Mark Sable

Mark Sable

Mark Sable
Born Mark Sable
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer
Notable works
 Grounded
Fearless
Hazed

Mark Sable is an American writer for stage, screen, and comic books.

Biography

Mark Sable is a renowned writer for comics, film and television, best known for such creator-owned comics as Image Comics "Graveyard of Empires" and Boom! Studios "Unthinkable", both of which are on track for major Hollywood adaptations.. Sable graduated cum laude with B.A. in English from Duke University, and received an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts as well as a J.D from The University of Southern California Law School. He has the unique distinction of being the only person to have worked for both Charlie Rose and Howard Stern.

Mark Sable started his comic book career in 2005, writing Grounded for Image Comics. Illustrated by Paul Azaceta, Grounded is a story about a teenager trying to survive high school for superheroes where everyone has powers but him. Originally published as a mini-series which sold out its first printing, it is available now as a trade paperback, as well as a special hardcover edition published in France. In 2007, Sable followed up Grounded with Fearless, also from Image. Co-written by Dave Roth and Illustrated by P. J. Holden, Fearless tells the story of a vigilante who is addicted to an anti-fear drug, which he needs not only to fight crime, but to function as a human being.

Also in 2007, Sable wrote "online graphic novels" for the hit TV show Heroes that ran on NBC's website. His first, two-part webcomic called "Blackout" featured the character Mohinder Suresh was illustrated by Jason Badower. He also wrote the two-part story "Faces", featuring new characters created by Sable for the "Heroes" universe and illustrated by Alitha Martinez and Micah Gunnell. Originally published online, these stories are available in collected print editions as well.

In 2008, Sable broke new ground with Image comics' 'Hazed, an original graphic novel. Illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez (Spider-Gwen), Hazed is a dark comedy chronicling three young girls journey through the world of sororities and eating disorders. It is one of the rare comics to have three female protagonists and pass the so-called "Bechdel Test." Hazed was optioned first by producer Barry Josephen (Amy Adams' "Enchanted") then Mandalay Entertainment (Paul Haggis' Oscar winning "Crash") as a feature film. A much sought after property, the rights have now reverted to Sable.

Hazed would mark the beginning of the rare success comic creators achieve in Hollywood, but not the end. Also in 2008, Sable began work in animation by creating the original pilot Polarity for Cartoon Network. He was then asked by director Zach Snyder (300, Watchmen) to write the animated short "Dragon" to accompany the film Sucker Punch in 2011, featuring voice-over work by the legendary Keith David (John Carpenter's "The Thing" and Dan Harmon's "Community").

In May 2009 Mark Sable released his comic book series "Unthinkable" from Boom! Studios. In an incident that mirrored the plot of the comic, Sable was briefly detained at Los Angeles International Airport by TSA guards, who found the script for issue 3 of the series to be suspicious.[1] After Mandalay Pictures optioned "Unthinkable" as a feature film in 2009, in 2013, 20th Century Fox and producer Howard Gordon ("24", "Homeland") gave Sable an unheard-of "put pilot" deal to develop "Unthinkable" for network television.

In Summer 2010, Mark Sable's Cyborg: Rage Against The Machine, based on the popular Teen Titans character, saw print from DC Comics. This was the first series for DC Comics most popular African-American superhero, who is now a member of the Justice League in comics and the upcoming Justice League film. In 2020, DC and Warner brothers will finally give Cyborg a starring role in his own film. Sable's series, which helped raise the profile of the character, featured art by Ken Lashley and Carlo Magno.

Sable's other work for DC comics includes "Supergirl" (2007) with Ale Garza, where along with Joe Kelly he created a new origin for Kara Zor-El; "Teen Titans: Cold Case" with Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, Chononauts), featuring the first meet up between the Titans and The Flash's "Rogues Gallery" and "Batman - Two-Face: Year One", codifying Two-Face's origin for the 21st Century. Two-Face: Year one, illustrated by Jesus Saiz, Jeremy Haun, Jimmy Palmiotti with covers by Mark Chiarello, was released originally as a prestige-format mini-series in conjunction with Two-Face/Harvey Dent's introduction to cinema in The Dark Knight. It is now available in trade paperback form as part of the collection "Batman: Two-Face/Scarecrow Year One" with a story by Bruce Jones and Sable collaborator Sean Murphy.

