Howard Chaykin

Howard Chaykin is a comic book creator
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Howard Chaykin is an American comics writer and artist. He is most known for his ground-breaking independent comics works including American Flagg! for First Comics and Black Kiss for Vortex, as well as his modern re-workings of The Shadow and Blackhawk for DC.

Personal Life

Howard Chaykin started his comics career in the early 70s working as an art assistant for Wally Wood, Gray Morrow, Neal Adams and Gil Kane. His early work consisted of science fiction and fantasy adaptations including Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser for DC and the first Star Wars adaptation for Marvel Comics, as well as several personal creations for the early independent companies including The Scorpion for Atlas Comics, and Cody Starbuck for Star Reach Graphics. He has since gone on to build a career as one of the preeminent comics creators, and the "go to guy" for stories set in the 1930s and 40s. He is outspoken and independent with a professional reputation for delivering what he says, when he says it will be done.

Career

Chaykin's career spans over 40 years of sequential art works. Consequently, there's a lot out there. He has contributed countless covers and backup stories to a wide variety of different publishers.
 
The 1970s
 Chaykin's Star Wars Poster
 Chaykin's Star Wars Poster
Chaykin's first published solo works were mostly for Marvel and DC for their different science fiction and horror lines. In 1977 he was given the task of drawing the adaptation of Marvel's new Star Wars license, inexorably tying him to the franchise as one of its seminal creators. He accomplished pioneering work with the graphic novel format adapting Empire by Samuel R. Delany and The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
 
The 1980s
During the 80s Chaykin brought out several genre and taboo breaking creator owned projects, including: American Flagg!, Black Kiss and Time 2. He continued to work extensively for Heavy Metal Magazine, and brought back Blackhawk and the modern updating of The Shadow for DC. During this decade, Chaykin experimented with different narrative structures and mixed media designs, many of which showed up in American Flagg!
 
The 1990s
During the better part of the 90s Chaykin's comics output was limited to mostly covers. He did, however manage to create Power and Glory for Malibu, continuing his themes of media and corporate control from American Flagg! and Time 2. His two most prominent comics works of this decade were Batman Thrillkiller and Twilight for DC.
 
The New Decade
Chaykin returned to comics in a big way. His output for Marvel and DC increased dramatically. He created the series American Century and Bite Club for DC Vertigo and did extended artist stints on Blade and Punisher War Journal for Marvel. He also returned to updating old characters with his Challengers of the Unknown series, also for DC. Chaykin shows no sign of slowing down with many new projects on the drawing and writing boards. He still finds time to complete covers and backup stories along with his series work. 

Bibliography


DC


Marvel


Indies

1974 Creepy Magazine #64 (Warren) 
1974 Gothic Romances Magazine #1 (Atlas) 
1974 Red Circle Sorcery Magazine #6, 10 (Red Circle) 
1975 Scorpion #1-2 (Atlas) 
1975 Unknown Worlds Of Science Fiction Magazine #5 (Curtis) 
1976-1981 Eerie Magazine #72, 127 (Warren) 
1976 Quack! (Star Reach) 
1976 Star Reach #4 (Star Reach) 
1976 Vampirella Magazine #51 (Warren) 
1977-1985 Heavy Metal Magazine #197711, 197811, 197903, 197904, 197911, 198105, 198106, 198108, 198109, 198205, 198507 (HM Communications) 
1978 Cody Starbuck #1 (Star Reach) 
1978 Empire (graphic novel, Berkley) 
1978 The Stars My Destination (graphic novel, Baronet) 
1979 Swords Of Heaven, The Flowers Of Hell (graphic novel, HM) 
1983-1988 Amazing Heroes #29, 88, 132 (Fantagraphics) 
1983-1988 American Flagg! #1-35, 38-50 (First) 
1984 Star Reach Classics #5 (Eclipse) 
1985 Miracleman #3 (Eclipse) 
1986 American Flagg Special (one-shot, First) 
1986 Comics Journal #109 (Fantagraphics) 
1986 Time 2 The Epiphany (graphic novel, First)
1987 Time 2 The Satisfaction Of Black Mariah (graphic novel, First) 
1987 Verdict #1 (Eternity) 
1987 Word Warriors #1 (Literacy Volunteers) 
1988 American Flagg Vol. 2 #1-12 (First) 
1988-1989 Black Kiss #1-12 (Vortex) 
1989 Big Black Kiss #1-3 (Vortex) 
1989 Comics Interview #75 (Comics Interview) 
1993 Accident Man #1-3 (Dark Horse) 
1994 Night Man #4 (Malibu) 
1994 Power And Glory #1-4 (Malibu) 
1994 Seaquest DSV #1 (Nemesis) 
1995 Bravura Holographic Edition (one-shot, Malibu) 
1999 Zorro The Complete Classic Adventures (graphic novel, introduction, Image) 
2000 Crimson Skies Preview (one-shot, Top Cow) 
2002 Radioactive Man Vol. 2 #575 (Bongo) 
2003 Tom Strong #19 (America's Best Comics) 
2004-2006 The Amazing Adventures Of The Escapist #1, 3 (Dark Horse) 
2004-2005 The Escapist #1, 5-6 (Dark Horse) 
2004 Tomb Raider: Sphere Of Influence #1A (Top Cow) 
2005 The Ride (graphic novel, foreword, Image) 
2007 3 Minute Sketchbook (graphic novel, Hero Initiative) 
2008 American Flagg Definitive Collection (graphic novel, Image)
2008 Fantastic Comics #1 (Image)
2008 The Boys #24B (Dynamite) 
2008 The Undersea Adventures Of Capt'n Eli (graphic novel, Nemo) 
2009-2010 Die Hard: Year One #1-8 (limited series, Boom!) 
2009 GI Joe #7-12 (A covers, IDW) 
2009 GI Joe Cobra #1-4 (A covers, limited series, IDW) 
2009 Hero Comics Hero Initiative Benefit Book #0 (one-shot, IDW) 
2010 Black Kiss (graphic novel, Dynamite) 
2010 GI Joe Cobra Vol. 2 #1-4 (A covers, limited series, IDW) 
2010 GI Joe Hearts And Minds #1-5 (limited series, IDW) 
2010 Irredeemable Special #1 (one-shot, Boom!) 
2011 Dark Horse Presents Vol. 2 #1-4 (Dark Horse)

Other Media

 
Film

 Heavy Metal The Movie  
Heavy Metal the Movie, 1981 (Chaykin designed the Taarna segment.)
  
Television

 The Flash TV Show 
The Flash, 1990-1991 (series writer)
Earth: Final Conflict, 1999-2000 (series writer)
Mutant X, 2001-2002 (series writer)
 
Book Covers
Chaykin has designed many covers for several different publishing houses, most notably for Baen Books in the late 70s and early 80s  

A Great Chaykin Cover

Characters Created


DC

 

Marvel

 

Indie

 
 
 
 
 
Howard Chaykin 67 images
General Information Edit
Earth Name: Howard Chaykin
Gender: Male
Birth: 07/10/1950
Death:
Town Newark, New Jersey
Country United States
Email:
Website:
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