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Dave Johnson (artist)

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Argento Surfer/sandbox
Wikipe-tan
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Dave Johnson at his 2013 C2E2 table.
BornPittsburg, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Notable works
Superman: Red Son
100 Bullets covers

Dave Johnson is an American comic book artist best known for his cover art.[1]

Personal life

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Johnson was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and grew up in Georgia. His parents had a daughter before he was born.[2] He enjoyed comics as a boy but quit reading them in his teen years.[3][2] He resumed reading them in the late 1970s when he discovered John Byrne and Chris Claremont's X-Men stories. He stuided painting at the Art Institute of Atlanta.[2] When he was starting out in the comic industry, Johnson met Byrne at a comic book convention. Afterward, he vowed he would never be as rude to a fan as Byrne was to him.[2]

In the 2010s, Johnson created a blog where he gave his opinion on published comic book covers.[1] His comments were often critical and the negative response from fans of the artists he evaluated led him to stop. In 2016, he revived the blog on the subscription site Patreon to avoid anonymous commenters.[4][5]

In addition to his artistic career, Johnson is an ordained Methodist Deacon. In 2017, he was living in Los Angeles, California.[6]

Career

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source source

Dave Johnson's influences: Mike Golden, John Byrne, Kirby of course. Neil Adams.[7]

My style lends itself to starkness, and that works better with that genre [noir].[7]

[on thumbnails] I do it in my head more than anything. I go through about a 100 ideas before I even start putting anything down. If that gets editorial approval, then I only do one.[7]

More influences: Mike Mignola, Michael Golden, Jack Kirby, and Jim Steranko[8]

In 2009, Howard Chaykin said "Dave is consistently the finest cover designer working in the field today. He finds the bridge between the intellectual and the emotional."[2]

“On ‘100 Bullets,’ something clicked. ‘I don’t have to be literal to make a good cover; I just have to be interesting. It started with the one with the rubber stamps on the cover (‘100 Bullets’ #21). I was going to paint it like Leroy Nieman. It looks easy, but it’s really hard to put off. I had to hit FedEx the next day (to deliver the art) and I thought, ‘well, I’ll just make a stamp that says “Loser,” and make a face out of that. I sent it off (to DC), and I thought I was going to get fired. But not only did they not freak out, but Karen Berger herself called me to say what a good cover it was. That’s when I realized I just had to be fearless (when creating a cover).”[2]

He is one of the best known cover artists in comics.[1]

Nominated for a Harvey in 2002 for Best cover artist.[9]

Legend (imprint)

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Byrne critcized Image through frequent letters to CBG.[10]


Legend was the cover feature of Wizard #31, coverdated March 1994. It featured a double-gatefold jam cover with all the Legend characters standing together.[11]

The creators jokingly call themselves the Magnificent Seven. The imprint is jointly led by John Byrne and Frank Miller. The legend icon was meant to be floating and would follow the creators on any creator-owned comics they made regardless of publisher. It was intended to denote quality. Byrne and Miller had veto power if they felt a particular comic did not fit, such as a pornographic comic. Legend began a few months prior to SDCC 1991. At the time, it was called "Dinosaur" and the effort to start it was an open secret within the industry. Various members had differnt ideas of what it would be, and Byrne and Miller took charge to make sure it would happen. Byrne didn't want people asking him why it didn't happen for the rest of his career. Dinosaur became Legend in the spring of 1993. It was Byrne's idea to use the Easter Island statue for a logo, and Mignola drew it. Several other group names were considered before "Legend", but Byrne does not remember them. He says he and Miller thought of "Legend" simultaneously. Walt Simonson was in talks to join Dinosaur, but he signed with Malibu's Bravura imprint before Legend came together. Byrne and Miller had been good friends since the late 70s, but some public disagreements had led to a perception they did not like one another in the early 90s. Legend was compared to Image because they were both creator-owned groups of seven, but Legend was not a publisher and the books did not share a universe. Mignola said one major difference between Image and Legend was that Legend would use work-for-hire artists who draw like the founders. Dark Horse (or another publisher) would handle all of Legend's licensing, which would give the creators more time to focus on their comics. Byrne's Danger Unlimited, Mignola's Hellboy, and Adam's Monkeyman and O'Brein did share a universe, but they interacted rarely. Next Men existed before Legend, but was adopted by the imprint Early in the development, they discussed a Legend annual that would have an 8 or 9 page story from each creator. Chadwick was hesitant to join Legend because he didn't want anyone to think he was leaving Dark Horse, who had made Concrete a symbol of the company. In March 1994, Miller said the group would not grow for the "very far foreseeable future."[12]

