Hilary Barta
Encyclopedia
Hilary Barta is an American
comic book
writer
and artist
.
inkers Al Milgrom
, Joe Sinnott
and Sal Trapani provide inks for the pencils of Don Perlin
on The Defenders #108. He inked #115 solo and then inked Dave Cockrum
's artwork for a backup feature to the Giant Size X-Men
#1-reprint X-Men Special Edition #1 in February 1983.
to ink a couple of stories for their Warp comic (including some of the earliest work from Bill Willingham
). Other inking work for First slowly saw Barta graduate from inks to pencils over a dozen issues of the John Ostrander
-written Starslayer
, while he also inked a couple of issues of Howard Chaykin
's American Flagg!
and drew back-ups for Mike Baron
's Nexus
.
, including an issue of Airboy
(#11), before heading back to Marvel to ink Power Pack
and various issues of other titles for Eclipse, Marvel and First, notable among them Marvel's adaptation of the horror film House II: The Second Story
(Oct 1987). Late 1988 saw Barta launch two series - Marvel's What The--?!
and DC's 4-issue mini-series revival of Jack Cole
's Plastic Man
, on both as penciler rather than inker. His work has a distinctive cartoon-like feel, erring on the surreal and exaggerated side more than the often-realistic work found in other superhero comics. As a result, Barta's art style is very well suited to humor, and it is no surprise that his major non-inking art credits are on humor titles.
and Power Pack, but was also one of several pencillers in their Marvel: Year in Review - 1989 (1990), alongside Bryan Hitch
, Dale Keown
, Bob McLeod, Mike Mignola
, Herb Trimpe
and Lee Weeks
. From April to October 1990, he inked Rob Liefeld
's art on Louise Simonson
's The New Mutants, and over the next couple of years flitted between companies as penciller and inker, as well as writer and cover artist (in particular on What The--?!). He wrote, penciled, inked and lettered "The Winning Ticket" in Dark Horse Comics
' June 1993 offering Urban Legends, and also contributed "The Wonder of Gas" to DC/Paradox Press
's Big Book of Urban Legends in 1994. He inked for Malibu Comics
and Image Comics
(including Image-branded issues of Jim Lee
's WildStorm
title StormWatch
) and provided stories for further volumes of Paradox Press
' Big Book of series in 1996/7/8.
's artwork on two Elseworlds
titles, both written by John Francis Moore
: Elseworld's Finest #1-2 (set in the 1920s) and Superman: The Dark Side #1-3 (Superman as raised on Apokolips
by Darkseid
). In March 2000 he fully illustrated the first of several Splash Brannigan
story in Alan Moore
's America's Best Comics anthology title Tomorrow Stories
, and later contributed to Moore's Tom Strong
#14 and the ABC Sketchbook (Dec 2001). Around this time, Barta also wrote and/or illustrated short stories for Bongo Comics
' Simpsons Comics and Treehouse of Horror
titles, before moving back largely to inking duties for Rick Remender
and Dark Horse Comics
on Bruce Campbell
's The Man with the Screaming Brain.
comic, and since then he has mostly contributed in various ways to the many different Simpsons titles, and on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
comics/magazines for Mirage Comics and Titan Magazines
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
.
Biography
Barta was born on June 17, 1957. His first comics work came in June 1982, when he helped legendary MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
inkers Al Milgrom
Al Milgrom
Allen "Al" Milgrom is an American comic book writer, penciller, inker and editor, primarily for Marvel Comics. He is known for his 10-year run as editor of Marvel Fanfare; his long involvement as writer, penciler, and inker on Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man; his four-year tenure as West...
, Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott is an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best-known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, from 1965 to 1981 , initially over the pencils of industry legend Jack Kirby...
and Sal Trapani provide inks for the pencils of Don Perlin
Don Perlin
Don Perlin is an American comic book artist and occasional writer best known for Marvel Comics' Werewolf by Night, The Defenders, and Ghost Rider...
on The Defenders #108. He inked #115 solo and then inked Dave Cockrum
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
's artwork for a backup feature to the Giant Size X-Men
Giant-Size X-Men
Giant-Size X-Men #1 was a special issue of the X-Men comic book series, published by Marvel Comics in 1975. It was written by Len Wein and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. Though not a regular issue, it jump-started the series after a five-year hiatus. The issue serves as a link between the original...
#1-reprint X-Men Special Edition #1 in February 1983.
Marvel & First
Barta was the regular inker for most of the first 10 issues of John Byrne's The Thing during 1983-84, during-and-after which he moved from Marvel to First ComicsFirst Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
to ink a couple of stories for their Warp comic (including some of the earliest work from Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
). Other inking work for First slowly saw Barta graduate from inks to pencils over a dozen issues of the John Ostrander
John Ostrander
John Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.-Career:...
