Chuck Varga, a founding member of GWAR and performer of The Sexecutioner from 1985 to 2022, has died after battling cancer. His death was announced on 25 September by bandmate Casey Orr, who said Varga passed peacefully with his wife, Bambi, holding his hand. The news marks the loss of a major figure in the band’s history and creative development.

Varga contributed as a performer, artist, illustrator and character designer, helping establish GWAR’s distinctive theatrical, satirical and gore-focused identity over more than four decades. A fundraiser launched in June sought to cover his cancer treatment, hospice care, medical equipment, nursing support and household costs while his wife cared for him full-time. His death follows that of frontman Dave Brockie, who died in 2014 aged 50.