Marc Wilkofsky
Pretty stunning news today as word has been going around that Marc Wilkofsky has passed away at the very young age of 42. Details are unavailable.

Wilco, as he was known, got his start in comics as a copy editor at Wizard magazine, a period remembered here by former Wizard staffer Andrew Kardon. (That’s Wilco as Green Arrow in the below Wizard staff Halloween photo. With his indie sensibilities and love of soap operas, Wizard wasn’t the best fit for Marc, and after leaving he found a job at Soap Opera Digest where he seemed to be happy as could be. Around this time (the late ’90s on) Marc joined the New York Chapter of Friends of Lulu, the organization for women in comics, and was a tireless organizing force, winning the Lulu award for Volunteer of the Year in 2005.

In recent years, Marc was a regular at the monthly NYC Comic Jams, and that group is mourning his death today.

Through it all, I doubt there is a single person who ever met Marc who would not agree that he was one of the sweetest, kindest, gentlest people on the face of the earth. He always tried to stay upbeat even when life dealt him reverses, supported everyone around him with kind words, and through all his quirks (he was a copy editor, after all) remained a good soul. I am so shocked at his early passing, and I hope he got some of the happiness that he deserved in life.

WizardHalloweenParty.jpg

Too much death this year…

28 COMMENTS

  1. Haha. Wizard wasn’t the best fit for Marc? Wizard was the PERFECT fit for Marc as he loved comics, loved editing, and loved managing the magazine’s Trailer Park column.

    Of Marc and Wizard I will only say this: He deserved better.

  2. Marc really was one of the sweetest, kindest, and gentlest souls I’ve ever met. He was so hardworking for Friends of Lulu, and really made every convention nicer. I’m so surprised and sad to hear this news today. I wish I had thanked him and made him feel valued more–the way he made everyone around him feel.

  3. I’ve just read of this news and am very surprised and saddened to learn of this. Marc was always a very kind-hearted person when I saw or spoke to him. I’m sorry to hear of this, and know he will be missed around the comics folks of NYC.

  4. Marc was, without question, the most kind-hearted, giving, gentlest individuals I’ve had the pleasure to become friends with. His contributions to the local New York comics scene cannot be emphasized enough.

    Again, thanks for the write-up Heidi. I’m glad he’s being remembered in such a fashion, and I have a feeling that many of us will be swapping favorite Marc stories for a very long time to come, which I’m sure he would appreciated.

  5. Marc was more then just a regular attendee to our regular jams, he was an integral part of the mix that make them what they are. On a personal note, he was some ways was the reason I keep them going. I feel we touched him in some very personal ways and vice vera. I will miss him deeply. We will have a more in depth comment tomorrow on http://houseof12.tumblr.com. I wish him well on his adventures across the universe, wherever that may take him.

    – Cheese

  6. Marc was one of our shining stars in the Ramapo
    High School Comic Book Club and helped make the Ramapo High Comic Con the success that it was. We kept in touch for many years while he was at Wizard. It was always great to see him at a comic show. His beaming smile will be so missed.

  7. Marc was the editor I worked with most frequently during my “Trailer Park” days for Wizard. Always encouraging in even the most stressful of situations, he genuinely cared about every word and every fact, and you couldn’t ask for more from an editor.

  8. I was a student at Rutgers University at the same time as Marc. I was so surprised to hear this news about him. I was an upperclassmen on his floor at Clothier Hall when he arrived as a freshman and I still remember his first day. He arrived with his parents and was so excited and nervous. Coincidentally, his roommate’s name was also Marc.

    I have seen Marc several times throughout the years and know how much he talked about Soap Opera Digest. I hope he is at peace now.

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