Cartoonist Eric Jones, who co-created the Image Comics teen superhero saga Danger Club with his friend and frequent collaborator, writer Landry Walker, has died at age 51.
Popverse first reported the news Monday, after confirming Jones's death with his close friends and family. Those close to him said he died in his sleep, likely from a seizure caused by sleep apnea.
In addition to Danger Zone, Jones also co-created SLG Publishing title Little Gloomy (the source material for the animated series Scary Larry) with Walker, and the pair worked together on Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade. Jones also worked on DC's comics adaptation of its animated series Batman: Brave and the Bold, as well as Star Wars titles at IDW Publishing.
Jones's last major work was the graphic novel The Infinite Adventures of Supernova Volume 1: Pepper Page Saves the Universe!, another collaboration with Walker, which was published by First Second in 2021. He was working on art for Volume 2 before he died.
"For my part I want to take this moment to shine a light on who Eric was in this industry. He worked himself to exhaustion over and over again, creating stories for so many established properties as well as his own labor of love books," Walker tells Popverse. "He was an artistic perfectionist the likes of which I have never seen. He reinvented his art style time and time again, tailoring his approach to create new and unique line work for every project he touched."
"I don’t think he got the credit for the exceptional art he created in life," Walker continues. "I speak for all his family and friends when I say that I hope people recognize his value in hindsight, and that his work continues to reach people for years to come."
