This is an installment of 2023 U.S. Newspaper Comics: Debuts, Departures, and the Dearly Departed.
(part 1: Debuts and Departures – – part 2: Detours and Deviations – – part 3: the Dearly Departed)
2023 – THE DEARLY DEPARTED
These U. S. newspaper and magazine cartoonists died in 2023.
JACK BENDER
March 28, 1931 – January 5, 2023
newspaper sports cartoonist, editorial cartoonist
comic strips: Nutheads; Alley Oop
DAN ROSANDICH
July 21, 1957 – Januaty 9, 2023
magazine cartoonist
comic panels: Mum’s The Word; Yooper Bloopers
MICHAEL DOUGAN
March 26, 1954 – January 13, 2023
altenative cartoonist
CHARLES A. FILIUS
January 24, 1961 – January 24, 2023
comic strip: Paradox Found
AL SCHWEITZER
November 28, 1921 – January 30, 2023
St. Louis Post-dispatch cartoonist, illustrator
comic feature: Weatherbird
JIM STRAHLE
October 24, 1948 – January 31, 2023
comic panel: Strahle’s Baliwick
CHRIS BROWNE
May 16, 1952 – February 4, 2023
magazine cartoonist
comic strips: Hägar the Horrible; Hi and Lois;
Chris Browne’s Comic Strip; Raising Duncan
WALLY FAWKES (‘TROG’)
June 21, 1924 – March 1, 2023
political cartoonist, musician
comic strip: Flook
IAN FALCONER
August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023
author, illustrator theatrical designer
New Yorker cover artist
FRANK HILL
September 10, 1929 – March 10, 2023
comic book writer/artist; advertising artist
comic strips: Senator Gassius; Short Ribs; Bugs Bunny;
Tom and Jerry; Dennis the Menace; Half Hitch; Ponytail
BILL TIDY
October 9, 1933 – March 11, 2023
comic strips: Chelm of Tryg2; The Cloggies;
The Crudgingtons; The Forsythe Saga; Grimbledon Down;
Kegbuster; The Last Chio Shop in England; Nero;
The Sporting Spagthorpes; Stand Up Billy Buckitt!
JOE GIELLA
June 27, 1928 – March 21, 2023
comic book artist
comic strips: Batman; Character Clues; Mary Worth; The Phantom
assisted on: Flash Gordon; Johnny Reb; Sherlock Holmes;
Buck Rogers; The Amazing Spider-Man
NORM ROCKWELL
December 14, 1937 – March 28, 2023
magazine cartoonist
comic panel: The New Breed (contributor)
ELLEN KEEFE DERBY
June 11, 1927 – April 3, 2023
newspaper cartoonist for Woodward column
BRUCE PETTY
November 23, 1929 – April 6, 2023
magazine cartoonist
PERRI HART
October 10, 1957 – April 8, 2023
photographer, painter
John Hart Studios (B.C.; Wizard of Id; Dogs of C-Kennel)
SHARON MALHEIRO
November 26, 1956 – April 10, 2023
Register & Tribune/Cowles Syndicate comics editor
AL JAFFEE
March 13, 1921 – April 10, 2023
comic book writer/artist; magazine cartoonist; MAD magazine
comic strips: Tall Tales; Debbie Deere; Jason
ED KOREN
December 13, 1935 – April 14, 2023
magazine cartoonist
PETER PICKERSGILL
September 5, 1945 – April 15, 2023
Canadian editorial cartoonist
comic: Gargoyle Gossip
TED RICHARDS
October 20, 1946 – April 21, 2023
underground/alternative cartoonist; magazine cartoonist
comic strips: E. Z. Wolf; Astral Outhouse; Dopin’ Dan; 40 Year Old Hippie
SANDY KOSSIN
June 4, 1926 – April(?), 2023
book and magazine illustrator, MAD magazine
RICHARD OLSON
October 10, 1944 – April 30, 2023
comic and cartoon historian
BRUCE MCCALL
May 10, 1935 – May 5, 2023
magazine author/illustrator
SAM GROSS
August 7, 1933 – May 6, 2023
magazine cartoonist, magazine cartoon editor
comic strip: Cigarman
DON CARLTON
December 28, 1936 – May 16, 2023
comic strips and panels: Good Earth Almanac; Doonesbury;
The Far Side; A Wistful Visitor’s Ouray Sketchbook
JACK MILLIE
October 19, 1949 – June 6, 2023
comic strip: Amanda Panda
JOHN ROMITA
January 24, 1930 – June 12, 2023
comic book artist
comic strips: The Amazing Spider-Man; Flash Gordon
CLAY BUTLER
June 23, 1955 – June 13, 2023
illustrator, designer, photographer, cartoonist
comic strip: Sidewalk Bubblegum
GINNY LINDEMANN
December 12, 1944 – June 28, 2023
comic panel: Emily and Toby
DAVID ILLSLEY
March 7, 1942 – July 4, 2023
cartoonist, artist, videographer
comic panel: Us Older Folks…; Ace; Boomer McBragg!
JIM VADEBONCOEUR, JR.
October 24, 1946 – July 7, 2023
comics historian
PETE KAMINSKI
February 9, 1990 – July 12, 2023
Creators Syndicate creative coordinator
JIM ADCOCK
June 12, 1948 – July 19, 2023
Bayside Gazette cartoonist
ROBERT STRINGER
April 28, 1948 – July 24, 2023
cartoonist, architect
JIM KORKIS
August 15, 1950 – July 28, 2023
cartoonist, Disney historian
JOE TONELLI
November 19, 1926 – August 27, 2023
St. Petersburg Times artist
GERRY SHAMRAY
February 19, 1957 – September 25, 2023
cartoonist,illustrator, artist
comic strips: Cleveland; Funky Winkerbean; John Darling; Wyse Advice
JAY LEESON
March 5, 1979 – September 28, 2023
radio host, columnist
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal cartoonist
JOHN DUSKO
April 3, 1933 – October 7, 2023
cartoonist, illustrator, painter
KEITH GIFFEN
November 30, 1952 – October 9, 2023
comic book writer artist
comic strip: Mickey Spillane’s Mike Danger
BILL LEE
November 15, 1938 – November 15, 2023
magazine cartoonist
comic panels: Fogarty; Bottoms; LeeScapes
LATISHA MOORE
January 23, 1976 – November 26, 2023
National Cartoonists Society events executive director
JOHN YARDLEY-JONES
May 2, 1930 – December 6, 2023
Canadian editorial cartoonist
IAN GIBSON
February 20, 1946 – December 11, 2023
British comic artist
comic strip: Judge Dredd
JOHN BURNS
1938 – December 29, 2023
British comic artist
comic strips: The Seekers; Modesty Blaise; Jane; Matt Marriott; Girl Chat; The Tuckwells; more
Additions sadly accepted
Corrections encouraged
Sadly as long as this list is it is far from complete as far as deaths in the cartooning industry. Mike Rhode, at Comics DC, has an extensive list that includes foreign (non-U.S.) cartoonists and those in the comics media not much covered here (comic books, animation, etc).
Mike’s list at http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2024/01/comic-arts-deaths-in-2023.html
Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. is misspelled (it’s not an easy name to spell).
Thanks. Fixed it. Someday I’ll learn to spell Menomonee too instead of relying on copy and paste.
DD, is there any way you could add links to your original death notice posts, where applicable?
It’s done Allan. I had planned to do that, now I wish I had.
Did John Burns just get added? I didn’t recall seeing him earlier when I raided your list for mine.
Yeah, I learned of Burns death after I posted the list.
And I just put up an obit for him at The Daily Cartoonist.
?Are there any cartoonists LEFT?