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Bierbaum
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Born in Dover, Delaware in 1956, Tom Bierbaum entered the world of professional comic book writing through Legion fandom. A member of the Legion APA Interlac (through which he met his wife, Mary), Bierbaum had published articles via the APA, where they were read by Legion creator Keith Giffen and future Legion editor Mark Waid. When Giffen was looking for a scripter for his "Lightning" stories in Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, he recruited the husband and wife writing team for the job. That, along with their work for DC's New Talent Showcase editor Sal Amendola, convinced the editors at DC that they were ready to become Legion scripters. After their Legion job they went on to write various titles for Image, including Supreme, Super-Patriot, Youngblood: Strikefile, and Star, as well as Xena: Warrior Princess and Jurassic Park for Topps. Most recently, they worked on Wonderlanders for Oktomica and Stormquest for Blue Line Pro Comics. Never a full-time comic book writer, Bierbaum used to freelance for Variety before becoming a staffer at inside.com. On November 26, 2001 he began work at NBC, working as a ratings analyst. He currently lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his wife Mary and their two children. |
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Bierbaum
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Born in Long Beach, California in 1955, Mary Bierbaum entered the world of professional comic book writing through Legion fandom. A member of the Legion APA Interlac (through which she met her husband, Tom), Bierbaum had published articles via the APA, where they were read by Legion creator Keith Giffen and future Legion editor Mark Waid. When Giffen was looking for a scripter for his "Lightning" stories in Wally Wood's T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, he recruited the husband and wife writing team for the job. That, along with their work for DC's New Talent Showcase editor Sal Amendola, convinced the editors at DC that they were ready to assume the role of Legion scripters. After their Legion job they went on to write various titles for Image, including Supreme, Super-Patriot, Youngblood: Strikefile, and Star, as well as Xena: Warrior Princess and Jurassic Park for Topps. Most recently, they worked on Wonderlanders for Oktomica and Stormquest for Blue Line Pro Comics. Never a full-time comic book writer, Bierbaum worked as a nurse until she retired in 1991 to raise her two children. She currently resides in Erie, Pennsylvania, along with her husband Tom and their children. |
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Born in Queens, New York on November 30, 1952, Keith Giffen's first published work came in the form of "Witchworld", an installment of "The Sword in the Star," which was a backup feature in Marvel Preview. After a stint as the regular penciller on the Defenders he moved over to DC, where he had previously provided layouts on All-Star Comics. After working on the Challengers of the Unknown for about a year, missed deadlines and a poor attitude caused Giffen to temporarily drop out of the industry altogether. An absence of two years followed before he asked DC editor Joe Orlando for a second chance, and was assigned various inventory stories for the comics Ghosts and House of Mystery. The latter work landed him the assignment on the "Dr. Fate" feature in the pages of the Flash, and from there he graduated to his best-known tenure on The Legion of Super-Heroes. While working on a poster which featured every Legion character, both supporting and main, hero and villain, up to that point, Giffen exhausted himself on the Legion universe, and stepped down from the monthly title. Follow up projects included Ambush Bug, both Justice League titles (America/International and Europe), and the highly successful Lobo series of mini-series.When it came time for DC's annual crossover event in 1989, Giffen was tapped to produce Invasion!, which spawned the spin-off series L.E.G.I.O.N. '89, which featured the universe of the Legion of Super-Heroes one thousand years before its creation. After a three year hiatus, Giffen returned to the Legion of Super-Heroes in 1987, working again as Paul Levitz's co-plotter and penciller. When Levitz stepped down from the title after eight consecutive years as author, Giffen inherited the writer's role, which he shared with relative newcomers Tom and Mary Bierbaum. Considered by many to be the most controversial period in the Legion's history, Giffen relaunched the title, setting it five years further into the 30th Century in a universe in which the Legion had disbanded and many unknown events had occurred during the "five year gap." After 38 issues he left the title, spawning the creator-owned Trencher for Image Comics. He also did work for Acclaim Comics following this period, including scripts on Magnus, Robot Fighter, as well as pencils and scripts on the Giffen-created Punx. Giffen also completed some work for Dark Horse (Agents of Law), Rob Liefeld's branch of Image Comics (Supreme), and plots on Erik Larsen's Freak Force and Super-Patriot, as well as an issue of Victory for Topps' Kirbyverse. Near the end of the Nineties, Giffen left comics altogether, providing storyboards for the Spider-Man Unlimited and Batman Beyond cartoons. Now back in the industy again, he is the current writer on Suicide Squad for DC Comics. Anyone wishing to purchase an original piece of art from the artist may do so via his art dealer at http://www.theartistschoice.com/giffen.htm. |
