Marvel paid its respected to late artist Kim Jung Gi, who suddenly passed away in October 2022.
Following the news that the acclaimed illustrator lost his life just before flying to New York Comic-Con, Marvel issued a brief statement celebrating Jung Gi's life. "We are saddened to learn the world has lost artist and visionary Kim Jung Gi," wrote Marvel. "His grand designs captured the hearts of fans in a way few could, and he will be remembered for his truly boundless and imaginative work. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time." The Twitter post was accompanied by the interconnected Civil War II cover Jung Gi illustrated in 2016.
According to an official post on Jung Gi's social media, the artist was flying from Paris, France, to New York City when he began experiencing severe chest pains. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, we was later pronounced dead due to an extreme heart attack. Jung Gi was 47-years-old. "After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes. Thank you, Jung Gi," read the statement. Growing up in South Korea, the illustrator enrolled in Fine Arts School at the age of 19 before going on to obtain a Masters degree from Dong-Eui University in Busan.
A Marvel Amongst Men
Jung Gi is widely recognized for his large, intricate artwork that comprise strikingly illstrated characters, environments and events. Beyond the work done for Marvel and DC Comics, he has also published six sketchbooks filled with original drawings and some of his most beloved pieces. The first debuted in 2007 and earned high praise from fans and critics, many of whom spotlighted the ornate nature of Jung Gi's art. The final book was released in 2017. Collectively, these publications consist of over 4,500 drawings, spanning 12 years of the artist's life. Accoridng to Jung Gi's website, his most valuable asset was his memory which allowed him to create many of his illustrations without a visible reference. His work is said to have "stretched the boundaries of what many artists believed was possible."
Beyond his own publications, Jung Gi also contributed to several popular graphic novels and comic books, including Tiger the Long Tail, Paradis, Third Humanity and SpyGames. He also held the Guiness World Record for "the longest drawing by an individual," for one of his friezes.
Source: Twitter