Celebrated Korean illustrator Kim Jung Gi dead at 47

Acclaimed Korean illustrator and cartoonist Kim Jung Gi, 47, died from a heart attack.

Kim was in Paris while on his way to the New York City Comic-Con, where he suddenly experienced severe chest pains. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital and undergoing surgery on Oct. 3.

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Born in 1975 within South Korea’s Gyeonggi province, Kim enrolled at Dong-Eui University in Busan to study art and design. He also spent two years serving in the South Korean military, where he was exposed to and memorized a vast array of weapons and vehicles, according to his official website.

Kim was famed throughout the art industry for his astonishing ability to create detailed illustrations without the aid of a reference. His work has appeared in popular graphic novels and comics, including “Tiger the Long Tail,” “Paradis” and “SpyGames.”

He has also contributed his talents to comic giants DC and Marvel, where he designed cover art for issues of “Justice League,” “Wonder Woman” and a series of sprawling, interconnected variant covers for the “Civil War II” crossover event.

Kim also holds a Guinness World Record for the longest drawing by an individual, a feat that he performed live by illustrating his interpretation of the “living heritage of Penang,” a region in Malaysia.

“After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes,” longtime collaborator Hyun Jin Kim wrote in a tribute.

Fellow artists Karl Kopinski and Peter Han shared their own heartfelt messages for Kim on Instagram.

“He influenced me hugely gave me confidence taught me talked with me even though we couldn’t speak the same language shared jokes and fantastic trips together with so many wonderful people,” wrote Kopinski.

“All I can think about is what did he see as he passed over. And how frustrating it must have been for him to not sketch it. At least, that’s what would be on my mind,” wrote Han.”

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