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Adam Hughes (born May 5, 1967) is an American
comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literar ...
and illustrator best known to American comic book readers for his renderings of pinup-style female characters, and his cover work on titles such as ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' and ''
Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
''. He is known as one of comics' foremost cheesecake artists, and one of the best known and most distinctive comic book cover artists. Throughout his career Hughes has provided illustration work for companies such as
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
,
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
,
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
,
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures is an American film studio and distribution arm of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group division of Warner Bros., both of which are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex ...
, ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' magazine,
Joss Whedon Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon ( ; born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and composer. He is best known as the creator of several television series: the supernatural drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ...
's
Mutant Enemy Productions Mutant Enemy Productions is an American production company founded in 1996 by Joss Whedon to produce ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The company also produced the ''Buffy'' spin-off, ''Angel'', and his two short-lived science fiction series, the s ...
, and
Sideshow Collectibles Sideshow Collectibles is an American specialty manufacturer of movie, film, television and collectible action figures, statues, and high end pieces. Sideshow's licenses include ''Star Wars'', DC Comics, Marvel Comics, ''The Lord of the Rings'', D ...
. He is also a fixture at comics conventions where his commissioned sketches command long lines.


Early life

Adam Hughes was born on May 5, 1967 in Riverside Township, New Jersey and grew up in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, where he attended a private elementary school. He stayed in Florence until he was 24."Adam Hughes Sketching 13"
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. August 21, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.


