Last night, on June 27, in Los Angeles, comic book creator and artist Michael Turner passed away from health problems. He’d been battling cancer since 2000, and despite all those years of struggle, he continued to work, and was, by all accounts, a genial and cheerful guy. He still attended conventions regularly, and a month rarely went by without seeing his work on a cover to a major comic book.
We want to offer his family and friends our deepest condolences, and we’re very sorry for their loss.
Aspen Comics’ Vince Hernandez posted the following on the Aspen Message Boards:
Hello all,
Unfortunately it’s with great sadness that I must inform everyone that Michael Turner tragically passed away last night, June 27th at approximately 10:42 pm in Santa Monica, Ca. Turner had been dealing with recent health complications arisen in the past few weeks. More details concerning Turner’s passing, and services, will be given shortly.
Anyone wishing to send their condolences to Michael Turner’s family is encouraged to send to:
Aspen MLT, Inc.
C/O Michael Turner
5855 Green Valley Circle, Suite 111
Culver City, CA, 90230
Aspen also encourages anyone wishing to make a charitable donation to please send to Michael Turner’s requested charities:
The American Cancer Society
Or
The Make-A-Wish Foundation
Official Contact: Vince Hernandez
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This is very sad to hear. It’s been amazing how Michael’s been able to keep producing so many awesome covers over the last 5 years plus. Whenever someone passes, people are quick to say how much of a fighter they were and how upbeat they remained. But listening to the interviews he’s done and seeing the work he’s continued to put out, you can see what an awesome spirit he was. He will be missed.
Michael Turner was my favorite artist. I genuinely loved his art (I know there’s a fairly large group that dismissed it) but the reason that he was my favorite artist is that I knew what he was battling, how he was battling it, and that-despite that-he was managing to turn out these beautiful images. My wife is a cancer survivor. Cancer has claimed three of my grandparents. I’ve watched what it can do to people and those that can battle it with the kind of grace that Michael Turner showed have the highest respect I can give anyone. I’m incredibly sad that he’s passed, but anyone who says he lost his battle with cancer, doesn’t know the nature of the fight. He left his art and he left an example. Both will benefit anyone who hears his story.
Aw crap. This news flat out sucks.
I recently came into some old Wizards, including the late 80’s Top Cow special editions. It’s sometimes easy for us to forget how wildly popular he was then, with Witchblade then Fathom. To me, he’ll always be the best of the Image: The Next Generation artists. He easily surpassed his mentor Silvestri. He’ll be missed.
This news really gets me down. It’s like we cant go for 6 to 8 weeks without losing someone, or something horrible happening to someone in the comic biz. Its been just one after the next.
My thoughts and prayers are with his familt and loved ones.
Wow, that’s really sad.
Say what you will about his art, this is still a real blow for comics.
You know, I’ve never been a big fan, but you have to respect the talent, the impact on the industry he made with the rest of the Image guys, and the work he’s done even while undergoing chemotherapy. It’s been an amazing story and it’s sad to see it’s over.
I knew he had been sick for a while, but this is still quite a shock.
But who will draw all the bug eyed girls with elongated torsos now!
Classy.
I always thought he seemed like a really good person, and I really liked he art. I am really sorry to hear about this news. Anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to cancer knows how hard this must have been for his family and friends. He was a true talent and class act, and he will be missed.
I loved his art, I’ll def. miss it and seeing him at shows. He was a very cool guy. I’m sorry for his family’s lose and I also agree that his passing is tragic for the comic industry as well.
I truely hope that Soulfire and Shrugged continue on without him. He put a lot of heart in both of those books and I know he wouldn’t have liked it if they ended.
I didn’t like his art much, but it’s sad that he died.
I sort of outgrew his art a while back, but regardless, the man’s work afforded me hours of entertainment.
Thanks, Mike.
I know his art style had a lot of haters (just read this thread for example) but I always loved it & so did a lot of people. I’ve always been a fan, and still remember how awesome it was for me to first see him work on DC characters. His Identity Crisis covers were awesome, especially #3 with Deathstroke in the foreground and all the injured heroes behind ( http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a376/soyblitz/Covers/IdentityCrisis3.jpg ) that’s one of my favourite covers EVER.
Love or hate is style, he brought happiness to a lot of comic fans worldwide. This is sad news. I’ll miss his work.
I went to see him at an aspen panel at Wondercon, but he was not there because of his health problems. It’s unfortunate to see him pass, but even more so for Aspen considering he really was the reason for many to even look at the company’s work.
I liked a lot of his art. This is really sad news. While the comic community grieves, I’m sure this is even harder for his friends and family. Condolences to them all.
I am blown away by the news. Not many on this side of the atlantic knew who he was but those who did will feel a huge loss at his passing. I always loved his art and he will be sadly missed. RIP man.
This is very sad news indeed. I got to meet him at a Wizard World a few years back and he was a great guy, very passionate about his work and extremely awesome to his fans. Between the work he contributed to DC and Marvel as well as his own company Aspen, he’s left a large hole in the comics industry.
And while I know his art wasn’t universally loved, I’m really impressed with the outpouring of condolences. The ifanboy community (minus one, see above) is so great and I’m proud to be a part of it.