-written Starslayer
Starslayer
Starslayer: The Log of the Jolly Roger was an American comic book series created by Mike Grell.-Publication history:Grell originally created Starslayer for DC Comics, but plans to publish it were halted after the mass cancellation of titles known as the DC Implosion. Instead, he offered it to...
, while he also inked a couple of issues of Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
's American Flagg!
American Flagg!
American Flagg! is an American comic book series created by writer-artist Howard Chaykin, published by First Comics from 1983 to 1989. A science fiction series and political satire, it and was set in the U.S., particularly Chicago, Illinois, in the early 2030s. Writers besides Chaykin included...
and drew back-ups for Mike Baron
Mike Baron
Mike Baron is the creator of comic books Badger and Nexus. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.-Biography:Mike Baron broke into comics with an illustrated text piece in the 1974 debut issue of Marvel Comics's Comix Book...
's Nexus
Nexus (comics)
Nexus is an American comic book series created by writer Mike Baron and penciler Steve Rude in 1981. The series is a combination of the superhero and science fiction genres, set 500 years in the future.-Publication history:...
.
Eclipse & Plastic Man
Towards the end of 1986, Barta inked a couple of comics for EclipseEclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
, including an issue of Airboy
Airboy
Airboy is a fictional aviator hero of an American comic book series initially published by Hillman Periodicals during the World War II-era time period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was created by writers Charles Biro and Dick Wood and artist Al Camy.-Golden Age:Airboy...
(#11), before heading back to Marvel to ink Power Pack
Power Pack
Power Pack is a fictional team of comic book superheroes consisting of four young siblings who appear in books published by Marvel Comics. They were created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman and first appeared in their own series in 1984. The series lasted 62 issues...
and various issues of other titles for Eclipse, Marvel and First, notable among them Marvel's adaptation of the horror film House II: The Second Story
House II: The Second Story
House II: The Second Story is the 1987 sequel to the 1986 film, House. While it is a sequel, this film ignores the storyline and characters from the first film, in favor of a new supernatural comedy. Also, the film's tone was much lighter than the original film and the other following sequels...
(Oct 1987). Late 1988 saw Barta launch two series - Marvel's What The--?!
What The--?!
What The--?! was a Marvel Comics comic book series parodying the Marvel Universe, similar in vein to the 1960s series Not Brand Echh. It was billed as, "The Marvel mag of mirth and mayhem!" The series ran for 26 issues from August 1988 through Winter 1993, with issue #26 being a "Fall Special"...
and DC's 4-issue mini-series revival of Jack Cole
Jack Cole
Jack Cole may refer to:*Jack Cole *Jack Cole *Jack Cole *Jack Isadore Cole , founder of the Coles chain and Coles notes...
's Plastic Man
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
, on both as penciler rather than inker. His work has a distinctive cartoon-like feel, erring on the surreal and exaggerated side more than the often-realistic work found in other superhero comics. As a result, Barta's art style is very well suited to humor, and it is no surprise that his major non-inking art credits are on humor titles.
What Th--?! & Urban Legends
In 1989, Barta returned mostly to inking duties on Marvel's Alpha FlightAlpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
and Power Pack, but was also one of several pencillers in their Marvel: Year in Review - 1989 (1990), alongside Bryan Hitch
Bryan Hitch
Bryan Hitch is a British comic book artist. Hitch began his career in the United Kingdom for Marvel UK, working on titles such as Action Force and Death's Head, before gaining prominence on American titles such as Wildstorm's Stormwatch and The Authority, DC Comics titles such as JLA, and Marvel...
, Dale Keown
Dale Keown
Dale Keown is a Canadian comic book artist from Grande Prairie, Alberta who currently resides in Toronto.-Career:Keown started working in comics in 1986 drawing several series for Aircel Comics, including Samurai, Elflord, Dragon Ring , and Warlock 5.Keown moved to Marvel Comics in 1989, where he...
, Bob McLeod, Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola
Michael Joseph "Mike" Mignola is an American comic book artist and writer who created the comic book series Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics. He has worked for animation projects such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the adaptation of his one shot comic book, The Amazing Screw-On Head.-Career:Mignola...