Career


Early work

Hughes, who had no formal training in art, began his career in 1987."Adam Hughes Sketching 3"
YouTube. August 21, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010
His first comic book work was a pinup in ''Eagle'' #6. He penciled, inked, and lettered, two short stories and the first issue of '' Death Hawk'', created by Mark Ellis. In 1988 Hughes became the penciller on writer Mike W. Barr's detective series '' Maze Agency'', as his portfolio bore samples of both that series and Mike Gustovich's '' Justice Machine''. ''Maze Agency'', published by Comico, and edited by Michael Eury, became Hughes' first regular series and his first color work. Despite wanting to draw action-oriented superhero stories at the time, he credits his work on ''Maze Agency'', whose scripts Barr composed in the
full script A script is a document describing the narrative and dialogue of a comic book in detail. It is the comic book equivalent of a television program teleplay or a film screenplay. In comics, a script may be preceded by a plot outline, and is almost al ...
format, with improving his skill and confidence at storytelling. In a 2004 interview, he stated that this work also developed his preference for character-oriented stories over action-oriented ones, both as an artist and a writer. Hughes' interior pencils were inked by Eury's longtime friend Rick Magyar, and because Hughes aspired to ink his own work one day, he took Barr's suggestion that he produce pinups on each issue's back cover as an advertisement for the next issue to practice inking his own pencils. It was around this time that Hughes switched to inking with a brush on the advice of Dave Stevens when Stevens looked at Hughes' samples. Hughes stayed on the series for a year, though he took a month off during this run to provide the pencils on Comico's issue 12 of
Bill Willingham William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series '' Elementals'' and ''Fables''. Career William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his father's military career the fam ...
's series '' Elementals'' #12. After two years of providing background art or interior pencils on independent books, writer/artist Willingham introduced Hughes to Andy Helfer, the editor on the
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
series '' Justice League America''. Helfer was impressed by Hughes' portfolio and asked Hughes to contact him when his contract expired. A few months later, after Comico went out of business, Helfer contacted Hughes, hiring him initially to draw inventory covers for issues like ''
Mister Miracle Mister Miracle is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first and third are humans Thaddeus Brown and Shilo Norman, while the second is New God Scott Free. The Scott Free incarnat ...
'' #19, one of Hughes' favorite creations by
Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...
. Hughes was then made the regular artist on '' Justice League America'', with issue #31 being his first published DC Comics work. At the time he began on that book, he was still working at a comics shop two days a week. He continued doing covers and interior art on the title for two years, before switching to providing covers only. In February 1992, at the age of 24, Hughes moved to Atlanta, Georgia to join Gaijin Studios, believing that working more closely alongside fellow artists would improve his own skills. Hughes stayed with Gaijin Studios for 12 years. That same year, he penciled ''Comics' Greatest World: Arcadia'' #3 for
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
, which featured the first appearance of the supernatural character ''
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
''. He drew that character subsequently in the 1994 one-shot ''Ghost Special''. When that character was given her own series in 1995, Hughes penciled the first three-issue storyline, "Arcadia Nocturne". From 1994 to 1995, Hughes drew the satirical storyline "Young Captain Adventure", which appeared in the first several issues of the adult comics anthology magazine '' Penthouse Comix''. Hughes also provided a painted cover for issue #2, and a pinup in issue #26 in 1997. In a 2011 interview, he indicated that while he did not regret that work, he felt shame at the time he produced it, as he feared it might end his future prospects with companies like
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
and
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, and because he feels that depicting full nudity is less fulfilling than merely suggestive art. Hughes explains:"Spotlight On: Adam Hughes"
Comic Vine Whiskey Media was an American online media company founded independently by '' CNET'' co-founder Shelby Bonnie in 2008. It was the parent company of Tested, Screened, and Anime Vice, and the former parent company of '' Giant Bomb'' and Comic Vine. ...
. May 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
I firmly believe that drawing a fully clothed, beautiful woman is more sensuous than a completely naked, laying on a table getting ready to go in for a CAT scan. I firmly think that it's what you hint and suggest—that is more attractive—and that goes for both men and women. When you go into full nudity, and swing for the fences with the nudity, it can be titillating at first, but after a while you get kind of tired and kind of spent and decide "Hey, you know what, I am just going to go watch the ball game." I think that you need to have the mystery, and that layer to be peeled away so that the interest remains there.
In 1995, Hughes wrote and illustrated the 1996 two-issue miniseries, '' Gen13: Ordinary Heroes'' from
WildStorm Wildstorm Productions (stylized as WildStorm) is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi to publish through Image Comics, Wildstorm became a publishing imprint of DC C ...
, his first writing assignment. Because he did that at the WildStorm offices in
La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature o ...
, he spent evenings in the suite where the studio's books were colored, where he learned how to color with
Photoshop Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. It was created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll. It is the most used tool for professional digital art, especially in raster graphics editin ...
from colorists Homer Reyes, Ben Dimagmaliw and Laura Martin. In late 1998, Hughes began a four-year run as cover artist on DC's ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
''; he produced 49 covers for the series. He also provided cover art on ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...
'' from
Top Cow Comics Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, an imprint of Image Comics. It was founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992. The company is known for publishing titles such as '' Cyberforce'', '' The Darkness'', ''Sunstone, Wanted,'' and ''Witchbl ...
. Hughes would eventually gain a reputation as one of the best-known and distinctive comic book cover artists.


