RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books artist Jackson Guice, dead at age 63

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Guice


Another shocking death among comics creators, of someone who seemed too young to have an obituary written about him.

Without a lot of details given, he died of pneumonia.





I consistently enjoyed Guice's work over many years, first becoming prominent at Marvel in 1982-1983, with his MICRONAUTS run in issues 48-58.
Then doing a 5-page pin-up portfolio in MARVEL FANFARE 9,
an X-MEN AND THE MICRONAUTS four-issue miniseries,
a short piece in Pacific Comics' TWISTED TALES 8, among others. I've mentioned Guice's work many times in previous posts.
https://readallcomics.com/micronauts-v1-048/ ( Guice art, issues 48-58 )
https://readallcomics.com/x-men-and-the-micronauts-1/
https://readallcomics.com/marvel-fanfare-1982-009/
https://readallcomics.com/twisted-tales-08/




A page from Guice's portfolio in MARVEL FANFARE 9, 1983.



I never got around till now to mentioning a run Guice did on DOCTOR STRANGE issues 5-24 in 1989-1990 that I thought was particularly nice.
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-05/


Guice is survived by a lot of great work, across almost 50 years.

His earliest work I became aware of a few years ago was covers and some interior work on the COMIC BUYER'S GUIDE fanzine, in 1979 and 1980 issues.
Guice covers on 311 (Killraven), 318 (Swamp Thing), 324 (cowboy on horse), and 356 (Star Lord)
https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=528431&pgi=301

( I mistakenly said RBCC fanzine, also from the same 1970's to early1980's period, which has a lot of great fan art by the likes of Brett Blevins, Mike Zeck, Kerry Gammill, Don Newton, Stephen Fabian and others, but on second look I didn't see any Guice pages there. )
https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=448361&pgi=101

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Another page from the X-MEN AND THE MICRONAUTS four-issue miniseries in 1984.


https://readallcomics.com/x-men-and-the-micronauts-1/
https://readallcomics.com/x-men-and-the-micronauts-2/
https://readallcomics.com/x-men-and-the-micronauts-3/
https://readallcomics.com/x-men-and-the-micronauts-4/

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Another I enjoyed, SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS (Marvel graphic novel 14).
https://readallcomics.com/marvel-graphic-novel-issue-14-swords-of-the-swashbucklers/

Followed by an Epic Comics regular series that lasted 12 issues, the first 4 issues by Guice.
I honestly like the concept and visuals more than the actual story, but I still enjoyed it, beautiful art and colors.

https://readallcomics.com/swords-of-the-swashbucklers-tpb/ (collected trade, from IDW)

Dang, I missed this one. He was a solid artist. I particularly grew up with his art on Action Comics. A nd, you are correct that there are far too many obits for comic artists and writers.

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Yeah, a number of them just in their 60's, in the recent past.

And I'm still getting over Berni Wrightson, Len Wein, and Rich Buckler, all of whom were only 68 when they died. Although that's going back to 2017.

Now we've also lost Steve Lightle (61), Dave Kraft (68), Keith Giffen (70), Tom Veitch (80), Neal Adams (80), Tom Palmer (81), Peter David (68), and a number of others.



Here's some more pages of Guice's work :


Another hilarious page, from his MARVEL FANFARE 9 portfolio, June 1983.

https://readallcomics.com/marvel-fanfare-1982-009/



More MICRONAUTS goodness, from issue 50, another pin-up from his 1983-1984 run.

https://readallcomics.com/micronauts-v1-050/



From MARVEL SUPER SPECIAL 30, August 1984, an "Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom" movie adaptation

https://readallcomics.com/marvel-comics-super-special-30/




A fill-in issue during Simonson's run, THOR 356. A hilarious story, and as good as any issue by Simonson on the series.
By Bob Harras, with Guice/Layton art.
https://readallcomics.com/thor-v1-356/



See also Bob Layton's work on the HERCULES four-issue miniseries (1982),
https://readallcomics.com/hercules-v1-1/

