JACKSON "BUTCH" GUICE
1961 – 2025

 

DC was saddened to hear of the passing of Jackson “Butch” Guice, a defining artist whose work spans over three decades and helped to shape the direction of titles like Action Comics, The Flash, Birds of Prey and Resurrection Man, a character whom he co-created. All of us who have had the pleasure of working with Butch, along with the comics creative community and fandom at large, mourn his loss while celebrating everything that was unique about Butch and his work.

 

I first met Jackson “Butch” Guice in the early 80s at Marvel Comics…and we quickly became friends AND co-conspirators. We did work on Rom and X-Factor and survived some crazy BS together there! We both escaped to DC Comics and found each other again…this time surviving better BS together—namely “The Death and Return of Superman!"

I was always impressed with Jackson's draftsmanship…appreciating his clear reverence for the comic book artists we all loved—but the master comic STRIP artists we all SHOULD have loved, as well! My favorite work of Jackson’s is Resurrection Man and, for CrossGen, Ruse. Wish there was more favorite work coming, old chum.

– MIKE CARLIN

 

Working on Ruse with Butch Guice remains one of my favorite projects of my career. Butch was a consummate professional; he took on a mentor role for inker Mike Perkins and I and encouraged both of us to step out of our comfort zones and stretch our own techniques in new ways. He was also a loyal friend and, yes, co-conspirator, and I’ll always remember his dry humor and raspy laugh. I’m very grateful that we shared those years at CrossGen and at our studio space afterward.

– LAURA MARTIN
 

It was a request from beyond! Not something I could turn down...and something I wouldn't have refused anyway.

Butch and I were friends, colleagues, studio mates and he was a constant inspiration to me. Long before I knew him, I was following his work which made it all the more amazing and precious whenever we would collaborate on something...and we did, numerous times...but we really should have been doing it for, at least, the next 30 years or so. Before he passed on, he requested that I should finish his work here on Resurrection Man. I didn't know this then—only after the fact. His note to me was as it had always been: "INK MY INTENT, NOT MY LINE!" His wonderful wife, Julie, passed it on to me with a small note of her own: "He loved you like a brother, but I am sure you knew that."

I knew it.

– MIKE PERKINS

 

Butch was a great comic artist. His storytelling was wonderful. But he was also a great illustrator. Any one of his panels was a composed work of art, full of detail and character and gorgeous linework.  His work was masterfully old-school, without ever being old-fashioned. If that wasn’t enough, he was simply one of the nicest people I've ever worked with. I miss him already.

– DAN ABNETT

 

I was lucky enough to work with Butch Guice on Resurrection Man in 1997.

It was our first ongoing DC series, and it wouldn't have been anywhere near as good without his stunning blend of realism and superhero dynamism, which gave the book its distinct voice.

Though we didn’t collaborate much after, I followed his work closely, always knowing he would deliver top-tier art and storytelling. I’m deeply grateful for the time we shared and the original art he gifted me: page one of the first issue of Resurrection Man, a reminder of what he called “the best of times.”

Butch will be greatly missed. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

– ANDY LANNING
 

I was lucky enough to work with Butch several times, and each time inspired me to bring my A-game. His draftsmanship was legendary, his storytelling impeccable, and he was, frankly, a sweet and humble man on top of that. I will always look back on our collaborations warmly and his friendship even more fondly. Rest in peace, my friend.

– MARK WAID

 

I’m responsible for some of the worst career mistakes in Butch Guice’s career.

I admit it.

I met Butch early in his career when he was penciller on Micronauts.  It was one of those chance meetings where the two of us became instant friends. Of course, we immediately wanted to team up on a few projects.

I lived three blocks from the Marvel offices in Manhattan at the time, so I offered my couch as a place for him to crash when he visited NYC from his abode in Asheville, NC. One evening, while hanging out at my place, I asked the easygoing Southerner if ‘Butch’ was his real name.  He replied that his given name was Jackson. Since he was beginning his Marvel career, I implored him to use Jackson as his official pen name. I said it sounds classy.  I said that I could see an art book in his future entitled, “The Collected Works of Jackson Guice.”

So, he did…to his eternal regret.

From that point on, fans started writing letters to Marvel asking if Butch and Jackson were related or maybe even brothers. Needless to say, after almost a decade of confusion, Jackson Guice quietly disappeared and Butch Guice reappeared.

Although I’m responsible for giving my pal some really disastrous advice, his friendship and loyalty never wavered. But…he did tease the hell out of me!

I love ya, pal. Thank you for being my friend for all those decades.

– BOB LAYTON

 

I was a fan of Butch Guice's work for about a decade before I finally got to collaborate with him on Action Comics. Scripting those stories from his pencilled art was some of the most fun a writer could have. It didn't matter what crazy thing I asked him to draw—everything from wild, outlandish action to scenes of quiet, introspective drama—Butch always came through, he always made it look good, and I'd swear he got better with every issue. We worked together for about two and a half years, and though we met only once in that time—during a Superman summit story conference—I was as impressed by his camaraderie as I was by his talent. I treasure the time we spent working together, and I will miss him forever.

– ROGER STERN
 

I miss him.

I miss Jackson even though we never had the opportunity to become really close. Our relationship was mainly professional, but that bond was unique. As soon as I started to work with him, it clicked. Through our years together, his style would change tone and constantly evolve. On a dime, it could move from nearly hyperrealistic to channeling Jackson's inner Kirby, and while I never knew if it was a conscious decision or if it was based on pure instinct, his art was always masterfully executed and a pure joy to work on. Whatever curveball he threw at me, it was always a major learning experience.

Jackson also gave me the greatest compliment I could ever receive as an inker/finisher. Something to the effect of “we’re both very different artists, but together, we become this other, third artist.”

I miss this true collaboration.

I miss Jackson.

– DENIS RODIER

 

Butch was one of those incredible talents who could draw anything AND draw it well. Superman against a massive alien warship? No problem. A quiet scene of a ninja sneaking into a fortress? Done. A close, personal scene with Clark and Lois? He was committed to our craft and the idea of finding the perfect approach for each project. It was a pleasure to call him a colleague and friend.

– DAN JURGENS

 

Butch is the first of us to go. And he was five years younger than me. It’s a pretty sobering thought.

But then, Butch was a pretty sober guy. I mean his personality was like his work—no nonsense.

When you study Butch’s storytelling, you see outstanding naturalistic realism; clean, genuine draftsmanship and taut, cinematic storytelling that was almost terse, and definitely no-nonsense. It wasn’t showy or stylized. It resisted all the flashy tropes and trends that dates so much of 90s comic art in retrospect. It was staunchly professional, timeless, and always annoyingly great.

That’s how it is with comics artists, I think. If you really know their work, then you know them. Butch’s art kept our work grounded in reality, or at least believability.

Butch was a great artist, and a really good teammate. Whenever the rest of us gather at various Death of Superman retrospectives, panels, etc., Butch’s absence will be strongly felt.

– JON BOGDANOVE