Monday 27 November 2006

Dave Cockrum 1943 - 2006


Comic book legend Dave Cockrum has died today, following complications arising from diabetes.

Although responsible for a veritable mountain of work in the 60s and 70s including groundbreaking work on DC’s “Legion of Superheroes”, he will principally be remembered for co-creating the “new” X Men, a hugely successful series of characters designed to re-vamp the original roster in the then ailing title.

Among his co-creations (with Len Wien) were Storm, Colossus and Nightcrawler.

He collaborated on several X Men issues with writer Chris Claremont, doing the groundwork for the classic X Men run by Claremont and John Byrne that would cement the success of the comic.

Typically, Marvel failed to compensate Cockrum for his massive contribution to their success until shortly before his death.

He will be sadly missed by all those who enjoyed his work.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Byrne/Claremont era is such a defining moment in X-Men and comics history that Cockrum is kind of forgotten.Yet anyone who happens upon Marvels b&w Essential X-men reprints can clearly see what a brilliant artist and draughtsman he was was.He will be sadly missed, and Marvel should hang their heads in shame-One Neck

Tom said...

Mark Evanier has a couple of tributes/remembrances up about him on News From Me.