According to The Hollywood Reporter, artist Tom Lyle, who worked for both DC and Marvel, as well as an instructor at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), has died at the age of 66. His death comes a month after surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain led him to fall into a coma.
Tom Stanford Lyle was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 2, 1953. He attended the University of Florida, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, and his early works included “Airboy” for Eclipse Comics in the late ’80s. He broke into the mainstream creating the Will Payton incarnation of Starman for DC with writer Roger Stern in 1988, and penciled three Tim Drake “Robin” miniseries (all written by Chuck Dixon) in the early ’90s. During this time, Lyle and Dixon introduced Stephanie Brown, aka Spoiler, in June 1992’s “Detective Comics” #647.
He eventually moved on to Marvel, where he drew “Spider-Man” during the ‘Maximum Carnage’ and ‘Clone Saga’ storylines that ran from 1993 to 1996. He designed the original Scarlet Spider costume worn by Spider-Man’s clone Ben Reilly. Other work for Marvel included the 1995-1997 “Punisher” series written by John Ostrander, and 1998’s “Warlock” miniseries, which he wrote himself.
As well as these, Lyle co-created and co-plotted “The Comet” with Mark Waid for DC’s Impact Comics imprint in 1991, and illustrated the ‘Emissaries to Malastare’ arc of Dark Horse’s “Star Wars: Republic” (written by Timothy Truman) in 2000. He began teaching sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2005, and also served as internship coordinator. In 2019, Lyle suffered an aneurysm, which led to him undergoing surgery and his falling into a coma.
On Twitter, artist Paulina Ganucheau wrote, “I can’t believe Tom Lyle is gone. He was such an incredible and kind man. He pushed me to see my worth and importance as an artist. I’m so honored I was able to have him as a professor and friend for so many years. Rest easy. Thank you, Tom.” Writer Dan Slott commented, “Tom’s work on both Spidey and the Scarlet Spider were epic. That Scarlet Spider design, Tom’s design, will always be an amazing touchstone for Spidey fans like me and all generations past, present, & future.”
According to close friend and student Phillip Sevy, Lyle “passed away peacefully,” and “the tentative plan is a funeral this Saturday in Savannah.” Lyle is survived by his wife Sue.
