Mike Wieringo

Sad news today that comic artist Mike Wieringo passed away yesterday from a heart attack. (Here's the Newsarama link.) Mike Wieringo was one of my favorite artists, from his phenomenal work on The Flash with Mark Waid to the recent, immensely entertaining Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four miniseries with Jeff Parker. His art exudes fun at a time when so many comics are moving away from that ideal. This is a huge loss for comic fans.

Here's a page from Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four 1. This page just cracks me up--Jeff Parker's humor and Mike Wieringo's fun style mesh perfectly. Wieringo was really born to draw the Impossible Man. Of recent superhero comics, this is a series I would give to someone, especially a young person, who didn't read comics regularly.

Wieringo was a staple at HeroesCon in Charlotte for years, and in the last two years, I managed to chat with him briefly and get some stuff signed. Of all his work, his run on The Flash is probably my favorite, especially because of his hand in creating the character Impulse.


His dynamic, cartoony style was really perfect for this series. He used a variety of techniques to draw Flash in motion, including speed lines or a strobe effect. I also like how he drew Flash's costume, with shading used to give the costume a reflective sleekness.


I'm going to sit down tonight with his issues of Flash, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, and especially Tellos to remind myself why Mike Wieringo's work so exactly reflects what I read comics for.