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Korean artist Kim Jung Gi puts down his brushes for the final time

The illustrator started having chest pains on his way to attend New York Comic Con

LiFTED | Marcus Aurelius | 11 Oct 2022


In an Instagram post, the family of Kim Jung Gi announced that the Korean illustrator passed away on October 3. “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi. After finishing his last schedule in Europe, Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away. After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes. Thank you Jung Gi.”

Jung Gi was born in 1975 and started drawing at a young age. With very little interest in school, Jung Gi spent his days drawing in his notebooks instead of paying attention to the teachers. At 19, he entered Dong-Eui University in Busan to get a degree in arts and design. He started off drawing things he couldn’t own like sneakers, bicycles, and motorcycles. Then, when he was in his mandatory military service, Jung Gi got an up-close look at weapons and started adding them to his drawings.

Kim Jung Gi's work


In 2011, a YouTube video of him doing an oversized live drawing with his brush pen became a pivotal moment in his career. From then on, invitations to do live drawings all around the world came in as his dense artwork was loved by millions. Jung Gi published six books of his sketches, worked for Marvel and DC Comics and set the Guinness World Record for the longest drawing by an individual.

Artists around the world paid tribute to the genius illustrator by complimenting his legendary memory and artistry that had him in a category all by himself.

[News from ArtNews/YouTube/HypeBeast]