve Geppi. “The purity of his line work and the sincerity of his stories showcased a clarity of vision that few among us – even those of us who truly love this art form – ever achieve. To say that he will be missed is an incalculable understatement. On behalf of everyone in our family of companies, I extend my condolences to his wife, Marsha, to his extended family, and to his friends and colleagues."

We are thankful to have briefly shared time with Darwyn in our trips to San Diego Comic Con, and grateful for his contributions to the comics industry that included a T-shirt design for 2011's Free Comic Book Day. All of us here at PREVIEWSworld are saddened at the news and the loss to the comics industry.

Thank you, Darwyn, for all of your work that kept so many, many people entertained.