Sam Kieth, the legendary creator The Maxx, co-creator of The Sandman, and many, many more, has died at age 63. The news was shared via editor Scott Dunbier via Kieth’s family on Facebook.
Though Kieth began his career at age 17, he first came to the notice of the general public as an inker on Matt Wagner’s Made. In 1989, he was the penciler for the first five issues of The Sandman from DC Comics, kicking off the “Preludes & Nocturnes” arc, and secured his place in the comic book pantheon. Later works include a Penguin story with Alan Grant, an Aliens miniseries for Dark Horse, and a story for The Incredible Hulk at Marvel.
However, Kieth’s most lasting creation was The Maxx for Image Comics, which kicked off in 1993 and ran for 35 issues. Alongside Williams Messner-Loebs, Alan Moore, and others, Kieth plotted and illustrated all issues of the book, which was adapted by MTV for the cult hit series MTV’s Oddities.
Kieth later created Zero Girl for DC’s Wildstorm in 2001, and wrote and drew several Batman books for DC. Those include the five-issue Batman: Secrets, a Batman/Lobo crossover, and two issues of Batman Confidential. In addition, the original graphic novel Arkham Asylum: Madness was a best seller.
For Oni Press, Kieth created a series of original graphic novels including Ojo and My Inner Bimbo, and IDW published his work on a 30 Days of Night series, as well as a series of Sketchbooks.
Per Dunbier, Sam “suffered from Lewy Body Dementia for several years. As per Sam’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, his family asks for donations to be made in his name to either Hero Initiative, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, or the Lewy Body Dementia Association.”
He is survived by his wife, Kathy, and his mother, Sammie Robertson.
Since news of his passing broke, multiple creators and companies have mourned his passing, including Image Comics on BlueSky, which wrote, “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sam Kieth. From The Maxx to his work across comics, Sam brought a completely unique look and voice to the industry. His art was raw and unmistakably his. Sam’s influence will be felt for generations. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
You can read Dunbier’s note from Facebook, below.
On behalf of Sam Kieth’s family:
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sam Kieth on Sunday March 15, 2026.
Sam suffered from Lewy Body Dementia for several years. As per Sam’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers, his family asks for donations to be made in his name to either Hero Initiative, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, or the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
Sam began his career as a teenager. His earliest notable work was as the inker of Matt Wagner’s Mage: The Hero Discovered. In 1989, Sam co-created Sandman with Neil Gaiman and penciled the first five issues. That same year, he co-created the original graphic novel, Epicurus the Sage, with William Messner-Loebs. The following year, he and his longtime friend, Kelley Jones, collaborated on a beautifully drawn issue of the Incredible Hulk. The stunning art in that issue lead to a memorable series of Wolverine stories and covers in Marvel Comics Presents.
In 1993, Sam created The Maxx at the fledgling Image Comics, scripted by Messmer-Loebs. A nervous sort, Sam was initially worried that the series would flop and Marvel would never hire him again. Thankfully, friends eased his fears and convinced him to go for it. The Maxx was a huge success, running for 35-issues plus a couple of spin-offs. Sam (and his wife Kathy) interacted with fans in the series’ letters page, which Sam felt was an integral part of the comic experience. The Maxx was also adapted (using Sam’s art) as a short-lived animated series.
In the early 2000s, Sam wrote and drew Zero Girl and Zero Girl: Full Circle and Four Women. These were intensely personal works by Sam and he was proud of them. If you are a fan of Sam’s stories but are unfamiliar with these, go check them out.
Sam also wrote and drew the mini-series, Batman: Secrets, as well as the Batman/Maxx: Arkham Dreams crossover which, because of the onset of his illness, was his last major work. Sam’s blog, Trout-a-Verse, is still available online, though; go to samkieth.blogspot.com to see some of his art and his wacky sense of the world.
Sam’s family, friends, and legions of devoted fans will miss him dearly.
He is survived by his wife Kathy and his mother, Sammie Robertson.
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