[Groop] X-Men's Dave Cockrum dies at 63

[Eric Chun]

X-Men's Dave Cockrum dies at 63

By KATRINA A. GOGGINS, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 28, 6:01 PM ET

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Comic book illustrator Dave Cockrum, who in the 1970s 
overhauled the X-Men and helped popularize the relatively obscure Marvel 
Comics title into a publishing sensation and eventually a major film 
franchise, died Sunday. He was 63.

In his Superman pajamas and with his Batman blanket, Cockrum died in his 
favorite chair at his home in Belton, S.C., early Sunday morning. He had 
suffered a long battle with diabetes and related complications, his wife, 
Paty, said Tuesday.

At Cockrum's request, there will be no public services and his body will be 
cremated, according to Cox Funeral Home. His ashes will be spread on his 
property.

At Marvel Comics, Cockrum and writer Len Wein were handed the X-Men. The 
comic had been created in 1963 as a group of young outcasts enrolled in an 
academy for mutants, but the premise failed to capture fans.

Cockrum and Wein took the existing comic, added their own heroes and 
published "Giant-Size X-Men No. 1" in 1975. Many signature characters 
Cockrum designed and co-created — such as Storm, Mystique, Nightcrawler and 
Colossus — went on to become part of the "X-Men" films starring        Hugh 
Jackman and        Halle Berry.

Cockrum received no movie royalties, said family friend Clifford Meth, who 
organized efforts to help Cockrum and his family during his protracted 
medical care.

"Dave saw the movie and he cried — not because he was bitter," Meth said. 
"He cried because his characters were on screen and they were living."

Cockrum was born in Pendleton, Ore., the son of an Air Force officer. He set 
aside his interest in art while serving in Vietnam for the        U.S. Navy. 
He moved to New York after leaving the service and got his big break in the 
early 1970s, drawing the Legion of Super-Heroes for DC Comics before moving 
to Marvel.

In January 2004, Cockrum moved to South Carolina after being hospitalized 
for bacterial pneumonia. As his diabetes progressed, his drawings became 
limited. His last drawing was a sketch for a fan, who attended a small comic 
book convention in Greenville, Paty Cockrum said.

Meth said Cockrum, who will be cremated in a Green Lantern shirt, will be 
remembered as "a comic incarnate."

"He had a genuine love for comics and for science fiction and for fantasy, 
and he lived in it," Meth said. "He loved his work."

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