2000s

When
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...
created their 2000 d20-based ''Star Wars'' RPG, Hughes created designs for both the original and revised core rulebooks, as well as the ''Star Wars: Invasion of Theed'' adventure game mini-RPG. When he reused his portrait of the Jedi guardian, Sia-Lan Wezz (his favorite character), for the cover of the 2005 one-shot '' Star Wars: Purge'' as a gag, there was such editorial interest that she was written into the story as one of
Darth Vader Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...
's early victims. In May 2007, Sideshow Collectibles debuted a miniature statuette of
Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, making her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #25 (June 1965), and subsequent ...
, a perennial love interest of Spider-Man's, based on artwork by Hughes. The statue, which depicts Mary Jane wearing a cleavage-revealing T-shirt and low-cut jeans that expose the top of a pink thong while bending over a metal tub holding Spider-Man's costume, generated controversy among some fans who felt that the statue was sexist. Marvel addressed the matter by stating, "The Mary Jane statuette is the latest release in a limited edition collectibles line. The item is aimed at adults that have been long-time fans of the Marvel Universe. It is intended only for mature collectors and sold in specialty, trend, collectible and comic shops – not mass retail." Sideshow Collectibles stated, "Our product is not produced to make a political or social statement but is fashioned after entertainment properties currently in the market place (sic). We suggest that if you do find the Mary Jane product offensive that you refrain from viewing that web page." Elizabeth McDonald of girl-wonder.org, an organization dedicated to "high-quality character depiction" in the comics industry, was incredulous at the statue's design, though she stated, "Honestly, the difficulty with this statuette is that if you're a woman who likes comics, it's not even noteworthy. Many male comic fans can't understand the outrage it's generated, since this is fairly tame within the industry. This portrayal of Mary Jane could be considered superior to some in the industry, since her clothes don't seem to be actively falling off her". The ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
s Malene Arpe echoed this, pointing to female characters with even more revealing appearances, such as
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
and
Witchblade ''Witchblade'' is an American comic book Ongoing series, series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint (trade name), imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owne ...
. Gary Susman of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' lamented that the statuette was not issued some weeks earlier, so that it could have been included in the website 10 Zen Monkeys' list of "Ten Worst Spiderman Tie-Ins". Sideshow subsequently released several other statues, or "comiquettes", based on Hughes' depiction of other female Marvel characters, including
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
,
She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer Susan Walters) is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she First appearance, first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk ...
, and various X-Men-related characters. In 2008, Hughes created a poster of major DC Comics female characters as a giveaway for that year's
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
to promote the publisher's upcoming projects. The poster, called "Real Power of the DC Universe", features 11 female characters standing and/or sitting abreast of one another, similar to a '' Vanity Fair'' gatefold layout. Per DC's request, the characters are mostly clad in white outfits rather than their familiar superhero costumes. Hughes, wanting to avoid making the poster look like a bridal magazine layout, gave each outfit a different color temperature. He also gave each character a distinctive style. The garment worn by Wonder Woman resembles a Greek-style tunic, while the one worn by
Poison Ivy Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...
features a floral trim. Because the ''
Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
'' series was coming to an end, DC instructed Hughes to leave her off the poster. Hughes was fond of the character, so he drew her on the far left, figuring that he would edit her out of the final version. However, having seen his progress, DC's editorial team decided that they liked his version and told Hughes to include Catwoman. She is dressed in a black latex evening gown with a white
shawl A shawl (from ''shāl'') is a simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular piece of Textile, cloth, but can also be Square (geometry), square or tr ...
. Hughes reasoned that Selina would have been irritated by being included in the group at the last minute and thus wore the blackest ensemble she could out of spite. The poster's popularity resulted in requests for Hughes to create similar ones with men, Marvel characters, etc. It is one of the images for which Hughes has gained a reputation as one of comics' foremost
cheesecake Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, ...
artists. About this status, Hughes has said: For an article by
Hal Niedzviecki Hal Niedzviecki (born January 9, 1971) is a Canadian novelist and cultural critic. Born in Brockville, he was raised by a Jewish family in Ottawa, Ontario, and Potomac, Maryland, did his undergraduate studies at University College, Toronto, and ...
on the impact of blogs, social networks and reality television in the February 2009 ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' magazine, Hughes illustrated a double-page spread depicting a group of voyeurs observing a topless woman in front of a computer.


