Not nice news: It is reported that Mike Wieringo, artist, died from a sudden heart attack on Sunday evening at his home in Durham, North Carolina. He was only 44.
Wieringo was a warm, approachable and friendly man, who loved his family, loved animals, and always had time for his fans. He was humble too, and unsure about his art (as many artists are) despite the respect from his peers in the industry and the continuous praise from his fans. For example, immediately before starting on 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man', he was concerned that his style had changed since he drew Spider-Man last, and practiced several different styles, putting these up on his blog and asking the opinion of his readers.
Mike had pencilled a few one-shots and fill-ins for Marvel in the mid 1990s, but had his first run on a Spidey title with Sensational Spider-Man in 1996, beginning with a light-hearted romp with the Looter, a favourite character of Wieringo's. Most recently, he was the penciller for the new title Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Other titles he worked on include The Fantastic Four (2002), The Flash (1993), and with Todd Dezago, their creator-owned Tellos (1999).
Mike will be sadly missed by all the people who knew him, and by all those who knew his art.