Stephen R. Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comic book artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction
**Korean horror, Korean horror fiction
* Horror film, a film genre
*Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
genre. He is known for working with writer
Alan Moore and inker
John Totleben on the
DC Comics series ''
Swamp Thing'' in the 1980s.
Biography
Early work and education
Bissette was born and raised in Vermont, where he still lives, and was raised
Catholic.
Shortly after the publication of his first work, ''Abyss'' (1976),
Bissette enrolled in the first class of
The Kubert School.
Before his first year was completed, his work was being published professionally in the pages of ''Sojourn'', ''
Sgt. Rock
Sgt. Franklin John Rock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sgt. Rock first appeared in ''Our Army at War'' #83 (June 1959), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The character is a W ...
'', and ''
Heavy Metal''.
In 1978, Bissette was among the Kubert School's first graduating class, along with classmates
Rick Veitch,
Tom Yeates, and others.
While still enrolled at The Kubert School, Bissette executed the logo for early New Jersey synth-pop band WKGB and drew the cover for the band's 1979 single "Non-Stop/Ultramarine" on
Fetish Records
Fetish Records was a British independent record label. Its artist roster consisted of largely early industrial, experimental, and post-punk groups. It was also a home to the early works of graphic designer Neville Brody, who created artwork for r ...
(UK Fetish 002).
His early work appeared in the pages of ''Heavy Metal'', ''
Epic Illustrated
''Epic Illustrated'' was a comics anthology in magazine format published in the United States by Marvel Comics. Similar to the US-licensed comic book magazine '' Heavy Metal'', it allowed explicit content to be featured, unlike the traditional Am ...
'', ''Bizarre Adventures'',
Scholastic Corporation's ''Weird Worlds'' and ''Bananas'' illustrating stories written by ''Goosebumps'' founder and author
R. L. Stine, and he worked with Rick Veitch on the graphic novelization of Steven Spielberg's motion picture ''
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
''.
Horror master
Bissette is best known for his multiple award-winning collaboration with writer
Alan Moore and inker
John Totleben on
DC Comics' ''
Saga of the Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' (1983–1987).
Under the company name of Spiderbaby Grafix, he later published the
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction
**Korean horror, Korean horror fiction
* Horror film, a film genre
*Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
''
Taboo'', the original home of Moore and
Eddie Campbell's ''
From Hell'' and
Tim Lucas' ''Throat Sprockets'' illustrated by Mike Hoffman and
David Lloyd. He created ''
Tyrant'', a comic book biography of a ''
Tyrannosaurus rex'',
which lasted four issues. During this period, he edited the horror anthology ''
Gore Shriek
Gore may refer to:
Places Australia
* Gore, Queensland
* Gore Creek (New South Wales)
* Gore Island (Queensland)
Canada
* Gore, Nova Scotia, a rural community
* Gore, Quebec, a township municipality
* Gore Bay, Ontario, a township on Manitoulin ...
'', published by
FantaCo Enterprises.
Since 1991, Bissette has presented a lecture series on horror comics called "Journeys into Fear". Having since grown in scope into a five-part series, "Journeys into Fear" identifies 12th century Japanese ghost scrolls and the 16th century
Mixtec codices The Mixtec Group is the designation given by scholars to a number of mostly pre-Columbian documents from the Mixtec people of the state of Oaxaca in the southern part of the Republic of Mexico. They are distinguished by their principally historica ...
as early ancestors, and traces the genre from its roots in
Winsor McCay's work such as ''
Dream of the Rarebit Fiend''.
In 1996–1997, Bissette contributed five covers for a comic book series about another
swamp monster
A swamp monster (also variously called a swamp creature, swamp man, swamp thing, or muck monster) is a fictional or mythological creature imagined to lurk in a swamp.
Description
Some swamp monsters resemble aquatic creatures, while other swamp ...
,
Hall of Heroes' ''
Bog Swamp Demon''.
Other work
Bissette subsequently worked with Moore, Totleben, and Rick Veitch on the
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
' limited series ''
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
'', their final creative collaborative effort. From ''1963'', Bissette owns the characters Hypernaut, N-Man, and the Fury.
Scott McCloud's
24-hour comic
A 24-hour comic is a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 hours. Cartoonist Scott McCloud came up with the challenge in 1990 as a creative exercise for himself and fellow comics artist Stephen R. Bissette. Beginning in 2004, wri ...
project began as a dare to Bissette in 1990. Each created a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The 24-hour comics project evolved into a challenge taken up by numerous hopeful contributors, with several published collections, and inspired other time-limited creative projects. Bissette published the story ''A Life in black and white'' in his own comic book anthology ''SpiderBaby Comix'' #2 (SpiderBaby Graphix, 1997).
In 1993, Bissette and Stanley Wiater co-edited ''Comic Book Rebels: Conversations with the Creators of the New Comics'' (Dutton, ), which featured interviews with such notable comics creators as Scott McCloud,
Harvey Pekar,
Dave Sim,
Howard Cruse,
Will Eisner,
Peter Laird,
Kevin Eastman, and
Robert Crumb.
Retirement and teaching
Bissette retired from the comics industry in 1999, alluding to what he termed a "generational shift." He teaches courses in Comic Art History, Drawing, and Film at the
Center for Cartoon Studies in
White River Junction, Vermont
Since 2005, Bissette has also edited and published ''Green Mountain Cinema'', a trade paperback journal devoted to the independent cinema scene in his home state of Vermont,
as well as five volumes of ''Blur'', collecting his film reviews and criticism.