... Layton's second four-issue HERCULES miniseries (1984),
https://readallcomics.com/hercules-v2-1/

... and Marvel graphic novel 37 : HERCULES (1989) for hilarious work this THOR 356 issue is expanded from.
https://readallcomics.com/marvel-graphic-novel-issue-37-hercules-prince-of-power-full-circle/

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An original art piece Guice did for a fanzine circa 1981, before he started working professionally in comics.
With comments from Guice about its creation, in celebraion of DETECTIVE COMICS' then-pending 500th issue, Guice's comments about it re-posted by the guy who posted this page online :

https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1167768

https://readallcomics.com/detective-comics-v1-0500/

As I've said before, guys like Jackson Guice, Bret Blevins, Kerry Gammill, and Mike Mignola, were all doing pro-quality fanzine work for years, before they finally got their break and entered comics professionally.
I think Marshall Rogers is the one I've read interviews of, who was twisting in the wind the longest, before he finally got his big break and did his first work for DC in 1976.



And here's another "Butch Guice" piece dated 1983, that looks as if it could have been a page included in the above MARVEL FANFARE 9 portfolio.

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=2116356


Does anyone know the back story about why he started in comics as "Butch" Guice, and then changed his name after a few years to Jackson Guice ?

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Here's a great tribute obituary to Jackson Guice, that gives behind-the-scenes commentary by many of the writers, artists, editors and others in fandom who got to know Guice over his 45-plus years in the comics field.

I like this article because it goes pretty much chronologically through his entire career, starting with his early fanzine and convention days, to breaking into comics, and quotes from the writers, artists and editors he collaborated with on these series. It actually turned me on to some series and annuals that I'd missed, and reminded me of some I read years ago that I'd forgotten.
A great insight not only into these series, but also what it was like to collaborate with Guice, and the pleasure of knowing him personally. I can't say I've ever seen such consistently kind and appreciative remarks about a comics creator, or such universal sense of loss about anyone else who has died.



Guice seems to have been universally appreciated by fans and young artists, professional collaborators and editors alike, for not only his artistic talent, but for his kindness, patience, professional knowledge, thoroughness and reliability, as well as his intelligence, sense of humor and low-key demeanor, and just for being very approachable and fun to be around. It makes me regret that I never got to meet him at a convention or booksigning appearance.

https://www.tcj.com/rip-jackson-butch-guice-june-27-1961-may-1-2025/

Bob Layton explains the switch from "Butch" Guice to Jackson Guice was his suggestion, that caused Guice some hardship over many years, to the point tha Guice eventually went back to "Butch".

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Another early offering by Guice I really liked, from WHAT IF issue 40, August 1983, "What If Dr. Strange Had Never Become Master of the Mystic Arts?". By Peter Gillis and Buch Guice. Where Doctor Strange not opting to be the Ancient One's disciple, leaves the path open for Baron Mordo to become the disciple, and with his expanded sorcery powers, becomes a threat to the world.

Nice early work. and a thick 40 pages of Guice art, under an equally gorgeous Michael Golden cover.
https://readallcomics.com/what-if-v1-040/





And you can contrast that with Guice's work on DOCTOR STRANGE (third series) in 1989-1990,
on issues 5-16, 18, and 20-24, about 6 years later.

https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-05/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-06/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-07/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-08/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-09/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-10/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-11/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-12/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-13/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-14/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-15/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-16/

https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-18/

https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-20/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-21/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-22/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-23/
https://readallcomics.com/doctor-strange-v3-sorcerer-supreme-24/

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Again using the MikesAmazingWorld site, here'a a rough at-a-glance chronology of Guice's 40-plus years of published work :
https://www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/creator.php?creatorid=1388





I immediately found an early issue I was completely unaware of, COYOTE 3 , from Marvel's Epic comics line, back in Sept 1983,
by Englehart, and Guice/Wiacek, Guice cover and 29-page story. Out concurrent the same month with his work in MICRONAUTS 56, and X-MEN AND THE MICRONAUTS 1.
https://readallcomics.com/coyote-03/