This is indeed sad news. i really enjoyed his artwork for DC and MARVEL comics. im very sad and i just wish this didnt happen. my condolences to his family and friends.
RIP Mike Turner
I loved Michael Turner’s art and will miss him greatly. I loved Identity Crisis and thought that his covers were awesome. It was one of those times where a special cover really worked and made the entire event more special. His Wonder Woman cover was just too cool for school and I ate it up.
I am glad that we had Michael’s talent but sad that it wasn’t for longer.
This is sad news. I’ve always liked his art. I was lucky enough to meet him at last year’s Pittsburgh Comicon. He didn’t make it this year. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will be missed. He left us too soon. RIP
Very sad for his friends and family.
@melongum–the site for tools is elsewhere.
I remember one of the first runs of anything i bought, was the one with he and Loeb in Superman/Batman. I am truely and utterly sadden by this news, and God knows what his family is going through. My heart goes out to them. His work will not be forgotten, nor will he. I im not religous in the least bit, but if there is some sort of heavenly paradise after death, i hope to whomever he’s enjoying it.
RIP
I was not familiar with his work, but I heard the news today at a Spawn panel early this morning. I heard how great of a guy he was and wish I had met him before. From what I heard there were artists doing work in his honor today and was just awesome to hear. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Another artist leaves us too young. Condolences and prayers.
First mike Weiringo now Michael Turner. He’ll be missed.
@Melongum: Why write that?
I was never a big fan of Turner’s artwork, but the industry needed people like him. I never met him personally, but everything I’ve read about him points to him being an extremely positive, outgoing guy who never had a bad word to say about anyone. With him and Mike Weiringo gone, both gone suddenly and too young, I worry that aspiring artists will never have a chance to come into contact with these bright spirits and learn from their example. I just hope that we can take that undying passion and love for comics that these guys had as a shining testament to the impact that comics can have on us all.
RIP Michael Turner
It’s just terribly sad when a man, who brought so much entertainment and happiness with his art, dies so young. Whether you were a fan of his artistic style or not, there isn’t any denying he was a person of great talent and a good heart. Definitely someone worthy of respect in life and now in death. My heart goes out to all his family and friends. I really wish I had a chance to meet him.
I’m not overly familiar with his work, as I was never an Image fan. However, I thought his recent covers for were pretty good. But far more important than his artistic abilities, everything i have read about him indicated that he was a really nice guy who was very outgoing and friendly. In an industry where people who can draw a nice picture of musclebound guys in spandex think they are somehow above us "normal" people, a classy and down to earth guy like Michael Turner will be missed.
wow this sucks. I have been fan of Tuners since his early days at Top Cow, his Witchblade is still the best!! He will be sorely missed. My prayers are with his family.
Very sad. I am a fan of his work, and I especially enjoyed his writing on the book Shrugged. Hard work earned him a unique place in the comic world, he will be missed.
I read an article on Wizard’s website a while back about Turner’s struggles with the cancer. He seemed to be a real fighter and wasn’t taking the disease sitting down. I aplaud his courage and strength and the fact that he still worked on the medium he loved until the end.
This one really rocked me. I’ve waited a while to post something and am sure it does not convey my thoughts and emotions, but here it goes.
From everything I have read about him, the dude was a fighter. Who hasn’t called in sick just because you felt kinda icky and didn’t want to go to work? He was cranking out cover after cover while fighting cancer! This is the stuff that heroes are mad of.
Best wishes to his family and friends.
Bean
OMG, this is so sad. he was one of my fave cheesecake artists out there. and he seemed like he was a really nice guy too. i’ll treasure my autographed michael turner book a lot more now. my condolences to his family. ;_;
Wow, that’s a real shame! Very sad news!
I wonder how much of his own goals in work he was able to commit to paper.
No. I didn’t even know he was unwell … I loved his covers and his art … great post from rayclark he summed up my feelings … sigh.
That is sad.
He drew some of my favorite covers. I loved his work on the Superman/Batman Supergirl arc.
Wow. I’m just stunned.
I hated his art almost as much as I hate Liefeld’s, and I avoided his covers like the plague, but it is always sad when someone loses a battle with cancer. I’ve lost more than a few loved one to some form of cancer, and my heart goes out to his family and friends. I feel like kind of a heel for not appreciating his art, but he did his own thing and didn’t apologize for it, and he is deserving of respect from his harshest critics for that alone. He made a definite mark on the industry and enjoyed a significant appreciation from other readers, and will definitely be leaving a void in the world of comics.
I just want to thank him for the hours of conversation and debate his name sparked at nearly every comic shop I’ve been too. He was well known, and well liked by many. As an aspiring artist, I wish I’m that lucky.
thats terriable. i was just talkin about turner to my comic shop guy, he said he met him at the Sydney comic con and that he was an awesome dude.
And say what you will about his art, before the illness kick in, he was the shit. Look at witchblade #25. i hate that comic but the art in that was amazing
I am kind of crushed by this, he was really young.
When I worked at my comic shop years ago it was during the Witchblade/Fathom craze and he would bring in droves of female readers that were buying up everything with Witchblade on it in sight. Love his style or leave it, it had a magnet attached to it. Best to his family, such a shame.
I was genuinely shocked when I read the news on your site just minutes ago. I really enjoyed his art and I had a great deal of respect for him. He will be missed.