STEVEN D. RUDE
Artist, Painter
Born 12/31/56, Madison, Wisconsin
Current Home: Peoria, Arizona
Steve, a full 6-foot-5 Wisconsinite nicknamed “The Dude” considers Jack Kirby one of his biggest influences. To Kirby’s streamlined dynamism, Steve has added his own style of polish and attention to detail which has made his work popular with fans. Nexus, an offbeat science fiction superhero written and co-created with Mike Baron in 1981, remains his most sustained and best-known work to date.
Steve has won much industry recognition, including the Russ Manning Newcomer Award in 1983, along with ten Eisner, Kirby and other coveted awards for artistic excellence. Rude is one of the hardest working artists in the field, constantly striving to improve his work. Much of his practice, model sketches, painting-memory exercises, and experiments with new techniques can be found in his legendary sketchbooks. His work here often surpasses other artists’ finished efforts.
Mike Baron, Writer
Mike Baron has worked for the Boston Phoenix, Boston After Dark, and the Real Paper.
He broke into comics with Nexus, his groundbreaking science fiction title co-created with illustrator Steve Rude. He has written for Creem, The Boston Globe, Isthmus, AARP Magazine, Oui, Madison, Poudre Magazine, and many others.
Baron has written Marvel’s Punisher, DC’s Batman, Deadman, and Flash. Nexus has garnered honors too numerous to mention, including Eisners for both creators.
Baron has written Star Wars for Dark Horse, Turok, Dinosaur Hunter and Archer & Armstrong for Valiant, and has three issues of Legends of the Dark Knight (Batman) in the works.
A prolific creator, Baron is at least partly responsible for The Badger, Spyke, and Feud. He is currently writing Lord of the High Country and Obsidian for Arrogant Comics.
Baron lives in Colorado with his dogs.
Visit Mike’s website
“I’d rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy.”
Gary Martin, Writer / Inker
Gary Martin has been working in comics for two decades as an inker (BLUE DEVIL, CONAN, MICKEY MOUSE, STAR WARS, & NEXUS) and has recently dabbled in writing (THE ART OF COMIC BOOK INKING, THE MOTH, & SON OF SAMSON).
Gary currently resides in Beaverton Oregon, where he enjoys weight training and bicycle racing.
Glenn Whitmore, Colorist
Glenn Whitmore’s professional comic career began in Marvel’s bullpen in 1987.
In 1988, his first freelance gig was for DC as colorist on the Hawk & Dove mini series, then as a full-time colorist on Superman books shortly after.
Over the next eleven years, he colored landmark issues that saw the Man of Steel get engaged, die, return, and get married.
Glenn also colored titles such as Flash, Justice Society, and Power of Shazam during that 10 year run.
In 2000, his self-published Captain Clockwork debuted in Big Bang Comics #31 (Image) and pencilled a few subsequent projects (World Class Comics#1, Image) shortly after.
In 2004, he returned to comics as colorist on Steve Rude’s The Moth, and is eager to add his hues to future Rude Dude projects.
Mike Jones, Jr., Designer
Mike Jones, Jr. makes his living as a professor of graphic design and chair of the art department at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, TX.
He spends lots of his time designing posters, logos, brochures, web sites, and so forth, and teaching eager young college students how to do the same.
He has also taught in both New York and Arkansas, attended school in Louisiana, spent two years in West Africa, and has fond feelings for former home North Carolina, but considers Tennessee his home state.
Obviously, he gets run out of town quite often. His not-so-secret passion, however, is comics, both reading and producing them. You can check out his online comic Star Quack or buy the pda ebook version.
Jaynelle Rude, VP
Jaynelle is Steve Rude’s personal assistant, business partner and 50% owner of all assets, personal manager, accountant, chauffeur, housekeeper, babysitter, website updater, the president of the Steve Rude fan club, personal chef, wife, travel agent, model, and mother of their two children.
Jaynelle also works full time as a Database Programmer.
Lise Mathiot, Personal Assistant
Lise lives in Peoria, a suburb of Phoenix Arizona with her husband, Steve. They have two girls, 11 and 9.
