Jim Lee (South Korean-American, b.1964)

Jim Lee burst upon the comic book field in 1987. Since then, he has proven to be one of the most influential comic creators of the Modern era. He helped reinvigorate the X-Men, co-founded Image Comics, illustrated the hugely popular “Hush” storyline in Batman comics, and become co-publisher of DC Comics.

Lee illustrated the relaunched X-Men title in 1991. The first issue sold over 8 Million copies, setting a Guinness World Record for premiere issues. He was one of the original Image Comics founders, which helped change the landscape of comic publishing in that each co-founder had his own “studio” of talent and characters. Many new creators found a door into the industry through the various Image studios. Later, Jim Lee sold his Image company, Wildstorm Productions, to DC Comics and returned to creating and illustrating, which led to his work on the highly acclaimed “Hush” storyline that ran through Batman #608-619 in 2003. With DC’s “New 52” relaunch of their universe in 2011, many of Wildstorm Productions characters were folded into the regular DC Universe. His affect on the industry, as artist, writer, creator, and publisher, will continue to shape the world of comics for the foreseeable future.