2010s

Although Hughes was announced as the writer and artist on '' All Star Wonder Woman'' in 2006, he explained at the 2010
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
that that project was "in the freezer" for the time being, due to the difficulty involved in both writing and illustrating it himself. His website indicated that after the current ''Catwoman'' series ended with issue #82, he would cease his DC cover work, and would focus on producing the six-issue ''All Star Wonder Woman'' series, though he stated in an October 2010 interview with NJ.com, after the ''Catwoman'' assignment had concluded earlier that year, that ''All Star Wonder Woman'' was still on hold. At the 2010 Chicago Comicon, editor Mark Chiarello offered him the art duties on the four-issue miniseries '' Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan'', one of eight tie-in prequels to the seminal 1986–1987 miniseries ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'', which would be written by
J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski, known as J. Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is known as the creator of the science fiction televi ...
, and which would require Hughes to delay finishing ''All-Star Wonder Woman''. Hughes accepted the job of drawing that miniseries, which was announced in February 2012, and premiered August 22, 2012. Hughes commented: "I love
Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', Swamp Thing (comic book), ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman: The Killing Joke' ...
's canon of work, with special affection for '' Miracleman'', ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a multi-genre, cross-over comic book series co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The comic book spans four volumes, an original graphic novel, and ...
'', and most definitely ''Watchmen''. I hope to do some sort of justice to Dave Gibbons' brilliant art: he's one of the all time great illustrators ever to work in the field of comics...I'm fairly stoked to be working with the fabulous
J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski, known as J. Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is known as the creator of the science fiction televi ...
I loved his ''
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
'' run, especially. The man knows how to craft amazing tales, so I feel like you & I are in good hands." Between 2009 and 2012, DC Collectibles produced a series of statues of various female DC characters that were based on Hughes' cover art called Cover Girls of the DC Universe. These included statues of
Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...
, Catwoman,
Zatanna Zatanna Zatara (), known mononymously as Zatanna, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (N ...
, Hawkwoman,
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
,
Poison Ivy Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...
,
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
, and one of Wonder Woman based on Hughes' cover to ''Wonder Woman'' vol. 2 #150. In 2010, DC Comics published ''Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes'', a collection of Hughes' cover work for that publisher, arranged chronologically, with commentary by Hughes on each selected cover, as well as preliminary sketches.Johnston, Rich (January 19, 2019)
"Almost All of DC Comics' April 2019 Solicitations, Leaked"
Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
In 2014, "She Lies at Midnite", an eight-page Batman/Catwoman story written and illustrated by Hughes using greytones, appeared in the sixth and final issue of the anthology miniseries '' Batman: Black and White''. On July 20, 2016,
Archie Comics Archie Comic Publications, Inc. (often referred to simply as Archie Comics) is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jug ...
published the first issue of '' Betty and Veronica'', a three-issue miniseries written and illustrated by Hughes. In the series, best friends and rivals
Betty Cooper Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper is one of the main characters appearing in American comic books published by Archie Comics. She is the lead guitarist, percussionist and one of the three singers of The Archies. The character was created by Bob Montan ...
and Veronica Lodge find themselves at odds over the fate of the town's hangout, Pop's Chocklit Shoppe, with the entire town divided on the matter. Hughes' intention was to make the characters timely and relevant; although Hughes has stated that he favors Betty, he has also said that "Veronica Lodge is delicious good fun to write." On December 20, 2017
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
published the 36-page Christmas special one-shot '' Hellboy: Krampusnacht'', written by Hellboy creator
Mike Mignola Michael Mignola (; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer best known for creating ''Hellboy'' for Dark Horse Comics, part of a Hellboy Universe, shared universe of titles including ''B.P.R.D.'', ''Abe Sapien'', ''Lobster Johns ...
, and illustrated by Hughes.Arrant, Chris (December 18, 2017)
"Hughes, Mignola & Hellboy Stuff Your Stocking With ''Krampusnacht''"
Newsarama. Retrieved January 8, 2018

from the original on January 8, 2018.
Although Hughes had previously done a Hellboy pinup in a Dark Horse anniversary comic, ''Krampusnacht'' marked Hughes' first time doing the interiors on a ''Hellboy'' story, and his first collaboration with Mignola. The book received mostly positive reviews. The following July, the book won the 2018
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
for Best Single Issue/One-Shot. In January 2019, DC Comics' solicitations for April indicated that it would publish a new collection of Hughes' work called ''Absolute Art of Adam Hughes'', which features the full content of ''Cover Run'', plus more than 100 additional covers with new commentary by Hughes, and a reuse of the cover of ''Cover Run''. The book's release date is November 13, 2019.Gerding, Stephen (January 22, 2019)
"DC Comics' Complete April 2019 Solicitations"
CBR.com. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
In April 2019, Marvel Comics announced that Hughes would provide the covers to the five-issue miniseries ''Invisible Woman'', the first series to feature Sue Storm as the main character.


