Richard Corben, 'Heavy Metal' & 'Bat Out of Hell' illustrator, dead at 80

Richard Corben, the fantasy illustrator whose work graced the cover and pages of Heavy Metal magazine and who did the cover art for Meatloaf‘s Bat Out of Hell, died on December 2 following heart surgery. He was 80. His widow shared the news, writing, “Richard was very appreciative of the love for his art that was shown by you, his fans. Your support over the decades meant a great deal to him. He tried to repay your support by working diligently on each piece of art going out to you. Although Richard has left us, his work will live on and his memory will live always in our hearts.”

In addition to his iconic work with Heavy Metal (including the “Den” saga) and the Bat Out of Hell cover, Corben’s work also appeared in Creepy, Eerie, Vampirella, 1984 and his own Fantagor imprint. He also did work for DC (Hellblazer, more) Marvel (Hulk, Luke Cage, The Punisher, more), and Dark Horse (Hellboy), and he designed the poster for Brian De Palma’s cult classic Phantom of the Paradise, among many other things. A true legend.

Rest in peace, Richard.