Starting in 2011, Sable created books for DC's rival Marvel Comics as well, including "What If Spider-Man" (Killed Kraven the Hunter) and Marvel Universe Avengers: Hulk and the Fantastic Four.

Throughout this time, however, Sable continued to produce creator-owned work. He wrote Rift Raiders and Duplicate for Kickstart Comics in 2009. Rift Raiders, with art by Unthinkable's Julian Totino Tedesco, is a cross between "Oliver Twist" and "Time Bandits" about orphaned teens traveling through time to steal precious artifacts in order to prevent their parents deaths. Duplicate, illustrated by Andy MacDonald (Dark Horses' Terminator, James Patterson's Zoo) is about a family man who learns he's a robotic decoy for the world's most dangerous super-spy.

Sable also contributed stories to a number of award-winning anthologies for Image Comics. These include "24/7" featuring the cyberpunk story NYC2LA written by Sable and illustrated by Dan Hipp (The Amazing Joy Buzzards); Popgun Vol. 1 featuring the midget Western "They Shoot Ponies, Don't They?" with art by "Chew's" Rob Guillory; Cthulhu Tales "There Will be Blood" with Sergio Carrera (inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft); and a collaboration with artist Salgood Sam adapting Grammy nominated singer "Tori Amos'" music for "Comic Book Tattoo". Most recently, in 2014 Sable collaborated with artist Meghan Hutchison for a story in the "Occupy Comics" anthology alongside comics legend Alan Moore ("Watchmen", V for Vendetta").

From 2011-2013 Mark Sable reunited with his GROUNDED co-creator Paul Azaceta to write and create "Graveyard", another sold-out comic book series about Marines and Taliban teaming up against zombies in Afghanistan. Matt Wilson (The Wicked and the Divine) provided colors, with letters by Thomas Mauer. In addition to multiple printings, Graveyard was serialized in Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, The Kingsman, The Ultimates) comics magazine CLiNT in the United Kingdom, and re-published in Italy in 2015. Sable was soon hired by writer/producers Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris ("Kung-Fu Panda", Showtime's "Sleeper Cell" and TNT's "Legends" starring Sean Bean) to write the screenplay for a feature film adaptation of "Graveyard of Empires".

In 2015, Sable started writing the comic book series "The Armagondas" for Domain Entertainment in Dubai, based on a story by famed Emirati artist Jalal Luqman and illustrated by Italian artist Denis Medri. While Issue 0 of this series was a Middle-East Film and Comic-Con exclusive, future issues will be available worldwide. Sable was asked to write "The Armagondas" after appearing at the original Middle East Film and Comic-Con", the first comic convention in the Middle East. Sable is one of the first Western Comic creators to introduce his work to the region.

Mark Sable has many announced and unannounced comics work for 2015 and Beyond "Dracula: Son of the Dragon", the story of how the historical Vlad the Impaler became the vampire in Bram Stoker's "Dracula", has already started coming out in collaborator Salgood Sam's quarterly "Revolver" anthology ahead of a graphic novel printing funded by a successful Kickstarter that exceeded its goals. Sable will return to Image Comics with "War Toys", a collaboration with "The Last Starfighter" screenwriter Jonathan Betuel.

In addition to his writing for film and television, Mark Sable is also a respected writing professor. After teaching for 5 years at The Writer's Boot Camp in Santa Monica, California, in 2013 became one of the founding faculty members of the The School of Visual Arts Masters in Visual Narrative Program, where he currently teaches "Creative Script" and "Digital Storytelling" (the latter with comics artist Jim Rugg". SVA's "MFAVN" program is a low-residency graduate program which gives Master of Fine Arts degrees to students who possess talent in both writing and visual mediums such as illustration, photography and filmmaking.

Bibliography

Image Comics

Boom! Studios

DC Comics

Marvel Comics

Kickstart Comics

Domain Entertainment

Black Mask

References

  1. ↑ "Comics Artist Mark Sable". SFScope.

External links

Interviews

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