, Herb Trimpe
Herb Trimpe
Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe Herbert W. "Herb" Trimpe (b. May 26, 1939, is an American comic book artist and occasional writer, best known for his work on The Incredible Hulk and as the first artist to draw for publication the character Wolverine, who later became a breakout...
and Lee Weeks
Lee Weeks
Lee Weeks is an American comic book artist, known for his work on such books as Daredevil.-Career:Weeks made his professional comics debut in the 1980s, penciling, inking, and lettering a short story in Tales of Terror #5, a horror anthology published by Eclipse Comics...
. From April to October 1990, he inked Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
's art on Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
's The New Mutants, and over the next couple of years flitted between companies as penciller and inker, as well as writer and cover artist (in particular on What The--?!). He wrote, penciled, inked and lettered "The Winning Ticket" in Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
' June 1993 offering Urban Legends, and also contributed "The Wonder of Gas" to DC/Paradox Press
Paradox Press
Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like A History of Violence and Road to Perdition...
's Big Book of Urban Legends in 1994. He inked for Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
and Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
(including Image-branded issues of Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
's WildStorm
WildStorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
title StormWatch
Stormwatch
Stormwatch may refer to:* Stormwatch , a 1979 album by Jethro Tull* Stormwatch , a fictional superhero team in the Wildstorm and DC Universes* Storm Watch, a 2002 American science fiction film...
) and provided stories for further volumes of Paradox Press
Paradox Press
Paradox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like A History of Violence and Road to Perdition...
' Big Book of series in 1996/7/8.
Elseworlds & America's Best
Also in 1998, he inked penciller Kieron DwyerKieron Dwyer
Kieron Dwyer is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Dwyer is best known for his work on Captain America vol. 1 , Danger Unlimited , Action Comics , Avengers Kieron Dwyer (born March 6, 1967) is an American comic book artist and penciller.-Biography:Dwyer is best known for his...
's artwork on two Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
titles, both written by John Francis Moore
John Francis Moore
John Francis Moore lumber merchant, politician. Born: 1816, Wiltshire, England. Died: April 5, 1870, Montreal, Quebec. Buried: Hamilton Cemetery. He was mayor of Hamilton, Ontario in 1857.Married twice: Jane Loughry; Elizabeth Donnelly...
: Elseworld's Finest #1-2 (set in the 1920s) and Superman: The Dark Side #1-3 (Superman as raised on Apokolips
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
by Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
). In March 2000 he fully illustrated the first of several Splash Brannigan
Splash Brannigan
Splash Brannigan is a fictional humorous superhero. He was created by Alan Moore and Hilary Barta. His first appearance was Issue #6 of the anthology series Tomorrow Stories from America's Best Comics, a title he would continue to appear in on a semi-regular basis.He also appeared in the...
story in Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
's America's Best Comics anthology title Tomorrow Stories
Tomorrow Stories
Tomorrow Stories was an American comic book series created by Alan Moore for his America's Best Comics line, published by Wildstorm .-Overview:...
, and later contributed to Moore's Tom Strong
Tom Strong
Tom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
#14 and the ABC Sketchbook (Dec 2001). Around this time, Barta also wrote and/or illustrated short stories for Bongo Comics
Bongo Comics
Bongo Comics Group is a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Steve and Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, and Simpsons and Futurama creator Matt Groening. It publishes comics related to the animated television series The Simpsons and Futurama, along with original material...
' Simpsons Comics and Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse of Horror
"Treehouse of Horror" is the third episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1990. The episode was inspired by 1950s horror comics, and begins with a disclaimer that it may be too scary for children. It is the first of a...
titles, before moving back largely to inking duties for Rick Remender
Rick Remender
Rick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Portland, Oregon. He is best known for his work on Marvel Comics' Punisher series, as well as Fear Agent, Uncanny X-Force, and Venom.-Career:...
and Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
on Bruce Campbell
Bruce Campbell
Bruce Lorne Campbell is an American film and television actor. As a cult movie actor, Campbell starred as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films and he has starred in many low-budget cult films such as Crimewave, Maniac Cop, Bubba Ho-tep, Escape From L.A. and Sundown:...
's The Man with the Screaming Brain.
Current work
June 2006 saw him work with Remender again, writing back-ups for the latter's Fear AgentFear Agent
Fear Agent is a science fiction comic book series by Rick Remender with art by Tony Moore and Jerome Opena, who alternate on story arcs. The series is published by Dark Horse Comics and previously by Image Comics....
comic, and since then he has mostly contributed in various ways to the many different Simpsons titles, and on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
comics/magazines for Mirage Comics and Titan Magazines
Titan Magazines
Titan Magazines is the magazine-publishing division of Nick Landau's Titan Publishing Group. Titan also owns several Forbidden Planet specialist comics and collector stores .Titan Magazines' publishing director is Chris Teather.TPG also owns Titan Books,...
.