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Planet Buzz Extra
Normally we wouldn't just run a press release, but frankly, Insight Studios head Mark Wheatley has done a far better job of paying tribute to a giant of the industry than we could. Just take our word for it: you know his work.
Baltimore, MD - Insight Studios Group is deeply saddened to confirm that Gray Morrow (born Dwight Graydon Morrow, 1934)passed away at his home in central Pennsylvania during the day on Tuesday, November 6th. Although he had suffered with health problems the last few years, his death was unexpected.
"Gray was a both a participant in and a witness to comics history," said Insight Studios Group's Mark Wheatley, who edited GRAY MORROW VISIONARY, published last summer. "He was a master illustrator who had the respect and friendship of his peers. His wealth of talent, which enabled him to build an astonishingly deep catalog of work in different areas of illustration, serves as a fitting legacy for his diverse career. He was also a great friend to me, the rest of Insight Studios Group, and to many other professionals and fans."
Morrow most recently appeared at the Baltimore Comic-Con, Sunday, October 28, 2001 where he was greeted by many of his fans. He spent the day sketching and autographing his many published comic books, magazines and books. A number of his original paintings were displayed at the convention including an unpublished painting of Vampirella he had created for his own amusement.
Comicon.com's SPLASH reported the following: "Morrow was part of the generation that broke into comics in the 1950s, and he mastered a distinctive 'fantastic realist' style that was tailor made to science fiction and horror. Morrow worked for almost every comic publisher in the United States during his long career, and was probably best known for his lush wash work on the Warren horror books, Creepy and Eerie. He was also a regular cover artist at Warren. In the late 1970s, Morrow turned in what many say is his greatest work, on 'The Illustrated Roger Zelazny'. He was a regular contributor to science fiction magazines such as If and Galaxy."
Gray Morrow's cover paintings for paperback books, as well as his many posters for motion pictures established him as a popular illustrator outside of the comic book field. He also had a career in animation, with the fondly remembered Spider-man series to his credit.
"Working with Gray on VISIONARY was a dream come true for me," Wheatley said. "On behalf of everyone at Insight Studios, our heart-felt thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and our fellows fans. And I like to think that Gray is somewhere, out there, gathering research for his next amazing painting, because I know wherever he is, he's got a pencil or a paint brush in his hand and his faithful horse near by, ready to ride."
All artwork on this page courtesy of Insight Studios.
