Ed Piskor

In the summer of 2020, in a world still reeling from covid, I watched an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience with David Choe, this very odd, eccentric character I’d never heard of, and was blown away. This video led me to another interview with him, this time about art and comics, on a fledgling YouTube channel called Cartoonist Kayfabe. The show featured the perfect but odd couple pairing of Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg, and in this instance, Choe, as they talked about the industry and overall art that they loved. This led me further to an interview with Rob Liefeld, an incredibly divisive figure in the comics world. You either loved him or hated him. And I found Ed to be the same way.

I gravitated to his and Jim’s personality clashes but fraternal brotherhood just the same. Throughout the covid days and beyond, I watched episode after episode of the show, and I wasn’t even all that interested in comics, but they made it interesting. With the love and passion in an industry worth studying, they and CK sixth-man Tom Scioli and others spoke about art, artists, and even the seedier aspects of the business with reverance and ease, and made it simple for outsiders to understand. They inspired me to try drawing, to make zines, and most, to follow the Kayfabe marching orders and “Read More Comics.” It wasn’t long before I followed both of their Patreons, making sure I was doing my small part to support them, and ordering their books and whatever I could get my hands on.

Over the last 4 years, I’ve drifted in and out of dedicated CK viewing, but when I come back, I’m invited with open arms by Jim and Ed. Jim being the reserved, intellectual dad figure, and Ed being the brash, heart on his sleeve type who always had something to say, and usually you were drawn right into it. The most recent of these periods was back in December. It had been quite a while since I watched the show, but I was right in the middle of Ed’s Manga Quest, when he’d go to Japan and come back with books I wouldn’t have seen anywhere else. This raw dissection of the artform was electric, and now, sadly, it’s run its course.

I won’t go into the nature of what transpired in the last week or two, with all of its misinformed dogpiling and lack of context, but I noticed early last week, comments were limited on Ed’s instagram serial Switchblade Shorties. Huh, that’s weird, I thought, assuming it was just Instagram being Instagram and doing their best to kill the comment section of the app. Then a few days ago I saw a post from Jim Rugg explaining that he was ending his working relationship with Ed Piskor. I did some digging and found the cause, but was blindsided by the last 24 hours or so. 

Sometime on Monday, April 1st, Ed Piskor took his own life.  It was prefaced by a long and now deleted note explaining things, why he was doing what he was planning on doing, and what should be done in the future. It was a half note, half will of sorts. To say I was shocked is an understatement. Upset and trying to process this, it’s weird to feel this way about someone I’ve never met. I suppose this is parasocial attachment, but it feels deeper than that. Maybe it’s the way Ed wore his heart on his sleeve, spoke like a big kid about the thing he devoted his life to and loved most, comics. He felt that was taken from him. That his life was already over. Ed will not be remembered for what he was accused of, but for the way he connected with so many people, comics fans and non comics fans alike. It’s sad to think that now I live in a post-Ed world for lack of a better term, because he and Jim helped me become a better creator. Beyond that, they helped me immerse myself in the world of graphical storytelling, remaining always enigmatic and not afraid to put many different types of books on display. For that, I’m beyond thankful.

My thoughts and condolences are with Ed’s family and friends, the people who really knew him, and who were impacted by him. I don’t think he knew how many he’d be hurting by making the choice he made. I hope seeing the outpouring of support brings them peace.

I’ll miss you Ed. Even if we never met.

Eddie P til Infinity.