And another obscure one I've had a long time but had forgotten till now, KULL THE CONQUERER 4, Feb 1984, that is an unusual issue with chapters by Vess, Bolton, Guice, and Seinkiewicz, and some nice pages by all of them.
https://readallcomics.com/kull-the-conqueror-v3-04/

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Another lesser-known issue by Guice, AVENGERS ANNUAL 12, from Dec 1983.
Story by Bill Mantlo, with Guice/Magyar art. 39 pages of early Guice.


https://readallcomics.com/avengers-v1-annual-012/

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Here's another tribute to Guice after his death, this one at Bleeding Cool. With an overview of how he got into comics (by meeting Bob Mcleod at a comics convention, who got him in the door, to do his first pro work), and a chronology of Guice's published work, followed by quotes from other comics professionals, reacting to Guice's death.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/comic-book-industry-remembers-jackson-butch-guice-who-died-aged-63/




I'd forgottten Guice's self-portriat, on the cover of MARVEL AGE 3, from 1983.

I had all or close to all the Micronauts stuff from buying an old dude's giant box of comics that he was getting rid of. It was mostly a treasure trove of late seventies and early eighties that I might have missed otherwise. I became a Micronauts fan from that. There was also some great silver age DC like Mister Miracle and Freedom Fighters. It is cool to be reminded of Butch's work from that time. Still looks good while I saw some panels of a recent comic that had me questioning if they even care anymore.

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Yeah, Guice's work from even 30 or 40 years ago still ages well and looks great, I cited a lot of my favorites.


And I love pretty much the entire MICRONAUTS run.
Writer Bill Mantlo really lucked out with the artists who were available for him to work with on MICRONAUTS (as I recall, Mantlo himself lobbied the book's editor to get Guice his breakthrough assignment on MICRONAUTS, after meeting Guice at a convention and seeing his portfolio work)
First there was Michael Golden on the first 12 MICRONAUTS issues.
Then a few issues by Chaykin, 13-18.
Then Broderick on 19-34, then two issues by Giffen in 36-37,
Then Gil Kane for eight or so issues in 38-46.
Then Guice on issues 48-58. That's a damn nice run, pretty much all the way through.
https://readallcomics.com/micronauts-v1-001/

And I love the other ones you listed too. Pretty much Kirby's entire DC canon of work from 1970-1976, especially the Kirby Fourth World titles, and KAMANDI, THE DEMON, and OMAC..

And the story in JLA 107 and 108 , where the JLA are transported to "Earth X", where the Quality Comics heroes (now published by DC, after DC bankrupted Fawcett with their Superman/Captain Marvel lawsuit, and took over the publishing rights) are still fighting the Nazis in the 1970's.
And get a helpin' hand from the JLA.

Which later was expanded into the brief FREEDOM FIGHTERS series you mentioned.
https://readallcomics.com/justice-league-of-america-v1-107/
https://readallcomics.com/justice-league-of-america-v1-108/

https://readallcomics.com/freedom-fighters-v1-001/

That bag of comics you mention sounds like it was a great find. Some of the stuff I treasure most I paid next to nothing for.

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Another obscure Guice credit :

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL 23 (1990)
story by Walt Simonson, with Butch Guice pencils / Geoff Isherwood inks

https://readallcomics.com/fantastic-four-v1-annual-023/


I had to look elsewhere to find those credits. As far as I can see, those credits are not visible anywhere in the issue itself, apparently by error not included. Oddly, the letterer and colorist are credited in tiny print, but the main creators are not.
An unusual but interesting penciller/inker combination.



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EDIT : Unless corrected later, the above ReadAllComics linked story is incomplete, and begins with page 31.
So the first 30 pages (including the story credits on the title page) are not included.

Here on what for me is the back-up site, is the complete story, at ReadComicOnline, that visibly shows the story credits.

https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/Fantastic-Four-1961/Annual-23?id=56201