Artist Mike Wieringo, Remembered

Comic artist Mike Wieringo passed away from a heart attack yesterday, at the age of 44. Many members of the comic communitiy have posted rememberances and tributes to the late artist on their websites. Their words form a portrait of a man who infused his art with joyful, wholesome beauty. A man who encouraged young artists and was generous with his talent. A man who so many of his peers considered a friend and an inspiration.

Read some of these accounts for yourself at the links below, and visit Wieringo's Deviant Art page to take in his beautiful sketches.

Jim Lee: "His spartan style just captured so much emotion and life, and he made it look so easy (which any artist worth his salt can tell you how difficult it really is)."

Karl Kerschl: "His sketches captured the exuberance of youth and the tranquility of nature in a way that I can only aspire to. I wish someone would have just paid him to draw kids and animals and forests all day, because that’s so obviously where his heart was."

David Petersen: "I met Mike last year at the Baltimore con via his pals Craig Rousseau and Todd Dezago. He was amazingly positive and friendly."

John Rogers: "He brought JOY. Every bit of work I ever saw of his, you could feel it. Holy shit, we're telling adventure stories of people doing amazing, wonderful things! This is FUN, goddamit! These stories should be FUN."

Warren Ellis: "We were set to do a book together this year, something we've been intending to do for a few years. Things had finally come together, and...

The first thing I said upon seeing this was "No."

Humberto Ramos: "There are no words when you try to describe the influence of a good person in your life, he IS an inspiration to me, and will always be."