Per a statement posted to his official website, artist Adam Hughes is battling stage 3C colorectal cancer. Hughes’s wife Allison Sohn explains that her husband was recently admitted to a hospital, where doctors removed a large mass from his lower gastrointestinal tract, that was then verified as being cancer. Stage 3 cancer means when the tumor has grown deeper into surrounding tissue, and possibly spread to other parts of the body, with stage 4 being when it has been confirmed to have spread throughout the body. As a result, the couple have canceled all upcoming public appearances.
Sohn writes, “People have recovered from this and worse. Adam is looking forward to being one of those people. The initial surgery was very successful. Adam will start chemotherapy within the next couple of weeks. We cannot properly anticipate how this will affect his ability to work. We’re taking things one day at a time, one doctor appointment at a time. If you have been emailing Adam or myself and not gotten a response, we beg your forgiveness and your patience.”
Hughes, 58, is primarily a cover artist, best known for his work on comics like Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Tomb Raider. His interior work includes Before Watchmen: Doctor Manhattan (2012), and Hellboy: Krampusnacht (2017), for which he won the following year’s Eisner for Best Single Issue/One-Shot. He has also written books like Archie’s Betty and Veronica (2016), and worked as a concept artist and character designer for Marvel Studios Animation.
Incidentally, Hughes’s oldest dog, Potter, was also recently diagnosed with cancer, and he and his wife have also been raising a newborn puppy while looking after its mother, which is recovering from a c-section. Sohn says, “In short, it’s a lot. Adam is focused on healing from surgery and preparing for the fight ahead. I’m focused on overseeing that, making sure that Adam has everything he needs to be successful in his battle, and every other thing going on here.”
She adds, “We appreciate everyone’s patience, messages of well wishes, prayers, and good thoughts. I will try and keep everyone updated; the best source for that will be the Adam’s website, his Patreon page, and Facebook.”
The Beat wishes Hughes and Sohn all the best. Fans who want to support them financially can visit his official store, or check out his work for sale on Comic Art Fans, as well as by subscribing to his Patreon.
