Cartoonist Ed Piskor committed suicide

Trib Live announced the Pittsburgh cartoonist Ed Piskor, who was recently targeted by sexual misconduct controversy, has died at just 41:

Ed Piskor, a well-known Munhall comic artist who recently became embroiled in controversy over allegations of sexual misconduct, has died, the funeral home handling his arrangements confirmed Monday.

Piskor, who was 41, died unexpectedly on Monday, according to an obituary posted online by the Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home of Munhall. [...]

Earlier Monday, Piskor posted on social media that the allegations had caused him pain. He wrote “I’m helpless against a mob of this magnitude” and “Sayonara,” Japanese for goodbye.

“Now it’s all gone. Art show evaporated,” wrote Piskor. “… I have no friends in this life any longer. I’m a disappointment to everybody who liked me. I’m a pariah.”

According to El Pais, it appears it was sadly suicide:

American comics artist Ed Piskor has died at the age of 41, his family announced on Monday, April 1. Piskor’s cause of death has not been made public. But prior to his death, he posted what appeared to be a suicide note on social media, in which he addressed the recent sexual harassment allegations against him made by two women. Artist Molly Dwyer accused him of trying to seduce her when she was still a minor, while another woman, Molly Wright, claimed that Piskor asked her for oral sex in exchange for helping her career. Piskor denied the accusations in a long, five-page message that he published a few hours before he died. Experts, however, argue that many factors influence suicide, and that it cannot be attributed to a single event. [...]

Justine Piskor, the cartoonist’s sister, announced his death. In a message on Facebook on the afternoon of April 1, she posted a brief text with several photos of the two of them together: “It is with the most broken heart that I share my big brother, Ed, has passed away today. Please just keep our family in your prayers as this is the hardest thing we’ve ever had to go through.”

While he may not have been a saint, it definitely is regrettable it came to this, and for all we know, he may have become another victim of cancel culture. That said, a shame he had to solve his problems by taking his own life, if that's what he did.

Trib Live also presented examples of other illustrators reacting. And it's interesting how now, after he's gone from the living world, all of a sudden, that changes everything, and people are seemingly sorry. For example, Ramon Villalobos:

Been mulling over this all day but understandably didn't want to say anything out of turn. This is how I feel. pic.twitter.com/H4bhNdv7uH

— Villalobos (@RamonVillalobos) April 2, 2024

If memory serves, Villalobos made some very crude remarks on social media in the past (and he even blocks Comicsgate supporters from his page), so if he attacked Piskor, that's very grave, and Villalobos had no business even bringing up the topic. Here's also what cartoonist Evan Dorkin, also mentioned in Piskor's post, says:

I did not criticize Ed to pile on, it wasn't out of jealousy of his success, or to monetize the situation as some are doing or play politics. Obviously my posts hurt Ed, he singled me out in his note. I hurt Ed. I am responsible for that hurt even if I stand by my criticism (2).

— Evan Dorkin (@evandorkin) April 1, 2024

This is terrible on all accounts, for all the people directly involved. I hope the news about Ed Piskor isn't true. He knows I tried doing something drastic when things got bad for me some years back, I told him it's not the way. I hope he comes home and talks more shit about me.

— Evan Dorkin (@evandorkin) April 1, 2024

I think Dorkin would do well to apologize to Piskor's family for even addressing the subject to start with. I've noticed he's got "pronoun" propaganda on his profile, and if he supports what I think he does, he is one very disappointing wokester.

So far, if there's anybody who hasn't apologized, though, it's Dwyder and Wright. While Piskor may have been rude to them, this whole scandal did not have to take place, and could've been solved quietly behind the scenes. Yet maybe it's better if we don't hear from those 2 again on the subject. What they did led to a situation that was avoidable.