Dave Cockrum

David Emmett Cockrum (November 11, 1943 - November 26, 2006) was an American comic book artist known for co-creating the X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus. He also updated the uniforms of the Legion of Super-Heroes and was also an artist for Dragon magazine.

As the son of a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, he was born in Pendleton, Oregon, and he himself served in the U.S. Navy for six years during the Vietnam War.

Cockrum died November 26, 2006, in Belton, South Carolina, due to complications from diabetes. To honor Cockrum's memory, the president is named David Cockrum in the novelization of X-Men: The Last Stand and the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art established an annual Dave & Paty Cockrum Scholarship to a new promising artist as a scholarship funded by sales of comics from Cockrum's personal collection.

His wife Paty was also an artist and colourist.