Comic artist Tom Palmer dead at 81

Legendary comic book artist Tom Palmer has passed away at the age of 81, according to a public post from his official Facebook page. No cause of death has been disclosed.

"We are very sad to share the news that legendary comic book inker and artist Tom Palmer passed away on August 18, 2022 at the age of 81," reads the post. "He will be remembered fondly by his loving family and his many fans."

Though he initially began his career as a penciler, Palmer is best known in the comic industry as an inker, working alongside artists such as Neal Adams, Gene Colan, John Buscema, and John Byrne on titles including Doctor Strange, Daredevil, X-Men, and many more.

In particular, Palmer developed a reputation as one of the strongest inkers of Gene Colan's work on titles such as Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and Tomb of Dracula, mastering the art of inking Colan's notoriously in-depth pencils without losing Colan's style in the process. 

Palmer won several awards in his career, starting all the way back in 1969 with an Alley Award from the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences. He also won a 1971 Comic Fan Art Award for Best Inker, a 2008 Inkwell Award for Best Finisher/Embellisher, and in 2014, Palmer was inducted into the Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame through the Inkwell Awards.

Palmer's son, Tom Palmer Jr., is also known in the comic book industry both for his work with Wizard Magazine in the '90s, and as an editor for DC.