David John Mazzucchelli (born September 21, 1960) is an American comics artist and writer, renowned for his influential work on iconic superhero storylines such as Daredevil: Born Again and Batman: Year One. In addition to his work on superhero comics, Mazzucchelli is known for his graphic novels in other genres, including Asterios Polyp and City of Glass: The Graphic Novel. He is also a respected educator, teaching comic book storytelling at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
Early Life and Career
Mazzucchelli earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and began his comics career in the early 1980s. He first worked at Marvel Comics, where, after a series of fill-in jobs, he became the regular artist on Daredevil. Mazzucchelli’s collaboration with writer Frank Miller on Daredevil: Born Again (1986) marked a high point in his early career. This story arc, which ran from February to August 1986, is widely regarded as one of the best Daredevil stories ever produced.
Following his success on Daredevil, Mazzucchelli worked with Miller again on Batman: Year One, which was serialized in Batman issues #404–407 (February–May 1987) and later compiled into a single volume. Batman: Year One is celebrated as one of the definitive Batman stories and is considered a landmark work in the comic book medium. Prior to this, Mazzucchelli had drawn a short Batman story for World’s Finest Comics #302 in 1984.
Personal Projects and Independent Work
After his work on Batman: Year One, Mazzucchelli sought to focus on more personal projects. He published Rubber Blanket, an independent anthology that ran for three issues. Co-edited by his wife, painter Richmond Lewis, Rubber Blanket gave Mazzucchelli a platform to experiment as both a writer and an artist. His stories in Rubber Blanket, such as “Near Miss,” “Dead Dog,” and “Discovering America,” demonstrated his evolving narrative voice and distinct visual style. These works, particularly his use of two-color printing, had a significant influence on a generation of indie comic artists, including Darwyn Cooke, Frank Santoro, and Dash Shaw.
In 1994, Mazzucchelli co-wrote and illustrated an adaptation of Paul Auster’s novel City of Glass, published first by Avon Books and later reissued by Picador in 2004 as City of Glass: The Graphic Novel. The adaptation received widespread acclaim for its faithful yet innovative transformation of Auster’s novel into a visual medium.
Later Work and Asterios Polyp
Mazzucchelli continued to work on short comics for various publishers until 2000. He also contributed to the one-shot Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest, written by Evan Dorkin.
In 2009, Mazzucchelli released Asterios Polyp, a highly acclaimed graphic novel published by Pantheon Books. The novel received numerous awards, including the 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novels and multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards in 2010. Asterios Polyp is considered a standout achievement in modern graphic novels, blending intricate storytelling with innovative visual design.
Mazzucchelli has also illustrated for The New Yorker, contributing both interior illustrations and cover art.
Teaching and Legacy
Mazzucchelli has taught cartooning at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where he has mentored a new generation of comic book artists. His influence on the comic book industry extends beyond his own work, as his unique style and storytelling have shaped the landscape of modern comics.
Awards and Recognition
Mazzucchelli’s work has been widely recognized with numerous accolades, including:
- 2009 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Graphic Novels (Asterios Polyp)
- 2010 Eisner Awards: Best Graphic Album—New, Best Writer/Artist, Best Lettering (Asterios Polyp)
- 2010 Harvey Awards: Best Original Graphic Album, Best Single Issue or Story, Best Letterer (Asterios Polyp)
- Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artist Fellowship
- Morning Manga Fellowship
- New Jersey State Council on the Arts
- Erwin Swann Award from the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon
- 2012 HQ Mix Award for Foreign Artist (Asterios Polyp)
- 2012 HQ Mix Award for Foreign Writer (Asterios Polyp)
Mazzucchelli’s body of work continues to influence both comic book storytelling and the broader world of graphic novels.
