Mike Grell is a storyteller. Since his comics debut in 1973, he’s brought his own creations and their worlds to life with a cinematic style of visual storytelling. Some of his more famed work includes:
THE WARLORD for DC COMICS, STARSLAYER for PACIFIC/FIRST COMICS, JON SABLE, FREELANCE for FIRST COMICS/ IDW/COMICMIX/ABC TV, SHAMAN’S TEARS for IMAGE COMICS, BAR SINISTER for ACCLAIM COMICS and MAGGIE THE CAT for IMAGE COMICS.
These, along with successful runs on such features as BATMAN, IRON MAN, GREEN ARROW, JAMES BOND: PERMISSION TO DIE, the TARZAN Sunday comic strip and the internationally acclaimed LONGBOW HUNTERS, have won him the comic industry’s coveted INKPOT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMIC ART. His own SHAMAN’S TEARS has garnered widespread acclaim in the Native American community as a celebration of Indian traditions and lore. He’s been voted to WIZARD MAGAZINE’S TOP TEN LIST OF COMICS WRITERS. In 1999, he published his first novel, SABLE.
Current projects include: THE WARLORD, a return to his first comic creation, writing and painting covers for a new series celebrating the 35th anniversary of DC Comics #1 fantasy adventure; THE PILGRIM, currently being published by IDW, a collaboration with his good friend MARK RYAN, the noted British stage and television actor who currently provides the voice for Bumblee and Jetfire in the TRANSFORMERS movies and video games.
In addition, he’s done design and illustration work for; LUCASFILM, LIGHTSTORM ENTERTAINMENT, FIREWORKS ENTERTAINMENT, HALLMARK ENTERTAINMENT, DISNEY, COCA COLA, PEPSI COLA and TOR BOOKS.
Born in the Midwest in 1947, he grew up in Florence, WI. He was an illustrator in the U.S. Air Force, where he was re-introduced to comics by a fellow illustrator who came to Saigon with a stack of his prized comics. That’s what started him on his career path. He took the FAMOUS ARTISTS SCHOOLS correspondence course in cartooning and later attended the CHICAGO ACADEMY OF FINE ART, while working as an advertising illustrator and assisting DALE MESSICK on her comic strip BRENDA STARR.
In 1973, inspired by a meeting with ALLEN ASHERMAN and IRV NOVICK, he showed his portfolio to DC editor JULIE SCHWARTZ and JOE ORLANDO, who gave him his first break in comics. His first regular assignment was SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES.