Eric Larson believed Image was responsible for the emergence of Legend and Bravura.[13]

Legend characters were included in a trading card set from Dynamic Creators in 1994 alongside characters from Image, Continuity Comics, and others.[14]

Danger Unlimited #1 was the top pick from the Wizard's Hat in March 1994.[15]

Legend was announced in issue 26 of Wizard, cover dated October 1993. The legend icon first appeared on the October issue of John Byrne's Next Men. Geof Darrows planned to write and draw his own book, Bourbon Thret for the imprint.[16]

Mike Allred became the eighth member of Legend in June 1994. The decision to invite him in was unanimous and Miller called him personally.[17]

Byrne cancelled plans for a Danger Unlimited ongoing in July 1994 due to low sales of the miniseries. He replaced it with Babe.[18]

In a 2006 interview with Comic Buyer's Guide, Mignola said attaching Hellboy to the Legend imprint was the "best move creatively and business-wise that [he] ever made" and suggested it would not have been such a hit by itself.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Six of the seven were already collaborating to some degree with each other. Once they formed, they sought out Paul Chadwick. They felt he offered some credibility in the creator-owned marketplace because he had never done any work-for-hire.[19]

The group considered putting out foil-embossed, polybagged editions for their first issues using the imprint.[20]

Allred had previously published Madman at Tundra, where it won several Harvey Awards in 1993. However, Tundra stopped publishing comics in 1993, and Allred moved the work to Dark Horse, where it was published under the Legene imprint. Hellboy was the line's breakout success. Through Legend, Allred reached a wider audience.[21]

Image was very marketable, but the young creators had trouble meeting their deadlines. The Legend creators took the creator-owned ideals of Image, but wanted to do it the right way - delivering quality product on time. They chose the name Legend to emphasize their interest in enduring stories, as opposed to Image, which was all about appearance. The group formed during a rough time for the comic industry. Retailers and readers were confused by the mix of connected and independent stories. Six months after it was formed, a group of retailers voted Legend "worst new universe" six months after it began. The imprint was discontinued in 1998.[22]

At SDCC 1993, a Dark Horse panel revealed details about Legend. It was a huge deal at the time, but is not well remembered. When Legend ended, there was no announcement - the logo just stopped appearing on the comics.[23]

Once the group got together, they approached Dark Horse, asking them to publish their books under an imprint. Mignola felt he was the only one in the group without a proven track record, and that he benefitted from the imprint more than the others. Without the Legend banner, Hellboy would not have received as much attention as it did.[24]

Prior to forming Legend, Adams and Mignola were invited to join Image by Eric Larson. They weren't comfortable joining the younger creators, but they contacted DH to see if they would be interested in publishing some creator-owned work by them. DH connected them to Legend as it was forming. As they were putting the group together, they dicussed what it would mean, and decided it would act as a sign of confidence from the other creators. They decided not to use the name "Dinosaur" because of the old and extinct connotations. Mignola thought of using the Easter Island head. Art Adams was behind schedule immediately.[25]

Allred felt the Legend imprint helped establish his career and believes it was one of the best elements of his career. Legend was not as ambitious as Image and never intended to become a publisher. He was invited to join by Frank Miller when he was moving Madman to Dark Horse. They only added new members by unanimous decision.[26]

