Val Mayerik

Val Mayerik
Born	(1950-03-29) March 29, 1950 (age 75) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Area	Penciller
Notable works	Howard the Duck, Man-Thing
Collaborators	Steve Gerber, James Hudnall

Val Mayerik (born March 29, 1950)^[1] is an American comic book and commercial artist, best known as co-creator of the satiric character Howard the Duck for Marvel Comics.

Val Mayerik was born in Youngstown, Ohio.^[2] Upon college graduation, he met and began working as an assistant to Ohio-based comic-book artist Dan Adkins, alongside fellow assistant P. Craig Russell.^[3] Through Adkins, who was primarily an inker for Marvel Comics, Mayerik broke into comics that summer as penciler, over Adkins layouts, of the eight-page story "Spell of the Dragon", starring author John Jakes' sword-and-sorcery hero Brak the Barbarian. Published in the horror-fantasy anthology Chamber of Chills # 2 (Jan. 1973), it appeared a month after his first published comics work, the full-length "The Monster of the Monoliths" in Marvel's Conan the Barbarian # 21, which Mayerik and Russell penciled over Barry Windsor-Smith layouts.^[4]

Mayerik quickly found more assignments, penciling Marvel's adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man, over Adkins layouts, in Supernatural Thrillers # 2 (Feb. 1973); and doing his first full penciling, with writer George Alec Effinger's adaptation of Lin Carter's "Thongor! Warrior of Lost Lemuria" story "Thieves of Zangabal", in Creatures on the Loose # 22 (March 1973).^[4]

Mayerik became the regular artist of the swamp-monster feature "Man-Thing" in Fear #13 (April 1973).^[4] Six issues later, he and writer Steve Gerber introduced Howard the Duck.^[4] Initially a minor supporting character intended only for an issue or two, the anthropomorphic waterfowl — wearing a suit and tie as a parody of cartoon animal ducks, known for his cigar-smoking and his angry, acerbic wit — Howard eventually became the starring character in his own satiric series, penciled first by Frank Brunner and then Gene Colan. The character shortly afterward became a mainstream pop-culture figure.

Mayerik continued to pencil both the "Man-Thing" and "Thongor" series until the former received his own title, for which Mayerik drew the premiere issue (Jan. 1974). While also doing scattered horror/fantasy/science-fiction anthology stories, Mayerik teamed with Gerber on a second series, the Living Mummy, in Supernatural Thrillers, and took over the art on The Frankenstein Monster. With writer Doug Moench, he did a monumental adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles in the black-and-white magazine Marvel Preview # 5-6 (April & Spring 1976). He also penciled the final six issues of the 20-issue, 1974 to 1977 jungle-lord series Ka-Zar.^[4]

Also interested in acting, Mayerik appears in The Demon Lover (1977), a low-budget horror film shot in and around Detroit, Michigan.^{[citation needed]}

In early 1977, Mayerik moved to New York City, where he acted off-off-Broadway and found work with artist Neal Adams' Continuity Associates studio. In Fall 1978,^[5] Mayerik, Howard Chaykin, Walt Simonson, and Jim Starlin formed Upstart Associates, a shared studio space on West 29th Street in New York City. The membership of the studio changed over time.^[6]

During this time, he drew the first Howard the Duck Annual (May 1977) and Howard the Duck #22-23 (March–April 1978).^[4] He was also an artist on the Howard the Duck newspaper comic strip in 1977.^{[citation needed]} He co-plotted and co-scripted, in addition to drawing, Howard the Duck #33 (Sept. 1986), the second and last issue of a short-lived series revival coinciding with the release of the movie Howard the Duck. He expanded beyond his prolific Marvel work to draw for Heavy Metal magazine and the Warren Publishing line of black-and-white comics magazines; the latter work included the continuing samurai feature "Young Master", reprints of which appeared as backup stories in Mayerik and writer Larry Hama 1987-1989 Young Master series published by New Comics Group.^[4]

