We are saddened to report the passing of the influential artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones at 4:00 AM on May 19, 2011, surrounded by family, due to complications from severe emphysema and bronchitis.

Jones painted many covers for books including notable science fiction and fantasy works such as Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series and Andre Norton's Postmarked the Stars, The Zero Stone, and Uncharted Stars, among many others, and in the mid-to-late 1970s formed The Studio with fellow artists Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Michael William Kaluta.

A master of mood, style and lighting, Jones’ work has influenced several generations of artists. I always considered him a milder version of Frank Frazetta but I always enjoyed his art and studied his anatomy quite often. He really wasn't a clone of Frazetta. I'm sure he got some assignments because he was able to provide a passable version of the style, but one look at A Woman of Bangkok and it is obvious that he had a style and a talent very early on that had nothing to do with muscular barbarians. He provided over 150 covers for many different types of books through 1976.

He'll be missed in the art world.