Miller partnered with Byrne to create an imprint that would reflect their concern for the rights of "the talent" in the comic industry. There were rules to what content could have the Legend icon, but they were never written down. It was not for comics done on a work-for-hire basis. The imprint was based on talent, not on content or ownership.[27]

A script for a Concrete film had been written by Chadwick and Larry Wilson. It was set to be produced by Larry Gordon for Universal Studios in late 1994.[28]

Sin City and Hellboy were among the "high water marks" of the 90s that continued to sell well two decades later.[29]

Dark Horse's creator owned Legend line were all critically acclaimed.[30]

Chadwick said winning awards made a big difference to his attitude while he worked on new projects alone in his studio.[31]

Big Guy and Rusty was still inspiring creators in 2018.[32]

Monkeyman and O'Brien was conceived in the summer of 1992 after Erik Larson invited Arthur Adams to join Image. Adams said no because he had no ideas, but the offer led him to conceive and develop and M&OB.[33]

Hellboy's first appearance was in a card set by Freedonia.[34]

Walter Simonson joined Legend with Starslammers Special in June 1996. It was previously published through Malibu's Barvura imprint in 1994 and 1995. Gary Gianni also joined in June 1996 with a back-up feature in Hellboy: Wake the Devil miniseries. It was planned to lead into an ongoing series, The MonsterMen.[35]

Milestone

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Michael Davis was a founder, owner, and Director of Talent and Special Projects at Milestone.[36]

The colors were the weak point for most Milestone comics. It was not a printing issue because the ads looked fine.[37]

As a publisher, Michael Davis noticed "rediculous politics and maybe even racism and bigotry" that he had not experienced as a freelancer. He cited examples of exclusion and harassment at SDCC 1993.[38]

The first issue of "Hardware" had a print run of about 300k. It sold out the first week of release and sold more copies than Spider-Man, Batman, and Incredible Hulk. It exceeded DC and Milestone's expectations.[39]

Milestone added 3 monthly titles in 1994 after a successful 1993:Shadow Cabinet written by Robert L Washington, Dwayne McDuffie, pencilled by John Paul Leon, inked by Robert Quijano, and painted by Noelle Giddings. Xombi #0 was released November 1993. #1 was written by John Rozum, Denys Cowan pencilled the first six issues. Kobalt debuted in April written by Rozum. There were posters planned for 1994. The first one was by Moebius.[40]

The seven-part "Worlds Collide" storyline that saw Milestone characters meet the Superman family began in Hardware #17 in May 1994 and ended in Worlds Collide #1, also shipped in May. It had an interactive colorform wraparound cover and a standard edition.[41]

Milestone's "The Long Hot Summer" event took place during the summer of 1995. It was a three-issue miniseries that crossed over with ongoing titles. At this time, the company's books were upgraded to the Fracote Format, using better paper and colors. They also began a "reader's choice" program. Each month for the rest of the year, one issue was $0.99 instead of $2.50.[42]

By December 1993, all of Milestone's properties were in development for television or film.[43]

The audience for Milestone was still growing in late 1993.[44]

AvP 2

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Hack gives the series tone similar to The Walking Dead. Previous series was done in the traditional Archie style developed by Dan DeCarlo.[45]

Announced in April, 2019. Colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick and letterer Jack Morell[46]

the sequel will have a meta-commentary on franchise reboots.[47]

Matt Kindt

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current

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lead

Matt Kindt (born 1973) is an American comic book writer, artist and graphic designer, known for his work on the books Dept. H, Mind MGMT, BRZRKR, Justice League of America, Spider-Man, Ninjak, and Rai. He has been nominated for several Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards.

