Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Valiant | Tagged: butch guice, rip

Comic Book Industry Remembers Jackson "Butch" Guice, Who Died Aged 63

The comics industry remembers Jackson "Butch" Guice, co-creator of Resurrection Man, Apocalypse, Southern Knights and Ruse, who died aged 63

A month ago, comic book creator Jackson "Butch" Guice was hospitalised after his wife called EMT and he posted "It has been a very long week. I had previously been losing a fight to a strong case of pneumonia. It looks like that fight took a nasty turn somewhere and very nearly killed me. A long week indeed." But that fight came to an end this week, as Butch passed away, at the age of 63.

A fanzine creator and self publisher with Crusaders, later Southern Knights, Butch Guice came to mainstream comics, after he showed his work to Bob McLeod at a North Carolina comic con. Bob asked if Butch would help him finish off a New Mutants comic that he was late on. Seeing those pages later, Pat Broderick then asked Bob to ask Butch to help him finish a Rom Annual. When Marvel editor Al Milgrom tried to catch the Micronauts books up on deadlines, on the back of these, he hired Butch to help do that as well, which led to him becoming the series artist. He would then work with another Bob, Bob Layton to launch X-Factor and co-create the X-Men villain Apocalypse in the process, and then launch the new Flash series in 1987 with Mike Baron. He would work on Iron Man, Nick Fury, Deathlok and Fantastic Four at Marvel, where he would co-create X-Men character Ahab, with Walter Simonson. Working on Doctor Strange at Marvel, a cover he drew for that series that used an image of singer Amy Grant, and she sued Marvel for the association of her image with the occult. Marvel settled.

He returned to DC for Action Comics and the Death of Superman. Then with James Robinson on The Terminator: Endgame miniseries and Chris Claremont on Aliens/Predator: The Deadliest of the Species from Dark Horse. After working for Valiant in the Acclaim era on Eternal Warriors and Sliders, where he was the show's star Jerry O'Connell's favourite comic book artist, he returned to the Big Two for DC/Marvel: All Access, co-created Resurrection Man for DC with Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning and then became the regular artist on Birds of Prey, and a long working period with Chuck Dixon.

With Chuck, he was also one of the founding creators for the CrossGen comic book publisher on the title Ruse, with Mark Waid and Laura Martin. He would work with Geoff Johns on Olympus from Humanoids and would then return to DC for Justice League with Warren Ellis, an Aquaman relaunch with Kurt Busiek, Storming Paradise with Chuck Dixon and to Marvel for Ultimate Origins with Brian Michael Bendis. Captain America and Winter Soldier with Ed Brubaker and The Invaders with Chip Zdarsky before co-creating The Futurists with Patrick Stiles for Allegiance Art in 2020.

His brother-in-law James Hettel posted the following;

"This is a cover that my brother in law, Jackson "Butch" Guice did for a Captain America run he was working on for Marvel Comics. Notice the patch on the left shoulder of the American Soldier in the front of the wedge formation. That's the Unit patch for my Home unit, 478th Combat Eng.
Butch could have picked any number of high profile, well known Army units to recognize on a cover of a comic that would go world wide. He chose to give a head nod to my unit. Why? Because that's the kind of guy he was and will always be.
Loving to his family. Always took care of and loved with his whole heart my sister and niece. Never left me out in the cold and was quick with a joke. Straight shooter, literally and figuratively. Quiet until there was actually something that needed to be said.
People all over respected his talent and his ability to turn pencil strokes into living , breathing, I swear their gonna walk right off the page and punch ya in the throat, works of Real Art.
But more then that, they knew that they were gonna get an honest answer from Butch. Not some canned, milky, watered down version of what they needed to hear. The Real Deal.
He earned the respect of his peers because they knew they could trust him and his word. Art work, once laid down on paper or canvas or what ever medium he was working with at the time, is solid and the proof is in the end result. A mans word; whether you can put stock into what he says and know he stands behind it… like so many other things today, is ify at best.
Not with Mr Jackson Guice. If he told you something, you could take it to the bank. When ever I would ask his opinion on something, he would look at me hard, say, "now you really wants this?" and then proceed to let me have it.
Words to describe Butch: Solid. Dependable. Influential. Kind (in a very straight forward, get your ass back up and get back in there kind of way). Loving. Love for his family like a mountain. And a Holy Anger like a Mountain Slide if he saw you looking sideways at those he protected.
He is exactly the kind of man I would have picked to love and protect my sister. Thank You Lord for the chance you gave me to know and be around Butch.
Hooah brother! Save me a seat on the bank by the water."

And other comic book creators have been sharing their memories and experiences of working with the man,

Kelley Jones: "Butch is gone. I'll only add that Butch Guice saw something in me that I didn't way back in 1982. I couldn't trust myself that I had what it took to make comics so Butch said trust him and I did. He insisted I follow him as the penciller on the Micronauts when he left the title. For the next couple months he would take time from his new gig, and help me figure out how to draw a monthly book. Butch's advice and instruction on that matter I use to this day. God the talent he possessed! But it was his kind heart I will most be striving to follow. I will miss you brother"

Graham Nolan: "RIP to the incredible Butch Guice. So sorry to hear of his passing today. Butch was an amazing talent and a one of the "Good guys". Butch did a couple covers and a story for Compass Comics and even gifted me one of the covers. He was a wealth of information and historian of the comic book, and comic strip business. I will miss his posts and talks about classic art. Rest easy my friend. You will be missed."

Dan Jurgens: "Very sorry to hear of Butch Guice's passing. As much as I enjoyed working with him and enjoyed his art, I enjoyed knowing him even more. Great guy, class act. My condolences to his friends and family… may he rest in peace."

