Paul Gulacy (; born August 15, 1953) is an American comics artist best known for his work for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and for drawing one of the first graphic novels, Eclipse Enterprises' 1978 Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species, with writer Don McGregor. He is most associated with Marvel's 1970s martial-arts and espionage series Master of Kung Fu.

Biography

Early life and career

Paul Gulacy was raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and as a teen was inspired by the art of Jim Steranko on Marvel Comics' Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He went on to study at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

In 1974, Gulacy began work on the character with which he became most associated, the philosophical martial artist and secret agent Shang-Chi, in the comic Master of Kung Fu (cover-billed as The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu) #18 (June 1974), inked by Al Milgrom. That initial story and one in the next issue were written by Steve Englehart, but issue #20 (Sept. 1974), co-written by Gerry Conway and Doug Moench, and the same month's Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu #1, written by Moench, marked the beginning of a Moench–Gulacy collaboration on the increasingly complex, cinematic feature about the son of longtime pulp fiction supervillain Fu Manchu, who teams with British intelligence to bring down his father's labyrinthine plans for global domination. With some exceptions, the writer–penciler team would continue through a serialized arc to issue #50 (March 1977), culminating with the apparent death of Fu Manchu. Comics historian Les Daniels observed that, "Ingenious writing by Doug Moench and energetic art by Paul Gulacy brought Master of Kung Fu new life." In 2010, Comics Bulletin ranked Moench and Gulacy's work on Master of Kung-Fu sixth on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels".

In the later 1970s, Gulacy took on occasional other assignments, including the covers of the science fiction film adaptation Logan's Run #6 (June 1977) and of the Western The Rawhide Kid #147 (Sept. 1978), both for Marvel;

Graphic-novel pioneer

left|thumb|Sabre (1978), one of the first [[graphic novels. Cover art by Gulacy.]]

With writer Don McGregor, Gulacy created one of the first American modern graphic novels, Eclipse Books' Sabre: Slow Fade of an Endangered Species. Published in August 1978—two months before Will Eisner's more famous graphic short story collection A Contract with God—it was the first graphic novel to be sold in the new "direct market" of comic-book stores. Described on the credits page as a "comic novel" (the term "graphic novel" not being in common usage at the time), the trade paperback was priced at a then-considerable $6.00. It helped prove the new format's viability by going into a February 1979 second printing. Eclipse would publish a 10th-anniversary edition (hardcover ; trade paperback ) with a new Gulacy cover. A 20th-anniversary edition was published by Image Comics in 1998, and a 30th anniversary edition by Desperado Publishing in 2009.

1980s

In 1979 and 1980, Gulacy drew several horror/science fiction/fantasy stories for Warren Publishing's black-and-white comics magazines Eerie, Vampirella, and Warren Presents; some were reprinted in Eclipse Comics Nightmares #1–2 in 1985. Gulacy also drew the cover and the six-page story "Libido", written by his Master of Kung Fu colleague Doug Moench, in the comics magazine Epic Illustrated #3 (Fall 1980). Batman: Outlaws, Year One: Batman/Ra's al Ghul, Catwoman, Green Lantern: Dragon Lord and JSA: Classified; Acclaim Comics' Eternal Warrior and Turok, Dinosaur Hunter; Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Crimson Empire; and Penthouse Comix's Omni Comix.

Personal life

As of 1989, Gulacy lived in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Valerie and their infant daughter Paige. As of 2014 they remained married.

Awards and nominations

  • 1977: Winner of the Favourite Continued Comic Story Award at the Eagle Awards for Master of Kung Fu #48–51 with Doug Moench<!-- Was this a nomination or an actual award? Other records show Jim Starlin won the Eagle Award in this category in 1977 THE EAGLE AWARDS WEBSITE SHOWS GULACY AS THE WINNER IN THIS CATEGORY-->
  • 1977: Nominated for Favourite Comic Book Artist Award at the Eagle Awards
  • 1981: Winner of Inkpot Award
  • 1988: Nominated for "Best Art Team" Eisner Award, for Valkyrie, with Will Blyberg
  • 1997: Winner of the Haxtur Award for "Best Artist"
  • 1997: Nominated of the Haxtur Award for "Best Long Story"
  • 2003: Nominated of the Haxtur Award for "Best Cover"
  • 2016: Nominated for All-in-One Award, Inkwell Awards

Bibliography

Comic books (interior pencil art) includes:

Dark Horse Comics

  • James Bond 007: Serpent's Tooth (with Doug Moench)
  • The Rook #1–2 (2016)
  • Star Wars: Crimson Empire (with Mike Richardson/Randy Stradley, 1998)
  • Star Wars: Crimson Empire II (with Mike Richardson/Randy Stradley, 1999)
  • Terminator: Secondary Objectives (pencils, with James Robinson, 1991)
  • The Thing from Another World: Eternal Vows (with David de Vries, 1993)

DC Comics

  • Batman #393–394 (with Doug Moench, 1986)
  • Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #11–15, 137–141 (with Doug Moench, 1990–2001)
  • Batman: Outlaws (with Doug Moench, 2000)
  • Batman vs. Predator II: Bloodmatch #1–4 (with Doug Moench, 1995)
  • Catwoman vol. 3 #25–40 (with Ed Brubaker, 2004–2005)
  • Green Lantern: Dragon Lord (with Doug Moench, 2001)
  • JSA Classified #10–13 (with Stuart Moore, 2006)
  • Jonah Hex vol. 2 #12 (with Justin Gray/Jimmy Palmiotti, 2006)
  • Slash Maraud #1–6 (with Doug Moench, 1987–1988)

America's Best Comics

  • Tom Strong #34 (with Steve Moore and inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, 2006)

Vertigo

  • Sci-Spy #1–6 (mini-series) (writer/artist, with co-author Doug Moench, 2002)

WildStorm

  • Reload (pencils, with Warren Ellis, 2003)

Eclipse Comics

  • Sabre (with Don McGregor, 1978)
  • Valkyrie #1–3 (mini-series, with Chuck Dixon, 1988)

Marvel Comics

  • Conan: The Skull of Set (graphic novel, with Doug Moench, 1989)
  • Epic Illustrated #3 ("Libido" short story with Doug Moench, 1980)
  • Marvel Comics Presents (Coldblood feature) #26–35 (with Doug Moench); (Shanna the She-Devil feature) #68–77 (with Gerard Jones, 1989–1991)
  • Master of Kung Fu #18–20, 22, 25, 29–31, 33–35, 38–40, 42–50; Giant-Size #1–3 (with Doug Moench, 1974–1976)
  • Master of Kung Fu vol. 2 #1–6 (with Doug Moench, 2002–2003)
  • Penance: Relentless (with Paul Jenkins, 2007)
  • Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk #1–4 (with Marc Guggenheim, 2007)
  • True Believers #1–5 (mini-series) (with Cary Bates, 2008)

Epic Comics

  • Six from Sirius #1–4 (with Doug Moench, 1984)
  • Six from Sirius II #1–4 (with Doug Moench, 1986)

Books and compilations

  • Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu: The Art of Paul Gulacy edited by Michael Kronenberg and J. David Spurlock, 128 pages, Vanguard Press, November 2005,

References

  • Archived from the original on April 5, 2005.
  • Paul Gulacy at Marvel.com
  • Paul Gulacy at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
  • Paul Gulacy at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators