So this is the second episode paying tribute to the late great John Cassaday, the award winning comics artist, best known for his co-creation of Planetary, which we revisited last week

John Cassaday passed away far too soon at the age of 52 on September 9, 2024 in New York City. Be sure to check out last week's replay of our episode of his work on Planetary - and of course, go pick up a copy - you will be blown away. This week we're revisiting one of our earliest episodes from our inaugural X-Month, where we read Cassaday's work on 2004's Astonishing X-Men - another solid read. We hope you'll make the time to revisit the work with us, to see the work of comics truly great artists.

Mr. Cassaday received an Eisner Award, the comic book industry equivalent of the Oscar, for best penciler/inker in 2004. He tied for the award with Frank Quitely in 2005 and won it again in 2006, for Planetary with writer Warren Ellis and Astonishing X-Men with writer Joss Whedon,

“There are basically three people that I would count as the easiest collaborations, the most natural, the best I’ve ever worked with,” Mr. Whedon said in an interview. “One is an actor, one is an editor and one is Johnny. He knew so much of what I was trying to convey that my scripts just got shorter and shorter.”

“The best page I ever wrote in comics has no words,” Mr. Whedon said. The page, which also has no sound effects, depicts Kitty Pryde, Colossus’s lover, gazing at him with a stunned expression as she places a hand over her heart.

“He didn’t swagger, he didn’t yell,” Mr. Whedon said of Mr. Cassaday, but “he was very exacting” about his art — an approach that included giving notes on the colors and lettering of his pages.

Laura J. Martin, the colorist on Astonishing X-Men, said that one of her favorite collaborations with Mr. Cassaday was the cover of No. 6 in the series, on which he depicted Kitty and Colossus caressing. The cover required extensive color work to convey texture and the silver sheen of Colossus’s metallic body. Mr. Cassaday gave Ms. Martin that cover as a wedding present.

Rest in peace John Cassaday.NY TIMES: John Cassaday, Award-Winning Comic Book Artist, Dies at 52
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/18/arts/john-cassaday-dead.html