Mayerik left New York City in 1981, moving first to Cleveland, Ohio, where he did local TV and film work and regional theater in addition to his art, before settling in Oregon in 1993.^{[citation needed]}

Mayerik continued to draw for comics through the 1980s and early 1990s, working on series for Eclipse Comics, First Comics, Now Comics, Pacific Comics, and Harvey Pekar's self-published American Splendor, in addition to Marvel,^[4] but was segueing toward more of a career in advertising art and in illustration for the games industry, including the roleplaying game companies TSR, Inc. and Wizards of the Coast.^[7] As a spin-off of this, he drew the four-issue Acclaim Comics miniseries Magic: The Gathering — The Shadow Mage (July-Oct. 1995).^[4]

As of at least 2010, artist Mayerik and writer James Hudnall produce the comic strip Useful Idiots for the political site BigJournalism.com, later a section of Breitbart.^[2]

Mayerik has done storyboards and other art for clients ranging from Coca-Cola and Microsoft to the American Indian College Fund and the Oregon Historical Society.^[8]

• Dakkon Blackblade on the World of Magic: The Gathering #1 (1996)
• Free-View #1 (1995)
• The H.A.R.D. Corps #27-29 (1995)
• Homelands on the World of Magic: The Gathering #1 (1996)
• Magic: the Gathering - The Shadow Mage #1 and 2 (1995-1996)
• Magic: the Gathering - The Shadow Mage #1-4 (1995)
• Magic: The Gathering Wayfarer #1-5 (1995-1996)
• Sliders: Darkest Hour #2 and 3 (1996)
• Timewalker #5 (1995)

• Florida Man #2 (2022)

• Florida Man #1 (2021)

• Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates (2014)

• The X-Files #1 (2005)

• Shi / Daredevil: Honor Thy Mother #1 (1997)

• Badger: Zen Pop Funny-Animal Version #1 and 2 (1994)
• The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives #2 (2010)
• The Chronicles of Conan #3 - The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories (2003)
• Dark Horse Classics #1 (1996)
• Dark Horse Presents #124 (1997)
• Michael Chabon Presents the Amazing Adventures of the Escapist #1 and 2 (2004)
• Michael Chabon's the Escapist: Amazing Adventures #1 - Amazing Adventures (2018)
• Predator: Jungle Tales (1995)
• Savage Sword of Conan #2 (2008)

• DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #20 (1982)
• Doorway to Nightmare #1 (1978)
• Heroes Against Hunger #1 (1986)
• House of Mystery #280 (1980)
• House of Secrets #153 (1978)
• House of Secrets: The Bronze Age Omnibus #2 (2020)
• Jonah Hex #18 (1978)
• Showcase Presents: Doc Savage (2011)
• Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex #2 (2014)

• Howard the Duck (1977)

• Badger #5 (2016)
• Mix Tape 2016 [Free Comic Book Day] (2016)

• More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar (1987)

• Doc Savage Archives #1 (2014)

• Destroyer Duck #2-7 (1983)
• Eclipse, the Magazine #2 and 3 (1981)
• The Masked Man #1 (1984)
• Miracleman: Apocrypha #3 (1992)
• Miracleman: The Apocrypha (1992)
• Twisted Tales #9 (1984)

• Crossroads #5 (1988)
• Dreadstar #32-40 (1987-1989)
• First Six Pack #2 (1987)
• Jon Sable, Freelance #52 (1987)
• Sensei #1-4 (1989)

• The New American Splendor Anthology (1991)

• Super Cracked #30 (1986)
• Super Cracked #7 (1993)

• American Splendor #9-13 (1984-1988)

• Heavy Metal Magazine Vol.1 #10 (1978)
• Heavy Metal Magazine Vol.2 #12 (1979)
• Heavy Metal Magazine Vol.3 #4 and 9 (1979-1980)
• Heavy Metal Magazine Vol.20 #3 (1996)
• Heavy Metal Special Editions Vol.8 #2 - Greatest Hits (1994)

