We regret to inform you that Darwyn lost his battle with cancer early this morning at 1:30 AM ET. We read all of your messages of support to him throughout the day yesterday. He was filled with your love and surrounded by friends and family at his home in Florida.
Please continue to respect our privacy as we go through this very difficult time.A longer statement will come later today.
“Then we shall not be weary. Then we shall prevail.” -- John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier speech
93 comments:
So saddened by his passing. His writing and his art brought my childhood back to me. He restored the wonder. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
RIP mr cooke
This news breaks my heart.
If the word "genius" still held any meaning I would surely apply it to Mr Cooke and the wonderful, wonderful works he has given us over the years.
I am so sorry he has gone at such a young age and my deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and all who knew him.
Thank you, Mr Cooke, for all the gifts you have left us.
This news breaks my heart.
If the word "genius" still held any meaning I would surely apply it to Mr Cooke and the wonderful, wonderful works he has given us over the years.
I am so sorry he has gone at such a young age and my deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and all who knew him.
Thank you, Mr Cooke, for all the gifts you have left us.
My thoughts are with Marsha and the rest of the family.
A maestro. RIP Darwyn, thank you for everything.
Thanks for all the worlds you have so vividly put on paper. You will not be forgotten
Sorry to hear of your family's loss. Whilst I have never been fortunate enough to meet Mr Cooke his work has and will continue to bring me and many others immense joy. I have donated to cancer charity in my local community it's today in Darwin's honor.
Sorry to hear of your family's loss. Whilst I have never been fortunate enough to meet Mr Cooke his work has and will continue to bring me and many others immense joy. I have donated to cancer charity in my local community today in Darwyn's honor.
Love to you all. I reminded my comic friends today that you never know how much time you have, so try to leave a legacy of work behind as beautiful as Darwyn has.
R.I.P. unique art style, unique artist…
I suppose this is the one thing nobody wanted to read. My respect and condolences for your family. I'll proudly support Hero Initiative, but please tell us if there's something else we can do to assist you more directly. Like few times in my life, I can truly and honestly say I'm sorry. Pablo, Argentina
I am deeply grieved.... My prayers to the family.
So sad to hear this. His art is amazing.
My heart is so heavy, words have never been easy but rest in power Darwyn. My deepest sympathies to Marsha & the rest of his family. Darwyn's work changed my life, and for that I can never thank him enough.
I will meet you some day. Just not in this life. I will see you in the New Frontier.
My thoughts and prayers are with Darwyn 's family during this very difficult time. I will always have my childhood memories of Darwyn's talent as an artist. He was an inspiration to me.
Cheryl
My condolences to Darwyn's family.
Tears in my eyes right know. This is just not fair. RIP Darwyn, thanks for all the moments. We owe so much.
My thoughts and prayers are with Darwyn 's family during this very difficult time. I will always have my childhood memories of him and his artistic talent. You were an inspiration to me. RIP. Cheryl
Oh my heart breaks for Marsha and friends and family. Such a huge loss of a talented and funny man. My deepest sympathies to all his loved ones.
:_(
Rest in peace, Darwyn Cooke. Condolences to his family and friends.
Deeply saddened by this announcement. He is a Canadian iconic talent. He will be deeply missed by fans and comic readers everywhere. My condolences to Marsha and family. Please reach out and let us know how we can support you in this trying time.
I am so sorry and sad to hear this. My thoughts are with your family.
Thank you for sharing him and his amazing gifts with us. May light surround you on your journey home buddy.
My heart hurts with this passing. The world is dimmer for his loss.
The Heaven is receiving an artist. The clouds will be new canvas. My intention was meet him someway when I move to Canada. God has His plans and we are just brushes.
RIP Darwin and thank you for your amazing Dc Comics.
Respect and sorrow.
Respect and sorrow.
Even more than he and his work made me smile, I pray that God blesses Darwyn and his family.
Marsha,
Thank you for sharing Darwyn with us.
