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A native of Chicago, Marc Hempel began drawing at an early age--at that point influenced by animated cartoons on television (primarily those created by Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and Jay Ward) and--somewhat later--by Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic strip. Thusly, with considerable knowledge of comic timing, motion, and visual storytelling appropriated early in his life, Marc went on to excel artistically in grade school and beyond--winning the Departmental Art Award and a National Hallmark upon completing his career at Maine Township High School East in 1975.
In college, Marc was exposed to many different ways of thinking, creating, and making art. While still concentrating on comics and illustration, he was now inspired by twentieth century abstract painting, conceptual art, and avant-garde films. Additionally, he discovered the early comic strip genius of Winsor McCay, George Herriman, and Walt Kelly. From 1978 to 1980, Marc began working professionally--his comics and illustrations appearing in Gasm, Video Action, Fantastic Films, Questar, and Marvel's Epic Illustrated. In 1980, Marc graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.F.A. in Painting.
Having previously worked with (by mail) and corresponded with creator Mark Wheatley, who was now living and working in Baltimore, Marc joined Mark at the latter's Insight Studios--and from 1980 to 1988 the two collaborated on such early successes as Mars, Blood of the Innocent, and Jonny Quest. During this period, Hempel also produced solo work for Marvel Fanfare, Alien Encounters, Heavy Metal, and various humor magazines. In 1990, DC Comics released Wheatley and Hempel's greatest collaboration to date, the critically and commercially successful Breathtaker.
A need to express himself humorously and artistically (unencumbered by the restraints of collaboration and working with company-owned properties) inspired Marc to create the popular humor book Gregory in 1989. The pint-sized lunatic and his rat friend Herman Vermin went on to appear in four volumes from DC Comics/ Piranha Press--garnering laughs, award nominations, and a loyal, manic cult of adoring fans.
After illustrating a lengthy story for Clive Barker's Hellraiser (Marvel Comics)--a visual tour de force appearing in the final issue, #20--Marc was invited to draw the final long story arc of DC/Vertigo's long-running and hugely popular Sandman series; he produced the art for eleven of the thirteen issues of The Kindly Ones to much critical acclaim.
While delighting in infusing Neil Gaiman's gothic fantasy with expressive and emotional graphics, Marc was frustrated--as he was again feeling the need to create humor and satire. Now armed with a small Sandman nest egg and characters and stories he had been developing over the past four years, Marc made the leap to self-publishing in 1995 (as Art & Soul Comics)--and published the first four-fisted he-man misadventures of a less-than-dynamic duo called Tug & Buster. And the rest is hysteria...!
In his spare time, Marc enjoys playing drums and singing in a rock band (mainly '60's covers), collecting old View-Master and Tru-Vue items, taking his own 3-D photographs, eating Indian food, and spending time with his lovely and talented managing editor, Leslee T. Parker.
(Photo by José Villarrubia)