• The Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Comics Omnibus #3 (2024)

• Zombies vs. Robots #1 (2015)

• Of Dust and Blood: A Story from the Fight at the Greasy Grass (2016)

• Cracked #157-159, 174, 176, 177, 180, 182 (1979-1981)
• Cracked Collectors' Edition #40 (1981)
• Cracked Collectors' Edition #50 (1982)
• King-Sized Cracked #18 (1984)

• Bruce Lee #1-6 (1994)

• Adventure into Fear Omnibus (2020)
• Amazing Adventure #1 (1988)
• Amazing High Adventure #3 (1986)
• Bizarre Adventures #32 (1982)
• Black Widow Epic Collection #2 - The Coldest War (2020)
• The Black Widow Strikes Omnibus (2019)
• Black Widow The Coldest War (1990)
• Black Widow: Web of Intrigue (2010)
• Bloodstone & the Legion of Monsters (2017)
• Chamber of Chills #2 (1973)
• Conan Annual #8 (1984)
• Conan Saga #7, 35 and 75 (1987-1993)
• Conan the Barbarian #21, 69, 138, 139 (1972-1982)
• Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Epic Collection #5 - Of Once and Future Kings (2022)
• Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #1 (2018)
• Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #3 (2019)
• Conan the Savage #8 (1996)
• Creatures on the Loose #22-27 (1973-1974)
• Decades: Marvel in the '70s - Legion of Monsters (2019)
• Doc Savage #7 (1977)
• Dracula Lives Vol. 2 #1 (1974)
• Essential Conan #1(2000)
• Essential Howard the Duck #1 (2002)
• Essential Man-Thing #1 (2006)
• Essential Man-Thing #2 (2006)
• Essential Marvel Horror #2 (2008)
• Essential Monster of Frankenstein #1 (2004)
• Essential Rampaging Hulk #1 (2008)
• Essential Tomb of Dracula #4 (2004)
• Fallen Angels #4-6 (1987)
• Fear #13-19 (1973-1974)
• Frankenstein #12-18 (1974-1975)
• Haunt of Horror (1974 series) #1 (1974)
• Howard the Duck #22, 23 and 33 (1978-1986)
• Howard the Duck #2 (1979)
• Howard the Duck #1 (2015)
• Howard the Duck #0 - What the Duck (2015)
• Howard the Duck Annual #1 (1977)
• Howard the Duck Omnibus (2008)
• Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection #1 (2015)
• Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection #2 (2016)
• Hulk #10 (1978)
• Iron Man #101 (1977)
• Ka-Zar #15-20 (1976-1977)
• Ka-Zar the Savage #15-19, 21-26 (1982-1983)
• Ka-Zar the Savage Omnibus (2021)
• King Conan #15 (1983)
• Legion of Monsters #1 (1975)
• Man-Thing #1-4 and 11 (1974)
• Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection #1 (2015)
• Man-Thing Omnibus (2012)
• Mark Hazzard: Merc #7 (1987)
• Marvel Age (1983 series) #21, 98 and Annual #2 (1984-1991)
• Marvel Graphic Novel #11 - Void Indigo (1984)
• Marvel Horror Omnibus (2019)
• Marvel Masterworks: Howard the Duck #1 (2020)
• Marvel Milestones: Blade, Man-Thing & Satana (2005)
• The Marvel No-Prize Book #1 (1983)
• Marvel Preview #5, 6, 8, 10 and 24 (1976-1980)
• The Marvel Saga the Official History of the Marvel Universe #17 (1987)
• Marvel Treasury Edition #12 (1976)
• Masters of Terror #2 (1975)
• Micronauts #35 (1981)
• Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #2 (2024)
• Monster of Frankenstein (2015)
• Monsters Unleashed #6-10 (1974-1975)
• The New Mutants #49 (1987)
• New Mutants Omnibus #2 (2021)
• Pet Avengers Classic (2009)
• Power Pack #30 (1987)
• Power Pack Classic Omnibus #1 (2019)
• The Punisher #60-62, 75, 77-79 and Annual #5 (1992-1993)
• Punisher Epic Collection #7 - Capital Punishment (2017)
• The Punisher Summer Special #1 (1991)
• The Punisher War Journal #43 and 44 (1992)
• The Punisher: War Zone #23-25 (1995)
• Rampaging Hulk #4 and 5 (1977)
• The Savage Sword of Conan #22, 32, 74, 84, 91, 94, 104, 115 and 143 (1977-1987)
• Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #2 (2019)
• Savage Sword of Conan: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus #3 (2019)
• Savage Tales #5 (1974)
• Savage Tales #8 (1986)
• Sleepwalker #28 and 29 (1993)
• Stalkers #3-12 (1990)
• Steelgrip Starkey #4 and 5 (1986-1987)
• Strikeforce: Morituri #23, 24 and 26-28 (1988-1989)
• Strikeforce: Morituri #2 and 3 (2012)
• Sub-Mariner #56 (1972)
• Supernatural Thrillers #2, 7-14 (1973-1975)
• Thor Epic Collection #9 - Even an Immortal Can Die (2023)
• The Tomb of Dracula Omnibus #3 (2010)
• Toxic Avenger #1-4, 6-8, 10 and 11 (1991-1992)
• Vampire Tales #5 and Annual #1 (1974-1975)
• Vampire Tales #2 (2011)
• Void Indigo #1 and 2 (1984)
• Web of Spider-Man #49 (1989)
• Worlds Unknown #2 (1973)
• X-Men: Fallen Angels (2011)
• X-Men: Fallen Angels (2013)
• X-Men: The Ultra Collection #1 (1994)