2020s

In May 2022, Hughes and his wife and manager, Allison Sohn stated during an online panel discussion that he was no longer producing comics art full time, as he was now doing character design and
concept art Concept art is a form of visual art used to convey an idea for use in film, video games, animation, comic books, television shows, or other media before it is put into the final product. The term was used by the Walt Disney Animation Studios ...
for
Marvel Studios Animation Marvel Studios Animation (also known as Marvel Animation) is a division of American production company Marvel Studios centered on development of its animated projects based on Marvel Comics. The division was created by Marvel Studios as a "min ...
, for which Hughes was learning to use different graphics software. The
non-disclosure agreement A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement (CA), confidential disclosure agreement (CDA), proprietary information agreement (PIA), or secrecy agreement (SA), is a legal contract or part of a contract between at le ...
that he signed as part of the contract meant that he cannot not publicly share the work he produced when the projects are still in production, and that even though he is able to keep the original art he produces, his contract prohibits him from selling it. In January 2023, it was reported that Hughes would be drawing an eight-page Rocketeer story written by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. The story would appear as one of the stories in a one-shot anthology, ''The Rocketeer'', to be published by
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...
. Hughes had been approached for the project by filmmakers Kelvin Mao and Robert Windom, who had discovered during production of their documentary, ''Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection'', which focused on the creator of that character's creator, Dave Stevens, that Bilson and the late De Meo, who wrote the screenplay to the 1991 feature film adaptation '' The Rocketeer'', had written an unpublished Rocketeer comics story guest-starring real-life aviation pioneer
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
.


Influences and approach

Hughes' artistic influences include comics artists such as Dave Stevens, Steve Rude,
Mike Mignola Michael Mignola (; born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer best known for creating ''Hellboy'' for Dark Horse Comics, part of a Hellboy Universe, shared universe of titles including ''B.P.R.D.'', ''Abe Sapien'', ''Lobster Johns ...
and Kevin Nowlan, classic American illustrators such as
Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...
,
Maxfield Parrish Maxfield Parrish (July 25, 1870 – March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustration, illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. His works featured distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. The ...
,
Drew Struzan Drew Struzan (; born March 18, 1947) is an American retired artist, illustrator and cover designer. He is known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''Blade Runner'', ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'', as ...
and Dean Cornwell and notable pin-up artists like
Alberto Vargas Joaquin Alberto Vargas y Chávez (9 February 1896 – 30 December 1982) was a Peruvian-American painter of pin-up girls. He is often considered one of the most famous of the pin-up artists, and as one of the pioneers of airbrush art. Numerous ...
and
George Petty George Brown Petty IV (April 27, 1894 – July 21, 1975) was an American pin-up artist. His pin-up art appeared primarily in ''Esquire'' and Fawcett Publications's ''True'' but was also in calendars marketed by ''Esquire'', ''True'' and Ridgid ...
. Hughes also keeps collections of works by
Alphonse Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized ...
near his drawing table. According to Hughes, he does not illustrate comics interiors on a regular basis because creating artwork whose quality satisfies him takes too much time for him to produce it on a regular monthly schedule; f while he is capable of working faster, he is typically dissatisfied with the results when he does so. As an example, he points to the 1996 miniseries he wrote and illustrated, '' Gen13: Ordinary Heroes'', which took him ten months to complete. He elaborated on this in a 2004 interview, explaining: Hughes varies his style between projects, sometimes exhibiting a "cartoony" look in his drawings, and at other times employing reference to achieve a
photorealistic Photorealism is a genre of art that encompasses painting, drawing and other graphic media, in which an artist studies a photograph and then attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible in another medium. Although the term can b ...
work in his art, as in his work for ''Playboy'' magazine, in order to produce more varied works for his portfolio, should his prospects in the comic book industry ever fade. When given the freedom to illustrate what he wants for a cover, Hughes prefers not to depict action scenes, which he feels are his weak point, but the "pregnant" moments immediately before a climactic moment.


Materials

The penciling process Hughes employs for his cover work is the same he uses when doing sketches for fans at conventions, with the main difference being that he does cover work in his sketchbook, before transferring the drawing to virgin art board with a lightbox.Coulson, Steve
"Adam Hughes - Anatomy of a sketch, Pt2 - The Process"
YouTube. May 15, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
When penciling his convention drawings, Hughes prefers 11 x 14 Strathmore
bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. It is often distinguished from parchment, either by being made from calfskin (rather than the skin of other animals), or simply by being of a higher quality. Vellu ...
paper, because he prefers that paper's rougher surface. However, he uses smoother paper for brush inking,Coulson, Steve (May 15, 2006)
"Adam Hughes - Anatomy of a sketch, Pt3 - The Tools"
YouTube. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
and he illustrated some ''Catwoman'' covers on animation paper. He does preliminary undersketches with a lead holder,Coulson, Steve (May 15, 2006)
"Adam Hughes - Anatomy of a sketch, Pt1 - The Idea"
YouTube. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
because he feels regular pencils get worn down to the nub too quickly. As he explained during a sketch demonstration at a comic book convention, during this process he uses a Sanford Turquoise 4B lead, a soft lead, though when working at home in Atlanta, where the humid weather tends to dampen the paper, he sometimes uses a B lead or 2B lead, which acts like a 4B in that environment. However, his website explains that he uses 6B lead, with some variation. For pieces rendered entirely in pencil, he employs a variety of pencil leads of varying degrees of hardness. After darkening in the construction lines that he wishes to keep, he erases the lighter ones with a
kneaded eraser A kneaded eraser, also commonly known as a putty rubber, is a pliable erasing tool used by artists. It is usually made of a grey or white unvulcanized rubber (though it can be found in many different colors, such as green, blue, hot pink, ye ...
before rendering greater detail. For more detailed erasures, he uses a pencil-shaped white eraser, and to erase large areas, he uses a larger, hand-held white eraser, which he calls a "thermonuclear eraser", because it "takes care of everything". For inking, which is Hughes' least favorite part of the illustration process, he uses a size three Scharff brush and Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star Hi-Carb ink. Hughes also favors Faber-Castell PITT artist pens, which come in a variety of points, including fine, medium, bold and brush tips, which Hughes uses for brush work on convention sketches. Though he stated in a 2006 interview that he favored PITT pens for convention sketches, but never for cover work, he later used them to illustrate the cover of '' ImagineFX'' magazine #67 in 2011, and for an illustration of
Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
and
Ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...
for a Justice League card game. He occasionally will use Copic markers in both warm and cool gray tones to render covers in grayscale. Similar to his penciling, Hughes tends to ink different portions of the sketch at random, though when rendering an attractive female, he begins with the face, so that in the event that he fails to capture her good looks, an entire rendered illustration has not been wasted. He uses Sharpie markers to fill in larger areas, which he feels would be too tedious to render in pencil, such as the costumes of characters like
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
, which he believes should be rendered in black rather than blue. He uses
Photoshop Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. It was created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll. It is the most used tool for professional digital art, especially in raster graphics editin ...
to color his cover work. He initially colored his covers after inking them traditionally, but beginning with ''Wonder Woman'' (Vol 2) #195, he switched methods to one in which he renders the greyscale stage in pencil, pen and marker like a painting, and then uses Photoshop's Layer tool to colorize each element in the image separately. Hughes sometimes uses colored markers to embellish parts of a convention sketch, as when he uses red for female characters' lips, or a silver pen to render scenes set in outer space. When rendering an entire sketch in grey tones or full color, Hughes, who once used
Prismacolor Prismacolor is a brand of professional visual arts supplies originated in 1938 by the Eagle Pencil Company (rebranded to Berol), and now currently manufactured by Newell Brands. Prismacolor products include, colored and graphite pencils, soft pa ...
or Design 2 markers, explained at the 2010
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
that for the past four years, he had been using Copic markers, a set of which a fan gave him as a gift, because Copic markers are refillable, and because he found that they produce longer-lasting colors, and can be used several times longer than other brands, as he was still using the same package of nibs as of August 2010 that came with the first set of Copics he was given four years previously. When using Copics, he takes care to erase his pencils, and to not work dark-to-light, because of the mottled effects that result from doing so. He has conducted demonstrations of Copic markers at conventions on a number of occasions.


