Bleedingcool.com has reported that Sam Kieth (The Sandman, The Maxx), a legendary name in the comic book world, passed away on March 15th at the age of 63. Kieth suffered from Lewy body dementia, a neurological disorder which can be described as a combination of both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s symptoms. He leaves behind his wife of 43 years, Kathy Keith.

Bleedingcool.com has reported that, Keith was best known for the creation of the character, The Maxx. The comic series would later on be adapted as an animated seris for MTV’s Liquid Animation. Kieth thrived in many different aspects of comics, including illustration, painting, and writing. His aesthetic was known for graffiti characteristics, something he brought into his work on mainstream series in Marvel and DC. Before creating The Maxx, he worked on series such as Wolverine and The Hulk.

According to bleedingcool.com, after breaking out with his creation of The Maxx, Kieth would go on to collaborate with Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Good Omens) to create The Sandman. Another mind-bending series centering around the metaphysical concept of Dreams and his siblings. Kieth illustrated the first volumes of the series. The Sandman was recently adapted into a Netflix television series. 

According to bleedingcool.com, his work would not just be limited to Marvel. He would eventually make his way into the annals of DC as well, notably in the Batman series. He worked on DC titles such as Batman: Secrets, Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious, Arkham Asylum: Madness, and Batman: Through The Looking Glass. He also created a crossover between Batman and The Maxx, entitled Arkham Dreams.

Rich Johnson from bleedingcool.com writes about Keith’s influence on his own work: “The clothes I drew on characters frayed like his. I copied the way he drew mouths, eyes, noses, and the way shadows fell across the face. I probably still do. He has so many fans across the world, for his outrageous, charming, lovable, and provocative art, but also for being a really decent guy. He often doubted his work, his muse, his creative spark, and it tortured him, but no one else could ever see that. His work was loved by so many, and so was the man. “