Sad news for the comics and horror world today, as Tim Sale, the artist behind the much-loved Batman graphic novel Batman: The Long Halloween, has died. He was 66 years old.
Sale’s death was announced today via his official Twitter account, which posted the following:
“It’s with a heavy sadness that I must announce that Tim Sale passed away today. He passed with the love of his life beside him, and loves all of you very much. Please share photos and stories under this post, as we hope to share them with the community.”
As noted by Bloody Disgusting, Sale’s titles for Marvel and DC included Batman: Haunted Knight, Batman: Dark Victory, Superman for All Seasons, Superman Confidential, Catwoman: When in Rome, Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Gray.
But The Long Halloween, the year-long holiday-themed Batman thriller Sale illustrated alongside frequent collaborator Jeff Loeb, is arguably his most famous work in the comics world. Not only did the graphic novel spawn animated movies for DC, but it also heavily influenced Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight, particularly in its depiction of Batman supporting character Harvey Dent, who eventually becomes the tragically-deformed villain Two-Face.
Everyone at MetalSucks sends their heart out to Tim’s family, friends, fans and collaborators during this difficult time.