Early life

Kindt was born in 1973 in Cheektowaga, New York and currently resides in Webster Groves, Missouri. He worked in the local mini-comics scene from a young age, self-publishing his own copyshop zines since 1990. In 1995 he obtained a degree in art from Webster University in St. Louis.[48]

Career

Kindt has stated that he creates comic books because he enjoys the "magical" effect created by the combination of words and pictures. His target audience for his books are his wife and daughter, who did not grow up enjoying comics as he did.[49]

In 2001, Top Shelf Productions published his first full graphic novel, Pistolwhip. The book was critically well-received, nominated for the prestigious Harvey Award the next year and featured in Time Magazine's Top 10 list for Graphic Novels,[50] yet remained in relative obscurity. He has illustrated two Pistolwhip spin-offs (Mephisto and the Empty Box and Pistolwhip 2) and written his own, 300-page graphic novel, Two Sisters, as well as maintaining a regular webcomic set in the Sisters universe, called Super Spy.[51][52] In 2006, Kindt announced on his blog that he would be writing an experimental novel called The End of the World. The book has been completed, but Kindt now plans to adapt it into a graphic novel.[53] In 2007, the collected Super Spy was published by Top Shelf. 2008 saw the collected Super Spy nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Novel: Reprint. In March 2010, a Super Spy short story appeared on Dark Horse's Dark Horse Presents MySpace web comic.[54] Kindt released Revolver in 2010, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. His ongoing series MIND MGMT, Pastaways, and Dept H were released by Dark Horse Comics.[55][56]

In addition to comics, Kindt hosts a large portfolio of illustration work and teaches a class on drawing comics at Star Clipper Comics in University City, Missouri.[citation needed]

Kindt's collaboration with Brett Warnock on the design for Lost Girls (by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie) was nominated for the Eisner Award in publication design in 2007.[citation needed]

In June 2010, 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man was optioned by Warner Bros. for a film to be written by Dustin Lance Black.[57] MIND MGMT has been optioned by Ridley Scott.[58]

Awards
Nominated for "Best Graphic Album of Original Work" Harvey Award, for Pistolwhip
Nominated for "Best New Talent" Harvey Award
  • 2005: Nominated for "Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" Eisner Award, for Pistolwhip and 2 Sisters[60]
  • 2007: Nominated for "Best Publication Design" Eisner Award, for Lost Girls[61]
  • 2008: Nominated for "Best Graphic Album: Reprint" Eisner Award, for Super Spy

desired

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Lead

Kindt was born in 1973 in Cheektowaga, New York and currently resides in Webster Groves, Missouri. He worked in the local mini-comics scene from a young age, self-publishing his own copyshop zines since 1990. In 1995 he obtained a degree in art from Webster University in St. Louis.[1]

Career

Kindt is a comic book writer/artist who’s been working in the industry for over twenty years. In addition to comic books he’s adapted several of his works into screenplays (MIND MGMT, Bang!)

He is currently co-writing the best-selling comic book of the 21st century - BRZRKR (with Keanu Reeves.) Netflix announced in March 2021 that it would develop a live-action movie and anime series based on the series. Kindt has been named as Executive Producer and Reeves is set to star.

Kindt grew up with comics and ultimately wanted to start creating his own comics. In 2001, Top Shelf Productions published his first full graphic novel, Pistolwhip. The book was critically well-received, nominated for the prestigious Harvey Award the next year and featured in Time Magazine's Top 10 list for Graphic Novels. He has illustrated two Pistolwhip spin-offs (Mephisto and the Empty Box and Pistolwhip 2). In 2004, Kindt created his first solo graphic novel, 2 Sisters. In 2005, Kindt was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work in Pistolwhip and 2 Sisters. In 2007, he created Super Spy which was nominated for an Eisner award.

Kindt has worked with every major publisher including Top Shelf Productions, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics/Vertigo, Valiant Entertainment, Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Bad Idea, and Image.

Kindt’s MIND MGMT, released in 2012 is considered by most to be his masterpiece.

A one-of-a-kind tour deforce that was released as a full-color monthly comic over the course of three years. A feat that has yet to be matched in the comic industry - one person generating three years of monthly comics (over 900 pages) by themselves - including lettering, art, color, and design.)

MIND MGMT’s success generated a read-along vinyl comic book and record in 2018 and the MIND MGMT: The Psychic Espionage "Game" in 2021. It is currently under option with Netflix and in development.

