Mark Bagley

Mark Bagley
Born	August 7, 1957 (1957-08-07) (age 54) Frankfurt, Germany
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Penciller
Notable works	Ultimate Spider-Man New Warriors Thunderbolts

Mark Bagley (born August 7, 1957) is an American comic book artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on such titles as The Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, New Warriors, and Ultimate Spider-Man.

Biography

Early life and career

Mark Bagley was born to a military family in Frankfurt, Germany. He had always wanted to break into the comic book business.^{[citation needed]} At age 18, he joined the military so that he could qualify for the GI Bill and go to art school.^{[citation needed]}

After his work in the military and art school (at Ringling College of Art and Design), Bagley continued trying to break into the comic industry but ended up working for Lockheed Martin making technical drawings.

Marvel Comics

Marvel Try-out contest

In 1983, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter created the Marvel Try-out Book to draw new talent into the comic book industry. The contest involved a deconstructed comic book which contestants could complete and submit to Marvel. The winner would be awarded a professional assignment with Marvel.

At 27 years old, while living in Marietta, Georgia,^[1] Bagley entered the contest and won first place for penciling, beating out thousands of other hopefuls.^[1] This led to a series of low-profile penciling jobs, including Visionaries, a comic book based on a 1980s toy line, books in New Universe line, and backup stories in Captain America. A majority of Bagley's work during this time was for the first series of Marvel Universe trading cards.

The New Warriors

In 1990, Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz created a team of teenage superheroes called the New Warriors. Given the positive fan reaction, Marvel created a new series based on these heroes and assigned Bagley and Fabian Nicieza to the title.^{[citation needed]} Bagley stayed on the title until #25, at which point he left to transition directly onto Amazing Spider-Man.

The Amazing Spider-Man

A couple of years into the New Warriors run, New Warriors editor Danny Fingeroth became responsible for the Spider-Man line of titles. At the same time, Erik Larsen vacated his spot as penciler on Spider-Man’s flagship title The Amazing Spider-Man. Fingeroth decided to take a chance on Bagley, who was a relatively inexperienced artist to be assigned to what was arguably Marvel’s flagship title. After a rough start, Bagley hit his stride on The Amazing Spider-Man and eventually grew to be considered the definitive Spider-Man artist of the mid-1990s — his artwork was used extensively for licensed material, appearing on everything from plates and cups to credit cards.

Bagley also holds the distinction of being the artist on Marvel’s first web-based comic book, featuring Spider-Man, which appeared on Marvel’s official website.

Bagley's cover for Thunderbolts #4.

Thunderbolts

After working on Spider-Man for several years, Bagley began to feel burnt out.^{[citation needed]} Needing a change, he next collaborated with writer Kurt Busiek on a new team of superheroes, the Thunderbolts. The title enjoyed modest success and though its sales declined over time, the decline was so slow — and the fan base was so dedicated — that the title continued to be published even after Bagley left the title in 2001 (with issue #50).

Ultimate Spider-Man

Bagley's cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #65. Bagley's run on the book with Brian Bendis is the longest in the history of Marvel Comics.

In 2000, Marvel's then-publisher Bill Jemas was looking to relaunch Marvel’s primary franchises in a way that would make them accessible to newer readers. Designed as a six-issue mini series, Ultimate Spider-Man would be a title that began the Spider-Man mythos from the beginning set in modern times. Marvel wanted Bagley on the title from the beginning, but he resisted, still being burnt out from his earlier run with the character.

Eventually, he (reluctantly) agreed and was assigned Ultimate Spider-Man with writer Brian Michael Bendis. The title was an instant hit and soon turned from a limited series to an ongoing series by Bendis and Bagley. They went on to enjoy the longest continuous run of any creative team on a mainstream Marvel superhero comic, beating the record set by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby with Ultimate Spider-Man #103 (published in December 2006). During this period, Bagley also collaborated with Bendis on The Pulse. Bagley left Ultimate Spider-Man with issue #111 in July 2007. His next project was a four-issue arc on Bendis' Mighty Avengers, which became his last work for Marvel before signing an exclusive contract with DC Comics.

