Cartoonist Ed Piskor Dead at 41

File photo of Ed Piskor in 2015.

Ed Piskor, prominent writer/artist of comics such as Wizzywig, Hip Hop Family Tree, X-Men: Grand Design and Red Room, was reported dead by members of his immediate family via social media on April 1, 2024. At approximately 8:00 AM EST, a message was sent from Piskor's email address linking to a Google Document page that contained a suicide note. Piskor had been the subject of allegations of sexual impropriety by several artists since March 23. Later in the day on April 1, an obituary was posted at the homepage of the Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home in Munhall, Pennsylvania, where Piskor resided; the obituary stated that Piskor had "passed away unexpectedly," and noted a viewing and funeral service for Thursday, April 4. The funeral home confirmed to The Comics Journal via telephone that the services were scheduled for that date.

Piskor had risen to prominence after early collaborations with the underground comics artist Jay Lynch and writer Harvey Pekar, most notably as sole artist on Pekar’s 2007 book Macedonia: What Does It Take to Stop a War? Since 2018, he had been the host of the popular YouTube channel Cartoonist Kayfabe with artist Jim Rugg. Most recently, Piskor had been working on Switchblade Shorties, an online serial comic launched on January 1, 2024. When asked for comment, Gary Groth of Fantagraphics Books, which published Hip Hop Family Tree and Red Room, remarked: "Ed was a giant personality in the cultish arena of comics, endlessly curious about the history and lore of comics, an infectious proselytizer on behalf of the medium that he loved so much, and a contributor himself to that history. We had a warm personal and professional relationship and it was always fun to work with him. This is a terrible tragedy and I extend as much compassion as I'm capable of to his family, whose grief has to be unimaginable." A full obituary will follow soon.

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