Saturday brought the sad news that Sam Kieth has passed away at the age of 63. Reported by Bleeding Cool, Kieth passed away after struggling with Lewy Body Dementia. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy Kieth.

Kieth’s impact on the world of comics is undebatable. Born in 1963 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he’d go on to create modern classic characters like The Maxx and deliver an art style all his own.

His comic career began about the age of 17 when he was published by Comico. He’d come to prominence with his art for the first five issues of The Sandman, which he co-created. He’d go on to work for Comic, Dark Horse, DC, Marvel, Eclipse, Fantagraphics, Oni Press, and more. Some of his last works was Eleanor & the Egret from AfterShock Comics in 2017 and The Hollows published by Image in 2022.

He blew up to whole new levels during the Image Comics explosion where we wrote and drew The Maxx, which ran for 35 issues from 1993 to 1998. That comic series would go on to become an animated series that aired on MTV.

His talents went beyond comics, he directed the film Take It to the Limit for Roger Corman’s Concorde-New Horizons.

Kieth received an Inkpot Award during San Diego Comic-Con 2013.

Kieth’s style was unmistakable, one that has influenced a generation.