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Mike
2007-08-15 09:29:16

Mike's final page

Unless you've been spending your time away from the Internet, or you only get your information from Marvel.com, you're already aware of the event that's been haunting all of us these last two days. Sunday night, my friend, Marvel artist Mike Wieringo, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. He was 44 years old.

Outside of possibly Ralph Macchio, who edited Mike's long run with Todd Dezago on SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN, I'm probably the guy here on staff who worked with him the most. And no two ways about it, he was a favorite of mine, both as an artist and as a person. There are a small handful of single comic book issues that I feel represent the pinnacle of what I've accomplished in this business; Mike drew more of them than any other artist. He was the valued penciler on a FANTASTIC FOUR run with Mark Waid that's my absolute favorite series of books that I've ever had a hand in.

Other people will give you the facts; that Mike was a vegetarian, an animal-lover of extraordinary sensitivity—he felt more strongly about his cat than just about anything else in the world. And Mike was fit, exercising regularly to try to counteract all of the long hours spent hunched over a drawing table. There was no outward sign of any illness, any weakness—in fact, mere hours before the cardiac episode that took his life, Mike posted the page at the left to Marvel's FTP server, for a WHAT IF story he had been working on. He did suffer from chronic back pain that sometimes made it difficult to get work done, but as far as anybody could tell, that was the worst of it. There was no warning, no indication of any possible difficulty.

Mike was like his artwork: open and inviting and cheerful. He was a favorite at conventions, both of the fans who'd come and speak to him, and for whom he'd dash off quick sketches, and of his fellow professionals, many of whom he mentored and counciled as they broke into the industry. Mike genuinely loved comic books and the work he did, even during those times when it seemed like he was out of step with the industry, his work labeled as too cartoony or too childish.

And now he's gone, suddenly, irrevocably. And, in some grim irony, I'm reminded of Mark Gruenwald, another healthy, vibrant comic book creator who inexplicably passed away eleven years previously, to the day, at the age of 43. August 12th is not a good day to be working in this industry—especially not the young at heart.

If there's anything to be taken away from this event, any lesson to be learned, then I suppose it's this: enjoy life. Savor it and treasure it. Figure out what makes you happy and do it—don't waste any time. Because there are no guarantees.

More later.

Tom B

I still can't believe it's happened. A lot of us at the BKV Cabal have commented that, for our generation (of mostly late teenagers and early twenty-somethings, there) it's the first time we've witnessed the passing of an artist we truly revere. I truly hope the next time this happens, hopefully a long long time away, won't be nearly as hard on us, because just speaking as one of his fans, it's felt absolutely awful. Just looking at that lovely What If page, his final work (which I hope will somehow find its way to publication now) makes me cry a little bit more (at a time when I thought I'd done all the crying I can on this matter). We've lost a great artist who really should have been around longer. A lot longer.

Posted by Fetsur on 2007-08-15 11:00:32

I didn't was familliar at all with the work of Mike Wierengo;seeing the pictures now ,I can make myself an idea .I can only offering a moral support to his fans and friends.

Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-08-15 12:16:10

I'd like to think that Gru and Ringo are up there right now collaborating on a comic with all of their favorite characters.

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-08-15 12:58:05

My Condolences
I also knew next to nothing about Mr. Wieringo (though I must have read his FF issues), though I hope for the best for his family and everyone who knew him. It's not easy to lose someone at such a young age. It certainly makes you think twice when someone who makes sure to stay healthy can still go as if he never got off his couch. And I think that's great advice on life, Tom, I agree wholeheartedly.

Also, as the 13th is my birthday, I find the ominous suggestion of the 12th more poignant. So thank you for the reminder to stay on track! It's very much appreciated.

Posted by PseudoSherlock on 2007-08-15 13:47:22

It's weird thinking about the ringo/gru connection. For my birthday I got my girlfriend to buy me one of ringo's pages from his fantastic four run because i love ringo's art and because the page had my favorite marvel character on it, Quasar. It's a beuatiful page... but kinda eerie.

Posted by Shonzi on 2007-08-15 14:03:51

excuse my spelling, beautiful

Posted by Shonzi on 2007-08-15 14:09:51

Thank you.
That was really nice, Tom. :( I wish I had gotten to know him.

Posted by Jen Grunwald on 2007-08-15 16:23:42

didn't realise that was the same day gru died. that just makes the whole thing sadder for some reason. :(

Posted by bomaya on 2007-08-15 16:27:32

I actually didn't find out until the 14th because of internet issues, til I scrolled down Newsarama and read the awful news. It just made it all the more shocking...a terrible, terrible tragedy. I never actually met him but I had always wanted to - he was one of my favorite artists. My heart goes out to the family.

Posted by sononsj on 2007-08-16 00:04:35

Thank you
Mr. Brevoort, thank you for sharing that. I didn't know Ringo personally but did read his blog and enjoyed his work. His passing shocked and saddened me. My thoughts go out to you and all of his loved ones.

Posted by beta-ray on 2007-08-16 02:13:47

Since his days on Sensational Spider-Man and The Flash, Mike has been one of my favourite artists, and like everyone else I was genuinely shocked by his sudden passing. RIP, Ringo!

Posted by rolhirst on 2007-08-16 11:28:26

Thank you Tom
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us, Tom.

Posted by Paul Renaud on 2007-08-18 06:16:21

Mike's final work
I know it's probably the farthest thing from most people's minds, but does Marvel have plans to finish the What If issue with another artist, just so that Mike's fans can see his final pieces of art in finished format?

Posted by matusiak on 2007-08-18 10:05:56

Mike W.
It is very sad to learn about someone who is still relatively young and so talented as Mike was to lose them like that. I remember when Gene Day, who first inked over Mike Zeck then took over the full art reins on Master of Kung Fu, suddenly passed away at the age of only 32, and this was back around '85. He was tremendously talented. As long as great artists like them have had their work published, not only in Marvel Comics, but anywhere where art is appreciated, they will never really be dead. So Mike, I hope you are enjoying spending the beginnings of Eternity with the likes of Bill Everett, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Mark Gruenwald, John Buscema, and all the other greats who have passed on from this mortal plane. Whatever works all of you are working on to show the rest of us when we get there, I am sure they will be just AWESOME!

Posted by GreenwoodKnight on 2007-08-22 15:14:38

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