Cartoonist Ed Piskor has died at age 41. The creator was best known for his works Hip Hop Family Tree, for which he won the Eisner Award, and Marvel‘s X-Men: Grand Design.
The news was confirmed by the Savolskis – Wasik – Glenn Funeral Home, Inc., which posted that Piskor “passed away unexpectedly on April 1, 2024.” They further noted that “Family and friends will be received on Thursday, April 4, 2-4 & 6-8 PM at the SAVOLSKIS-WASIK-GLENN FUNERAL HOME, INC., 3501 Main Street, Munhall, PA 15120, where a Funeral Service will take place at 7:30 PM.”
One of Piskor’s sisters, Justine Cleaves, also confirmed the news earlier in the day on Facebook, stating: “It is with the most broken heart that I share my big brother, Ed, has passed away today. Please just keep our family in your prayers as this is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to go through.”
Piskor’s death comes after the writer/artist was accused of sexual misconduct and grooming on March 24, after a contact of his posted messages sent by Piskor starting from when she was age 17 onwards. Following the release of the screenshots of these DMs, other women also came forward to report similar actions from Piskor.
After deleting his social media, and briefly taking down the YouTube channel, Cartoonist Kayfabe, that Piskor shared with fellow cartoonist Jim Rugg, the channel was brought back online with comments turned off. Over the next few days, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust indefinitely postponed a planned exhibit of Piskor’s work on March 25. On March 30, Rugg publicly announced he had cut ties with Piskor, and would no longer continue on the YouTube channel with him.
Earlier today, Piskor posted a lengthy message on Facebook calling out several names of fellow comic book writers and artists, as well as lamenting that he was “helpless against a mob of this magnitude” and ending with “Sayonara.” Though no cause of death has been shared, friends and family feared the missive was an apparent suicide note. News of Piskor’s death was shared later on in the day.
If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.
