Broken Frontier

Today is a grim day for many a comic book fan. It has come to my attention (via Bleeding Cool) that Brazillian artist Al Rio has passed away, reportedly by his own hand.

This news struck me quite hard, because I’ve been a fan of his work for a long time. I remember picking up the first issue of Gen13 that had his art and immediately fell in love with it. I started with Heroes for Hire just for his work on it, immediately going out my way to collect earlier issues just to get the complete story.

Rio's work has encompassed not just these series, as he had worked for nearly all of the major publishers in his life. All the big names are present on his resume, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, Wildstorm, Vertigo... you name it, it's there. And more recently of course is his wonderful cover work on Zenescope Entertainments numerous series.

Al Rio will also be remembered comic business wide for his work on Harris´ Vampirella, Purgatori, Alan Moore´s Voodoo, Avatar´s Avengelyne, The Coven and much, much more.

His love for the female body undoubtedly inspired numerous other artists from around the world. Through his art, he created both powerful men and women who could stand on their own. His attention to detail also brought forth beautiful and powerful scenes and set pieces where necessary, but also a sense of calm or urgency if need be.

While some perceived Rio to be nothing more than a copy of a J. Scott Campbell back in the Gen13 days, others could see the small differences. He was truly a master of his art due to his ability to use his own style and, if it was called for, take after another artist.

Writing this piece was pretty hard, mainly because I had hopes that one day I could let him sign some of my comics that he had drawn sometime in the near future, but also because I myself struggled with issues when I first came into contact with Rio’s art.

The thoughts of not just me, but the entire Broken Frontier family are with his family and friends. I hope the worldwide reaction to his sudden death will aid them in their grieving. Al Rio will be missed dearly.