Marvel Comics writer, comedian and film and television producer Ron Zimmerman has passed away. He was 64 years old.

Per Deadline, singer and actor Cher -- Zimmerman's one-time partner -- confirmed the writer's passing in a post to Twitter on Saturday, July 30. "My friend Ronny died Today," she wrote. "Life is so fragile. Thank god I went to see him Wednesday nite. Just finished Work & I'm beat."

Zimmerman wrote a number of characters during his time at Marvel Comics, penning individual issues of series like Punisher, Spider-Man's Tangled Web, Deadline, Black Panther, Muties, Cable, Daredevil and Thor. He also wrote the six-issue limited series Spider-Man: Get Kraven, as well as the six-issue limited series Ultimate Adventures and the one-shot Startling Stories: The Thing. However, Zimmerman is perhaps best known as the writer of Marvel's controversial relaunch of Rawhide Kid.

Written by Zimmerman and illustrated by John Severin, 2003's Rawhide Kid was published under Marvel's MAX Comics imprint. A satirical, Blazing Saddles-esque reboot of Marvel's original Rawhide Kid comics, Zimmerman and Severin's title re-imagined the classic Marvel cowboy as a gay man, making it the House of Ideas' very first comic to feature a gay character in the title role. The book had plenty of innuendos alluding to this fact, though did not feature any explicit content.

Nevertheless, this depiction of the Rawhide Kid drew the ire of some parents, who sent angry letters to Marvel. This deeply upset Zimmerman, considering the fact that the comic's depiction of the Rawhide Kid's sexuality was generally limited to him being a well-dressed, well-groomed man who was particular about his appearance. "It was the most innocently conceived book imaginable," the writer said in a 2003 interview with The Standard-Times. "They call it disgusting [and] repulsive."

However, despite being groundbreaking to some extent, Zimmerman's Rawhide Kid has still proven to be divisive among readers. Some have criticized the book for perpetuating harmful gay stereotypes. Others, meanwhile, have praised it for subverting the brand of masculinity typically associated with westerns.

At any rate, the version of the Rawhide Kid depicted in Zimmerman's comic was shown to be a skilled gunslinger who was more than capable of handling himself in a fight -- including against those who would insult his lifestyle. According to Zimmerman himself, the ultimate message of the comic was simple: "Don't call people names... because if you do you just might get your ass kicked."

Zimmerman and Severin's Rawhide Kid limited series ran for a total of five issues from February 2003 to April 2003. Zimmerman later teamed with artist Howard Chaykin for a follow-up Rawhide Kid title, which ran for four issues from June 2010 to September 2010.

Outside of comics, Zimmerman is known for his work on the Friday the 13th series of slasher films, as well as the 2001 Jet Li sci-fi film The One. He also has various producing credits for such TV shows as Shake It Up, The Michael Richards Show and Action. As a comedian, Zimmerman was a regular guest on The Howard Stern Show.

Source: Deadline