Covers
US Reprints: 14

KEN BARR

Ken Barr emigrated to the U.S. from Scotland in 1967, and almost immediately started working for DC Comics, inking titles like "Star Spangled War Stories" and "Tales of the Haunted and Damned". An early apprenticeship as a sign-maker in Glasgow had given him a steady hand, and he worked for most of the leading comic book publishers, notably Marvel and DC through the early 1970s, and then created cover art for the legendary Warren magazines (Doc Savage, The Hulk, Thor, Creepy, Eerie) before turning to men's magazines (True, Men Only) and paperback covers. He worked for all the major book publishers, including Dell, Avon, St. Martin's, Zebra, Random House, Playboy Press, Signet, Fawcett. A versatile freelance artist, Ken produced hundreds of covers, working in a variety of genres: action adventure, commando, horror, science fiction, advertising, and even projects such as Lone Ranger pop-up books and Wizard of Oz coloring books. But in science fiction and fantasy he saw the freedom to exercise his imagination, and that appealed to him so much, he began to focus almost exclusively on those kinds of assignments. In the 1990s, he extended his long list of commissions to fantasy calendars, a fantasy collectible plate series featuring "Unicorns" for Danbury Mint, and super hero and card gaming art for Marvel/Fleer (Starquest "Ultra Spiderman" series), and Thunder Castle ("Star of the Guardians" game). A collection of some of his best comic and book cover art was published in a card set in 1994 (Comic Images). In the late 90s Ken returned to his native Scotland, to continue work on a graphic novel that's become his magnus opus: the life of Dracula. He is very much involved with the Dracula Society in England and continues to take on occasional freelance illustration jobs.