The sad news broke yesterday that the iconic horror director, George A. Romero of Night of The Living Dead fame, died on the morning of July 16 after a short battle with lung cancer.

Romero did not invent the zombie genre but he is widely regarded as having been the creator of the fictional zombie as we see it today. More than just a master of fear, the director also imbued many of his films with a cutting sense of social commentary. 1968's Night of the Living Dead captured the racially charged tensions of the US of the day while Dawn of the Dead, made 10 years later, was an ingenious skewering of materialism and the birth of mall culture.

While his name would always be synonymous with The Living Dead, Romero had a diverse back catalogue of films and was often eager to prove he could do so much more. The online world react with shock and sadness at his unexpected passing.

Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead, unsurprisingly saw Romero as a major influence:

I couldn't put into one tweet how I feel about George A Romero, his passing & his influence on me. So I wrote this. https://t.co/eSaKaRndDC pic.twitter.com/qiNWRRtLV0

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 17, 2017

Simon Pegg, actor and frequent Wright collaborator was equally heartbroken:

George A. Romero 1940-2017. An inspiration and a hero. pic.twitter.com/wqTyHRyYP6

— Pegg News (@simonpegg) July 17, 2017

Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele cited Romero's social critiques as an inspiration to him:

Romero started it. pic.twitter.com/i4dnxi8EFV

— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) July 16, 2017

Contemporary and Halloween director John Carpenter:

George Romero was a great director, the father of modern horror movies. He was my friend and I will miss him. Rest in peace, George.

— John Carpenter (@TheHorrorMaster) July 16, 2017

Even a chef like Anthony Bourdain saw the great man's importance:

Rest In Peace George Romero. A great artist, innovator and creator . He changed everything.

— Anthony Bourdain (@Bourdain) July 16, 2017

Sherlock co-creator and film fanatic Mark Gatiss had once interviewed Romero for a BBC documentary on classic horror cinema.

A fond farewell to charming, legendary zombie king George Romero. 'Martin' is one of my favourite horrors. An honour to have met him. RIP pic.twitter.com/8ZIwjxFrmx

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) July 16, 2017

Actor and comedian Kumail Nunjani:

R.I.P. George Romero. A true legend. Started a new genre on his own. Who else can claim that?

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) July 16, 2017

Make-up artist Tom Savini worked on a number of Romero's films and even remade Night of The Living Dead in 1990

Goodbye George A Romero. We laughed through 50 years and 9 films. I will miss him. There is a light that has gone out and can't be replaced. pic.twitter.com/N0MAC1ItVM

— Tom Savini (@THETomSavini) July 16, 2017