GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Comic book artist Sam Kieth died on March 15, 2026, from Lewy body dementia. He was 63 years old.

Kieth was best known for creating The Maxx, a comic book series he launched for Image Comics in 1993. The series was adapted into an animated series for MTV's Liquid Television and spawned a line of action figures produced by Todd McFarlane.

Born on January 11, 1963, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kieth began his career in comics at age 17 by publishing his first work with Comico. His early work at Marvel Comics included titles featuring Wolverine and the Hulk.

Kieth collaborated with Neil Gaiman to co-create Sandman and illustrated the first five issues for DC Comics. He wrote and illustrated Batman: Secrets, which features the Joker, and worked on Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious in 2007.

His other DC Comics projects included Lobo: Highway to Hell, written by Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian, and graphic novels Arkham Asylum: Madness and Batman: Through the Looking Glass. In his later career, Kieth created Arkham Dreams, a crossover between Batman and The Maxx, for DC Comics.

Kieth contributed to Judge Dredd for 2000 AD and illustrated 30 Days of Night for IDW Publishing. He also illustrated The Hollows for IDW Publishing before it later moved to Image Comics.

Beyond comics, Kieth helped create No Smoking, a pilot for the animated series Cow and Chicken. He directed the film Take It to the Limit for Roger Corman's Concorde-New Horizons.

Kieth retired from mainstream comics after the publication of Arkham Dreams due to health issues. In the final decade of his life, he stepped away from the spotlight due in part to legal disputes over The Maxx and ongoing health issues. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy Kieth.