Dept H. was Kindt’s follow-up to the success of MIND MGMT. Dept. H was his first collaboration with his wife, Sharlene Kindt, who colored the entire series with watercolor.

In addition to writing and drawing his own books, Kindt’s recent work includes Bang! (with Wilfredo Torres) and a series of graphic novels with Tyler and Hilary Jenkins (Grass Kings, Black Badge, Fear Case, and Apache Delivery Service) and collaborations with David Rubin (Ether) and Jeff Lemire (Cosmic Detective, Sweet Tooth.)

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Hughes, Joseph (November 6, 2012), "The Making of Dave Johnson," Comics Alliance. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  2. ^ a b c d e f Sikula, Dave (February 28, 2009), "WC: Dave Johnson – The Thinking Man’s Cover Artist," Comic Book Resources. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  3. ^ Kur, Macie (June 12, 2015), "Interview: Dave Johnson," Gotham in Rain. Retrieved April 4, 2018
  4. ^ MacDonald, Heidi (October 26, 2016), "Kibbles ‘n’ Bits 10/26/16: You won’t believe what Dave Johnson looks like now!," Comics Beat. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  5. ^ McLauchlin, Jim (February 13, 2017), "How Crowdfunding Is Used By Comics Heavyweights & Newcomers Alike," Newsarama. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  6. ^ (March 15, 2017), "Comics Illustrator of the Week: Dave Johnson," Illustration Age. Retrieved April 4, 2018
  7. ^ a b c Bradley, Drew (April 29, 2018), "C2E2: Talking Covers with Dave Johnson," Multiversity Comics. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  8. ^ (June 16, 2011), "ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: THE COMIC BOOK COVERS OF DAVE JOHNSON (WITH VIDEO INTERVIEW!)," MTVGeek. Retrieved January 22, 2018
  9. ^ "2002 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners," Hahn Library. Accessed January 22, 2018
  10. ^ Hero Illustrated #3 p83(September 1993), "The 100 Most Important People in the Comic Book Industry" by Staff
  11. ^ Wizard #31
  12. ^ Brian Cunningham (March 1994), "The Magnificent Seven", Wizard #31 p32.
  13. ^ Brian Cunningham (March 1994), "Dragonsayer" Wizard #31 p43
  14. ^ Stephen Shamus (March 1994), "Wizard of Cards" Wizard #31 p95
  15. ^ "Picks from the Wizard's Hat" Wizard #31 p112
  16. ^ "Wizard News" Wizard #26 (October 1993) p19
  17. ^ "Wizard News: Allred Joins Legend" Wizard #34 (June 1994) p20
  18. ^ "Wizard News: Byrne Axes Danger Unlimited" Wizard #35 p20 (July 19940
  19. ^ (December 1993), "Next!" Wizard #28 p43
  20. ^ (December 1993), "Next!" Wizard #28 p46
  21. ^ Neill, Chris (June 6, 2017), "Allred's Madman Celebrates 25 Years as the World's Snappiest Comic," Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 16, 2018
  22. ^ Bradley, Drew (February 9, 2015), "Dark Horse Comics: The Small Press Days," Multiversity Comics. Retrieved March 16, 2018
  23. ^ Ash, Roger (2013), "ROGER’S COMIC RAMBLINGS: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HELLBOY!," Westfield Comics. Retrieved March 16, 2018
  24. ^ Singh, Arune (January 30, 2004), "A Hell Of A Time: Mike Mignola talks ‘Hellboy’," Comic Book Resources. Retrieved March 16, 2018
  25. ^ Nolen-Weathington, Eric and Khory, George (), "Modern Masters Volume 6: Arthur Adams," p55-57. Two Morrows.
  26. ^ Nolen-Weathington, Eric (2008), "Modern Masters Volume 16: Mike Allred," Two Morrows. p28--30
  27. ^ Curtin, Jack (December 1994), "Natural Born Miller" Wizard #40 p27
  28. ^ Galvan, Dave (December 1994), "Cut & Print" Wizard #40 p74