Respectfully,
Mark
My condolences...so sad...Stay together. I send you my best wishes. Thanks again to Darwyn and all his family and friends.
So, so sad. A great, a terrible loss. I don't have words to say how I love Darwyn Cooke's work : he was a real genius. A master.
My condolences to the family.
Hey Guys, words are not enough, but Darwyn was an inspiration and I know he would want us to celebrate his life and thats how I will mourn his Passing, he was a joy to listen to, a n inspiration to work with ( Warner) and will be greatly Missed.. love to the family stay strong guys ... Huwj
His legacy is eternal, much like the optimism he instilled within me about comics. It's a heavy loss, this one. My condolences to his family, his friends and his peers.
I never met Darwyn or his family, but he by all accounts was a great man with a good heart. My condolences.
RIP Darwyn. It was a pleasure to have known you. Your art was a inspirational to all of us at WB and the rest of the comics world. I still miss the days of having drinks and laughs with you and Dave. Good times and good people.
-Troy
Today the comic book world lost Darwyn Cooke. This affects me deeply. Not because we knew each other and in fact i (sadly) never got to meet him and few of my friends might even know who he was really. But his work, and he himself in a greater way, meant a great deal to me and that is why this is so important to me: Darwyn Cooke's work connected me to my father, with whom i shared the love for comic books. We didn't much agree on anything in life, except comic books. And we both agreed that Darwyn Cooke was our most favorite comic book author/artist. We loved everything he did and eagerly talked about his new projects. In fact one of my last talks with my dad, before he himself also passed away unexpectedly and way too young, revolved around Darwyn Cooke's Parker adaptations he then was rumoured to do. My father and me were also big fans of Donald E. Westlake's larger than life gangster Parker. Sadly my dad never got to see those adaptations. Since then, i always thought about my Dad when reading books of Darwyn Cooke, thinking about scenes and picture compositions that he would have loved, and always felt connected to him in a way. And all that through the works of a man i never met.
I always thought if i would meet Mr. Cooke, maybe i could tell him of his impact on my life and the life of my father and our relationship and just thank him, but i never got around to do it. And now Darwyn Cooke has passed away too. This saddens me deeply. And my thoughts are with his family and friends. I'm not religious but i feel a little comfort in thinking he somewhere could meet my dad now.
Your style was beautiful...it inspires me everytime. Rip darwyn...
my heart is so full of darwyn right now, and i'm so very sorry that he has gone too soon. marsha, my deepest respect and empathy go out to you and to the rest of Darwyn's loved ones right now. You were an incredible match to his fire and i can't imagine how hard this must be. much love, mo/xo
my condolences.his art remains my favorite.RIP sir.
I wrote this letter five years ago and never got around to figuring out how to send it to Darwyn Cooke.
“My dad is an artist and a comic collector going way back. So, I was surrounded by superheroes from the get go. He would always sketch stuff for us boys. He would make toys for us from playdoh. They didn’t last long. One of my earliest memories was my dad bringing home a Superman and a Batman from the Kenner Superpowers line. I chose Batman, my brother chose Superman. Batman immediately became my favorite character of all time.
Something really amazing happened in my life as an adult when I saw a DC Direct 6” Superman toy and said “Wow!” My dad told me it was from a series called New Frontier by someone named Darwyn Cooke. It was perfect. I had to buy these books and see what this guy was drawing. I also bought the entire series of toys.
Something about the way you cartoon and write is able to capture so much with seemingly so little. New Frontier did several things for me. One, it got me to read comics. I asked my dad to point me toward his favorite stories and I have been plugging away at my “to read” list for a couple of years. It also got me thinking about my childhood and why I loved superheroes. I started collecting my old favorite toys and lining the shelves in my office. Somehow they bring back emotions and images from my childhood. It really inspired me to help create those memories for my own young boys and I regularly pick up superhero toys for them just to see the look on their faces and know how they might feel in 25 years. Finally, I started sculpting polymer clay figures, inspired by your work and the playdoh figures my dad made decades ago. Together, my dad and I have started a resin garage kit business/hobby and I owe a lot of the inspiration to you. Not only have I connected with wonderful memories from my childhood and formed another special relationship with my own father, but I’ve been inspired to create art and memories with and for my own children and hopefully others.So, anyway, thank you for what your art has meant to me. I love the Parker books and look forward to anything you put out there.”
