Dave Cockrum passed away on Sunday. He was 63 years old.
I adored Dave Cockrum’s art. I was reading the X-Men pretty much from the time I could read, and when the New X-Men were introduced in 1975, written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Dave Cockrum, I was over the moon. It was John Byrne who became “the” artist for the X-Men. Byrne, who replaced Cockrum after, I dunno, a year or two (do I really need to Google all this?) became the artist of record, and the one who got all famous. But I loved Cockrum’s work; loved his blocky, square jaws and swashbuckling goatees, loved his playful sensibility and his heavy, confident linework. Dave drew like it made him happy.
And now he’s gone.
