Al Williamson, comic book artist and illustrator extraordinaire, died Saturday.  He was 79.  Williamson began his career at the fabled EC Comics in the late 40s and early 50s.  In the 1960's he won the 1966 National Cartoonists Society Award for Best Comic Book for his work on Flash Gordon and in 1967 helped assemble the first major book collection of Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon comic strip which was published by Nostalgia Press.  

In the 1970s Williamson drew the comic strip Secret Agent Corrigan (see "'Secret Agent Corrigan' from IDW”) and in the 1980s he illustrated the adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back and the Star Wars comic strip.  He also worked as an inker on an assortment of Marvel Comics titles including Daredevil and Spidergirl.

For the official statement from Williamson’s family, see “Al Williamson.”