The Stephen R. Bissette Collection at
Henderson State University in
Arkadelphia, Arkansas, houses Bissette's works and memorabilia.
Awards

Bissette's work with
Alan Moore and
John Totleben earned the 1985 "Best Single Issue"
Jack Kirby Award for ''
Swamp Thing Annual'' #2,
and the 1985, 1986, and 1987 Jack Kirby Awards for "Best Continuing Series" for ''Swamp Thing''.
His work with John Totleben earned them the 1985 "Best Art Team" Jack Kirby Award for ''Swamp Thing''.
''Taboo'' won the "Best Anthology"
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
in 1993.
His work with Alan Moore and John Totleben earned a nomination for the 1985 "Best Single Issue" Jack Kirby Award for ''Swamp Thing'' #34.
Bissette and Totleben earned nominations for the 1986 and 1987 Jack Kirby Awards for "Best Art Team" for their work on ''Swamp Thing''.
Bissette and Moore were nominated for the 1986 Jack Kirby Award for "Best Writer/Artist (Single or Team)".
Bissette was nominated for the "Best Editor" Eisner Award in 1993 for ''Taboo''
and received an
Inkpot Award in 1997.
Bibliography
Aardvark-Vanaheim
* ''
Cerebus'' #116 (text article), 139, 159, 184–185 (1988–1994)
Archie Comics
* ''
Mighty Crusaders'' #10 (1984)
Atomeka Press
* ''A1 Bojeffries Terror Tome'' #1 (letterer) (2005)
Comico Comics
* ''
Elementals'' #9 (1986)
Dark Horse Comics
* ''
Aliens: Havoc'' #2 (1997)
* ''
Dark Horse Presents'' #37, 143 (1990–1999)
* ''
Godzilla, King of the Monsters Special'' #1 (1987)
DC Comics
* ''
G.I. Combat'' #218 (1980)
* ''
House of Mystery'' #299, 310 (1981–1982)
* ''
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
's Midnight Days'' TPB (2000)
* ''
Saga of the Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' #16–17, 19, 21–27, 29–30, 34–36 (1983–1985)
* ''
Secrets of Haunted House'' #46 (1982)
* ''
Sgt. Rock
Sgt. Franklin John Rock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Sgt. Rock first appeared in ''Our Army at War'' #83 (June 1959), and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. The character is a W ...
'' #311 ("A Song for Saigon Sally"), #321 ("Live by the Sword... Die by the Sword!", script; art by
Thomas Yeates), #323 ("Dead Shot", script by
Robert Kanigher), #335, 343, 345–346 (1977–1980)
* ''Swamp Thing'' #39–42, 44, 46, 50, 59, 64, 78, ''Annual'' #2, 4 (1985–1988)
* ''
The Unexpected'' #191, 214 (1979–1981)
Eclipse Comics
* ''Bedlam'' #1–2 (1985)
* ''Fearbook'' #1 (1986)
* ''
Real War Stories'' #1 (1987)
FantaCo Enterprises
* ''
Alien Encounters
In ufology, a close encounter is an event in which a person witnesses an unidentified flying object. This terminology and the system of classification behind it were first suggested in astronomer and UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek's 1972 book ''Th ...
'' #1 (1981)
* ''Gore Shriek'' #1, 4–6 (1986–1990)
* ''Gore Shriek Delectus'' #1 (1989)
HM Communications
* ''
Heavy Metal'' #v2 #5–7, #v3 #6, 9–10, #v4 #2, #v5 #5, #v7 #3 (1978–1983)
Image Comics
* ''
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...
'' #2–4 (1993)
Kitchen Sink Press
* ''Taboo'' #8–9 (1995)
Mad Love Publishing
* ''
AARGH (Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia)
''AARGH (Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia)'' was a 76-page one-off comics anthology published by Mad Love in 1988.
The comic was designed to aid the fight against Clause 28, which was a controversial amendment to the Local Governm ...
'' #1 (1988)
Marvel Comics
* ''
Amazing High Adventure
''Amazing Adventures'' is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics.
The earliest Marvel series of that name introduced the company's first superhero of the late-1950s to early-1960s period fans and h ...
'' #4 (1986)
* ''
Bizarre Adventures'' #31, 33 (1982)
* ''
Epic Illustrated
''Epic Illustrated'' was a comics anthology in magazine format published in the United States by Marvel Comics. Similar to the US-licensed comic book magazine '' Heavy Metal'', it allowed explicit content to be featured, unlike the traditional Am ...
'' #2, 6 (1980–1981)
* ''
Marvel Preview'' #18, 23 (1979–1980)
* ''
Timespirits'' #4 (1985)
Spiderbaby Grafix
* ''SpiderBaby Comix'' #1-2 (1996–1997)
* ''
Taboo'' #1–7 (1988–1992)
* ''Taboo Especial'' #1 (1991)
* ''
Tyrant'' #1–4 (1994–1996)
References
External links
*
Bissette's previous blog*
Stephen R. Bissetteat Mike's Amazing World of Comics
at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bissette, Stephen R.
1955 births
American comics artists
American comics writers
American art educators
Artists from Vermont
Comic book editors
Comic book publishers (people)
Inkpot Award winners
Living people
Role-playing game artists
The Kubert School alumni
Writers from Vermont
Comics critics