It is with a heavy heart that we announce that artist Jay Lynch passed away on March 5th at age 72, according to the New York Times. The cause of death, per his cousin, was lung cancer.

Lynch was an historian of underground comics, cherishing the art form and preserving it as best he could, ultimately sharing that collection with the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Blog at Ohio State University. His own artistic endeavors were found in Bazooka gum mini-comics, Nard n’ Pat, and as a contributor to various magazines.

But he may be most well known for his work on the Cabbage Patch Kids satire product Garbage Pail Kids, which took what should have been adorable babies, toddlers, and young children and converted them into disgusting, vile abominations that tickled audiences the world over. The cards were so popular they spawned a television series that supposedly aired in Europe but not the USA as well as a feature-length live-action film in 1987.

We send our deepest condolences to his friends, family members, and fans.

Rest in peace, Mr. Lynch. Thank you for all the art you brought into this world as well as that which you made sure wouldn’t leave it.