BIO - MARK SCHULTZ

Born in 1955 near Philadelphia, and raised outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, MARK SCHULTZ at age six discovered both comics (notably Dell Comics' Tarzan, and DC Comics' Superman, Metal Men and Hawkman), and, through television broadcasts, classic adventure films, in particular King Kong and the Tarzan series. As a teenager, he was further inspired by the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard, and the illustrators associated with them, especially Al Williamson, Roy Krenkel, and Frank Frazetta.

Upon graduating from Kutztown State College in 1977, Mark devoted his career to producing commercial illustration until 1986, when a long-repressed desire to tell stories prevailed, and he submitted an eight page Xenozoic introductory tale to Kitchen Sink Press. Publisher Denis Kitchen showed interest in the concept, and the first Xenozoic adventure appeared in the eighth issue of the horror anthology Death Rattle. Reader response was positive, leading Kitchen Sink to offer Mark his own book. Xenozoic Tales premiered in February of 1987. Schultz's painstaking attention to detail and research translated often to a year between issues. Fourteen memorable comic books, a 3-D adaptation and three collections were published all told over a decade. The popular series even inspired a line of candy bars.

Garnering critical praise and industry awards, Xenozoic Tales was soon adapted into a CBS-TV animated series. Thirteen episodes aired under the name Cadillacs and Dinosaurs in 1993-94, with associated product merchandising, including a master toy license with Tyco. In addition Xenozoic Tales was translated into eight different language editions.

In recent years, Mark has branched out, co-creating and co-writing SubHuman, an underwater adventure series, for Dark Horse Comics, and assuming monthly scripting chores on Superman, Man of Steel, for DC Comics. In addition, he continues to write and draw Xenozoic stories, and to produce scripts and cover art for various other comics projects, including Star Wars, Aliens, and Predator.

Mark has been awarded five Harvey awards, two Eisners, an Inkpot, a Spectrum, and three Haxturs (from the Salon Del Internacional Comic del Princapado de Austurias). He created seventy new illustrations and several paintings for Mythmaker, a deluxe collection of Robert E. Howard's original Conan stories, published by Wandering Star (2003). A novel based on DC Comics's Flash character, will be published by Pocket Books. Schultz is also developing Xenozoic Tales as a novel.

Mark's artwork is strongly influenced by his love for classic American illustration, and its roots. Some of the artists he admires and studies include Winslow Homer, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Daniel Smith, Dean Cornwell, Herbert Morton Stoops, and William Stout. Mark's principal influences from within the comics field include Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Roy Crane, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Wally Wood, and Al Williamson.

He, his wife (and letterer) Denise, and their two cats live in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. For relaxation he hikes, travels, watches old movies, and tries to keep current with developments in the biological and physical sciences.