Mark Ellis (writer)

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Mark Ellis is an American novelist who resides in Newport, Rhode Island with his wife of 27 years, Melissa Martin. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 1986, Ellis worked as a journalist, newspaper columnist, advertising copywriter and refrigeration engineer.

His freelance feature work has appeared in dozens of publications over the years, ranging from comics to sports to popular culture.

In the mid-to-late 1980s he worked as the primary writer for Adventure Publications' line of comic magazines, scripting such diverse titles as Ninja Elite, Warriors, Netherworlds, and Star Rangers, working with legendary comics artist Jim Mooney on the latter title. (See separate Star Rangers entry.)

1 Biography
2 Bibliography as James Axler
3 External links

[edit] Biography

Ellis also created and scripted the Death Hawk series that featured the first published work of fan-favorite artist, Adam Hughes and is thought by some fans to have served as a partial inspiration for the Firefly TV series. (See separate Death Hawk entry)

For other comics publishers he wrote The Justice Machine, a Dynamo story for a THUNDER Agents revival as well as short stories for the occasional anthology, such as the highly-regarded "A Trip To Necropolis", penciled and inked by Jim Mooney.

In the early 1990s, Ellis served a three year stint as the editor of Millennium Publications, interfacing with Anne Rice, Harlan Ellison, Doug Wildey, Frank Frazetta and other well known members of the science-fiction/fantasy creative community.

In his editorial capacity and working in tandem with art director Melissa Martin, Ellis gave now-established comics artists such as Mike Wieringo and Darryl Banks their first steady exposure. He also worked with comics legends Jim Mooney and Don Heck on a number of projects, including H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu: The Whisperer in Darkness, which featured the first appearance of The Miskatonic Project, and Lakota.

He conceived and scripted the critically-acclaimed Nosferatu: Plague of Terror, a four-part series which provided a complete story of the title character's origin quite apart from the Dracula legend. (See separate Nosferatu: Plague of Terror entry)

Ellis also adapted The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the cult-classic horror film It! The Terror from Beyond Space into comics.

During his time with Millennium, teamed with Darryl Banks, Ellis scripted a four-part series based on The Wild Wild West TV series, the plot of which was optioned for feature film development--

--and Doc Savage: The Monarch of Armageddon, a four-part limited series which is considered to be the best and most faithful of the many comic adaptations of that classic character. The Comics Buyer's Guide Catalog of Comic Books refers to the Ellis/Banks treatment as the one "to come closest to the original, capturing all the action, humanity and humor of the original novels."

Mark Ellis is the author of forty novels, most of them under the pen-name of James Axler.

In 1996, he created the popular Outlanders series for Harlequin Enterprises's Gold Eagle imprint, the first entry of which appeared in 1997. Outlanders has attracted a devoted fan-following due in part to the colorful villains and intriguing female characters who populate the series.

Although the Axler pseudonym is shared with other writers, primarily the multiple contributors to Gold Eagle's Deathlands series, Ellis has authored more novels as "James Axler" than any other writer. (See separate Outlanders entry)

[edit] Bibliography as James Axler

Stoneface (1996)
Demons of Eden (1997)
Nightmare Passage (1997)
Exile to Hell (1997)
Destiny Run (1997)
Savage Sun (1997)
Omega Path (1998)
Parallax Red (1998)
Doomstar Relic (1998)
Iceblood (1998)
Hellbound Fury (The Lost Earth Saga, Book 1) (1999)
Night Eternal (The Lost Earth Saga, Book 2) (with Mel Odom) (1999)
Outer Darkness (The Lost Earth Saga, Book 3) (1999)
Armageddon Axis (1999)
Encounter (with Laurence James & Alan Philipson) (1999)
Wreath of Fire (with Mel Odom) (2000)
Shadow Scourge (2000)
Hell Rising (2000)
Doom Dynasty (The Imperator Wars, Book 1) (2000)
Tigers of Heaven (The Imperator Wars, Book 2) (2001)
Purgatory Road (The Imperator Wars, Book 3) (2001)
Tomb of Time (2001)
Devil in the Moon (The Dragon Kings, Book 1) (2002)
Dragoneye (The Dragon Kings, Book 2) (2002)
Far Empire (2002)
Equinox Zero (2002)
Talon and Fang (Heart of the World, Book 1) (2003)
Sea of Plague (Heart of the World, Book 2) (2003)
Mad God's Wrath (2004)
Mask of The Sphinx (2004)
Evil Abyss (2005)
Children of The Serpent (2005)
Cerberus Storm (2005)
Aftermath (2006)
Rim of The World (2006)
Hydra's Ring (2006)
Skull Throne (2007)
Satan Seed (2007)
Lilitu (2007)

Other books:

Hellfire Trigger (1998)
Devil's Guard (1998)
H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu: The Whisperer in Darkness (graphic novel with Terry Collins)
Doc Savage: The Monarch of Armageddon (graphic novel)
Death Hawk: The Soulworm Saga (graphic novel)