The comic book community lost one of its most iconic artists, with the sad death of Preacher co-creator Steve Dillon at the young age of 54. Read on to find out more and he how the comic world has reacted.
Dillon, perhaps best known for his frequent collaborations with writer Garth Ennis, started his career at the age of Sixteen, drawing for Hulk weekly from Marvel UK. He later went on to work on Doctor Who Magazine and 2000AD. In 1988, he created comic magazine Deadline which ran for seven years.
As previously mentioned, his most famous works came in the form of his work with Garth Ennis, including a stint on Hellblazer, the famous ‘Welcome Back, Frank’ arc in The Punisher and the critically acclaimed Preacher, which ran from 2005 to 2000 and went on to inspire the AMC show of the same name. He was currently working on Punisher, as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe.
Dillon’s death was announced via a heartfelt message on his brother Glyn’s Twitter Page. You can check out the Tweet below.
https://twitter.com/glyn_dillon/status/789834909376479232
Naturally, it didn’t take long before the comic community reacted to the news:
Devastated by the loss of Steve Dillon. My favorite comic artist who drew my favorite comics. RIP.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) October 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/brubaker/status/789831114605023232
https://twitter.com/warrenellis/status/789830547975659521
Stunned and heartbroken to hear that Steve Dillon has passed away. One of the greatest British comic artists of all time, and a lovely guy.
— Andy Diggle (@andydiggle) October 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/joeyesposito/status/789878231126020096
https://twitter.com/gailsimone/status/789831766487871490
https://twitter.com/paul_cornell/status/789835243708674049
Shocked and saddened by Steve Dillon's death. He was a great guy, always a pleasure to hang out with. Never lacking in laughter and smiles.
— Scott Dunbier (@sdunbier) October 22, 2016
Steve Dillon was one of the best because he knew what was most important in what we do: the storytelling. That's his legacy.
— Ron Marz (@ronmarz) October 22, 2016
Steve Dillon was a master storyteller. PREACHER, PUNISHER, all of it done with so much exceptional skill + magic. We lost one of the greats.
— Mitch Gerads (@MitchGerads) October 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/themikenorton/status/789831701958692864
Heartbroken to hear about Steve Dillon's passing. He was a sweetheart of a guy, his storytelling was right to the point. An incredible loss.
— Colonel Tony Moore (@tonymoore) October 22, 2016
Steve Dillon drew my first Marvel script:Thunderbolts 12. Couldn't believe it; Dillon out of the gate? Felt so incredibly LUCKY – and I was. pic.twitter.com/htN3C0luwD
— Charles Soule (@CharlesSoule) October 22, 2016
I spent quite a bit of time with Steve Dillon. He always made time to talk and I really enjoyed his company. Really sad about his passing.
— Ryan "vanish boy" $tegman (@RyanStegman) October 22, 2016
The good news is, steve's work will live on forever. Go read preacher #1. Still the greatest opening issue of a series I've ever read.
— Ryan "vanish boy" $tegman (@RyanStegman) October 22, 2016
As Mr Stegnan points out, however sad Steve Dillon’s passing is, the work he has created will be forever remembered and viewed by the world and his impressive legacy will live on forever.
What do you think? What was your favourite Steve Dillon work? Let us know below.
Source: Twitter