Joe Illidge: "It's getting harder and harder to write these tributes to the fallen, gang, but here we go. Artist Butch Guice has passed away, and he has been part of my life and career journey in comics for 26 years.
I inherited the editorial role of BIRDS OF PREY from Jordan Gorfinkel, an upstanding gent and Bat-editor who CO-CREATED the Birds of Prey idea and series as a staffer. Shortly after Gorf left DC Editorial and passed the baton of this book I loved to me, the series' founding artist Greg Land was about to get moved over to NIGHTWING as part of the BATMAN 2000 relaunch of the entire line… …which meant I had to find an artist to rise to the occasion and make a mark on the series, while bring embraced by the fans.
I spent 45 minutes looking through comic books at Jim Hanley's Universe when it was behind the Empire State building on 33rd Street, trying to find an artist and coming up short.
I got back to DC and it hit me.
Butch Guice was The One.
I was a fan since he went by his birthname of Jackson Guice while drawing THE MICRONAUTS for Marvel, and his work on DOCTOR STRANGE and SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS was top-level. The man could draw human drama with the same beauty, skill, and gravitas as the deadly, dynamic superhero battles.
I ran his name up the chain, and after a meeting with then-Executive Editor Mike Carlin, I had the go-ahead to ask Butch to come on board. He had to finish ACTION COMICS #700 first, which he did, and then he took over BIRDS OF PREY with issue #15, a human story about first dates, global war, and domestic abuse.
Every time I received his newest batch of pages from Editorial Administration, it was a joyful experience. I love his art.
Butch would draw the issue in which Barbara Gordon/Oracle confronted The Joker, the madman who crippled her. He would draw the issue in which Black Canary and Oracle had their friendship cemented by finally meeting face to face. He considered the series one of the highlights of his career, and it was certainly a highlight of mine.
We tried to work together again a few times over the decades, but it wasn't in the cards for us…
…until HEAVY METAL #300, and my task as Executive Editor to reintroduce and reignite TAARNA, the popular heroine from the 1981 animated film.
Butch was the best and only choice in my mind…and he said "Yes."
Time collapsed as if we never stopped working together, and it was always and again a joy to see his art, his craft, his love of storytelling, his draftsmanship.
I checked in on him now and again and was happy to converse with him here on this platform.
I'm gonna miss Butch dearly. He was a friend, an old school gentleman, he perfected the old school principles of drawing, and he was A Nice Guy…in a sea of not always nice guys.
Few people are more qualified to draw God's portrait than Butch, so I'm happy he's resting and no longer suffering.
RIP."

Mike Perkins: ""Don't ink my pencils. Ink my intent." – Butch Guice.
Ahhh, Butcho! You were supposed to be around for another 30 years – at least. Enough time that we could have collaborated again and again. Enough time that I could have continued learning from your experience and stunning talent. Enough time that we could have chatted and emailed back and forth – where you could have, curmudgeonly, put the world to rights. All of this was MY intent. What about MY intent, Buhla? It wasn't supposed to be like this. There's never enough time to spend with those you love.
I'll write more later. Your family, friends and fans deserve to hear more about you but it's very early morning here and the only reason I'm awake, seeing this news, is because my dog woke me up because she wanted to take a dump. Butch would have LOVED that."

Steve Epting: "Stunned to hear that Butch Guice has passed away. One of the greatest (and most humble) talents in the industry. I was lucky enough to work alongside him at the Crossgen studios and later on Captain America, but even luckier to call him a friend. Godspeed Butch — you will be sorely missed."

Laura Martin:"Reeling from the news of Butch Guice. A little part of me is still hoping it's not true. We haven't talked in a long time, but we were thick as thieves at CrossGen, not only because I had the ultimate pleasure of working on Ruse with him and Mike Perkins, but also because we were truly friends who looked out for each other. (And occasionally snitched cigarettes.) All those breaks out by the drainage creek behind the offices…felt like we were ditching school, heh. After CG went under, the three of us shared a studio with Drew Hennessy that overlooked the main square in Safety Harbor. It was a fun little studio and we had a great time. Butch was a true Southern gentleman, kind and down to earth, quick with a joke and that raspy laugh, and such an immense artist. All my love, Butch, and all my love to Julie and Beth. First Cassaday, now Butch…*immediately wraps all of my other pencilers in bubble wrap*"

Jay Leisten: "I didn't think hearing Butch Guice was no longer with us via facebook was a thing that would happen in 2025. He was such a powerful artistic force, wise beyond his years teacher, and an electric wit. Somehow even the most deep cutting critiques were delivered with a general manly southern kindness that you just knew you could get it right the next time. He was always there with a subtle ego boost when you needed it at CrossGen as well. I knew he was in the hospital earlier this month but I thought for sure I'd get to see that big smile and welcoming charm again at a convention soon.
We lost a great one. Check in on your CrossGen friends today, or anyone who knew Butch Guice, really."

Mark Herr: "So, you may remember, a few years back, my friend Scott Braden was working hard on his comic book character Kent Menace. And, along with others, he got me to write some short fiction for him that he would pair with a page of art. After two stories, I did a third that was very different than the others. More of a crime fiction story. So, imagine my reaction when Scott told me he got Butch Guice to draw the piece to go along with my story. Sadly, due to a variety of reasons, the story never saw print, but still may some day. You never know.
Guice and I interacted once when Scott posted the art. I thanked him for the art. He thanked me for the good story to inspire him. I couldn't thank Scott enough for pairing us. In the grand scheme of things, for Guice, it was just a quick job, I am guessing. For me, it was mind-blowing.
Apparently, he had some health issues recently, including some major surgeries. And, now at the age of 63, he has passed away. Such a loss. I may never have talked to him again, but this connection meant a lot."

All at Bleeding Cool express condolence to his family, friends, colleagues and those who loved his work so much.

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