I wrote this hoping to send it to Darwyn and maybe he would smile and send me a reply and a sketch telling me “keep it up” or something. I never did and now I feel a great sadness because he is gone. I never knew him or even met him, but Darwyn Cooke influenced my life because of what he brought into this world. Thank you.
Just absolutely gutted. I remember being at comic-con when he announced his upcoming work on the Spirit, and how much joy and reverence he displayed. Absolutely timeless appeal and a unique style. My condolences to his friends and loved ones.
-Marcus Vitchell
I remember meeting Mr. Cooke at the SF Wondercon years ago. I told him he is one of the most influential artists in my life and I gave him a comic I had just finished working on. He gave me some great pointers on my art and signed my copies of "New Frontier."
The meeting only lasted about 5 minutes, but I still carry that moment to this day and will do so for the rest of my life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and I know Mr. Cooke is up there with all the other greats just relaxing after a job well done.
-Aaron Jasper
One of the greats. I think he had the most iconic style in comics. Thank you for the hard work you put in. Bless you and your family.
Marsha,
Catherine and I are absolutely heartbroken over the terrible news of Darwyn's passing. Our thoughts are with you now and while we don't wish to intrude at this difficult time we want very much to see you again soon.
We love you both and will keep you in our prayers,
Tony Bedard
F*ck cancer
My deepest condolences. I was going to say I never had the opportunity to meet Darwyn but actually I did, through his art. Work that will live on beyond all of us. Thanks Darwyn.
I'm so sorry for your loss. His work brought me a lot of joy. He was a giant in the medium and, from all that I've read, a genuinely good and decent man. Please accept my condolences.
Daniel Klos
So sorry for Loss and the Loss of such an incredible artist.. Mr Cooke was a Huge artist inspiration and he will be truly missed. Taken way too soon.
Darwyn Cooke is a rockstar artist to me. His work will continue to fill me with happiness, optimism and wonder. I feel sadness for his family and friends and for the bounty of unseen great artwork we all know Darwyn had left in him.
Mike G.
Darwyn,
You were, and still are, very much loved and respected. In remembrance I'll be pouring two glasses of whiskey tonight. However, I'll only be drinking one.
Goodbye.
Darwyn was an enormous talent, incredibly perceptive about art and pop culture, and a true gentleman. We have all lost so much by losing him. My condolences to his family.
Thank you Master Cooke for sharing your craft with the world. You articulated beautifully the different meanings of courage both on the pages and in the way you lived.
Rest in peace Mr. Cooke. I was happy to have met him and his wife, Marsha, last year and appreciative of the time he took to sign my books. His work will continue to bring me joy for years to come.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
So sad... he passed away at such a young age, RIP.
I saw him a year ago at a local con, he looked so healthy at the time, I imagine he didn't find out his late stage of cancer until recently.
While death is a natural party of life it is always hard to bare. We are lucky to be left with Darwyn's memory that can be enjoyed through his art and writing in the years to come. Rest in peace.
Thank you for everything. God bless
His work is unique and so instantly recognizable. What a tremendous loss for his family and to a much different extent, to his fans.
~mhurley822
So sad, my heart is weeping. To me he was and is the best. His whole work can be viewed as a monument to what the medium can and should be. Truly a nice man, and am so honored that he called me a friend. He will live in my heart forever.
My sincerest condolences to his wife Marsha and family.
Egbert.
Darwyn will always be alive in my head and my heart, on my bookshelf, in my many conversations about comics and creators. All my love to the family. We grieve with you on this awful day, though his story is far from over and his memory will never be forgotten.
May you find some peace in this time of sorrow,
Ian
He was a dazzling timeless talent and an inspiration, taken far too soon. So sorry for your loss.
