Comic book artist and “Preacher” co-creator Steve Dillon has died. He was 54.
The illustrator’s younger brother Glyn Dillon — a cartoonist in his own right — confirmed the news via Twitter on Saturday, saying Steve passed away in New York City. No other details were immediately available about the cult hero’s cause of death.
Here’s Glyn’s tweet:
https://twitter.com/glyn_dillon/status/789834909376479232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England in 1962, Steve Dillon made his professional debut in Marvel UK anthology “Hulk Weekly,” per CBR.com — he was just 16-years-old at the time. The artist would go on from there to draw the Nick Fury strip.
Dillon later worked on “Doctor Who Magazine” and, in the ’80s, he regularly contributed to 2000AD, illustrating “Judge Dredd,” “Rogue Trooper” and “Bad Company” strips.
However, Dillon is best known for his work on Vertigo’s “Hellblazer” and Marvel’s “The Punisher.” Other credits include Marvel’s “Wolverine: Origins,” “Bullseye: Greatest Hits,” “PunisherMAX” and “Thunderbolts.”
AMC TV’s live-action “Preacher” adaptation debuted this summer. Seth Rogen, who helped bring the project to the small screen, mourned Dillon’s death on social media:
Devastated by the loss of Steve Dillon. My favorite comic artist who drew my favorite comics. RIP.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) October 22, 2016