• Of Dust and Blood: The Battle at Little Big Horn (2018)

• The Master #2 (1989)
• Young Master #1-9 (1987-1989)

• The Green Hornet #9 (1992)
• Kato of the Green Hornet II #1 and 2 (1992)

• Alien Worlds #1 and 6 (1982-1984)
• Twisted Tales #2 and 5 (1983)

• American Splendor (2003)

• Bram Stoker's Burial of the Rats #1-3 (1995)

• The X-Files: Season One - Squeeze (1997)
• The X-Files: Season One - Space (1998)

• Comic Book Creator #33 (2024)

• Creepy #105-109, 111, 115-118, 120, 123, 127 and 134 (1979-1982)
• Eerie #97, 103, 105, 108, 109, 111, 122 and 123 (1978-1981)
• Vampirella #76, 79, 82, 84 and 86 (1979-1980)

Source:^[7]

• Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of (2016, Modiphius Entertainment, inner pages illustrations by Val Mayerik, among others)
• The Shackled City Adventure Path (Dungeons & Dragons): Paizo Publishing, 2005
• Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Second Edition (Warhammer FRP): Black Industries, 2005
• Darkness Unleashed (Cartoon Action Hour): Z-Man Games, 2004
• Waves of Blood (7th Sea): Alderac Entertainment, 2001
• Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium: Last Unicorn Games, 2000
• Otosan Uchi (Legend of the Five Rings): Alderac Entertainment, 2000
• Domains of Dread (Ravenloft): TSR, 1997
• Back for Seconds (Feng Shui): Daedalus Games, 1996
• Castles & Ruins (Rolemaster): Iron Crown Enterprises, 1996
• Requiem: The Grim Harvest (Ravenloft): TSR, 1996

• Clout Fantasy Hidden City Games, 2005

• Magic: The Gathering, 9th Ed.: Wizards of the Coast, 2005
• Mirrodin (Magic: The Gathering): Wizards of the Coast, 2003

• Val Mayerik at IMDb
• Official website