Personal life

Hughes and his wife, Allison Sohn, who designs his published sketchbooks and administrates his website, live in Atlanta.


Awards and recognition

* 2003
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
"Best Cover Artist" * 2007
Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at Comic-Con Internati ...
* February 2008 Inkwell Awards Ambassador (Feb. 2008–present)


Bibliography


Interior art


Dark Horse Comics

* '' Comics' Greatest World:
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
'' (1993) * ''
Dark Horse Presents ''Dark Horse Presents'' was a comic book published by Dark Horse Comics from 1986 in comics, 1986. Their first published series, it was their flagship title until its September 2000 in comics, 2000 cancellation. The second incarnation was publishe ...
'' #50: "Hip-Deep in the Consciousness Stream" (script and art, 1991) * ''Ghost'' #1–3 (1995) * ''Hellboy: Krampusnacht'' (2017) * ''Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: The Seven Wives Club'' (2020)


DC Comics

* '' 52'' (DC Comics, 2006–2007): ** "The Origin of
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
" (with
Mark Waid Mark Waid (; born March 21, 1962) is an American comic book writer best known for his work on DC Comics titles ''The Flash'', '' Kingdom Come'' and '' Superman: Birthright'' as well as his work on ''Captain America'', ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Da ...
, co-feature, in #12, 2006) ** "The Origin of Power Girl" (with Mark Waid, co-feature, in #36, 2007) * ''
Before Watchmen ''Before Watchmen'' is a series of comic books published by DC Comics in 2012. Acting as a prequel to the 1986 12-issue ''Watchmen'' limited series by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, the project consists of eight limited series and on ...
:
Doctor Manhattan Doctor Manhattan (Dr. Jonathan "Jon" Osterman) is a fictional DC Comics character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons. He debuted in the graphic novel, limited Limited series (comics), series graphic novel, ''Watchmen.'' Follo ...
'', miniseries, #1–4 (2012–2013) * ''
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
'' vol. 2 #0 (one page) (2014) * '' Justice League America'' #31–35, 37–40, 43–44, 45 (four pages), #51 (1989–1991) * '' Legionnaires'' #7 (full art), #9, #10, 12 (along with
Chris Sprouse Chris Sprouse (born July 30, 1966) is an American comics artist. Sprouse has worked for multiple publishers and has won two Eisner Awards for his work on '' Tom Strong'', a series he created with writer Alan Moore. Early life Chris Sprouse was b ...
) (1993–1994) * '' New Titans'' #93 (1992) * '' Star Trek: Debt of Honor'' (1992) * ''
Superman/Batman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly American comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ' ...
'' #75: "World's End...But Life Goes On" (script and art, DC Comics, 2010) * ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
Gen13'' #1–3 (script, with
Lee Bermejo Lee Bermejo is an American comic book writer and artist whose published work includes interior illustrations and cover art. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Brian Azzarello including '' Lex Luthor: Man of Steel'', the '' Joker ...
, Wildstorm, 2000) * '' Team Titans'' #1 Redwing (1992) * ''Titans Sell-out Special'' (three pages) (1992)


=America's Best Comics

= * ''Many Worlds of Tesla Strong'' (five pages) (2003) (America's Best Comics)


=Vertigo

= * ''
The Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by hi ...
'' #55 (two pages) (2000) * ''
Fables Fable is a literary genre defined as a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse (poetry), verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphized, and that ...
'' #100: "Celebrity Burning Questions" and #113 "In Those Days" (with Bill Willingham, Vertigo, 2011–2012) * '' Fairest in All the Land'' HC (three pages) (2014)


=Wildstorm

= * '' Wildstorm Thunderbook'': "WHAM! A Tale" (script and art, Wildstorm, one–shot, 2000)


Image Comics

* ''24Seven vol.2'': "The Sweetest Thing" (with Phil Hester, 2007) * '' Gen13: Ordinary Heroes'' #1–2 (script and art, 1996) * '' Savage Dragon: Sex & Violence'' #1–2 (1997, layouts only) * '' WildC.A.T.s/X-Men: The Modern Age'' (1997)


