Acclaimed Korean cartoonist Kim Jung Gi dies at 47

• He collaborated with major brands.
• Kim Jung broke his own Guinness World Record.
• He was famous for his intricate cartoon drawings.

Recently tragic news flooded the international art world, upon learning that Kim Jung Gi, the acclaimed Korean cartoonist had died at the age of 47.

The acclaimed artist from South Korea drew dense, intricately detailed scenes with incredible speed, often before a live audience. He also narrated them as he worked, sharing his process with his enraptured fans as he created a fully realized work of art before their eyes.

Acclaimed Korean Cartoonist Kim Jung Gi dies

Kim, an influential comic book artist, died suddenly this week, according to his US agent, reported CNN. Kim Jung Gi was only 47 years old so he should have been looking forward to a long career.

The artist was in Paris for an exhibition of his work when he experienced chest pains shortly before flying to New York where he was supposed to appear at Comic Con. He was transported to a hospital, where he died, according to a statement shared on his verified social media accounts.

“He had chest pain”

“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi. After finishing his last schedule in Europe, Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away.” reads a statement on his Instagram account.

The brilliant South Korean artist, who was about to participate in the New York Comic Con, collaborated on several occasions with Marvel and DC Comics, leaving a great legacy in the art world. He also managed to break a Guinness World Record for the longest drawing in terms of volume in the world, according to Cultura Colectiva.

A natural artist

A lifelong artist, Kim began drawing at the South Korean comic publication Young Jump before creating his own manhwa, a style of South Korean comic called «Tiger the Long Tail» or » TLT”.

Known for his live drawing sessions, Kim covered blank canvases with incredibly detailed scenes that he often drew without a reference image. He would create scenes using visual fragments that he had collected and memorized, and then apply them to paper.

Kim Jung Gi shared his talent

As he detailed on one occasion to Visual Atelier, for his most radical pieces, he had around “60% of the image in (his) head” and improvised the rest. Which corroborates his admirable natural talent.

He also taught in formal academic settings, lecturing at universities on manhwa. With his students, he emphasized the ability to «visualize the moment,» fusing observations of his daily life with images in his imagination, according to CNN.