The proud and vibrant artwork of Jeffrey Veregge blended superheroes and science fiction with Native Salish art styles in a groundbreaking Marvel Comics series, landed in the the Smithsonian and even on a mural at newly opened Climate Pledge Arena. The Port Gamble S’Klallam tribal member, as known in his community for his kindness as much as the “Salish Geek” style he coined, died April 12, at age 50.
“For thousands of years Native and Non-Native storytellers have used art as a means to share the tales of their people,” Veregge wrote on his website, which featured his “‘Rez’ume” of artwork. “For me I am carrying on a tradition that started with my ancestors by simply using the means of today and all its modern conveniences to share the tales that I love.”
Veregge, who died of a heart attacked, had battled lupus for three years “like the superhero we knew him to be,” his wife Christina shared in a post on Facebook, spending a total of 925 days in the hospital.
“Since birth, Jeffrey has given me an unwavering source of love and support,” said Renee Veregge, Jeffrey’s sister and member of the Port Gamble S’Kallam Tribal Council. “His kindness and his capacity for unconditional love was a rare gift. As long as I can remember, I always looked up to him as the epitome of goodness and kindness.”
The pair were best friends growing up, Renee Veregge said. Jeffrey Veregge was playful and would tease Renee relentlessly, as typical brothers do, she recalled. He loved his parents dearly, preferring to stay close to them in his younger years, and shared a very close bond with his mother, Connie Veregge, who he would also subject to his affectionate teasing.
Renee remembers her brother’s “unparalleled” sense of humor, his mischievousness and playfulness that never failed to bring his family and friends joy and laughter. Veregge photoshopped humorous images of his friends and family and wrote funny posts on his friends’ social media pages.
“Jeffrey was not only a remarkable talented artist and writer, but he was also a devoted husband, proud father, loving son and brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend to many,” Renee said.
It was in the early 2010s that Veregge’s artwork began to take off. He won awards at the In The Spirit contemporary Northwest Native American art exhibit for a Batman print imagined in his “Salish Geek” art style.
Veregge used that innovation to provide variants for G.I. Joe and Transformers titles, commissioning cover art for more than 100 comics, including Marvel’s Red Wolf series and his own solo comic series called DemiCon, inspired by a mix of Native and Greek mythology.
By 2021, Veregge’s work spanned the nation in the form of public murals. He covered two 50-foot walls in The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York City with a battle scene featuring Marvel’s Avengers. Veregge also made his mark on two Seattle landmarks, with a mutual of the Salish Sea for the Burke Museum’s children’s play area and another in the Climate Pledge Arena of a Salish landscape with towering trees accompanied by retro-futurist robots.
“He was a prolific artist and also a big thinker,” said Laura Haddad, an artist who served as the art planner for the Climate Pledge Arena project. “He was very interested in moving into sculptural expression, which I feel could have been his next big move. He was enthusiastic and wanted to keep pushing himself into new territory.”
When the mural project arose, Haddad immediately thought of Veregge because of his signature hybrid style and thought his work would be a perfect fit for Seattle Center, as the city’s cultural hub. He was such an obvious choice for her that he was selected without competition. She was so enthralled working with Veregge that she asked him to join a team with her and her partner to work on another competitive art project.
“We have lost an artist with a truly unique sensibility who was on the verge of becoming an art superstar,” Haddad said. “All of the stars were aligning that way when he became ill. We are fortunate to have the many works he left behind, which will inspire people for generations to come.”
Half a dozen pieces of Veregge’s artwork are hanging on the wall of 23rd District Sen. Drew Hansen’s home office on Bainbridge Island, and a couple line the closets of his two children. Hansen, a self-proclaimed geek at heart, was captivated by Veregge’s infusion of Native iconography into symbols of some of his favorite franchises like Star Wars, Tron, Marvel and DC.
When Hansen reached out to Veregge to hang out over a cup of coffee, Veregge arrived with a smile and a Spider-Man t-shirt for Hansen’s daughter and a Seattle Seahawks shirt for his son, both reinterpreted through Native art.
Hansen carried on his connection with Veregge and visited him in the hospital when he became sick and prayed for one another frequently, as both shared a Christian faith. Hansen even formed a prayer team including his mother and a Bible study of legislators in Olympia to pray over Veregge over the years.
“He had this dazzling, dazzling smile and even in the hospital when things were really tough, you’d still see that smile like the sun coming through the clouds and just be grateful that you know him,” Hansen said.
Renee and Christina Veregge plan to host a celebration of life for their dear brother and husband and will soon announce a date.
“Jeffrey’s passing has left a void in our lives that can never be filled,” Renee said. “As we mourn his loss, we take comfort in the memories, love, laughter and unwavering kindness he gave us which will forever light up our hearts. He will forever be missed.”
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