Comics Reporter Tom Spurgeon has passed away.
R.I.P. to my amazing brother Thomas Spurgeon. He lived one hell of an amazing life, and I love him.
Thomas Martin (Tom) Spurgeon
December 16, 1968 – November 13, 2019
From the obituary:
Tom Spurgeon, a writer, editor, journalist and historian whose lifelong passion was not just comics, but also igniting that passion in others, died suddenly at his desk in his Columbus, Ohio, home on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
He was 50 years old.
Tom’s intense interest in comics spanned all forms of the work, including newspaper strips, traditional comic books featuring the familiar superheroes of his youth, and more modern publications whose weightier subjects and finely rendered drawings became recognized as fine art.
The news is shocking the industry.
Tom Spurgeon, writer, editor, foundational blogger at The Comics Reporter, CXC executive director, has passed away. He was 51.
Tom Spurgeon, founder/editor in chief of The Comics Reporter, died today at the age of 51. His death has been reported by friends and coworkers on Twitter; no cause of death is known yet.
Spurgeon wrote about comics for the past 37 years, most notably as the editor of The Comics Journal from 1994 to 1999. His website, the Comics Reporter, is, frankly, one of the best resources for quality comics writing anywhere.
It is hard to put into words exactly what Spurgeon means to the comics world. He was as close as the industry has to a Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather, yet he wasn’t some distant icon. He was accessible and present, always a tweet away. His tastes were broad and deep, and he was as great a champion as a creator could ask for.
Tom Spurgeon, the award-winning comic book journalist, critic and editor passed away Wednesday at the age of 51.
Spurgeon was a beloved fixture in the comic book journalist and criticism scene and his passing drew a number of touching tributes.
From International Business Times:
Tom Spurgeon, an American writer and the founder of The Comics Reporter, died Wednesday. He was 51.
Born in 1968, Spurgeon worked as the editor of The Comics Journal from 1994 to 1999. After leaving the journal, Spurgeon collaborated with his childhood friend Dan Wright to write Wildwood, a comic strip. He also co-wrote the biography Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book , which was published in the year 2003.
The following year, Spurgeon launched his website The Comics Reporter which is considered “one of the best resources for quality comics writing anywhere.” In 2011, Spurgeon underwent an emergency surgery and placed his website on hiatus for a while.
This is shocking, sad news. Perhaps of interest to Daily Cartoonist readers, Tom indirectly shaped the focus of this blog. I found Tom’s blog after I had decided to create a news blog focused on comics. I knew I couldn’t compete against his depth, breadth and volume of coverage, so I focused more narrowly on the newspaper based cartoons where I felt like I had deeper knowledge and connections. Having a narrower focus helped build the community that grew up around this blog.
And while we may have been competitors, he was the ultimate professional. On top of his responsibilities with his blog, he took a turn at being a guest blogger here posting news while I was away on vacation.
The comics community has lost a passionate supporter, editor and reporter. Thank you, Tom for your dedication. You are missed.