A major loss to the comics world this weekend: Mike Wieringo, well-known for his art on DC Comics’ THE FLASH, Marvel’s FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN and FANTASTIC FOUR, and his own creator-owned project TELLOS (co-created with writer Todd DeZago), died in his home yesterday of a sudden heart attack. He was 44. Wieringo was born in Italy in 1963 and first caught fan attention with his run on THE FLASH, working with writer Mark Waid, in 1993. The two co-created the character Bart Allen, also known as Impulse, who recently died in the FLASH series. Wieringo’s collaboration with Waid made him the perfect choice for artist when Waid took over FANTASTIC FOUR in 2003. The run became such a fan favorite that, when Marvel announced they were replacing the team, the outcry was enough to keep the pair on the book. Weiringo posted a daily blog at MikeWieringo.com and had just completed a new TELLOS sketch on Friday. On Sunday, sources say, Wieringo was suffering chest pains and had called 911, but the responders did not arrive in time to save the artist’s life. He will be greatly missed.