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Peterson
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Born in Wisconsin on October 14, 1969, Brandon Peterson got his first break in comics pencilling Bounty for Caliber Comics. From there he went on to DC, where he pencilled the Khund War storyline in Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 4) #'s 15-17, the follow-up issue in # 18, and Legion Annuals #'s 2 & 3, which told the story of Valor and Garth/Proty, respectively. After his Legion work, Peterson pencilled some issues of Star Trek for DC before moving over to Marvel Comics where he drew the Uncanny X-men. After his X-Men stint was over, Peterson moved on to the Top Cow branch of Image Comics, where he pencilled all issues of Codename: Stryke Force, worked on issues of Cyberforce and The Darkness, and drew the mini-series' Medieval Spawn/Witchblade and Ripclaw. In 1997 he launched the creator-owned Arcanum at Top Cow before returning to Marvel to pencil the Astonishing X-Men and Magneto Rex mini-series. In 2000 he joined the newly formed Crossgen Comics as Art Director and artist on the monthly series Mystic, before he stepped down in 2002 from both duties to become Vice-President of Special Projects for the publisher. He is currently working on the mini-series Chimera for Crossgen which will reunite him with former Mystic writer Ron Marz. Anyone wishing to contact the artist may do so via his website at www.brandonpeterson.com. |
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Born in Georgia on August 29, 1970, Jason Pearson broke into comics at Innovation pencilling such titles as Hero Alliance and the Maze Agency. His first big break came in the form of the Legion of Super-Heroes, where he replaced Keith Giffen as regular artist on the title. After his Legion run he pencilled X-Men Annual # 17 before moving over to Image Comics, where he drew the mini-series' Vanguard and Dragon: Blood and Guts, which he also scripted. In 1996 he became the first creator to launch his own title under the Dark Horse imprint Blanc Noir, producing Body Bags for the publisher. A founding member of the Atlanta based Gaijin Studios, Pearson has been known to provide covers for such series as Robin and Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight. Most recently he provided pencils for a story in the Wildstorm Summer Special ("Taboo"), and has also worked on Wildstorm's Gen 13: Bootleg, in addition to his work for Penthouse Comix. Original art from his period on the Legion of Super-Heroes is still available at http://www.doasales.com/curr/art/pearson.html, and anyone wishing to purchase a piece may do so via his representatives there. |
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Immonen
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Born in Ontario, Stuart Immonen began his career by self-publishing his own comics for the independent company One Horse Leadworks. After a stint drawing unauthorized rock and roll biographies for Revolutionary Comics, Immonen moved over to Innovation, where he received pencilling assignments on Hero Alliance and an unpublished Lawnmower Man adaptation. Some work at Marvel Comics followed, including stories in Wonder Man and Wolverine Annuals, before Immonen showed his work to DC editor Neil Ponzer at a New York convention. The result was a ten page assignment featuring the Martian Manhunter in Showcase '93, which led to a fill-in issue of the Legion of Super-Heroes. When KC Carlson replaced Michael Eury as editor on the title, he asked Immonen to stay on, resulting in a two year run on the title. After the Legion was rebooted, Immonen was offered the assignment on Adventures of Superman, which he pencilled for thirty issues, before becoming both the writer and penciller on Action Comics. In 2000 he helped form Gorilla Comics, a creator-owned imprint of Image Comics, along with creators Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, and George Perez (among others), where he worked on the series Shockrockets and Superstar. In 2001 Gorilla Comics folded, leaving Immonen free to pursue work from other publishers. He was the regular artist on Thor that same year, and will provide pencils on upcoming issues of Fantastic Four in 2002. Anyone wishing to contact the artist may do so via his website at http://www.interlog.com/~immonen. |
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Born in California on June 22, 1953, Al Gordon made his debut as an inker at Marvel Comics during the late 1970s on such titles as Marvel Team-Up, Spider-Woman, and the Fantastic Four. His first DC assignment was Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew, which was followed by stints on Justice League International, Invasion!, and, most notably, the Legion of Super-Heroes. While inking the fourth volume of the series, Gordon also contributed plot ideas and was responsible for the creation of the characters Celeste Rockfish, Bounty, and Kent Shakespeare (Impulse). In addition, he also wrote the thematic sequel to "The Great Darkness Saga," entitled, "The Quiet Darkness," and was the writer on the Timber Wolf mini-series which followed. After his work on the Legion he moved over to Image Comics, where he co-created and wrote Wildstar with friend and collaborator Jerry Ordway. Long regarded as one of the premier inkers in the industry, Gordon most recently has been providing the inks for Chris Sprouse's work on Tom Strong. He maintains his own booth at comicon.com, and anyone wishing to purchase an original piece of art from the artist may do so via his representatives there. |