Bagley's long and successful run on Ultimate Spider-Man earned Bagley recognition in Wizard Magazine's top ten artists of the 00's in Wizard #219. Ranked #2 on the list, article writer Mark Allen Haverty noted of Bagley, "no other artist came close to the number of comics Bagley sold {in the 2000's}, nor the number of Top 20 comics he was a part of."

DC Comics

Trinity

In 2008, Bagley signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics.^[2] His first assignment as a DC exclusive, the weekly comic Trinity written by Kurt Busiek, completed in mid-2009 and was, as Bagley described it, one of the most exhausting assignments he has ever undertaken.^[3]

Batman

Bagley's first assignment at DC post-Trinity was four issues of Batman, written by Judd Winick.^[3] This was in the post-Battle for the Cowl world, with Dick Grayson having taken over as the Dark Knight. He was succeeded by former Batman artist Tony Daniel.^[4]

Justice League of America

Following Batman, Bagley was paired with writer James Robinson on Justice League of America following the departure of previous writer Dwayne McDuffie.^[5] Bagley drew most of issues #38-53.

Return To Marvel

Return to Ultimate Spider-Man

In 2011, Bagley ended his collaboration with DC and returned to Marvel and Ultimate Spider-Man, by then known as Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. He drew the eventful "Death of Spider-Man" arc in issues #155-160. The arc reunited him with his original Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator, Brian Michael Bendis), for the first time since Bagley's departure from Marvel.

Brilliant

It was revealed at the 2011 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo that Bagley and Brian Michael Bendis would re-team again for a creator-owned series, Brilliant. The series is published through Marvel's Icon Imprint. It has similarities to Mark Millar's own Icon comic, Kick-Ass, as it explores the idea of superheroes existing in the real world,^[6] however unlike Kick-Ass the characters have actual super-powers and are college-aged instead of in high school.

Avengers Assemble

Recently announced is Avengers Assemble, an Avengers title that Brian Michael Bendis and Bagley will be working on concurrently with Brilliant. To differentiate between other Avengers books, Assemble will consist of the Avengers roster present in the upcoming Avengers film, but the book will be set in present Marvel continuity. ^[7]

Personal life

Bagley and his wife Pattie^[8] have a daughter, Angie.^[8] He also has two grandchildren.

Selected works

• The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 1 #345, 351-415
• Batman #688-691
• Brilliant #1-current
• Justice League of America #38-53
• Mighty Avengers #7-11
• New Mutants Annual #5
• The New Warriors (1990) #1-25
• The Pulse #1-5
• Thunderbolts #1-50
• Trinity #1-52
• Ultimate Spider-Man #1-111, 156-160
• Ultimate Comics Fallout #1, 6

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Shooter, Jim. "Bullpen Bulletins," Marvel Comics cover-dated February 1986.
2. ^ Making His Mark at DC: Mark Bagley - Newsarama
3. ^ ^{a b} Moving to Gotham: Bagley talks Batman - Newsarama
4. ^ http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/07/06/some-batman-news-to-kick-off-the-week/
5. ^ http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/06/18/some-news-for-you-robinson-bagley-step-aboard-justice-league-of-america/
6. ^ http://comics.ign.com/articles/115/1156605p1.html
7. ^ http://comics.ign.com/articles/121/1210116p1.html
8. ^ ^{a b} "About the Author," Ultimate Spider-Man, Volume 2 (Marvel Comics, February 2003).

References

• Mark Bagley at the Comic Book DB

External links

• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• Mark Bagley's Resources at Howtomakecomics.net
• Mark Bagley Interview at Newsarama
• Mark Bagley credits on Spider-Man
• Mark Bagley on Marvel.com
• Mark Bagley Image Gallery at Comic Art Community
• Mark Bagley interview on Straight Talk
• Interview on Comic Geek Speak Podcast (October 2006)

Preceded by None	New Warriors artist 1990–1992	Succeeded by Darick Robertson
Preceded by Erik Larsen	The Amazing Spider-Man artist 1991–1996	Succeeded by Steve Skroce
Preceded by None	Thunderbolts artist 1997–2001	Succeeded by Patrick Zircher
Preceded by None	Ultimate Spider-Man artist 2000–2007	Succeeded by Stuart Immonen

Persondata
Name	Bagley, Mark
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 7, 1957
Place of birth	Frankfurt, Germany
Date of death
Place of death