Legendary horror comics artist Bernie Wrightson was perhaps
best known for co-creating (with writer Len Wein) the comic character Swamp Thing.
But it's his horrifying, flesh-dripping illustrations that attract thousands
of fans, and which has led him to work in film.
Wrightson made his professional comics debut with the story "The Man Who Murdered Himself" in DC Comics' House of Mystery #179.
He continued working on DC Comics' and Marvel Comics horror anthology titles for several years.
He worked on Spiderman, Batman and The Punisher, and recently provided painted
covers for the DC comics Nevermore and Toe Tags.
In 1971, Wrightson and writer Len Wein created Swamp Thing in House of Secrets #92, and in 1972 he and Marv Wolfman created Destiny in Weird Mystery Tales #1, a character that would feature prominently in Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. In 1972, Wrightson returned to Swamp Thing for the character's ongoing series. Wrightson drew the first 10 issues of the series, co-creating Abigail Arcane and much of the Swamp Thing mythology.
In 1974, Wrightson left mainstream comics to work at Warren Studios, where he adapted the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. In 1975, he formed The Studio with Barry Windsor-Smith and Michael Kaluta, and Jeff Jones to pursue work outside of comics.
As a conceptual artist, Bernie worked on
many movies, particularly in the horror genres including Ghostbusters, The Faculty,
Galaxy Quest, Spiderman, and George Romero's Land of the Dead.
Later in his career, Wrightson produced work for Heavy Metal magazine, including the Freakshow serialized graphic novel with writer Bruce Jones. He adapted Stephen King's Creepshow horror movie into a graphic novel, the first of several collaborations with King. He also helped design the Reavers for Serenity, and in 2012 he published Frankenstein Alive, Alive! with Steve Niles at IDW Publishing.
Wrightson wrote and drew his own sci-fi mini-series
Captain Sternn. definitively illustrated Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Bernie also collaborated regularly
with author Stephen King, having illustrated The Stand, Cycle of the Werewolf, and the
Dark
Tower V.
Wrightson lived with his second wife Liz Wrightson and his stepson Thomas Adamson in Austin, Texas. Wrightson announced in January 2017 that he was retiring because of his battle with cancer. He died at the age of 68.
