David Mazzucchelli


David John Mazzucchelli is an American comics artist and writer, known for his work on seminal superhero comic book storylines Daredevil: Born Again and Batman: Year One, as well as for graphic novels in other genres, such as Asterios Polyp and City of Glass: The Graphic Novel. He is also an instructor who teaches comic book storytelling at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Career

Mazzucchelli received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and started working in comics in the early 1980s, first at Marvel Comics where, after a few fill-in jobs, he became the regular artist on Daredevil. He worked with writer Denny O'Neil and culminated his work on this title with the Daredevil: Born Again story arc, written by Frank Miller.
Miller and Mazzucchelli collaborated again on the graphic novel Batman: Year One, serialized in issues #404–407 of DC Comics' monthly Batman title, and published in a single volume shortly afterwards. Batman: Year One is considered one of the best Batman stories ever produced. Mazzucchelli had previously drawn Batman in a five page backup story in World's Finest Comics #302.
After Batman: Year One, Mazzucchelli drew an Angel story in Marvel Fanfare #40. He then moved on to focus on more personal projects. He published three issues of his own independent anthology, Rubber Blanket, co-edited by his wife, painter Richmond Lewis, in which he began finding his voice as a writer in addition to exploring new avenues of visual expression. His evocative and haunting stories in Rubber Blanket, notably "Near Miss," "Dead Dog," "Discovering America," and "Big Man," set the stage for his work to come. Mazzucchelli's work in Rubber Blanket, and especially his use of two-color printing to create his artwork, influenced a number of young indie-comics artists through the 1990s and 2000s, including Darwyn Cooke, Frank Santoro, and Dash Shaw. With writer/artist Paul Karasik, he co-wrote and illustrated an adaptation of Paul Auster's City of Glass, published first by Avon Books in 1994, then by Picador in 2004 as City of Glass: The Graphic Novel. Auster's later book The Brooklyn Follies features a character with the name Nancy Mazzucchelli, an homage to David. He continued to write and draw short comics for various publishers until 2000. Mazzucchelli was one of the artists on the Superman and Batman: World's Funnest one-shot written by Evan Dorkin.
In 2009, Pantheon Books published Mazzucchelli's graphic novel, Asterios Polyp. The book was named a New York Times Notable Book for that year, and won the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for graphic novels.
Mazzucchelli has done illustrations for various publications, including interior pieces and covers for The New Yorker In 2011, an animated adaptation of Batman: Year One was released by Warner Home Video.
Mazzucchelli has taught a cartooning course for BFA students at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Awards

  • 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Graphic Novel Award
  • 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Best Graphic Album—New; Best Writer/Artist; Best Lettering
  • 2010 Harvey Awards, Best Original Graphic Album; Best Single Issue or Story; Best Letterer
  • Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellowship
  • Morning Manga Fellowship
  • New Jersey State Council on the Arts
  • Erwin Swann Award, Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon
  • 2012 HQ Mix Award for Foreign Artist
  • 2012 HQ Mix Award for Foreign Writer

    Covers only

  • Rom Spaceknight #61
  • Marvel Age #36
  • Amazing Heroes #102
  • Snake Eyes #1–2
  • Cheval Noir #40
  • The Comics Journal #188, 194

    Interviews and other work

  • Marvel Age #36: "Miller and Mazzucchelli on Daredevil"
  • Amazing Heroes #102: "David Mazzucchelli on Daredevil, Batman: Year One"
  • Detective Comics #598, 600: "Tribute: People of Note Pay Homage to the Batman"
  • The Comics Journal #152, 194, 300
  • Negative Burn :
  • * "Spotlight: Rubber Blanket"
  • * "Sketchbook"
  • Comic Culture vol. 2 #4: "Rubber Blanket: Voices from the Small Press"
  • Panel Discussions: Design in Sequential Art Storytelling
  • Comic Book Artist vol. 2 #6: "Paying Homage: Tribute to the Great Will Eisner"

    Newspapers and magazines

  • "Castles in the Sand"
  • "The Fine Art of Hanging Ryman"
  • "May Day"
  • "Post Mort on Columbus Circle"
  • "Monday in the Park with Marlon"
  • "Fall"
  • "New String"