Dan Jurgens
It’s a body of work that’s so powerful, you may wonder if Dan Jurgens wears a cape himself.
If you are a fan of DC Comics or Marvel Comics, you have likely been influenced by Dan’s creative genius. Having written or drawn most every major title published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, Dan’s passion for writing and drawing has left an indelible mark on the industry.
Jurgens began his career with DC Comics as artist on THE WARLORD. Shortly after, he created, wrote and drew BOOSTER GOLD for DC. He continued with stints on FLASH GORDON, GREEN ARROW, and THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA. Most notably, he logged a ten-year run as writer/artist on SUPERMAN, including the best-selling Death of Superman for which he won the National Cartoonists Society Award for Best in Comic Book Division. Jurgens followed up with the mega-hit crossover ZERO HOUR, which redefined the DC Universe.
He moved to Marvel Comics and launched a new Spider-Man series, THE SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN. Jurgens then logged seven years writing THE MIGHTY THOR and also wrote and drew CAPTAIN AMERICA.
In 2005, Jurgens shifted into the world of book publishing to write and illustrate ‘You Can Draw Marvel Characters’ for Dorling Kindersley Publishing.
Jurgens has since returned to DC Comics where he helped relaunch, write and draw BOOSTER GOLD, which he first created in 1985. He moved on to write and draw TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT and revisit the Death of Superman in DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES. In 2011, Dan returned to writing and drawing BOOSTER GOLD in order to make it part of a very special storyline involving the entire universe of DC characters.
As part of DC Comics' major NEW 52 launch, Dan was heavily involved in two projects. He started with JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, which focused on a team of global heroes serving as earth's protectors. The team was lead by Dan's creation, Booster Gold. In addition, Dan drew the newly launched GREEN ARROW series, featuring a dramatic new vision of DC's Emerald Archer. Dan followed that up with a return to the SUPERMAN and FIRESTORM titles, which he wrote and drew.
In 2014, Dan was one of the writers on the weekly NEW 52: FUTURES END series, which explored DC’s future. That led to DC’s CONVERGENCE event and SUPERMAN: LOIS & CLARK, which reestablished Superman as DC’s pre-eminent hero and also introduced his son Jon.
As part of DC’s incredibly popular 2016 REBIRTH effort, Dan wrote two titles. The first was DC Comics’ longest running title, ACTION COMICS, which debuted on the newsstands in 1938, starring SUPERMAN. Dan revitalized the Man of Steel with a different approach and continued that all the way through ACTION COMICS #100. Dan also took over BATMAN BEYOND, telling the story of BATMAN and Bruce Wayne forty years in the future. Shortly after that, Dan wrote the adventures of Dick Grayson in NIGHTWING and TITANS GIANT, a title that was exclusive to Walmart stores.
After that, Dan wrote GENERATIONS SHATTERED and GENERATIONS FORGED, which structured the Linearverse for DC. He also drew a number of covers for Marvel Comics, featuring characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, the X-Men and Avengers.
2022 saw Dan return to his favorite creation, Booster Gold, as he wrote the DC mini-series BLUE AND GOLD, starring Booster and the Blue Beetle in a project that evoked the best of “buddy cops” style movies. That year also happened to be the 30th anniversary of the DEATH OF SUPERMAN and Dan wrote and drew a 40-page story celebrating the event in THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN 30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL. Dan also returned to Thor, a character he wrote for seven years, with a story he wrote and drew for THOR #750, which celebrated the thunder god’s 60th anniversary.
Most recently, Dan returned to ACTION COMICS to write a feature starring Superman, Lois Lane and young Jon Kent, telling the untold stories of the way in which DC’s preeminent super couple raised their son to be the hero we know him to be. Dan also wrote the adventures of another iconic character, Tarzan, for Dynamite Comics’ LORD OF THE JUNGLE series.
Dan’s newest project comes from DC’s Black Label line and called THE BAT-MAN: FIRST KNIGHT. The story celebrates The Bat-Man’s 85th anniversary as he debuted back in the 1939, which is exactly when this atmospheric story takes place. Filled with adventure and film noir-like atmosphere, the story is just as meaningful today as it was then, thanks to the backdrop of racism, a looming World War and smothering effects of the Great Depression. The three-issue series features Dan’s script and stunning work of artist Mike Perkins and colorist Mike Spicer.
A couple of new projects for later this year have yet to be announced so definitely, stay tuned!
Learn more: DanJurgens.com