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Born on June 6, 1962, Tom McCraw began his comic book career at First Comics working on such titles as Evangeline, Dreadstar, Badger, and Elric. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, McCraw is best known for his work as a colorist, which is his primary occupation. He became the colorist on the Legion of Super-Heroes when then editor Mark Waid saw his work on an Aquaman job which Waid had assigned him. When Tom and Mary Bierbaum left as writers on the Legion, McCraw, a life-long Legion fan, was told by then editor KC Carlson to submit a proposal as writer, along with many other creators. To McCraw's surprise, he got the job, and continued on as writer past the reboot of the title. McCraw continues on as colorist of the comic today, and is a regular on AOL's Legion chat every Tuesday at 5:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. Anyone wishing to buy color guides used by the artist on issues of the Legion of Super-Heroes may do so via his art dealer at http://www.theartistschoice.com/mccraw.htm. |
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Sprouse
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Born in Alexandria, Virginia on July 30, 1966, Chris Sprouse's first credited work was the Chemical King story in the all Legion issue of Secret Origins. From there he illustrated the Two-Face story in Batman Annual # 14, before moving on to the limited series Hammerlocke. Sprouse followed his work on the sci-fi series with the launch of Legionnaires, which featured teenaged versions of the Legion characters totally redesigned by the artist. After he left the Legion spin-off, Sprouse drew a variety of one-shots and fill-ins before accepting the assignment on the Star Wars mini-series Splinter of the Mind's Eye, based upon the novel of the same name by Alan Dean Foster. He then moved over to Awesome Comics, where he became the regular penciller on New Men, a job which led directly to his getting the assignment on Alan Moore's Supreme. Once Awesome halted publication due to financial difficulties, Sprouse followed Moore over to America's Best Comics, where he helped design (and continues to draw) Tom Strong, the imprint's flagship title. A recipient of two Eisner awards (Best Serialized Story and Best Single Issue) for his work on Tom Strong, Sprouse has no intention to leave the series in the foreseeable future. Due to his workload he is unable to draw commissions for fans, but collectors of his work may purchase pieces of his art at http://www.doasales.com/curr/art/sprouse.html. |
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Hughes
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Born in Riverside, New Jersey on May 5, 1967, Adam Hughes began his career at Comico as the artist on the Maze Agency. After the title's cancellation at Innovation, he became the regular artist on Justice League International, then left the title to draw the Star Trek graphic novel, Debt of Honor. When Chris Sprouse was unable to maintain a monthly schedule on Legionnaires, Hughes was one of a handful of artists who stepped in to help out. Best known for his cover art which depicts full-figured females, Hughes was the artist chosen to depict the Dark Horse heroine Ghost. In 1996 he wrote and drew the Wildstorm mini-series Gen 13: Ordinary Heroes, and followed it up in 2000 as the author of the Superman: Gen 13 crossover series. The current cover artist on Wonder Woman and the former cover artist on Vampirella, Hughes is also providing the back covers for Stan Lee's Just Imagine series. A member of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios, Hughes will be writing and drawing a Tomb Raider mini-series for Top Cow in 2002. A regular at conventions, Hughes often provides sketches for fans there. |
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Born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 16, 1960, Kurt Busiek's first job in comics came in the form of a "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" story in Green Lantern # 162. From there he moved on to write some issues of Power Man and Iron Fist, before returning to DC to work on such series as Wonder Woman, Justice League of America, and the Red Tornado mini-series. In 1986 he became the assistant editor of Marvel Age Magazine (as well as a sales manager at Marvel), all the while continuing to write the The Liberty Project for Eclipse. It was during this period that Busiek revealed to fellow writer Roger Stern his idea for Jean Grey's resurrection, an idea which was ultimately used, leading to her return in the pages of X-Factor. In 1990 Busiek went freelance full-time, landing