Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Colt Noble and the Megalords, james asmus, Mike Dimayuga, tim seeley

Comic Artist Mike Dimayuga Has Passed Away – Updated

Mike Dimayuga, the artist on Colt Noble And The Megalords and Hero House, has died. Mike passed away suddenly of cardiac arrest on Monday, September 16th, at 39 years old. He had ankylosing spondylitis, though it is uncertain whether his death was related to the condition.

Mike referred to himself on deviant art and Facebook as "The Other Mike D". From what I can see, most of the folks that knew him spent most of the time communicating on-line with him making few convention and store appearances, but all of those that knew him speak of his kindness, his enthusiasm and his positive attitude. It appears Mike was working on an untitled personal project  when he died.

Tim Seeley, his collaborator on Colt Noble, had this to say on facebook after hearing the news: I met up with Mike at San Diego Comicon for the release of COLT NOBLE at the Image Comics booth, and was really surprised to find he was suffering from MS. It had clearly not slowed him down at all artistically, and hadn't put any kind of damper on his attitude. Via the Con Mike became friendly with all my collaborators, Steve Seeley, Mike Moreci, Mike Norton…everyone liked the dude immediately.

Current collaborator Justin Jordan said of working with the artist: Mike was a great guy, and a terrific artist who was only getting better. I met Mike a year ago? Maybe two? When he asked if I had a project he could work on. I'd never heard of Mike before then, but his stuff was great. He'd worked with Tim Seeley on Colt Noble, and that sold me on him. When he started turning in pages, they were a step up from that. 

James Asmus who wrote an Action Double Feature story for Mike said: Comics lost one of the kindest, most dedicated pros I've ever known. Mike Dimayuga's passing is a genuine loss.

Adam Messinger sent me a link to a post he did about Mike and pointed out that Mike had a redbubble store and that his family could use the support.

Mike would meet weekly with Roman Villalobos, Betsy Luntao and Frank Stone. Betsy wrote this about her friend: I lost a good friend today. It made me think back to when I met him, and he didn't even know it. My first trip to San Diego Comic Con several years ago, I spent almost a whole day waiting for my portfolio to be reviewed. Around me were other artists equally as nervous, except "that guy", the one with the crutches that was smiling, moving around, and talking with everyone, looking through their work and sharing his as I sat shyly on the next row of chairs over. Who would have thought that almost a year after that day in San Diego, I'd be shocked and pleased to see "that guy" again at the first of many, many Art Meets in Stockton. Online, he called himself "The Other Mike", saying that there were so many other more famous comic artist Mikes than him and he was just the other guy, but I honestly didn't know any of the famous Mikes, so he was always the number one Mike to me. He never missed an opportunity to go out for good food with good friends. He always carried his drawing supplies, but never seemed to have his own eraser and had to borrow one from somebody else. I almost bought a kneading eraser for him as a joke, which he probably would have laughed along with since he laughed along with jokes at his expense, even if he was cussing out the joke-maker while doing it. He had an excellent eye for detail in his art, but was never too proud to admit his shortcomings. [He] often asked his peers what they thought of his in-progress sketches and designs. Thanks, Mike, for always bringing your laugh and smile to the Art Meets, for teaching me not to take life too seriously and for always seeing the good in my work, except when it wasn't and then you'd draw corrections all over it.  You will be missed very much. Rest in peace.

Ramon Villalobos wrote: I found out earlier today that Mike Dimayuga, one of my best friends and a member of the Graphic Cartel passed away earlier today. I'm shocked right now and trying to process the whole thing. When I first met Mike years ago, I was in awe of his ability and was constantly shocked that he wasn't one of the biggest artist in comics. We met every week at the library to draw for a few hours and joke and occasionally, Mike would drop something and scream an obscenity within the earshot of children and would catch himself doing that and scream it again because he couldn't believe he did that. And then again because he couldn't believe he had just done it again. He was kind, funny, smart, generous, supportive, and I say those things genuinely even though he'd probably think it was corny to have those words attached to him. I really can't believe he's gone now and I'll always cherish the years of friendship we had together. A few years ago he gave me a half filled out sketchbook from when he was younger because he thought it would be cool if I filled out the other half. He loved to collaborate with things like that and would talk to me for hours and hours and hours about ideas he had for a comic that we would someday do together. Anyhow, here is the most "Mike Dimayuga" drawing that I found in that sketchbook as I flipped through it just now. There were some more somber and stoic drawings in the book but I think anyone that knew Mike would know that this is the kind of art he could draw forever and never get tired of it. RIP, buddy.

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