Well-known Marvel Comics and DC Comics comic book artist John Paul Leon passed away Sunday after a 14-year battle with cancer, according to a GoFundMe page posted by his studio-mates, Tommy Lee Edwards and Bernard Change.  He was 49.

Leon began his professional career with a series of illustrations for Dragon and Dungeon magazines, while he was still a teenager.  While attending School of Visual Arts in New York, he drew the DC Comics/Milestone title, Static.

His best-known comics work includes the Marvel Comics series Earth X, based on a concept by Alex Ross and written by Jim Krueger, the DC series Challengers of the Unknown, and work on top characters including Superman, Batman, and X-Men.

Leon also provided movie style guides for films including Superman Returns, Batman Begins, Green Lantern, and Dark Knight.

DC Publisher Jim Lee eulogized Leon on Twitter, saying of his artwork, "I remain in awe of both his unrivaled draftsmanship & his stellar design work - both of which were simply unparalleled & technically just so precise & perfect.  But what really made me a fan was how he still squeezed in every bit of emotion & life in every image he created."