Cockrum was the artist behind the X-Men revamping in the 70s, turning a moribund title into the blockbuster franchise it is today. He created Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, the Starjammers, and the Imperial Guard, among others. He suffered from diabetes, and passed away Saturday at the age of 63.
This is really an awful story in some regards. Until three years ago, Cockrum was broke despite his contributions to what at one time was the biggest franchise in comics. He received no royalties for his work despite frequent reprintings of the X-Men comics. When Clifford Meth of Silver Bullet Comics started publicizing Cockrum’s plight, Marvel did come to a settlement with Cockrum that at least gave him the chance to move to a warmer climate in South Carolina. He spent his last years talking with fans on the Internet, never sounding bitter, glad for whatever attention his fans gave him.
I always thought of Cockrum as the eternal teenager. His designs were always so youthful and energetic, it seemed that he had tapped into some sort of Fountain of Youth for his art. It’s jarring and upsetting to hear of his passing.
Clifford Meth writes about Cockrum’s last days, and I think it’s the best tribute on the net I’ve seen. If you’ve never read any of Cockrum’s work, the best place to see his work is in the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus published last year by Marvel. It’s pricey, but it’s the best reprinting of his work I’ve ever seen, and for the size of the book, it’s a real bargain.
Heaven’s getting a heck of an artist today.
Well done. Thank you.