- published: 29 Nov 2013
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Michael Dalton "Mike" Allred is an American comic book artist and writer most famous for his indie comics creation, Madman. His style is often compared to pop art, as well as commercial and comic art of the 1950s and 1960s.
Allred began his career as a TV reporter in Europe, and started drawing comics in 1989 with the 104-page OGN Dead Air (Slave Labor Graphics). Following this up with his similarly titled works Graphique Musique (SLG, 1990) and Grafik Muzik (Caliber Comics 1990/91), he set out the style that he was to become known for with his most famous character: Madman.
The first Madman miniseries debuted from Tundra Publishing in March 1992, and gained higher recognition with its move to Dark Horse Comics in April 1994. Relaunched as Madman Comics, it went on to be nominated for several Harvey Awards. Allred himself gained further mainstream attention with the science-fiction/rock-and-roll comic Red Rocket 7 and his art for writer Peter Milligan's series X-Force, which he began drawing in July 2001, and subsequently became X-Statix after X-Force #128.
Jack Kirby (August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994), born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium.
Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comics features under different pen names, including Jack Curtiss, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby. In 1940, he and writer-editor Joe Simon created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel Comics. During the 1940s, Kirby, generally teamed with Simon, created numerous characters for that company and for the company that would become DC Comics.
After serving in World War II, Kirby returned to comics and worked in a variety of genres. He contributed to a number of publishers, including DC, Harvey Comics, Hillman Periodicals and Crestwood Publications, where he and Simon created the genre of romance comics. He and Simon also launched their own short-lived comic company, Mainline Publications. Kirby ultimately found himself at Timely's 1950s iteration, Atlas Comics, later to be known as Marvel Comics. There, in the 1960s, he and writer-editor Stan Lee co-created many of Marvel's major characters, including the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the Hulk. Despite the high sales and critical acclaim of the Lee-Kirby titles, however, Kirby felt treated unfairly, and left the company in 1970 for rival DC.
From The Gutters: Episode 109 - Michael Allred, Part I
CBR TV @ CCI 2011: Mike Allred on 20 Years of Madman, Jack Kirby, the Rocketeer & More
iFanboy - Episode #221 - Mike Allred Spotlight
iFanboy - Episode 97 - Mike Allred
ECCC 2014: SECRET ORIGINS PRESENTS MIKE AND LAURA ALLRED
Reading Comics: Creatures of The ID, Mike Allred's Madman, 1990 -- ASMR -- Male, Soft-Spoken
Art History Mike Allred Interview
From The Gutters: Episode 109 - Michael Allred, Part III
Backroom Comics Podcast - Mike Allred Interview at ECCC 2010 Part 1
Mike Allred
Interview With Comic Book Artist Mike Allred
FF #5: Mike Allred on Family and the Fantastic Four - Marvel AR
Batman Black & White Statue by Mike Allred
J'irai lire des Comics chez Vous #85 : Mike Allred