Richard Corben grew up in Kansas City, where he studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, graduating in 1965. His first work was published 1968 in the Fanzine Voice of Comicdom. Two years later Corben published his own underground comic book entitled 'Fantagor', which consisted of four science fiction tales that he had conceived and drawn himself. They contained elements of horror, violence and sexuality, and already embodied the main themes of his future work. Afterwards he worked on the underground magazines Slow Death and Skull, sometimes using the pseudonym "Gore".
Since the beginning of the seventies Corben drew regularly for the magazines Eerie, Creepy and Vampirella. Until 1978 he drew altogether forty stories. In this time Corben found his actual means of expression: color. The big breakthrough took place in 1975 with the establishment of magazine Métal Hurlant in France. The first Métal Hurlant-years became Corbens most fruitful work phase: 'Bloodstar' (1976), 'Mutantworld' (1978/79), the first episode of 'Den' (1978).
Currently Corben draws for Marvel, DC and Dark Horse Comics. Most of them are cover work, but also interior art on series like 'Ghost Rider' (Marvel') and 'Hellboy' (with Mike Mignola, Dark Horse). In 2005 he worked with Rob Zombie and Steve Niles on the independent comic 'Bigfoot' for IDW Publishing.
Text (c) Lambiek