Marvel Comics

* ''
Namor Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...
, the Sub-Mariner Annual'' #3 (four pages) (1993) * '' Sensational She-Hulk'' #50 (two pages) (1993) * '' X-Men Annual'' vol. 2 #1 (among other artists) (1992)


Other publishers

* ''Betty & Veronica'' #1–3 (2016) (Archie Comics) * ''Blood of Dracula'' #4–5, 7–11 (1988–1989) (Apple Comics) * '' Death Hawk'' #1 (1988) (Transfuzion Publishing) * ''Eagle'' #9–12 (1987) * '' Maze Agency'' #1–5, 8–9, 12; ''Annual'' #1 (1988–1990) (Comico Comics) * ''
Nexus NEXUS is a joint Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection-operated Trusted Traveler and expedited border control program designed for pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Members of the program can avoid waits at border ...
'' vol. 2 #57 (1989) (First Comics) * ''Pat Savage: the Woman of Bronze - Family Blood Special'' (1992) * '' Penthouse Comix'' #1–5: "Young Captain Adventure" (with George Caragonne, Tom Thornton and Joel Adams, Penthouse, 1994–1995) * ''Solution'' #5 (1994) * '' Star Rangers'' #2–3 (1987) * ''Warriors'' #1–3 (1987–1988) * '' Wizard'' #94 (1999) (Wizard)


Cover work


DC Comics

* ''
Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...
'' #1–6, 29 (2011–2014) * ''
Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...
'' vol. 3 #44–82 (2005–2008); #83 (2010, "Blackest Night" tie-in) * ''DC Comics Presents#Julius Schwartz Tribute, DC Comics Presents'' (Julius Schwartz tribute): ** ''
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' (2004) ** ''
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
'' (2004) * ''Fairest (comics), Fairest'' (2012–2014) * ''
Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...
'' #1 variant (2013) * ''Justice League#JLA: Classified, JSA: Classified'' #1–2 (2005) * ''Just Imagine..., Just Imagine Stan Lee creating'': ** ''Aquaman'' (2002) ** ''Batman'' (2001) ** ''Catwoman'' (2002) ** ''Flash'' (2002) ** ''Green Lantern'' (2001) ** ''JLA'' (2002) * ''Rose and Thorn'' miniseries #1–6 (2004) * ''Superman (comic book), Superman'' #710 (DC Comics, 2011) * ''Uncharted'' #1 (DC Comics, 2012) * ''
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
'' (vol. 2) #139–146, 150–161, 164–174, 176–178, 184–197 (1998–2003) * ''Zatanna (comic book), Zatanna'' #11, 13–16 (2011)


Marvel Comics

* ''Classic X-Men, X-Men Classic'' #71–79 (1992) * '' Sensational She-Hulk'' #52 (1993)


Other publishers

* ''Big Trouble in Little China'' #1 SDCC Variant (2014) (BOOM! Studios) * ''Gate Crasher'' TPB (Wizard Entertainment) * ''
Ghost In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...
'' one-shot (Dark Horse) * ''Life with Archie'' #36 (2014) (Archie Comics) * ''Purge (comic book), Star Wars: Purge'' (Dark Horse) * ''Star Wars: Legacy'' #1–7 (Dark Horse) * ''Star Wars comics#Dark Horse, Star Wars: Rebel Heist'' #1–4 (Dark Horse) * ''
Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an Action-adventure game, action-adventure video game series created by British video game developer Core Design. The franchise i ...
'' #18, 32–34, 42–50 (Image) * ''Vampirella'' #1–3 (Harris Comics) * ''Voodoo'' #2–4 (Image) * '' Wizard'' #83, 94, 129, 162


References


External links

* *
Adam Hughes
DeviantArt
Adam Hughes
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Adam 1967 births 20th-century American artists 21st-century American artists American comics artists American comics writers Artists from Atlanta Artists from New Jersey DC Comics people Eisner Award winners for Best Cover Artist Inkpot Award winners Living people Marvel Comics people People from Florence Township, New Jersey People from Riverside Township, New Jersey Pin-up artists American role-playing game artists