Sad news indeed. Light and love to the entire family.
Excellent artist. Rest in peace.
Darwyn was a wonderful man and a role model. Condolences from our family to yours.
I despise lung cancer even more now. RIP.
I am heartbroken. His artwork was inspiring, he resurrected several genres, (i.e. Parker, 1950's fab artwork), art deco... Amazing man.
Very sad to hear this news. I had the pleasure of meeting Darwyn for the first time, very briefly, at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival last year, where I introduced him before a presentation. He was no nonsense upfront about his work with his fans, and incredibly supportive of the event. My sympathies to family and friends at this awful time.
Heartbroken. I adored his work. An amazing legacy to leave behind.
Darwyn cooke's books made me happy when I really needed it.
This is terrible news. I love his art work and his unique take on Wonder Woman in the brilliant New Frontier is my favourite depiction of the character.
You will be greatly missed, Mr. Cooke.
RIP and thank you.
Rest in Peace Mr.Cooke. #Fuckcancer
May eternal light shine upon him and may the fruit of his labors continue to illuminate and inspire the true heroism and goodness he valued.
Good bye my old friend. I’ll always remember watching you draw when we were kids and knew that one day you would become the success that you were. You fulfilled your childhood dreams. Let’s take the subway to “ Memory Lane “ Dar.
My condolences...
When you don't know someone personally, but only from their work, it can be hard to know what kind of person they are. But sometimes it's the exact opposite. Reading Darwyn's work, one was left with the overwhelming feeling, that this was not only an artistic genius, but a wonderful man with a wonderful heart. As others said before "he brought my childhood back to me".
I feel sad for his not being among us any more and doubly sad for his family losing him.
My condolences. My prayers are with you.
I'm sorry for for your loss. I had the opportunity to meet you both at the MegaCon in Orlando a few years back with my son and both of you were so kind and gracious. I really enjoyed his works. God Bless both of you.
Darwin Cook and is one of the greatest comic artists of the 21st century
He will be missed.
I'm a brazilian. I've been following Darwyn's work since i saw it for the very first time. His work have inspired me a lot and certainly will inspire the future generations.
I would like to send my condolences and share with family this small homage I made to Darwyn: https://lucaslisbao.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/homage-to-darwyn-cooke/
I loved his work. He had a great talent.
My condolences to your family.
Darwyn is my favourite super-hero comic book artist of all time. I sincerily wish you my condolences.
I first discovered his art when a friend lent me his New Frontier paperback when I lived in Puerto Williams, the southernmost city in the world. Even at the edges of the globe, among mountains and snow, people have heard of Mt. Cooke!
Sorry if I've messed up, english isn't my first language and I don't think I could really explain my feelings by writing either.
So sad. Darwyn was an inspiration and a true visionary. The word genius gets overused, but he was indeed a true genius. Such a loss to the industry and his fans. My condolences to his friends and family
Un golpe terrible al comic,un maestro, a las nuevas generacioneS no olviden estos apellidos: caniff,Pratt,Toth y ahora Cooke
Marsha - very sorry to hear of your loss and our thoughts are with you during this very difficult time. Cousin David + Family.
I am an Italian admirer of Darwyn's work.
I's a terrible loss, and the only way for me to communicate my respect to his loved ones is to return to browse his wonderful illustrations and compelling stories.
condolences from the bottom of my heart.
God bless Darwyn Cooke.
Jimbo
I'm an Italian admirer of Darwyn's work.
I's a terrible loss, and the only way for me to communicate my respect to his loved ones is to return to browse its magnificent art.
condolences from the bottom of my heart
grazie di tutto, Darwyn.
Jimbo
I was so lucky to meet you both at the Lakes Comic Arts Festival in Kendal last year. I knew from the Parker Martini edition that Darwyn hadn't seen the film Slayground so I brought him a copy on DVD as a gift from Scotland. When I gave it to him, his face broke into a massive smile, he shook my hand and said to Marsha "give that man a Parker print" which he numbered and signed for me. I've never gotten round to having that print framed but I will soon and every time I see it, I'll remember the talented Mr Cooke and that smile. Thank you for that moment and for all the great books you did. Sleep well sir.
