Lee Moder Dies: Comic Book Artist And Stargirl Co-Creator Was 53

Comic book artist Lee Moder, who co-created the Courtney Whitmore version of Stargirl with Geoff Johns in 1999, has passed away, according to ComicBook.com and statements from his peers. The web site cited a family friend, who indicated that Moder died quietly at home sometime on or before January 15th. No cause of his death was given. Moder was 53.

A TV series based on the Stargirl character ran for three seasons on the CW, ending last December. DC’s Stargirl followed Courtney and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. Johns served as showrunner, and executive produced the series with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

Moder worked in the comics industry for nearly three decades. In that time he drew titles like Legion of Super-Heroes and Wonder Woman at DC. He also provided art for issues of Highlander and Red Sonja for Dynamite and worked on Marvel’s X-Factor, CrossGen’s Scion, and the Boom! Studios’ anthology Zombie Tales. 

“The industry lost a wonderful talent with the passing of Lee Moder,” Johns told ComicBook.com. “He was the first artist I ever collaborated with on my first comic book, Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E., which introduced Courtney Whitmore, AKA Stargirl. Lee co-created Courtney and her world with me, along with re-imagining the old 1940’s Pat Dugan Stripesy into S.T.R.I.P.E. He embodied the warmth, power, beauty and comedy he put into all his art. We had so much fun. I’ll miss Lee very much.”