Mike Grell

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Mike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist.

Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Art Institute of Chicago. His entry into the comics industry was in 1972, as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip. In 1973 he moved to New York, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. He worked on such titles as Aquaman, Batman, the Phantom Stranger, and, most notably, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. He also worked with writer Denny O'Neil on the re-launch of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series in 1976. He cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation Warlord, one of the first sword and sorcery comics and reportedly the best-selling title published by DC Comics in the late-1970s.

Through the 1980s Grell developed grittier, down-to-earth titles such as Green Arrow at DC Comics and his creator-owned Jon Sable Freelance and Starslayer at First Comics. Sable was adapted into a short-lived television series and was later novelized by Grell.

Grell wrote and drew the Tarzan comic strip from July 19, 1981 to February 27, 1983 (except for one strip, February 13, 1983, by Thomas Yeates). These strips were rerun in newspapers in 2004 - 2005.

Among other comic projects, Grell wrote and illustrated a three-part James Bond mini-series, Permission to Die, and authored the graphic novel adaptation of the Timothy Dalton Bond film Licence to Kill . Most recently Grell has written Iron Man for Marvel Comics.

Mike Grell's artwork is distinctive and highly detailed, with a scratchboard-like feel. Conversely, his writing is tight and minimalist, often letting his art speak for itself during action sequences. His early artwork in particular shows a strong Neal Adams influence. He is an avid big-game hunter, which serves as an influence on his artwork and story lines, particularly in the Jon Sable Freelance series.

Grell has been married three times. He currently lives in Washington with his third wife, Lauri.