Beloved comic artist John Paul Leon passed away today and the entire community is paying their respects. He left an imprint on Static, Batman: Creature of the Night, and Marvel’s Earth X books. Leon was only 49 years old. Multiple people in the comics industry confirmed the news as rumors began to populate social media. DC Senior Editor Chris Conroy was one of the big voices to talk about the man’s accomplishments and impact across the medium. Leon was working in illustration since the age of 16 and studied under numerous comics heavyweights. The list of teachers included Jack Potter, Will Eisner, and Walter Simonsson at New York’s School of Visual Arts. For a certain segment of fans, he was huge because of his hand in guiding the Milestone Comics imprint for DC. Leon did all the pencils for Static’s first miniseries back in the early nineties.
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RIP John Paul Leon. What a stellar talent and kind voice within our industry. You will be missed by many. #johnpaulleon pic.twitter.com/uUNQMtbkuE
— Shannon Eric Denton (@ShannonDenton) May 2, 2021
Our thoughts are with Leon’s family, friends, and fans at this time.
Did you love his work? Let us know down in the comments! Check out the responses down below:
A joy of a man
John Paul Leon was a comic book humanist. He grounded the inherent absurdity of conveying myth and story through inked panels by insisting the emotional struggle of our lived experience be in every line, every picture. And he was a joy of a man, kind and funny, to the end. RIP. pic.twitter.com/ERLxdJjnIX
— Tom King (@TomKingTK) May 2, 2021
It’s so beautiful
RIP John Paul Leon, a true artist whose every line revealed his depth, heart and humanity. (Unlettered beautiful pages from Black Widow: Deadly Origin.) pic.twitter.com/nm3Lle8pFO
— Bill Rosemann (@BillRosemann) May 2, 2021
Utterly unique
Every writer has a list of artists they want to work with. John Paul Leon was always on my list. An utterly unique talent who made a classic artistic tradition very much his own. My heart hurts for the loved ones he left behind, and for the brilliance stolen from all of us. pic.twitter.com/kNB4kJUXgv
— Ron Marz (@ronmarz) May 2, 2021
Just terrible
Terrible news
— Denys Cowan (@DenysCowan) May 2, 2021
RIP John Paul Leonhttps://t.co/RZBEFnHVrm
Heartbroken today
A true master
Wow. Just heard the news about John Paul Leon. Truly heartbreaking. I was lucky enough to have worked with him on an issue of WEAPON X and always wished I would get the chance to work with him again. A true master taken way too young. RIP pic.twitter.com/FElpmO1GIW
— Frank Tieri (@FrankTieri) May 2, 2021
What else can you say?
I’m devastated. My art hero, John Paul Leon has passed away. I was lucky enough to meet him a few times, and he was so sweet, so kind. Considerate in all the ways you’d imagine an artist of such skill and inspiration would be. My most sincere condolences to his family and friends https://t.co/2D0aVNq8MJ
— Declan Shalvey (@declanshalvey) May 2, 2021
Just a massive loss
I couldn’t believe it but it seems to be confirmed. We lost a huge talent in the comics industry, @johnpaulleon -, one of those artists’ artists. JPL’s noir, heavy blacks aesthetics were near&dear to my heart. My heart goes to his family, friends, and fans. We’ll miss U, brother. pic.twitter.com/A2DsEb80PJ
— Francesco Francavilla (@f_francavilla) May 2, 2021
Remarkable talent
So sorry to hear of John Paul Leon’s passing. Such a remarkably unique talent–brought so much to the industry and influenced so many. A great loss of a great artist.
— Dan Jurgens (@thedanjurgens) May 2, 2021
A definite inspiration
John Paul Leon was the type of artist that made you want to up your game just so that you could be in the same league, let alone on the same playing field. He was a tremendous talent. I didn’t know him personally but I was a fan.
— Jamal ‘fully Vaccinated, wear your mask’ Igle (@JAMALIGLE) May 2, 2021
All-timer
RIP John Paul Leon!!! An absolute all-time great. pic.twitter.com/CoOp2XVHc7
— Chris Burnham (@TheBurnham) May 2, 2021
Way too soon
The brilliant John Paul Leon passed away last night. Much like his Static collaborators Dwayne McDuffie and Robert Washington III, he died much, much too soon. pic.twitter.com/3Gb2CCB5qq
— Andrew Farago (@andrewfarago) May 2, 2021
So admired
Literally the best of us, and I wish I’d known you better. Your art, your storytelling are so admired (definitely a favorite of mine), and your friends and peers think the world of you. Peace, John Paul Leon. https://t.co/sNBEQwsTlO
— Cully Hamner (@CullyHamner) May 2, 2021
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Image Credit: IDW Publishing