  29. ^ Braden, Scott (2015), "Were the 90s Really that Long Ago?", Comic Book Marketplace Yearbook 2014-2015 p61.
  30. ^ Braden, Scott (2015), "Were the 90s Really that Long Ago?", Comic Book Marketplace Yearbook 2014-2015 p64.
  31. ^ Mangels, Andy (January 15, 1989), "Concrete", Amazing Heroes Preview Special #157 p50
  32. ^ Free, Jakob (2018) "Ancient Forces of Annihilation", Image+ v2 #10 p39
  33. ^ Darnell, Steve (February 1994), "Spotlight on Arthur Adams", Hero Illustrated #8 p79.
  34. ^ Allred, Mike (April 1994), "Hero Reviews: Hellboy", Hero Illustrated #10 p28
  35. ^ Curtin, Jack (May 1996). "Simonson, Gianni Join Dark Horse's Legend Imprint". Wizard. No. 57. Congers, NY: Gareb Shamus Enterprises. p. 18.
  36. ^ Hero Illustrated #3 p194 (September 1993), "The Final Word!" by Michael Davis
  37. ^ Hero Illustrated #5 p40 (November 1993), "Hero Reviews" by Brian Wenberg
  38. ^ Hero Illustrated #5 p194 "The Final Word" by Michael Davis (November 1993)
  39. ^ "Wizard News: Milestone Sells Out!" Wizard #22 p21 (June 1993)
  40. ^ "Wizard News: Milestone ushers in New Titles" Wizard #29 p26 (January 1994)
  41. ^ "Wizard News: Company Update" Wizard #33 (May 1994) p22
  42. ^ "Wizard News: Long Hot Summer in Store for Milestone" Wizard #45 p25 (May 1995)
  43. ^ (December 1993) "Company Updates: Milestone Media", Wizard #28, p27.
  44. ^ (December 1993), "Wizard Market Watch" Wizard #28 p137
  45. ^ Johnston, Rich (July 22, 2019). "Archie Vs Predator II Drops the DeCarlo For A Meaner Vibe". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  46. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (April 4, 2019). "Archie vs. Predator 2 Brings Revenge to Riverdale". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  47. ^ Latin Times
  48. ^ Clubb, Shawn (May 9, 2007). "The pen is mightier than the Marvel superhero". StlToday.com. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  49. ^ Moffitt, Kelly (February 23, 2016). "Beyond superhero comics, St. Louis is host to many comic artists tackling diverse subjects". STL Public Radio Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  50. ^ "Top 10 Everything 2001". Retrieved February 24, 2015.
  51. ^ Dueben, Alex (April 22, 2010). "Matt Kindt: Superspy". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  52. ^ Mintz, Corey (May 20, 2010). "Mintz: Comic authors have a healthy appetite for action". The Toronto Star. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  53. ^ Bradley, Drew (April 17, 2013) "Minding MIND MGMT – Another chat with Matt Kindt," Multiversity Comics (Accessed May 30, 2013)
  54. ^ Goellner, Caleb (March 4, 2010). "Kindt Slow Down: Matt Kindt Discusses His Mighty Release Schedule". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  55. ^ Manning, Shau (July 24, 2010). "CCI: Vertigo Panel". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  56. ^ Thil, Scott (May 14, 2010). "First Look: Matt Kindt's Time-Warped Revolver". Underwire. Wired.com. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  57. ^ Kit, Borys (June 1, 2010). "'Milk' scribe to pen, direct '3 Story' adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  58. ^ Glendening, Daniel (May 1, 2013) "Kindt's Conspiracy Deepens in MIND MGMT". CBR.com. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  59. ^ 2002 Harvey Award Nominees and Winners at the Comic Book Awards Almanac
  60. ^ 2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at the Comic Book Awards Almanac
  61. ^ 2007 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards at the Comic Book Awards Almanac

Ref list

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