Mark Badger is an American comic book artist, writer, and painter known for his distinctive fusion of fine art aesthetics and graphic storytelling. Starting at Marvel with Gargoyle in the the early 1980s, Badger quickly gained recognition for his bold line work, expressive figure drawing, and experimental page design. He did Greenberg the Vampire graphic novel at Marvel, Masque in the first year of Dark Horse. His Martian Manhunter mini-series with J.M. DeMatteis was a wildly experimental work before DC was ready to accept visual experimentation. His haunting, surreal interpretation of the character was most visually unique runs DC has ever published. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Badger contributed to numerous major publishers, including Marvel Comics and DC Comics, working on titles inking and coloring Mike Mingola’s Dr Doom/Dr Strange story, painting the Score with Piranha press and other work. One of the first artists to start working on the computer be did Spiderman Online for Marvel and AOL(remember them?).
Badger has consistently pushed the boundaries of the medium, incorporating elements of painting, illustration, and conceptual art into his storytelling. In addition to his publishing work, Badger has been active as an educator and advocate for comics as a legitimate art form, often speaking at conventions and institutions about the evolution of visual narrative and the work of Jack Kirby. In recent years, Badger has continued producing original artwork, commissions, and limited-edition projects for collectors, while starting publishing his own series Badgetoons and Abstract Kirby, an exploration of Jack Kirby’s visuals, and Just Draw a mnanual on creating comics while not getting stressed out. His later works reflect a mature synthesis of his early expressive style with a refined painterly approach, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most visually adventurous artists to emerge from the 1980s American comics scene.
