Thursday, September 27, 2018

In Memory of Norm Breyfogle - 1960 to 2018


I am very sad to hear of the passing of Batman artist Norm Breyfogle. His artwork was my re-introduction to comics in the late 1980s. He was also the creator of one of my favorite characters - Anarky. I was fortunate enough to meet him a couple of times. I also interviewed him a few times over the years. I remember how hard he worked to re-train himself to draw after his stroke. No one will ever capture the Dark Knight quite like he did.

For those who didn't know, Breyfogle was widely regarded as [one] of the definitive Batman artists, primarily for his run as artist on Detective Comics alongside writer Alan Grant, as well as subsequent work on Batman and Batman: Shadow of the Bat during which Breyfogle co-created characters such as the Ventriloquist, Ratcatcher, Zsasz, and Jeremiah Arkham.

Breyfogle also co-created the character Prime for Malibu Comics. He continued to work for DC Comics until 2013, with his final work appearing in Batman Beyond Unlimited.  

 Norm and I would correspond via Facebook and he was always open to speaking about his career and the evolution of his characters from printed page to small screen and beyond. I recently went through my website archives and found a couple of interviews / articles I did with Norm. I've attached some links below and hope that you'll take the time to read them in honor of one of the greatest Batman artists ever.

 Artist Norm Breyfogle Talks Batman Beyond Unlimited and "Beware the Batman"

 The above interview was done with Norm right before his stroke in 2013.

 Norm Breyfogle Responds to Anarky Character Coming to "Arrow"

 The article / interview above was done with Norm around a year after his stroke and he was working hard to continue working in the comic book industry.

Norm Breyfogle passed away on Monday, September 25th in Houghton, Michigan at the age of 58.

 Below is the announcement of Norm Breyfogle's passing by his good friend, Daniel Best.

 "Norm Breyfogle. 1960-2018

It is with the heaviest of heavy hearts that I wake this morning. After one loss, comes another. My best friend in the comic book industry, Norm Breyfogle, passed away this week. 

Details are being kept private for now, and when they are able to be released, along with the funeral arrangements, I’ll be sure to let people know.

Right now I’m numb. Norm was more than just an artist and writer, he was a person who I connected with on so many levels.

I haven’t the words."
Myself with Norm Breyfogle at Dallas Comic Con.

Several comic book industry insiders shared their reactions to the news of Norm's death.