Steve Lieber

Steve Lieber (born May 19, 1967) is an American comic book illustrator known for his work on books such as Detective Comics and Hawkman, and the critically acclaimed miniseries Whiteout, which was adapted into a 2009 feature film starring Kate Beckinsale. His other works include the Eisner Award-winning sequel Whiteout: Melt, and the thrillers Shooters and Underground. With writer Nat Gertler, he co-authored The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel.

Lieber has described his career as being about "telling your own unified stories with finality."[1]

Early life

Lieber grew up in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania.[1] He graduated in 1985 from Allderdice High School, studied at Pennsylvania State University but left there before graduating to finish his artistic education at The Kubert School

Career

In 1993 Lieber drew Hawkman Annual #1. He subsequently drew 20 issues of the monthly Hawkman series from 1994 to 1995, beginning with issue #5 and ending with issue #27, and at one point, releasing a #0 (which happened between #13 and #14) as a stunt.

Lieber's Hawkman artwork brought him to the attention of Hollywood, where he began doing sketches for the show Batman. He said:

"A big company that owns the characters offers a lot of visibility and the ability to play with extremely well-known icons ... Working for a big company, you have to be able to leave the character and ideas behind [after departing the project] in exactly the same place as when you came in."

In 1998 Lieber illustrated the four-issue miniseries Whiteout with writer Greg Rucka for Oni Press.[6] The critically acclaimed series,[7] which was described as a "blood-in-the-snow serial killer story",[8] was collected into a trade paperback, and adapted into a 2009 feature film starring Kate Beckinsale and Tom Skerritt.[2][7]

Lieber attributes his success to persistence, and described himself coming out of school as "averagely skilled", but that he "stayed working in comics longer than some of my contemporaries because I didn't want to do anything else."[1] In addition, Lieber exchanged information and tips from comics creators such as Dwayne McDuffie.[9] Lieber's graphic novel Underground, a story about a park ranger trapped in a cavern, was described as a "spelunking thriller" by Time magazine.

Lieber has been a guest at comic book conventions such as the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con.[10]

In February 2008, Lieber drew a series of illustrations in which characters from the TV show The Wire were rendered in the style of the TV show The Simpsons,[11] one of which was named by Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger and NJ.com as the "coolest link of the day".[12]

Beginning in September 2009 Lieber illustrated the five-issue miniseries Underground with writer Jeff Parker for Image Comics. The series, about a spelunking park ranger trapped in a cave,[13] was later collected into trade paperback from in early May 2010.[14]

In April 2012 DC/Vertigo published writers Brandon Jerwa and Eric Stephen Trautmann's military thriller graphic novel, Shooters, which was illustrated by Lieber.[15][16]

In July 2013 Lieber began drawing Superior Foes of Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.[17] The series follows a team of hapless, lesser-known villains from the Spider-Man universe. Lieber has received extensive praise for his work on the series, including a nod on ComicsAlliance's "Best of 2013" list. ComicsAlliance reviewer Dylan Todd says "Lieber’s at the top of his game here, with a mixture of traditional cape comics styling and a more humane point-of-view that reminds you that these are really just people in suits doing dumb, dangerous things and that they can get hurt at any moment."[18]

Bibliography

As writer and illustrator

"The Killing Floor" in Vampirella Comics Magazine #1, Harris Publications, 2003
"Fell" in Four Letter Worlds 2005

As illustrator

Conan the Usurper #1-3 (of 3) (writer: Chuck Dixon; additional art: Klaus Janson), Marvel Comics, 1997
Grendel Tales: The Devil's Apprentice #1-3 (of 3) (writer: Jeffrey Lang) (Dark Horse Comics), 1997
Whiteout (writer: Greg Rucka), 1999
"The Mermaid's Necklace" (adapted from the story by Ruth Plumly Thompson; adaptation, Eric Shanower) p. 154-159 in Oz-Story, no. 6, Hungry Tiger Press, Sept. 2000
Whiteout: Melt (writer: Greg Rucka), 2000
Winner of the 2000 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series
Detective Comics #767 "Timeless" (writer: Greg Rucka), DC Comics, 2002
Collected in Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? (writers: Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson, Chuck Dixon, Kelley Puckett), 2002
Me and Edith Head (writer: Sara Ryan) in Cricket v.4 no. 1 (Carus Publishing), 2002
Nominated for 2002 Eisner Award for Best Short Story
reprinted as a standalone, self-published volume, 2002
Family Reunion (writer: Sean Stewart), 2004
On the Road to Perdition, two issues:
#2 of 3 "Sanctuary" (writer: Max Allan Collins), 2003
#3 of 3 "Detour" (writer: Max Allan Collins, penciller: José Luis García-López), 2004
Collected in Road to Perdition 2: On the Road (ISBN 1-4012-0357-4, DC Comics), 2004
Flytrap - Episode One: Juggling Act (writer: Sara Ryan), 2005
Gotham Central #37 (writer: Greg Rucka), 2005
Civil War: Frontline #1-10 (writer: Paul Jenkins, additional art: Ramon Bachs), 2006–2007
Thunderbolts: Desperate Measures #1 (writer: Paul Jenkins, color: June Chung), 2007
Underground (writer: Jeff Parker, color: Ron Chan, 5-issue limited series, Image Comics, 2009–2010, tpb, 128 pages, 2010, ISBN 1-60706-266-6)[19]
Alabaster Wolves #1-5 (writer: Caitlín R. Kiernan), 2012[20]
Quantum and Woody Must Die! #1-4 (writer: James Asmus), 2015
Lazarus X+66 #1 (writer: Greg Rucka), 2017
Superior Foes of Spider-man #1-6, 8,9, 12-17 (writer: Nick Spencer), Marvel Comics, 2013
The Fix #1-12 (writer: Nick Spencer) Image Comics, 2017
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (writer: Matt Fraction) DC Comics, 2020
One-Star Squadron (writer: Mark Russell) DC Comics 2022

As a contributing illustrator

Twilight Zone #7 and 11, NOW Comics (1992)
"An Edwardian Nursery" (writer: Jeffrey Lang) in Dark Horse Presents #77, 1993
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #141 "Sucker Punch" (writer: Larry Hama; additional art: various), Marvel Comics, 1993
Hawkeye #7 (writer: Matt Fraction; additional art: Jesse Alan Hamm), Marvel Comics, 2013
Hawkman Annual 01 "Bad Blood", (writer: John Ostrander; additional art: various), DC Comics, 1993
Hawkman #0 "Eyes of the Hawk, Prologue: Old Scores", (Writer: William Messner-Loebs, inker: Curt Shoultz; colorist: Buzz Setzer; letterer: Albert T. DeGuzman), DC Comics, 1994
Hawkman #5 "A Rage of Hawks", (writer: John Ostrander

As co-author

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel, with Nat Gertler, Alpha Books ISBN 1-59257-233-2, 2004

As interviewer

"Another Survivors' Tale : The Harvey Pekar Interview". Interview conducted by Jim Ottaviani and Steve Lieber. p. 117-125 in Hogan's Alley, v. 1, no. 4, 1997
"The Authoritative Frank Stack, or, Foolbert Sturgeon on Jesus, Crumb, and Cancer". Interview conducted by Jim Ottaviani and Steve Lieber. p. 92-110 in The Comics Journal, no. 189, Aug. 1996

birth date	May 19, 1967
birth place	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
nationality	American
art	y
write	y
notable works	Whiteout Whiteout: Melt
partner	Sara Ryan