Despite laying the groundwork for the multi-billion dollar franchises that currently rule pop culture, comic creators rarely get the respect they deserve. Whenever the mainstream decides to throw the comic world a bone, usually the only people acknowledge for their efforts are comic writers. This isn't to say the scribes in the world of funny books don't deserve renown, but it's important to remember that comics are a visual medium. If you removed the art from comics, the book would cease to be a comic, whereas the inverse is far from true.
One of the creators highly regarded within the insular world of comics is artist Carlos Pacheco. A few days ago, Pacheco, who has contributed to The Fantastic Four, Superman, and Batman, announced that he was diagnosed with ALS. Obviously, the nature of his illness will make it impossible for the legendary artist to continue his work. As a result, the image from Pacheco's Twitter linked above will serve as the last professional piece he will ever draw.
Although Pacheco hasn't indicated that his medical bills are a problem, that isn't the case for every comic artist. Several creators(who are woefully under-compensated for their work in the industry and their litany of contributions to multimedia IPs) struggle to pay their medical bills in their elderly years. If you would like to help, please consider donating to the HeroInitative.Org.
Comic artist Carlos Pacheco revealed his last comic book illustration on Twitter following the announcement that he had been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
The cover, for Damage Control #2, shows a shrunken Ant-Man and Wasp running from the unsuspecting mouth of Gus, the series' goofy protagonist who resembles a character from The Office, but inserted into Marvel's superhero-filled world. Pacheco penciled the cover, which was inked by Rafael Fonteriz and colored by Rachelle Rosenberg. The issue hit comic book store shelves on Sept. 28.