Chuck Varga, a founding member of the costumed heavy metal band GWAR, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 68.
Varga’s death was announced Friday (Sept. 25) in a social media post by GWAR bassist Casey Orr, who performs as Beefcake the Mighty.
“He was one of a kind. As an artist, as a performer; as a scholar and a gentleman,” Orr wrote on Facebook, noting that Varga died peacefully alongside his wife, Bambi. “I’m better for having known him and the world is lesser for his leaving.”
Varga was best known for creating and portraying GWAR’s Sexecutioner character, beginning in 1985. He left the band in 1997 but continued to make occasional appearances with the group before retiring from performing in 2021, according to the band’s website.
In his tribute, Orr wrote that Varga is “most likely being welcomed into Valhalla right now” by the late GWAR members Dave Brockie, the band’s longtime frontman who performed as Oderus Urungus, and Cory Smoot, the guitarist who performed as Flattus Maximus.
“Raise your glass and tell his tales. Legends never die. Hail Varga! Hail Sexicutioner!” Orr concluded.
In June, GWAR launched a fundraiser to help Varga’s family cover the mounting costs of his medical care, including cancer treatments, hospice care, specialized medical equipment and additional nursing support.
Donors who contributed to the fundraiser received access to exclusive merchandise created for the campaign, including a new T-shirt designed by Varga.
Born in 1958, Varga studied at Virginia Commonwealth University before co-founding Slave Pit Studios in Richmond, Virginia, where he helped develop the art-driven project that became GWAR. A multidisciplinary artist, Varga created and portrayed Sexecutioner while also contributing costumes, sets, props and comic art to the band’s elaborate world. He left GWAR in 1997 but continued to make occasional appearances before retiring from performing in 2021.
“Chuck Varga’s contributions to the GWAR and Slave Pit collective are enormous,” Bob Gorman (aka Bonesnapper) wrote in a statement posted on the donation page. “The influence of his illustrations, character designs, performances, and artistic vision can still be felt throughout GWAR today.”