GWAR’s Chuck Varga, the Sexecutioner, Dead at 68
Chuck Varga, a longtime GWAR collaborator and performer known as Sexecutioner, has died after cancer at age 68. Casey Orr announced the passing, saying Varga died peacefully with his wife by his side. Varga contributed sculpture, illustration, character design, and special effects to GWAR’s visual world and sang on tracks such as “Sexecutioner” and “Rag Na Rok.”
Varga was integral to GWAR’s early visual identity, shaping its monstrous stage world through sculpture, illustration, character design, effects, and performance. He also helped found Richmond’s Slave Pit Studios and performed as Sexecutioner, singing on “Sexecutioner” (1990) and “Rag Na Rok” (1995).
After GWAR disclosed his cancer fight in April, supporters organized a blood drive and later a fundraiser for treatment, hospice, equipment, nursing, and related costs. Bandmate Bob Gorman said Varga’s underground style and creative vision remain embedded in GWAR. The group plans an October tour with Midnight and Mac Sabbath.
Varga’s death may resonate most with GWAR’s longtime fans, underground music communities, and artists who blend performance with visual craft. It could deepen appreciation for the collaborative, theatrical labor behind shock-rock spectacles and remind audiences that such worlds depend on designers, sculptors, and effects artists as much as front performers. For Richmond’s creative scene and GWAR’s touring circle, the loss may also prompt reflection on legacy, mentorship, and the fragile economics of sustaining ambitious independent art.