Norm Breyfogle

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Norm Breyfogle bigraphy, stories - Comic artist

Norm Breyfogle : biography

February 27, 1960 –

Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle (b. February 27, 1960) is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another. He co-created the character of Prime for Malibu Comics, and created and owns the copyright and trademark for the character Metaphysique.

Biography

Early life and career

When Breyfogle was 12 years old, he began taking private lessons from commercial artist Andrew Benson. Around this time, he also won his first award at a town and country art show. The Daily Mining Gazette, a newspaper in Houghton, Michigan, profiled him in 1976 as "Norm Breyfogle: Near Master Cartoonist at 16." During his time in high school, he co-plotted, wrote, and illustrated a comic book titled Tech-Team for Michigan Technological University.

After high school, Breyfogle attended Northern Michigan University, studying painting and illustration. During his time in college, Breyfogle worked as an illustrator for a local magazine and also for a graphics company. In 1980, he illustrated a book titled Bunyan: Lore’s Loggin’ Hero, published by Book Concern.

Shortly after college, in 1982, Breyfogle moved to California. He went to work as a draftsman, and later worked for United Space Boosters as a technical illustrator designing a training manual for the Space Shuttle program.

Early comics work

In 1984, Mike Friedrich (President of Star Reach, a talent representative agency) saw his work hanging at the San Diego Comic-Con Art Show and began a professional relationship with Breyfogle. Breyfogle also at this time penciled a six-page story for DC’s New Talent Showcase, beginning a short run in the title. This was followed by several issues of First Comics’ American Flagg, penciling a back-up story titled "Bob Violence", in 1985. During this time he also drew for Tales of Terror, a horror anthology published by Eclipse Comics. Following that, and still breaking into the comic scene, Breyfogle wrote, illustrated, and lettered a Captain America story in Marvel Fanfare in 1986. He then drew Whisper for First Comics in 1986-1987 — his first monthly book — before landing on Detective Comics (starring Batman, published by DC Comics).

Batman

Batman and Robin as drawn by Breyfogle. The cover is a modernization of Batman #9, drawn by Bob Kane. Teamed with writer Alan Grant, Breyfogle worked on Detective Comics. He drew the Batman for six years (1987–93), penciling Detective Comics from 1987–1990, then moving to Batman to introduce the new Robin from 1990–1992, and finally starting a new Batman series for DC titled Shadow of the Bat from 1992-1993. During his six-year run on the character of the Batman, he also did a few one-shots, two of them being Batman: Holy Terror (an Elseworlds story) and Batman: Birth of the Demon, which he hand painted. Characters he co-created with Grant included The Ventriloquist, Anarky, and Zsasz. He also provided pencils to a 10-page short story in Superman 80-Page Giant #1 (Feb. 1999).

Later work

In 2001, DC offered him the job of penciling The Spectre monthly, which he drew for one year. Later he spent 2003 pencilling and inking the title Black Tide, published by Angel Gate Press.

In 2004, Breyfogle began work on an illustrated children’s book for the Society of St. John Monastery, finished many commissions for fans, put together a couple printed sketchbooks showcasing his work, and continued writing his novel, getting halfway done, finishing through chapter six. He also wrote over forty poems and over 1,300 haikus in a five-month marathon, and a number of short stories.

In February 2005 he accepted an offer to pencil and ink the interiors and covers of the new ongoing monthly title Of Bitter Souls from studio Relative Comics, originally published by Speakeasy Comics. It is written by Chuck Satterlee. Shortly before Speakeasy Comics went out of business, Relative Comics joined with Chimaera Studios and moved to publisher Markosia Comics.

Since 2005, Breyfogle has produced illustrations for a wide variety of clients outside of the comics industry, including Nike, MOJO, The Red Bulletin, Time Out, Company Magazine, Suddeutsch Zeitung Magazin, and various bands (including 12 Stone Toddler), among many others.

In 2007, he provided art for the main story interiors and the covers for the comic book title The Danger’s Dozen. He also began a professional relationship with the London-based art agency Debut Art.

Starting in 2006, he began a working relationship with Mazz Press, contributing stand-alone illustrations to two novels by Stephen Pytak, The .40 Caliber Mousehunt and The Wild Damned.

In the fall of 2008, Breyfogle began drawing Archie’s New Look, for Archie’s Double Digest, published by Archie Publications. Breyfogle is currently working on two new titles for Archie Comics (Archie loves Betty and Archie loves Veronica).

Breyfogle illustrates DC Retroactive: Batman – The ’90s with Alan Grant, launched in Octobre 2011.

Breyfogle has recently been announced to be illustrating DC’s relaunch of the Batman Beyond comic book with Adam Beechen as writer.

Awards

Norm Breyfogle has been recognized for his work with nominations for the Squiddy Awards for Favorite Artist in 1989 and 1991, among many other awards.

Notes