Goodbye Mr Cooke. Thank you
Goodbye Darwyn and thank you so much for all of your work, for being yourself, your legacy always will live on.
I think you're one of the only artists in comics who brought a heartwarming smile to my face just by looking at your artwork, and that made me happy and still makes me happy to his day.
Thank you because your artwork and stories made me look back to the happy times in my childhood and also makes me to this day be an optimistic person about facing the future (I'm 28 years old).
I'm from Costa Rica, and just wanted your family and the readers to know how much of a positive impact your work made in my life, in good and bad times, and I will treasure it forever.
Thank you,
Daniel.
When people talk about the brilliance of modern comics, it is IMPOSSIBLE not to mention Darwyn Cooke and his work. I can't pinpoint the first thing of his I ever saw or read, but I remember when a friend lent me his 'New Frontier' issues and how quickly they sucked me into a different time, of change, progress, adventure, and heroes. Buying comics for me would never be the same and whenever Darwyn's name would come up on the weekly comics list, I know I would be picking up whatever he was putting out. 'The Spirit' is essential comics reading, whenever people ask me for recommendations. I honestly couldn't put it down, continually yelling at people like 'ARE YOU READING THIS?!?!' 'TELL ME YOUR READING THIS!' haha. And those DC covers he did WOOOOOOOOOW!
He was an artist's artist.
A writer's writer.
And a storyteller like no other.
I unfortunately never got the chance to meet him, but his work moved in me in so many ways. I am an amateur writer, and his works inspire me all the time: to be fearless in my craft, fiercely creative and original in vision, and to remind an often jaded audience of how amazing we, as people can truly be.
I recently lost my Uncle to cancer, so I send all my condolences and sympathy to you and yours Mrs. Cooke. I am very sorry for your loss.
I just wanted to let you know how amazing I thought Mr. Cooke was. He will be greatly missed. I am so glad I was able to experience his wonderful talents and work :)
Thank you Darwyn.
Take care and God bless.
- Toby
My daughter is 15 years old and I recently told her of my memories as a 15 year old. I mentioned Darwyn Cooke to her.
I told her I met him when he was 16, and I was 15 years old. We went to different high schools but both had part-time jobs at the Skillet Restaurant in Mississauga.
He was a cook there and I was a waitress. He made the job entertaining. I remember his incredible sense of humour, his pranks at work, his wit, his big laugh and how fast he made the time fly. I remember the sketches he used to show me. He was a big talent even back then.
I remember his incredible caring and kindness. He so many times gave me a lift home in his car (Duster), so I wouldn't have to take the bus home. We had birthdays 8 days apart and I remember him treating me to lunch at Mr. Green Jeans at the Eaton's Centre in Toronto to celebrate our Birthdays.
He was one of the nicest people I have ever met. Time goes by and we get older and we forget so much.
But, Darwyn was unforgettable. A true good hearted soul.
My daughter asked me, "mom, so what happened to Darwyn?"
I decided to see if I could find him and was so saddened to learn of his death a few weeks ago.
But, I was so happy to read about his incredible accomplishments.
What I would give to have looked him up sooner so I could shake his hand and congratulate him on his tremendous achievements.
I have read comments from people commenting on his kindness and examples of his generosity. He was no different as a teen. A super nice, genuine, good hearted soul.
My heart felt condolences to his wife Marsha and extended family and all his friends.
Ingrid Babjak
Marsha, Catherine and I were so sad to hear the news about Darwyn.
We were just driving in your old neighborhood the other day and we wondered what the two of you were up to. I went online last night to see if I could track you down to say hi, but found the sad news instead. We only got to meet Darwyn a couple of times, but I vividly remember visiting with both of you around Christmas time not long after you moved back to Nova Scotia. It was so obvious how much Darwyn loved you just by seeing him with you for those few hours.
We're thinking of you.
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