Jae Lee

Jae Lee (born 1972) is a Korean American comic book artist known for his work for various publishers, including Marvel and DC Comics. He first rose to prominence in 1992 on Namor the Sub-Mariner. From 1993 to 1994 he produced artwork through Image Comics on titles such as Youngblood Strikefile, WildC.A.T.s Trilogy, and his creator-owned book, Hellshock, a story about a fallen angel that Lee wrote and illustrated. He later returned to Marvel, where he and writer Paul Jenkins produced Inhumans, which garnered the duo the 1999 Eisner Award for Best New Series. Lee later illustrated several of the titles in Marvel's The Dark Tower series of comics that were adapted from the novels of the same name by Stephen King. His subsequent work for DC Comics includes Before Watchmen: Ozymandias and Batman/Superman.

Jae Lee's first work for Marvel Comics was a Beast serial in Marvel Comics Presents #85-92 (1991). He first rose to prominence in the industry in 1992 for his work on Marvel's Namor the Sub-Mariner, taking over the art duties from John Byrne, who continued on the series as writer. Lee continued when Bob Harras became the writer, drawing issues #26-38 from 1992 to 1993, as well as Namor the Sub-Mariner Annual #3 in 1993. As penciller of X-Factor, Lee was one of the artists of the "X-Cutioner's Song" storyline which ran throughout the X-Men titles in 1992

In 1993, Lee drew the three issue Youngblood Strikefile for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios at Image Comics. That same year, Lee drew the three issue WildC.A.T.s Trilogy for Jim Lee's WildStorm, another founding Image Comics studio. The following year Lee would produce his creator-owned book through Image Comics, Hellshock, a story about a fallen angel that Lee wrote and illustrated.

In 1998, Lee and writer Paul Jenkins produced Inhumans, for which they won the 1999 Eisner Award for Best New Series. They later reteamed on The Sentry.

In 2001-2002, Lee and writer Grant Morrison produced the four-issue miniseries Fantastic Four: 1234, which helped to get Lee nominated for a 2002 Eisner Award as Best Cover Artist.

In 2004, Lee and writer John Ney Reiber, along with Lee's wife, colorist June Chung, produced a Transformers/G.I. Joe six-issue miniseries for Dreamwave Productions, which took place in an alternate World War II setting.

Beginning in 2007, Lee worked with artist Richard Isanove and writers Robin Furth and Peter David on Marvel Comics' The Dark Tower comic series, based on Stephen King's The Dark Tower novels. Lee illustrated the first three miniseries in that series, The Gunslinger Born, The Long Road Home and Treachery. He returned for the fifth book in the series, Battle of Jericho Hill, and the 2013 one-shot, Sheemie's Tale. He also provided cover and interior illustrations for the Donald M. Grant edition of King's eighth Dark Tower novel, The Wind Through the Keyhole, which was released February 21, 2012.

In 2012-2013, Lee worked on the Before Watchmen project, drawing the mini-series Ozymandias written by Len Wein. He illustrated Batman/Superman for DC Comics in 2013-2014 with writer Greg Pak.

Cover art from Manhunter vol. 3, #4 (Jan. 2005).

• 1999 Eisner Award for Best New Series, for Inhumans vol. 2, with Paul Jenkins
• Nominated: 2002 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist, for Our Worlds at War and Fantastic Four: 1234