The family of Darwyn Coke has released a statement confirming that the  cartoonist passed away last night.

We regret to inform you that Darwyn lost his battle with cancer early this morning at 1:30 AM ET. 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.

Donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society and Hero Initiative.

Please continue to respect our privacy as we go through this very difficult time.

A longer statement will come later today.

“Then we shall not be weary. Then we shall prevail.” — John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier speech

It was announced only yesterday morning that Cooke was receiving palliative care for a particularly aggressive cancer.

Darwyn was an award winning creator whose every line was distinctive and stylish, redolent of an earlier, supposedly simpler era and yet modern and relevant in a timeless way. It’s no surprise that his signature work, The New Frontier, was set in the era of the Rat Pack and early Apollo Missions. Darwyn was working until very recently, it seems, with work on the Future Quest HB reboot coming out in the next few weeks.

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I’ll have more on Darwyn’s work later, but everyone who knew him is already honing their stories of legend about him. Darwyn lived large and loud with a huge heart that often took him down some wrong pathways. And then he’d laugh and smile and start all over again.

There was really and truly only one Darwyn. His talent was singular, his character designs unsurpassed, his stories drawn directly from his own view of the world. As a character, raconteur, friend and presence, to even suggest there could be anyone like him is ludicrous. I’m very lucky to have known him.

I’m in Toronto, where Darwyn lived for many years; on my first trip here more than a decade ago he took me out on a memorable dinner at one of his favorite restaurants with a gang of wonderful friends. As word of his illness spread yesterday here at TCAF there were tears and stories. I’m in a hotel on a bad internet connection so I can’t do the art post he deserves; time for that later.

Comixology is having a sale on his work; a purchase there will help his family, and give you some great comics to enjoy. Or just buy some of his books from your local comics shop. DC-The-New-Frontier.jpgdarwyn-cooke-batman-wonder-woman-superman.jpgtumblr_inline_muo7o3csfL1rncl9x.jpg

9 COMMENTS

  1. People throw the term legend around so easily theses days, but Darywn was a true legend in my books. Will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, as I know his uncle Frank.

  4. Heidi, thanks for posting links to his work. I’m sure this is very hard on his family, and financial support never hurts. I never met Darwyn, but I know a lot of people that were close to him. May he rest peacefully.

  5. met darwyn cooke at one of the shows some years back to have him sign a hardcover edition of his work on the spirit. we chatted for several minutes and i found him to be a very nice guy that had a great passion for his work. my condolences to family, friends, and fans, of which you can count me as one.

  7. One of the true masters of the comics form. Darwyn’s work was infused with genuine wonder, that feeling we all had the first time we dove into a superhero universe; he never lost that feeling, a magic trick in itself. And thank God he refused to bite his tongue when people asked him what was wrong with mainstream comics. Darwyn “got” superheroes in a way that few people do these days. Rest in peace, friend, and thank you for putting so much damn heart in every single line. We noticed.

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