Rags Morales

Infobox Comics creator
name = Rags Morales


imagesize =
caption = Morales at the 2008 New York Comic Convention.
birthname = Ralph Morales
birthdate =
location =
deathdate =
deathplace =
nationality = American
area = Penciller, Inker
alias =
notable works = "Identity Crisis", "Countdown to Infinite Crisis"
awards =

Ralph "Rags" Morales is am American comic book artist known for his work DC Comics' "Identity Crisis", "Countdown to Infinite Crisis", "Batman Confidential", and "Hawkman", and "" from Armada/Acclaim Comics.

Morales is the co-creator, along with Brian Augustyn, of the 1990s version of "Black Condor".

Education and career

Morales attended a number of vocational art classes, and is a 1988 graduate of the Joe Kubert School. After graduating, he worked for a silkscreen company in Linden, New Jersey. After losing that job, he went to New York City, where he met writer Barbara Kesel, who got Morales his first professional work, pencilling 19 issues of " Forgotten Realms" with writer Jeff Grubb as part of the TSR line of books. Following "Forgotten Realms", Morales co-created and pencilled "Black Condor".cite web
last = Solan
first = Colin
url=http://www.paperbackreader.com/interviews/ragsmorales_070605.htm
title=PBR Interviews - Interview with Rags Morales
publisher=Paperbackreader.com
accessdate=2008-04-27]

Morales left DC Comics to do work for Valiant Comics, including "Turok", "Archer & Armstrong" and "Shadowman". He also did some licensed work on a "Sliders" comic book, and work for Wizards of the Coast. After Valiant closed, Morales was unemployed for about a year and a half. He returned to his TSR roots, doing work for Dungeons and Dragons magazines and novella work for Harper Collins, such as Isaac Asimov's Robotics and pen and ink work for Margaret Weiss' "Testament of the Dragon". He also taught anatomical illustration at a vo-tech school.cite web
url=http://classic.newsarama.com/pages/DC/Rags_IC.htm
title=A 15 Year Success Story
publisher=Newsarama
accessdate=2008-04-27]

Morales eventually called his friend and "Shadowman" collaborator, writer Tony Bedard, who was now Dan Raspler's assistant editor at DC Comics. Raspler had wanted to work with Morales when Morales was exclusive with Valiant, and after a short while, Morales was given work on DC's on "Hourman", and then on "Hawkman" with writer Geoff Johns as part of a year-long exclusivity deal with DC. As the end of that year loomed while on "Hawkman", Morales, who enjoyed working at DC, lobbied for it to be renewed with a multi-year exclusivity deal in order to secure his medical insurance for his family's sake,Fact|date=September 2008 and received a three-year exclusivity deal.Fact|date=September 2008 It was also on "Hawkman" that he first worked with inker Michael Bair and they have worked together on most of their projects since. At the time Morales said "when I saw the magic that Michael Bair added to my work, I knew I had to stick with this dude". [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=1620 Rags To Riches: Morales Talks 'Hawkman'] , Comic Book Resources, November 12, 2002]

After "Hawkman", DC and writer Brad Meltzer, who were impressed with the quality of his work, offered Morales the limited series "Identity Crisis", which was the first time Morales felt he had been offered a project of that level of prestige.Fact|date=September 2008 Because of the importance of "Identity Crisis" to DC's ongoing company-wide storyline, and because of the number of characters in it, including minor ones that had barely been seen in years, Morales used copious amounts of reference materials for character studies, including the use of famous actors' faces to give the characters unique facial features, and sometimes updating their costumes in the process. The series was eventually selected by The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)'s 2007 recommended list of Great Graphic Novels For Teens.cite web
url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9989.html
title=YALSA 2007 Great Graphic Novels
publisher=icv2.com
accessdate=2008-04-27]

Morales is currently working, with Bair, on Peter Tomasi's run on "Nightwing". [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11718 Strange How the Night Moves: Tomasi talks "Nightwing"] , Comic Book Resources, October 16, 2007]

Art style

Regarding his figure work, Morales finds stock, poster-like standing poses difficult, preferring the more communicative movement seen among characters in narrative sequences, a forte he feels helped him attain the "Identity Crisis" assignment.

Bibliography

Comics work includes:

*"Hawkman" #1-12, 15-17, 20-25 (pencils, with writers Geoff Johns/James Robinson and inks by Michael Bair and John Dell (#24), DC Comics, 2003-2004)
*"Identity Crisis" (pencils, with writer Brad Meltzer and inks by Michael Bair, 7-issue limited series DC Comics, 2004-2005)
*"Wonder Woman" #215-217, 119, 221, 223 (pencils, with Greg Rucka and inks by Michael Bair and Mark Propst (#216), DC Comics, 2005-2006)
*"" #19-20 (pencils, with writer Scott Beatty and inks by Michael Bair, DC Comics, 2007)
*"Nightwing" #140- (pencils, with Peter Tomasi and inks by Michael Bair, DC Comics, 2008-ongoing)

Notes

References

*comicbookdb|type=creator|id=475|title=Ralph Morales

External links

* [http://rags.comicbloc.com/ Rags Morales Blog]