Norm Breyfogle
Encyclopedia
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.
, 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.
(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
).
Teamed with writer Alan Grant, Breyfogle helped re-popularize Batman and revive the sales of 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).
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.
In 2006 Breyfogle accepted an offer to pencil and ink the main story interiors and the covers for the upcoming comic book title The Danger's Dozen, due winter of 2007, from the publisher A First Salvo. He also began a professional relationship with the London-based art agency Debut Art.
In 2006 and 2007, Mazz Press commissioned Breyfogle to illustrate "The .40 Caliber Mousehunt," a thriller novel about low-rent mercenaries by Stephen Pytak. For more information, log onto www.mazzpress.com
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 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), in addition to various advertising and other illustration assignments.
In August 2010, Breyfogle completed work on 21 illustrations to be used in the thriller novel The Wild Damned by Stephen Pytak. The novel was released by Mazz Press in October 2010. It is available at www.wild-damned.com
Breyfogle will be illustrating DC Retroactive
: Batman - The '90s with Alan Grant.
Breyfogle has recently been announced to be illustrating DC's relaunch of the Batman Beyond comic book with Adam Beechen as writer.
for Favorite Artist in 1989 and 1991, among many other awards.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of 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...
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
Prime (comics)
Prime is a superhero created by Bob Jacob, Gerard Jones, Len Strazewski, and Norm Breyfogle. He debuted in Prime #1 under Malibu Comics' Ultraverse imprint, and was one of its flagship characters along with Mantra and Hardcase . The character design was credited to Bret Blevins...
for Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
, and created and owns the copyright and trademark for the character Metaphysique.
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, MichiganHoughton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
, 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
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
.
After high school, Breyfogle attended Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University is a four-year college public university established in 1899 located in Marquette, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Northern Michigan University is the Upper Peninsula's largest...
, 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
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. 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
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
program.
Early comics work
In 1984, Mike FriedrichMike Friedrich
Mike Friedrich is an American comic book writer and publisher best known for his work at Marvel and DC Comics, and for publishing the anthology series Star*Reach, one of the first independent comics...
(President of Star Reach
Star Reach
Star Reach was an influential, American science fiction and fantasy comics anthology published from 1974 to 1979 by Mike Friedrich...
, 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
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...
’s New Talent Showcase, beginning a short run in the title. This was followed by several issues of First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
’ American Flagg, penciling a back-up story titled "Bob Violence", in 1985. During this time he also drew for Tales of Terror
Tales of Terror
Tales of Terror is an American International Pictures horror film starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Basil Rathbone; it is the fourth in a series of adaptations of Edgar Allan Poe stories directed by Roger Corman and released by AIP.-Plot:...
, a horror anthology published by Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
. Following that, and still breaking into the comic scene, Breyfogle wrote, illustrated, and lettered a Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
story in Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare
Marvel Fanfare is the title of two comic book series published by Marvel Comics. Both versions of Marvel Fanfare were anthology, showcase titles featuring a variety of characters from the Marvel universe.-Volume One:...
in 1986. He then drew Whisper for First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
in 1986-1987 — his first monthly book — before landing on 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...
(starring 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...
, published by 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...
).
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...
to introduce the new Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
from 1990–1992, and finally starting a new Batman series for DC titled 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...
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
Batman: Holy Terror
Batman: Holy Terror is an Elseworlds one-shot comic published by DC Comics in 1991. The story is written by Alan Brennert and illustrated by Norm Breyfogle...
(an Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
story) and Batman: Birth of the Demon, which he hand painted. Characters he co-created with Grant included The Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
, Anarky
Anarky
Anarky is a fictional character appearing in books published by DC Comics. Co-created by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle, he first appeared in Detective Comics No.608 , as an adversary of Batman...
, and Zsasz
Zsasz
Mr. Zsasz is a fictional villain who appears in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. He is a serial killer who usually kills with a knife and carves a tally mark somewhere on himself for every victim.-Fictional character biography:...
. He also provided pencils to a 10-page short story in Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
80-Page Giant #1 (Feb. 1999).
Later work
In 2001, DC offered him the job of penciling The SpectreSpectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
monthly, which he drew for one year. Later he spent 2003 pencilling and inking the title Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
, 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
Speakeasy Comics
Speakeasy Comics was a Canadian publishing company of comic books and graphic novels. It was founded in August 2004 by Adam Fortier, and ceased operations on February 27, 2006.-History:...
. It is written by Chuck Satterlee. Shortly before Speakeasy Comics
Speakeasy Comics
Speakeasy Comics was a Canadian publishing company of comic books and graphic novels. It was founded in August 2004 by Adam Fortier, and ceased operations on February 27, 2006.-History:...
went out of business, Relative Comics joined with Chimaera Studios and moved to publisher Markosia Comics.
In 2006 Breyfogle accepted an offer to pencil and ink the main story interiors and the covers for the upcoming comic book title The Danger's Dozen, due winter of 2007, from the publisher A First Salvo. He also began a professional relationship with the London-based art agency Debut Art.
In 2006 and 2007, Mazz Press commissioned Breyfogle to illustrate "The .40 Caliber Mousehunt," a thriller novel about low-rent mercenaries by Stephen Pytak. For more information, log onto www.mazzpress.com
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 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 Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
(Archie loves Betty and Archie loves Veronica), in addition to various advertising and other illustration assignments.
In August 2010, Breyfogle completed work on 21 illustrations to be used in the thriller novel The Wild Damned by Stephen Pytak. The novel was released by Mazz Press in October 2010. It is available at www.wild-damned.com
Breyfogle will be illustrating DC Retroactive
DC Retroactive
DC Retroactive was a one-shot line of comic book titles launched by DC Comics. It revisited the most important periods of the company’s main characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League and the Flash. These comics were published with cover dates of September and...
: Batman - The '90s with Alan Grant.
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 AwardsSquiddy Awards
The Squiddy Awards, also known as The Squiddies, were the annual awards given by the participants in the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.comics through 2004. The awards are named after the humorous typo "Suicide Squid"...
for Favorite Artist in 1989 and 1991, among many other awards.
External links
- Norm Breyfogle's official online forum
- Debut Art / Norm's commercial agent
- A First Salvo official website
- The official website for the novel The Wild Damned
Interviews
- DC MULTIVERSE
- Mxypedia.com
- Norm Breyfogle & Alan Grant 'Pro-To-Pro' Interview @ Adelaide Comics And Books
- Norm Breyfogle @ Adelaide Comics And Books
- BATMAN: Alan Grant & Norm Breyfogle Speak Out, January 6, 2007
- Norm Breyfogle interview an Oyfication.net.
- Klaehn, Jeffery. A Conversation With Norm Breyfogle, Graphic Novel Reporter, December 2009.
- Norm Breyfogle on possible agism in comics, interview by Cary Ashby (March 30, 2010)