Christopher Moeller
Encyclopedia
Christopher Moeller is a writer and painter, specializing in fully painted graphic novels. Moeller's signature creation is the Iron Empires
science-fiction universe, comprising two fully painted graphic novels Faith Conquers and Sheva's War
, a short story in Dark Horse Presents
, and a second in the anthology Negative Burn
. In 2006, an Iron Empires role-playing game was published, called Burning Empires
.
and currently lives in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
.
He received a BFA in painting from the University of Michigan School of art, and an MFA in illustration from Syracuse University.
's Interview with the Vampire
, also from Innovation, for which he provided artwork and a number of cover illustrations.
Moeller moved to Dark Horse Comics
in 1994, writing and painting the first of his Iron Empires
graphic novels (at that time called Shadow Empires) Faith Conquers, as well as the short story The Passage in Dark Horse Presents
, #79-81. He illustrated Andrew Vachss'
short story Treatment, which was included in Vachss' 2002 graphics-adapted collection, Hard Looks. He also did James Bond
covers, a number of Star Wars
covers, and a "pop-up" Star Wars book called Battle of the Bounty-Hunters.
In 1998, Moeller wrote and painted his second Iron Empires
graphic novel Sheva's War
for the short-lived Science Fiction imprint of DC Comics
, Helix
. That was followed by a run of covers for DC's Batman
monthly comic book Shadow of the Bat. In 2000, he wrote and painted the graphic novel JLA: A League of One. He did an extended run of covers for the Vertigo monthly comic book Lucifer
. In 2005, he wrote and painted the graphic novel JLA Classified: Cold Steel.
game books, and miniatures game. He has provided over 100 illustrations for the trading card game Magic: the Gathering
. He has done illustrations for the World of Warcraft
trading card game. He did the packaging art for the Axis and Allies Miniatures game. He also did the artwork for the Burning Empires (role-playing game)
based on his own Iron Empires
graphic novels.
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
science-fiction universe, comprising two fully painted graphic novels Faith Conquers and Sheva's War
Sheva's War
Sheva's War is a five-issue fully painted limited series graphic novel published in 1998 and was the final title to be released under the short-lived DC Comics imprint, Helix....
, a short story in Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
, and a second in the anthology Negative Burn
Negative Burn
Negative Burn is a black-and-white anthology comic book published beginning in 1993 by Caliber Press, and subsequently by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing...
. In 2006, an Iron Empires role-playing game was published, called Burning Empires
Burning Empires (role-playing game)
Burning Empires is an American science fiction role-playing game, designed by Luke Crane and published by Key 20 Publishing in 2006. The epic game is based on Christopher Moeller's two critically acclaimed Iron Empires graphic novels, Faith Conquers and Sheva's War...
.
Early life and education
Moeller was born in Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
and currently lives in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Mt. Lebanon is a home rule municipality, formerly a township, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 33,137 at the 2010 census....
.
He received a BFA in painting from the University of Michigan School of art, and an MFA in illustration from Syracuse University.
Comics career
His professional debut was in 1991, writing and painting Innovation Comic's Rocketman: King of the Rocketmen. This was followed by a run on Anne RiceAnne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire
Interview with the Vampire is a vampire novel by Anne Rice written in 1973 and published in 1976. It was the first novel to feature the enigmatic vampire Lestat, and was followed by several sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles...
, also from Innovation, for which he provided artwork and a number of cover illustrations.
Moeller moved to Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
in 1994, writing and painting the first of his Iron Empires
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
graphic novels (at that time called Shadow Empires) Faith Conquers, as well as the short story The Passage in Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents
Dark Horse Presents was the first comic book published by Dark Horse Comics in 1986 and was their flagship title until its September 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was published on MySpace, running from July 2007 until August 2010...
, #79-81. He illustrated Andrew Vachss'
Andrew Vachss
Andrew Henry Vachss is an American crime fiction author, child protection consultant, and attorney exclusively representing children and youths...
short story Treatment, which was included in Vachss' 2002 graphics-adapted collection, Hard Looks. He also did James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
covers, a number of Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
covers, and a "pop-up" Star Wars book called Battle of the Bounty-Hunters.
In 1998, Moeller wrote and painted his second Iron Empires
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
graphic novel Sheva's War
Sheva's War
Sheva's War is a five-issue fully painted limited series graphic novel published in 1998 and was the final title to be released under the short-lived DC Comics imprint, Helix....
for the short-lived Science Fiction imprint of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, Helix
Helix (comics)
Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and...
. That was followed by a run of covers for DC's Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
monthly comic book Shadow of the Bat. In 2000, he wrote and painted the graphic novel JLA: A League of One. He did an extended run of covers for the Vertigo monthly comic book Lucifer
Lucifer (DC Comics)
Lucifer is a DC Comics character that starred in an eponymous comic book published under the Vertigo imprint, whose entire run was written by Mike Carey...
. In 2005, he wrote and painted the graphic novel JLA Classified: Cold Steel.
Gaming career
Moeller has worked in the gaming industry in parallel with his comics work. He has done numerous illustrations for White Wolf Games, including covers for their AberrantAberrant
Aberrant is a role-playing game created by White Wolf Game Studio in 1999, set in 2008 in a world where super-powered humans started appearing one day in 1998. It is the middle setting in the greater Trinity Universe timeline, chronologically situated about 90 years after Adventure!, White Wolf's...
game books, and miniatures game. He has provided over 100 illustrations for the trading card game Magic: the Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
. He has done illustrations for the World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
trading card game. He did the packaging art for the Axis and Allies Miniatures game. He also did the artwork for the Burning Empires (role-playing game)
Burning Empires (role-playing game)
Burning Empires is an American science fiction role-playing game, designed by Luke Crane and published by Key 20 Publishing in 2006. The epic game is based on Christopher Moeller's two critically acclaimed Iron Empires graphic novels, Faith Conquers and Sheva's War...
based on his own Iron Empires
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
graphic novels.
Publishing highlights
- 1991 Rocketman: King of the Rocketmen graphic novel. 128pp in four comics & paperback collection. Innovation Comics.
- 1993 The Passage short story in the Dark Horse Presents anthology. 24pp in three chapters( colored version included in 2004 Faith Conquers paperback). Dark Horse Comics.
- 1994 Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers graphic novel (later re-named [Iron Empires: Faith Conquers]. 128pp in four comics ( collected in 2004 in paperback). Dark Horse Comics.
- 1996 Second Passage short story in the Negative Burn Anthology. Co-written by Kevin Moeller. 48pp in six chapters. Caliber Comics.
- 1998 Iron Empires: Sheva's WarSheva's WarSheva's War is a five-issue fully painted limited series graphic novel published in 1998 and was the final title to be released under the short-lived DC Comics imprint, Helix....
graphic novel. 150pp in five comics (collected in 2004 in paperback from Dark Horse Comics). HelixHelix (comics)Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and...
(DC Comics imprint) - 2001 JLA: A League of One graphic novel. 102pp. Hardcover & Paperback. DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. - 2005 JLA Classified: Cold Steel graphic novel. 96pp in two prestige-format comics. DC Comics.
External links
- Christopher Moeller Official Website
- Iron Empires Official Website
- Burning Empires rpg Website
- Magic: the Gathering Website
- Review of Faith Conquers
- Review of Sheva's War
- Review of JLA: A League of One
- Review of JLA Classified: Cold Steel #1
- Review of JLA: Cold Steel #2
- A short documentary about Christopher Moeller by Sean and Noriko Sakamoto