My artistic journey has allowed me to research everything from the prehistoric to contemporary symbols and images from cultures around the world. It has also focused on our relationships with animals, their stories and fables and how they differ from culture to culture. The salamander during Medieval times was thought, “to be born of fire”, an amphibian phoenix. For many cultures, insects are the signs of rebirth and growth, but also the harbingers of death and pestilence. So, if I have to classify myself, it would be as an image-maker. My personal images are a collection of strokes and marks, made by various tools, to create a believable world linking these symbols and visuals together. The visual story can be simple or complex, humorous to mysterious, full of fantastic creatures or just one object, and in colour or black and white. All of these elements become the basis for my visual images. Sometimes they are a series of drawing and sometimes the statement is complete in one image. I cannot expect the viewer to know all of the symbols and their meaning in my work. Part of that is up to their personal interpretations and reactions to my images. We all know, as time moves on words and images change their meaning to each generation. But, I would hope that my love of the natural world, its mystery, its shapes and forms, its textures, and its beauty comes across in my work.

Raven Software, Big Rooster, Emergence Games, Sega Games

  Education:

visit Mark's website at: http://www.grazingdinosaurpress.com/

Timothy Truman has become one of its most original storytellers and stylists in the American comic book industry. As a writer and artist, he played a key role in developing the independent comics movement. His work on Grimjack (co-created with writer John Ostrander), was on the leading edge of a wave of the "grim and gritty" comics of the 1980's In 1985, Truman continued his tear through the indy scene with Scout and Scout: War Shaman, a near-future saga set against the background of a ravaged United States. Both titles blended elements of pulp fiction, science fiction, and blue-collar social commentary that Truman has successfully explored throughout his career.

 Timothy continued to explore Western themes with best-selling author Joe R. Lansdale. Their brilliant take on DC Western anti-hero Jonah Hex is the stuff of legend, and won a prestigious Bram Stoker Award in 1996. The duo also worked together on The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Other projects have included Star Wars, The Spider, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, The Prowler, The Kents, Black Lamb, and Justice League: Gatekeeper as well as two new Grimjack epics, Killer Instinct and The Manx Cat, for IDW Publishing and Comicmix. Since 2006, Timothy has been a leading writer for Dark Horse Comics' bestselling Conan titles. His most recent miniseries are King Conan: Hour of the Dragon and King Conan:The Conqueror. In 2012, he collaborated with his son, writer Benjamin Truman, on the critically acclaimed western horror graphic novel A Man Named Hawken for IDW. He and Benjamin are currently preparing a follow-up to Timothy's legendary Scout series, Scout: Maruader.

As a commercial illustrator, Timothy has done book cover paintings for Subterranean Press and CD covers for Rhino Records and others, contributing artwork to various projects from the Grateful Dead, Santana, Hot Tuna, Jim Lauderdale, Robert Hunter, and the late Irish blues guitarist Rory Gallagher. Also an accomplished guitarist and musician, he operates a small recording studio at his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

For more information about Timothy and his work, visit his website at www.timothytruman.com.

Tim trumans web-site: