Legendary Vampirella artist Jose "Pepe" Gonzalez has died after falling into a coma. He was 70 years old.

Born in Barcelona, Gonzalez broke into the comics business in 1956, working on Westerns and romances in France, Spain and Great Britain before moving on to Warren Publishing's Vampirella, for which he was best known.

A statement from Harris Comics, the current owner of Vampirella, describes Gonzalez's work as "thrilling, sensuous and beautiful. He brought the character to life, elevated her to an icon and, most deservedly, won over a legion of fans who have never forgotten him. To this day, many would say his was the definitive rendition of the character."

A more detailed biography of Gonzalez, and a gallery of his work, can be found here.