Ian McGinty, a comic book writer and artist, died earlier on Thursday, June 8.
“We lost our son, brother, and best friend,” wrote his mother (in a post shared by a family friend). At time of writing, his mother did not disclose an official cause of his passing, instead using her words to eulogize her son. “Ian was the kindest person to walk this earth,” she continued, “an extraordinary artist, and lover of animals. [...] We will always love you, Ian. May your gentle heart carry on in the lives of so many you have touched along the way.”
Born May 6, 1985, McGinty has provided art and writing for comics based on various American cartoons such as Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time, Nickelodeon’s Invader Zim (and its Netflix movie Enter the Florpus), and Frederator’s Bravest Warriors. In 2015, production company Modern Prometheus (co-founded by Z2 founder Josh Frankel) optioned McGinty’s creator-made comic book series Welcome to Showside into an animated pilot. In addition doing art for the pilot, McGinty wrote it and voiced the lead character Kit. Ahead of the pilot’s release, he told the Hollywood Reporter the experience of bringing his own series to another medium was “absolutely mind-boggling and an experience unlike anything else I’ve ever done before. [...] I can’t wait for everyone to see this world and the characters living in it!”
Z2 Comics, which published McGinty’s creator-owned series Welcome to Showside, later released a statement of its own. In it, the company referred to him as “a true friend of Z2...with his brilliant art, humorous and compassionate writing, and his commitment to always be young at heart. [...] Ian’s legacy will forever live on in his art, and we are grateful to have worked with him and been his friends. We send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Various members of the art and animation community are reminiscing about McGinty on social media, and our thoughts go out to his family at this time.
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