assignments on titles as varied as Mickey Mouse Adventures, What If--?, and Web of Spider-Man before hitting the big time in 1993 with his collaboration with painter Alex Ross on Marvels. In 1995 he released two series which would bring him further critical acclaim: Kurt Busiek's Astro City and Untold Tales of Spider-Man, and in 1997 he launched another pair of series: Thunderbolts for Marvel, and Ninjak for Acclaim. Later on that same year he was chosen by Marvel editors to be the writer on the "Heroes Return" relaunches of both Iron Man and the Avengers, solidifying his stature as a fan-favorite author. In 2000 he helped found Gorilla Comics with fellow creators Mark Waid, Stuart Immonen, and George Perez (among others), and was the author on the series' Shockrockets and Superstar. Currently writing the Power Company for DC, Busiek is also working on the long awaited JLA/Avengers crossover for Marvel/DC. A longtime Legion fan, Busiek's contribution to the 30th Century came in the form of the last four issues of Valor. |
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Doran
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Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 24, 1968, Colleen Doran became a professional artist at the age of fifteen when samples of her work were seen at a local science-fiction convention. She later dropped out of college to become a full-time artist, where she provided both the pencils and the scripts for her own creation, A Distant Soil. After creative and publishing differences with her publisher, she took the title elsewhere and began anew, retelling and redrawing the series from the very beginning. A longtime Legion fan, Doran drew the infamous Sean/Shvaughn Erin story in Legion of Super-Heroes # 31, and was the regular artist on Valor during the title's second year. She is currently at work completing the first book of A Distant Soil, as well as various projects in both the comic book and advertising industry. To date, three volumes of A Distant Soil have been released in trade paperback, all of which are available at the author's website at www.adistantsoil.com. In addition to her creator-owned and Legion work, Doran has worked for clients as varied as Lucasfilm, Disney, and Archie, as well as on characters as varied as Captain America, Wonder Woman, and the X-Men. The head of Colleen Doran Studios, she also makes time to complete commissions for fans. Anyone wishing to purchase an original piece of art from the artist may do so via her representatives at http://www.theartistschoice.com/doran.htm. |
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Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 13, 197x, Joe Phillips got his start in comics pencilling issues of Southern Knights for Comics Interview before moving on to Now Comics where he drew Speed Racer. A short stint at Innovation working on the adaptations of Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat got him noticed by DC Comics, landing him the assignment on Mister Miracle. After working on various Justice League annuals and specials, he paired with Al Gordon on the Timber Wolf mini-series. Following his Timber Wolf work, Phillips contributed to a variety of publishers, including Image, Dark Horse, and Marvel, in addition to DC, before creating the creator-owned Heretic for Dark Horse's Blanc Noir imprint. A former member of Gaijin Studios, his work on the Resurrection Man series in 1997 led to the Body Doubles mini-series from DC two years later, and in 2001 he contributed to the publisher's Wildstorm imprint, providing pencils for its Wildstorm Summer Special. In 2002 he will be producing the artwork for the adaptation of the upcoming movie Eight-Legged Freaks. Anyone wishing to purchase a sketch from the artist, or original pages from the Timber Wolf mini-series, may do so via his website at www.joephillips.com. |
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Born in Hueytown, Alabama on March 21, 1962, Mark Waid's first contributions to the comic medium came via comic fandom through the pages of Amazing Heroes and the Comic Buyers Guide. Beginning as a freelance writer, Waid rose to the rank of editor of Amazing Heroes before leaving for a staff position at DC Comics in 1987. As a new employee at the company, he became the editor on such titles as Doom Patrol, Secret Origins, and the Legion of Super-Heroes before leaving in 1989 to become a freelance writer. Best known for his work on The Flash (which spawned a spin-off title, Impulse), and Captain America (which he helped revitalize along with artist Ron Garney), in 1996 Waid co-created and authored the mini-series Kingdom Come with painter Alex Ross. In following years he would write for titles as diverse as X-O Manowar, Ka-Zar, JLA, and X-Men before co-founding Gorilla Comics in 2000 with fellow creators Barry Kitson, Stuart Immonen, Kurt Busiek, and others. In 1994, feeling that its continuity had become too convoluted and that its tone was too dark, Waid, along with other DC creators, decided that the Legion of Super-Heroes was unsalvageable and elected to reboot the series as part of Zero Hour. Currently the writer on the Crossgen series Ruse, Waid will become the new author on the Fantastic Four in September, 2002. |
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