Fellow comic artists Bernard Chang and Tommy Lee Edwards has launched a fundraiser in support of the family of American comic artist John Paul Leon, whose death, aged just 49, has shocked the comics community on both sides of the Atlantic.
John Paul,Leon, a world-renowned artist, started drawing comics professionally as a teenager, passed away yesterday, 2nd May 2021, after a 14-year battle with cancer. He is perhaps best known for his critically acclaimed work that envisioned and redefined the entire Marvel Comics universe in the maxi-series Earth X, and his bold and dramatic work has influenced many of today’s young talents.
Some of his other notable works include the critically acclaimed Batman: Creature of the Night, The Winter Men, Logan: Path of the Warlord, and Challengers of the Unknown.
John started drawing comics professionally at the age of 19, while he was studying illustration at School of Visual Arts in New York City, on Robocop Prine Suspect for Dark Horse Comics. His first published work, however, debuted in the pages of TSR Dungeons and Dragons when he was a high school student at the New World School of the Arts, in Miami.
While still studying at the SVA he drew the DC Comics/Milestone title, Static, receiving his bachelors in fine arts from SVA in 1994 and giving on to tackle top pop culture icons like Superman, Batman, and the X-Men.
John Paul’s wish was to have any funds from his art sales go into a trust for his 17-year-old daughter, and help fund her future education and interests in engineering. Proceeds from the GoFundMe page set up and managed by Bernard Chang and Tommy Lee Robinson will help get this trust started while helping John Paul’s family transition through this difficult period.
In a moving tribute on Facebook, Walt Simonson, who was his teacher at SVA in the early 1990s freely freely acknowledges that “It’s not that I taught him anything; it’s that the other students and I got to watch such talent blossom.
“….To some extent, he was an example of the old Thomas Edison aphorism, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” Except that in John Paul’s case, I’m pretty sure it was more like 50/50. Maybe 60/40.”
“One of the greatest artists of our generation,” echoed Jim Lee. “He was also one of the nicest and most talented creators one could be lucky enough to have met… I remain in awe of both his unrivaled draftsmanship and his stellar designwork-both of which were simply unparalleled and technically just so precise and perfect.
“But what really made me a fan was how he still squeezed in every bit of emotion and life in every image he created.”
“John Paul was an amazing talent, a wonderful collaborator and a great guy,” noted Kurt Busiek. “I was very lucky to be able to work with him on a big story, sad that we won’t get to do the little story we had in the works, and devastated that he’s gone,”
“I feel he has been one of the very best comic artists of the century so far and someone whose work I always looked out for,” commented artist David Roach. “It’s almost unbelievable to think that we won’t see any more artwork from him. A sad loss.”
“John Paul Leon was a comic book humanist,” said writer Tom King, as part of a Twitter thread tribute. “He grounded the inherent absurdity of conveying myth and story through inked panels by insisting the emotional struggle of our lived experience be in every line, every picture. And he was a joy of a man, kind and funny, to the end.”
• GoFundMe John Paul Leon Family Memorial
• John Paul Leon – Official Web Site
NEWS LINKS
• ComikBook.com – Comics Pros Pay Tribute to John Paul Leon
• Tripwire – The Comics Industry Pays Tribute To John Paul Leon
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Obituaries, US Comics
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