Fantucchio's art, possibly for Gary Groth's first Metro Con

It's being reported on Facebook that Arlington's John Fantucchio passed away yesterday, August 4th, at age 78. He was at Virginia Hospital Center after suffering a stroke.

Big Planet Comics founder Joel Pollack writes, "John Fantucchio was my mentor when I was 16. He taught me about the great strip artists Alex Raymond and Hal Foster, as well as illustrators such as Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, and Howard Pyle. I'm happy that we rekindled our friendship in the last five years."

Joel noted that Fantucchio's influence wasn't limited to him. "John's nephew, Rick Lowell, owns Casablanca Comics, Maine's coolest comics stores!, in Portland, ME, and counts John as a mentor, as well." Fantucchio eventually left the fan community and made a name for himself as a fine artist.

Joel took me to meet John, who coincidentally lived right around the corner from Richard Thompson, and we had a great time looking at his paintings and his collectibles. John had a fondness for the Shadow just like me. He wasn't all that interested in revisiting his fanzine days, so we never did an interview, but he does have several mentions on ComicsDC, mostly about his later career.

John is survived by his wife Mary.

He's got a good start here. I'll append a few more tonight:

2011 In Memoriam: Comics creator remembrances

Mark Ruffin, DC Comic Books Examiner

January 2, 2012

http://www.examiner.com/comic-books-in-washington-dc/in-memoriam

UPDATE: Mark's list had nine people that I don't have below!

As I noted in my new edition of the Comics Research Bibliography, deaths in 2011 included editorial cartoonist Bob Artley, Uruguayan cartoonist Eduardo Barretto, Croatian cartoonist Ivica Bednjanec, Italian comic-book publisher Sergio Bonelli, avant-garde animator Robert Breer, Charles Brooks, Archie Comics artist John "Jon" D'agostino, Spanish artist Victor de la Fuente, sports cartoonist Bill Gallo, Belgian cartoonist Andre Geerts, French artist Paul Gillon, Belgian comics writer Francine Graton, Jeffrey Jones, Family Circus creator Bil Keane, British cartoonist David Langdon, German cartoonist Loriot, Spirou editor Thierry Martens, Indian cartoonist Mario Miranda, caricaturist Sam Norkin, Slovenian artist Jelko Peternelj, Serbian inker Branko http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifPlavsic, Jerry Robinson, Albany Times Union editorial cartoonist Hy Rosen, DC Comics http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwriter Alvin Schwartz, Captain America co-creator Joe Simon, French cartoonist Jean Tabary, Argentinian comics writer Carlos Trillo, Belgian cartoonist Albert Weinberg, Irish editorial cartoonist Terry Willers, and Ziggy creator Tom Wilson.

We both missed advertising animators Don Pegler and Vincent Cafarelli.