Bibliography
- Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu #121: "Passing Strangers!" (with Steven Grant, Marvel, 1983)
- The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #14: "Demons" (with David Michelinie, Marvel, 1984)
- World's Finest Comics #302: "No Rest for Heroes!" (with David Anthony Kraft, DC Comics, 1984)
- Daredevil (Marvel):
- "Every Good and Perfect Gift..." (with Dennis O'Neil, in #206, 1984)
- "The Deadliest Night of My Life!" (with Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover, in #208, 1984)
- "Blast from the Past" (with Arthur Byron Cover, in #209, 1984)
- "The War on Micah Synn" (with Dennis O'Neil, in #210–214, 1984–1985)
- "Prophecy" (with Dennis O'Neil, in #215, 1985)
- "The Second Secret" (with Dennis O'Neil, in #216–217, 1985)
- "Fog" (with Dennis O'Neil, in #220–221, 1985)
- "Fear in a Handful of Dust..." (with Dennis O'Neil, in #222, 1985)
- "The Price" (with Dennis O'Neil and Jim Shooter, in #223, 1985)
- "...And Then You Die!" (with Dennis O'Neil, in #225, 1985)
- "Warriors" (with Dennis O'Neil and Frank Miller, in #226, 1986)
- "Born Again" (with Frank Miller, in #227–233, 1986)
- Star Wars #84: "Seoul Searching" (with Roy Richardson, Marvel, 1984)
- Marvel Team-Up Annual #7: "No Place to Run" (with Bob DeNatale, co-feature, Marvel, 1984)
- Batman #404–407: "Year One" (with Frank Miller, DC Comics, 1987)
- X-Factor #16: "Playing with Fire!" (with Louise Simonson, Marvel, 1987)
- Marvel Fanfare #40: "Chiaroscuro" (with Ann Nocenti, anthology, Marvel, 1988)
- Rubber Blanket #1–3 (script and art, self-published anthology, 1991–1993)
- Nozone #3, 5–6 (script and art, anthology, 1991–1995)
- Drawn & Quarterly (script and art, anthology):
- "It's a Beautiful Day in the Epsilon-Neighborhood" (in vol. 1 #9, 1992)
- "Rates of Exchange" (in vol. 2 #2, 1994)
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book #2 (with Stephen DeStefano – inks on Evan Dorkin, Marvel, 1992)
- Snake Eyes #3: "Phobia" (script and art, anthology, Fantagraphics Books, 1993)
- Paul Auster's City of Glass (with Paul Karasik, graphic novel, Avon Books, 1994)
- Zero Zero #2, 11, 27 (script and art, anthology, Fantagraphics Books, 1995–2000)
- Jingle Belle #1: "Miserable on 34th Street" (inks on Stephen DeStefano, written by Paul Dini, Oni Press, 1999)
- Superman and Batman: World's Funnest: "Last Imp Standing!" (with Evan Dorkin, among other artists, one-shot, DC Comics, 2000)
- Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tale Funnies: "The Fisherman and the Sea Princess" (script and art, anthology graphic novel, HarperCollins, 2000)
- The Comics Journal Special #1: "The Boy Who Loved Comics" (script and art, co-feature, Fantagraphics Books, 2001)
- Asterios Polyp (script and art, graphic novel, Pantheon Books, 2009)
- Fairy Tale Comics: "Give Me the Shudders" (script and art, anthology graphic novel, First Second, 2013)
Covers only
- Rom Spaceknight #61 (Marvel, 1984)
- Marvel Age #36 (Marvel, 1986)
- Amazing Heroes #102 (Fantagraphics Books, 1986)
- Snake Eyes #1–2 (Fantagraphics Books, 1990–1992)
- Cheval Noir #40 (Dark Horse, 1993)
- The Comics Journal #188, 194 (Fantagraphics Books, 1996–1997)
Interviews and other work
- Marvel Age #36: "Miller and Mazzucchelli on Daredevil" (interview, Marvel, 1986)
- Amazing Heroes #102: "David Mazzucchelli on Daredevil, Batman: Year One" (interview, Fantagraphics Books, 1986)
- Detective Comics #598, 600: "Tribute: People of Note Pay Homage to the Batman" (pin-ups, DC Comics, 1989)
- The Comics Journal #152, 194, 300[1] (interviews, Fantagraphics Books, 1992–2009)
- Negative Burn (anthology, Caliber Comics):
- "Spotlight: Rubber Blanket" (in #10, 1994)
- "Sketchbook" (in #17, 1994)
- Comic Culture vol. 2 #4: "Rubber Blanket: Voices from the Small Press" (interview, 1995)
- Panel Discussions: Design in Sequential Art Storytelling (interview, TwoMorrows, 2002)
- Comic Book Artist vol. 2 #6: "Paying Homage: Tribute to the Great Will Eisner" (Top Shelf, 2005)
Newspapers and magazines
- "Castles in the Sand" (cover of The New Yorker, July 26, 1993)
- "The Fine Art of Hanging Ryman" (in The New Yorker, October 4, 1993)
- "May Day" (cover of The New Yorker, May 2, 1994)
- "Post Mort on Columbus Circle" (in The New Yorker, May 16, 1994)
- "Monday in the Park with Marlon" (in The New Yorker, September 19, 1994)
- "Fall" (cover of The New Yorker, October 24, 1994)
- "New String" (in The Village Voice, 1994)
External links
- David Mazzucchelli at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- David Mazzucchelli at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creatore