Who was Ian McGinty? Tributes pour in as Invader Zim artist dies aged 38

Ian McGinty, who was known for his work in different comic books, passed away on June 8 at the age of 38. Apart from his work on comic books, he was also popular for his contribution to animated shows like Adventure Time, Bee and PuppyCat, and Invader Zim.

Ian's mother, whose identity remains unknown, disclosed the news on Facebook, and a screenshot of the post was shared on Twitter by her family friend under the username @desertdracula. According to the screenshot, Ian's mother described him as the kindest person, an extraordinary artist, and an animal lover. The post read:

While Ian's cause of death has not been officially disclosed, reports suggest he died in Los Angeles from an internal battle with depression.

Ian McGinty wrote several comic books throughout his successful career

Ian McGinty completed his graduation from SCAD and participated in different conventions. He was the creator of the comic Welcome to Showside and then worked in various comics like Bee and PuppyCat, Invader Zim, and more.

According to a statement from Z2 Comics, Ian used to speak to shy kids who would draw cats, robots, and monsters at conventions. He worked in the art and writing of comics that were based on American cartoons.

He worked with publishing houses and production firms like Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and others.

Production company Modern Prometheus also adapted Welcome to Showside into an animated pilot. Apart from being the writer, McGinty worked on the art for the pilot and gave his voice to Kit, one of the lead characters.

His graphic novel, Hello My Name is Poop, was scheduled to be published in October this year. He worked with different authors throughout his successful career, including Christopher Hastings, Ananth Panagriya, Madeleine Flores, Kate Leth, and others.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Ian McGinty gained recognition over the years for his flawless work on different comic books. Netizens expressed their grief on social media platforms, with some of his colleagues saying that it was a great experience working with him.

Another person wrote on Twitter that he was not in touch with Ian since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 but they used to meet occasionally and recall the time they spent together.

One Twitter user also posted a picture from a comic book S*ckers, which he created with Ian, and wrote that it has been close to him over the years.

Ian always preferred to keep his personal life away from the spotlight. As such, detailed information on his survivors is not available.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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