- Source: Michael Zulli
Michael Zulli (December 20, 1952 – July 8, 2024) was an American artist known for his work as an animal and wildlife illustrator and as a comic book illustrator. Best known for his work on the Sandman.
Career
Michael Zulli's career in the comics industry began in October 1986 with The Puma Blues, on which he collaborated with writer Stephen Murphy. The monthly title was published by Dave Sim's Aardvark One International and later by Mirage Studios. Zulli illustrated the characters, wildlife and natural landscapes in the polluted post-industrial environment of the story's not-too-distant future. The ecological warnings of the series put forward an argument for natural conservation and against the abuse and pollution of the natural environment. The series was published for 23 issues and a mini-comic half issue, ending in 1989.
Between 1990 and 1991, Zulli created three issues of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: #31 ("Soul's Winter") #35 ("Soul's Withering"), and #36 ("Soul's End"). His dark and uniquely realistic interpretation of the TMNT entitled the "Soul's Trilogy" was a polarizing one among fans of the series. Zulli wrote, drew, and painted the covers for the 3 issues. The work has been viewed as a classic series in hindsight and collected by IDW as "Soul's Winter."
He drew a never-published issue of DC Comics' Swamp Thing in which the title character meets Jesus Christ. In the 1990s another unfinished and unpublished story, Sweeney Todd, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Zulli for Stephen R. Bissette's publication Taboo was stopped when the anthology itself was discontinued. By this time, Zulli had received the attention of many writers, editors and artists in the comics industry. In 1990 he guest pencilled issue #13 of DC Comics' nascent Vertigo series The Sandman written by Gaiman. This story introduced the Hob Gadling character. Zulli would illustrate seven Sandman issues including the final Sandman story arc "The Wake". Zulli and Gaiman collaborated on a comics adaptation of Alice Cooper's The Last Temptation in 1994. After The Sandman series ended, he had a gallery show called "Visions of the Wake" in New York City. He also began illustrating for several newer Vertigo imprint titles including Winter's Edge, Witchcraft: La Terreur and Sandman Presents: Love Street. He was one of the artists on the Shade limited series which spun off from the Starman series.
Death
Zulli died on July 8, 2024, at the age of 71.
Comics bibliography
Awards and nominations
Eisner Award
1996 Nominated for Best Serialized Story (with Neil Gaiman for "The Wake", in The Sandman #70–72)
1996 Nominated for Best Best Penciller/Inker (for "The Wake")
1996 Nominated for Best Comics-Related Item (for Sandman: The Wake poster)
References
External links
Michael Zulli at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
Bails, Jerry (n.d.). "Zulli, Michael". Who's Who in American Comic Books, 1928-1999. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017.
Michael Zulli at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
Michael Zulli at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
Michael Zulli discography at Discogs