Humanoids, a publisher that worked extensively with artist John Cassaday, has released a statement on his passing. Along with creating the series I Am Legion for the publisher, Cassaday was named Chief Creative Officer of Humanoids in 2019.
Cassaday passed away yesterday (September 9) in New York City, with friends, colleagues, and fans mourning the passing of the renowned creator. Below is the full statement shared by Humanoids, unedited, including the head of the company Fabrice Giger, and a photo shared of Cassaday:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Cassaday, a renowned American comic book creator, at the age of 52.
The author of several successful series and a multiple Eisner Award winner, he left a lasting impact on the world of publishing with his meticulously crafted graphic universe, blending realism and modernity.
Born in Texas in 1971, he began his career as an artist in New York in the mid-1990s, publishing Dark Angel with Boneyard Press and Negative Burn with Caliber Comics. He also created several covers and a story for Ghost with Dark Horse. His first “major” work was Ka-Zar: Sibling Rivalry, published with Marvel. He later produced Desperados with Wildstorm.
In 1998, alongside writer Warren Ellis, he created Planetary (DC Wildstorm). Undoubtedly his most famous series, it is now translated worldwide. In 2000, he followed with Batman: Gotham Knights, based on a script by Devin Grayson and John Arcudi. In 2002, he penned Captain America: The New Deal with John Ney, a major story in which the hero confronts the traumas of post-9/11 America. In the following years, he worked on numerous series such as Avengers, Ultimate Six, Black Panther, Serenity, Phantom, and Hellboy: Weird Tales, to name just a few of the most well-known.
In 2004, exactly twenty years ago, he began the supernatural espionage series I Am Legion for Humanoids, alongside prolific French scribe Fabien Nury. This was his only foray into Franco-Belgian comics and the series would go on to have successful runs (and reprints) on both sides of the Atlantic. That same year, he received the Eisner Award for Best Artist for his work on Planetary, Batman: Night on Earth (Wildstorm/DC), and Hellboy Weird Tales (Dark Horse). He received this honor again in 2005, this time for Astonishing X-Men, Planetary, WE3, and I Am Legion.
In 2015, he was one of fourteen artists contributing to the international anthology The Tipping Point, published by Humanoids, alongside authors such as Enki Bilal, Taiyo Matsumoto, Paul Pope, and Naoki Urasawa.
In 2019, he became the Chief Creative Officer of Humanoids, a position he held for several years, including the launch of Humanoids’ superhero shared universe Ignition (H1), alongside his friend and then Humanoids Publisher Mark Waid. Deepening his relationship with Humanoids, John Cassaday also embarked on Madshadows, the most ambitious project of his career, of which he was both writer and artist, and which sadly remains incomplete in the wake of his passing.
Fabrice Giger, the head of Humanoids, who worked closely with the artist for over twenty years, responds to his passing:
“Creating worlds and breathing life into characters as John Cassaday knew how to do is a very rare gift (and the fruit of immense labor). My friend John was a soul of infinite gentleness, with a heart as vast as his talent.”
Our thoughts are with his loved ones, especially his partner, Tara.
