In Memoria: Kevin O'Neill

Kevin O'Neill, co-creator of The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Marshall Law and Cinema Purgatorio, died last week, aged 69, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

O'Neill began working in the Comics Industry at the age of 16, for UK Publisher IPC. First as a dogsbody office helper for Buster before moving to Just Imagine, his fanzine of film and television Special Effects. From there he moved into colouring IPC titles and Disney comics before breaking into the brand new 2000AD, creating the look of Thrag and beginning the Ro-Busters strip with Pat Mills. From there came the classic NEMESIS THE WARLOCK stip, cementing his name as a comicbook force to be reckoned with. O'Neill also worked for DC Comic with Alan Moore on the TALES OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORP 1986 Annual which saw the Comics Code Authority object to the style of artwork. As it was refused a pass, the comic was published without the Code seal, a rarity indeed for those times.

From there came the Epic Comics take on Dredd in the firm of Marshal Law which moved to Apocalypse Comics and then to Dark Horse.

In 1999, O'Neill paired again with Alan More to create The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, a classic and a success in every meaning of the word. These things lay the groundwork for those who came after, and throughout the 80s and 90s, though you may not know it, many of what we in the tabletop hobby have enjoyed have taken influences from what O'Neill created. He was a master of his craft, and an sublime storytellingartist in his own chaotic inky field.