Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961 in Pennsylvania, USA) is an American comic book artist and writer known for his original works Grendel and Mage, as well as his work on iconic characters from DC and Marvel. From a young age, he showed an interest in drawing and visual storytelling, influenced by his mother, an English teacher, and his surroundings in a rural community near the Amish. He studied Fine Arts at the Philadelphia College of Art and began his professional career in 1982 with the publication of Grendel in Comico, a series that introduced the antihero Hunter Rose, an assassin and strategist who became a benchmark in independent comics
In 1984, Wagner launched Mage: The Hero Discovered, a modern fantasy series that combines autobiographical elements with mythology and adventure, centered on Kevin Matchstick, a young man who discovers his mystical powers. The series continued with The Hero Defined (1997) and The Hero Denied (2017), establishing Wagner as a profound and visually innovative storyteller
In addition to his original works, Wagner has worked on titles such as Batman: Faces, Sandman Mystery Theatre, Madame Xanadu, Zorro, and Green Hornet, and has collaborated with writers like Neil Gaiman and Quentin Tarantino. He is recognized for his focus on character-driven stories and his ability to blend genres with emotional depth. He has received multiple Eisner Awards, including the Inkpot Award in 1988
Currently, he resides in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Barbara Schutz, sister of his editor Diana Schutz, and continues to work on both personal and collaborative projects.
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