View source for Richard Bruning

{{Short description|American comic book artist}}
{{For|the politician|Richard Bruning (MP)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox comics creator
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| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1953|02|07}}
| birth_place   = [[United States]]
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| nationality   = American
| area          = Graphic designer, cartoonist, editor, writer
| cartoonist    = y
| write         = y
| art           = y
| pencil        = y
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| signature     = <!-- very optional -->
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| website       = {{URL|http://richardbruning.com/}}
}}

'''Richard Bruning''' (born February 7, 1953)<ref name=CBG1650>{{cite web| authorlink=John Jackson Miller| last=Miller| first=John Jackson| url=http://cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-industry-birthdays| title=Comics Industry Birthdays| work=[[Comics Buyer's Guide]]| date=June 10, 2005| accessdate=December 12, 2010| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218031356/http://cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-industry-birthdays| archivedate=February 18, 2011| url-status=dead}} In print issue #1650 (February 2009), p. 107</ref> is an [[People of the United States|American]] [[graphic designer]] and [[comics creator]].

==Biography==
In 1979, Richard Bruning opened a [[design firm]] in [[Madison, Wisconsin]], called Abraxas Studios. In the early 1980s, on staff at [[Capital Comics]], he was editor-in-chief and [[art director]] for such publications as ''[[Nexus (comics)|Nexus]]'', ''[[Badger (comics)|Badger]]'' and ''[[Whisper (comic)|Whisper]]'' until the company ceased operation in 1984.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}

After a year of [[freelance|freelancing]] in [[San Francisco]], he moved to [[New York City]] in 1985 to become DC Comics’ [[design director]]. For the next five years he supervised and/or contributed to the design of titles including ''[[Watchmen]]'' and ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Returns]]'', as well as editing the DC-produced official sequel to the ITC TV series ''[[The Prisoner]]'', ''[[Shattered Visage (The Prisoner)|Shattered Visage]]''.<ref name="comicbookresources.com">{{cite press release |first=Jonah |last=Weiland |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=2531 |title=Richard Bruning promoted at DC |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources]] |date=July 31, 2003 |accessdate=March 18, 2008 }}</ref> He designed the branding of and logo design for DC's [[Vertigo (comics)]] mature-readers imprint. {{citation needed|date=August 2013}} He also oversaw the development and packaging of [[graphic novel]]s and DC's first [[trade paperback (comics)|collected editions]].<ref name="comicbookresources.com"/>

In 1990, he left DC to form [[Brainstorm Unlimited]], Inc. a freelance [[graphic design]] and [[corporate communications]] firm in New York.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The company’s client list included [[HBO]], [[Fine Line Features]], [[Xerox]], [[Children’s Television Workshop]] and others.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} He also wrote the ''[[Flash Gordon]]'' Sunday newspaper strip for [[King Features]].

He returned to DC full-time in 1996 as vice president-[[creative director]]. He was promoted to senior vice-president in 2002.<ref name="comicbookresources.com"/> He helped create DC's new company logo, known colloquially as the DC Spin, in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Brady |url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33582 |title=Richard Bruning on designing a new DC logo |publisher=[[Newsarama]] |date=May 11, 2005 |accessdate=July 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206045930/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33582 |archivedate=December 6, 2008 }}</ref> In 2010, Bruning left DC to return to freelancing with a primary focus on cartooning.

During 2016 he wrote and drew a twice-weekly online comic strip called "Bob! the Presidential Atheist" which dealt with politics, atheism and social issues.{{cn|date=May 2020}}

Starting in 2017, he became art director{{cn|date=May 2020}} for Berger Books, an imprint of [[Dark Horse Comics]] headed by his wife, [[Karen Berger]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsarama.com/33220-vertigo-founder-karen-berger-launching-her-own-book-imprint.html|title=Vertigo Founder Karen Berger Launching Her Own Book Imprint| first=Chris |last=Arrant|date=February 17, 2017|accessdate=May 7, 2020|archivedate=September 17, 2018|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180917123852/https://www.newsarama.com/33220-vertigo-founder-karen-berger-launching-her-own-book-imprint.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Beginning in 2020 he became art director, designer & letterer for [[Lapid Children's Books]].

==Personal life==
Bruning is married to former-DC Comics senior vice president-Vertigo executive editor [[Karen Berger]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Heidi |last=MacDonald |authorlink=Heidi MacDonald |url=http://www.comicsbeat.com/2010/02/18/chains-of-command-unfolding-at-dc-brunings-role-downplayed/ |title=Chains of command unfolding at DC |publisher=The Beat |date=February 18, 2010 |accessdate=February 18, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221184852/http://www.comicsbeat.com/2010/02/18/chains-of-command-unfolding-at-dc-brunings-role-downplayed/ |archivedate=February 21, 2010 }}</ref>

===Writing===
In 1990, Bruning wrote the [[miniseries]] ''[[Adam Strange]]: The Man of Two Worlds'', which revived the titular DC [[science-fiction]] character. The three volumes were illustrated by brothers [[Andy Kubert]] and [[Adam Kubert]] and collected into book form in 2003. The first issue of the 1999 Vertigo horror anthology ''Flinch'' features his story "Rocketman" with art by [[Jim Lee]], collected in book form in 2015. He also wrote the [[Eisner Award|Eisner]]-nominated Best Short Story{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} "Electric China Death" for ''Gangland'' #4, with pencilling and coloring by [[Mark Chiarello]], collected in book form in 2000.

==Bibliography==

===As writer===
* "A Sense of Obligation" (with [[Kevin Nowlan]]) in ''[[Tales of the Green Lantern Corps]] Annual 3'', [[DC Comics]], 1987
* ''[[Adam Strange]]: The Man of Two Worlds'' #1-3 (with [[Andy Kubert|Andy]] and [[Adam Kubert]], DC Comics, March–May 1990)
* "Reflections Of A Deep Fantasy" (with [[Steve Bove]], in ''[[Secret Origins]]'' #50, DC Comics, August 1990)
* "Electric China Death" (with [[Mark Chiarello]]) in ''[[Gangland (comics)|Gangland]]'' #4, [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]], September 1998
* "Rocket-Man" (with [[Jim Lee]], in ''[[Flinch (comics)|Flinch]]'' #1, Vertigo, June 1999)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{gcdb|type=credit|search=Richard+Bruning|title=Richard Bruning}}
*{{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=149|title=Richard Bruning}}
*{{Twitter}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruning, Richard}}
[[Category:DC Comics people]]
[[Category:American comic book editors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1953 births]]