Comics Blog: Michael Turner, Writer/Artist, founder of Aspen Studios, dead at 37

Michael Turner, famed comic book writer/artist and co-founder of Aspen Studios, passed away from complications deriving from his fight against cancer. He was 37 years old. Turner exploded onto the comic book scene in the late 1990's, discovered by writer/artist Marc Silvestri at a comics convention. Silvestri hired Turner to work for Top Cow Productions, and it was there that Turner would co-create Witchblade, a comic which went on to become a best-seller, inspire a short-lived television series, and continues to this day. In 1998 Turner created his almost-equally popular comic Fathom, and shortly thereafter, 2002, he left Top Cow to form his own company, Aspen. Under the Aspen banner, after settling a lawsuit with Top Cow in 2003, Turner continued to work on Fathom as well as his new series, Soulfire, both of which continued to be top-sellers.



In 2000, Turner was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of cancer, in his right pelvis. He underwent surgery, in which he lost his entire hip, 40% of his pelvis, and three pounds of bone. The surgery was followed up by radiation treatments, which prolonged his life and permitted him continue reaching new heights of popularity among comic fans.

In 2004, Turner contributed covers for DC Comics' best-selling storyline Identity Crisis, written by novelist Brad Meltzer. In addition, he contributed cover art for The Flash and cover and interior art for a pivotal story arc in Superman/Batman, "The Supergirl from Krypton", written by Jeph Loeb, which reintroduced Supergirl into mainstream DC continuity. He would continue to contribute cover art for DC Comics until 2008, most notably variant (alternate) covers for Justice League of America, the new ongoing Supergirl title, and the cover to Superman/Batman #26, which presented a story written by Jeph Loeb's son, 17-year-old Sam Loeb, who also succumbed to cancer in June 2005.




Marvel Comics' most high-profile titles benefited from Turner's distinctive artwork, as well. In 2005, he produced variant covers for the best-selling miniseries Civil War and the ongoing series Wolverine: Origins. In 2006, he produced the variant cover for the first issue of the new Thor series, which returned Thor to regular monthly publication after an absence of two years. As recently as 2008, he'd been announced as the artist for the new ongoing series Ultimate Wolverine. He also continued to do cover art for independent comics such as Dynamite Entertainment's adaptation of the popular sci-fi TV series Battlestar Galactica.



Turner passed away at his home in Santa Monica, CA, surrounded by family and friends. In his tragically short career, Turner left a lasting mark on the comics industry with his unmistakable style and his always-unique take on iconic characters. His first and arguably most memorable creation, Witchblade, continues to be a talked-about property in terms of television series and film adaptation, and the original TV series continues to be a cult favorite. Turner's work, in particular his work on female characters, always sparked powerful responses and debate amongst comic book readers, both positive and negative. Whether you liked the work or not, you could never ignore it, and for that reason alone Michael Turner's name will resonate in the comics world for decades to come. But whether you were a fan or a critic of the man's artwork, one must acknowledge the bravery and fortitude of the man himself, who continued to produce prolifically for years while battling a disease that was slowly killing him. For myself, I can't say that I always loved Turner's work, but I can say that I can only hope to be capable of that kind of bravery should I ever have to face such circumstances.

Rest in Peace, Michael Turner.