Gaijin Studios
Encyclopedia
Gaijin Studios was a group of American
comic book
artists formed in Atlanta, Georgia
. It was one of the longest-running collectives of freelance comic book artists in the United States, having been in continuous operation for nineteen years, from 1991 to 2010. It has long been considered by many in the comics industry to be an influential training ground for some of the more prominent creators of the 1990s and 2000s, perhaps most notably Brian Stelfreeze
(Batman: Shadow of the Bat
, Matador
), Adam Hughes
(Wonder Woman
, Tomb Raider
), Cully Hamner
(Blue Beetle
, Detective Comics
/The Question, Red
), Jason Pearson
(Legion of Super-Heroes
, Body Bags
), Dave Johnson (Superman: Red Son
, 100 Bullets
), Tony Harris
(Starman
, Ex Machina
), Karl Story
(Aliens vs. Predator, Batman
), Georges Jeanty
(Gambit
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
), and Laura Martin
(Thor (Marvel Comics)
, Secret Invasion
, The Stand). Its core roster consisted of Stelfreeze, Hamner, and Story during most of that time.
On April 1, 2010, Gaijin Studios announced that after almost nineteen years, they would be closing the studio for the foreseeable future, calling it an "indefinite hiatus," though the possibility of a future, reconstituted studio was left a possibility.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artists formed in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It was one of the longest-running collectives of freelance comic book artists in the United States, having been in continuous operation for nineteen years, from 1991 to 2010. It has long been considered by many in the comics industry to be an influential training ground for some of the more prominent creators of the 1990s and 2000s, perhaps most notably Brian Stelfreeze
Brian Stelfreeze
Brian Stelfreeze is an American comic book artist. Stelfreeze, an accomplished painter, penciller, inker and colorist, has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher and is one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios, a prominent breeding ground for some of comics' most...
(Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat
Batman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
, Matador
Matador (comics)
Matador, in comics, may refer to:* Matador , a mini-series by Devin Grayson and Brian Stelfreeze* Matador , a super-villain in Marvel Comics...
), Adam Hughes
Adam Hughes
Adam Hughes is an American comic book artist who has worked for companies such as DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros...
(Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
), Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner
Cully Hamner is an American comic book artist and writer.-Career:Since his 1992 debut on Green Lantern: Mosaic, Hamner has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher, and is chiefly known for such titles as the aforementioned Green Lantern: Mosaic, Blue Beetle, and Red...
(Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
, Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
/The Question, Red
Red (comics)
Red is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in 2003 and 2004 by WildStorm imprint Homage Comics. It was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.-Plot:...
), Jason Pearson
Jason Pearson
Jason Pearson is an American comic book writer/artist, known for his work on books such as Legion of Super-Heroes, The Dragon: Blood & Guts, Global Frequency, and his own creator-owned series, Body Bags....
(Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, Body Bags
Body Bags (comics)
Body Bags is a comic book series created, written and illustrated by Jason Pearson.-Publication history:The initial series, simply entitled Body Bags, was a launch title for Dark Horse Comics' Blanc Noir line of books...
), Dave Johnson (Superman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a three-issue prestige format comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that was released under their Elseworlds imprint in April 2003...
, 100 Bullets
100 Bullets
100 Bullets is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It was published in the USA by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint and initially ran for one hundred issues...
), Tony Harris
Tony Harris (cartoonist)
Tony Harris is an American comic book artist, known for his work as series such as Starman, Iron Man, and Ex Machina. He has been nominated for five Eisner Awards for his work.-Career:...
(Starman
Starman (comics)
Starman is a name used by several different fictional DC Comics superheroes, most prominently Ted Knight and his sons David and Jack.Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Jack Burnley, the original Starman, Ted Knight, first appeared in Adventure Comics #61...
, Ex Machina
Ex Machina (comics)
Ex Machina is an American creator-owned comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris, and published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint....
), Karl Story
Karl Story
Karl Story is an American comic book artist specializing in inking. He is one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios.Over a career of almost two decades, he has worked on books such as Nightwing, Batman, Star Trek: Debt of Honor, Aliens versus Predator, X-Men, Wildstorm Summer Special,...
(Aliens vs. Predator, 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...
), Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty is an American comic book penciler best known for his work on The American Way, an eight-issue American comic book limited series produced under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics.-Early...
(Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
), and Laura Martin
Laura Martin
Laura DePuy is an award-winning colorist who has produced work for several of the major comics companies, including DC Comics, Marvel Comics and CrossGen.-Career:...
(Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
, Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, The Stand). Its core roster consisted of Stelfreeze, Hamner, and Story during most of that time.
On April 1, 2010, Gaijin Studios announced that after almost nineteen years, they would be closing the studio for the foreseeable future, calling it an "indefinite hiatus," though the possibility of a future, reconstituted studio was left a possibility.