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:

"He will be deeply missed and will leave a hole in hearts forever. Words cannot express how much this gentle soul meant to all of us."

Ian McGinty's mother revealed the news of her son's death (Image via desertdracula/Twitter)

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

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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.

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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.

Netizens paid tribute on Twitter (Image via PatShand/Twitter)

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.

Twitter was flooded with tributes from the public:

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