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Creator

Ben Templesmith

1984–

cover pencilscover inksartistinkercoloristwriter
Ben Templesmith
Known forWasteland
Issues credited114
Active2001–2026
Primary rolecover pencils
The Department of Truth #36
The Department of Truth #36 (2026)

Ben Templesmith was born on 7 March 1984 in Australia. He is best known for his atmospheric, painterly style in American comics, particularly the Image series *Fell* with writer Warren Ellis and IDW's *30 Days of Night* with Steve Niles, which was later adapted into a feature film. His work extends beyond comics to book covers, movie posters, trading cards, and film concept art.

The Department of Truth #37
The Department of Truth #37 (2026)

Templesmith entered the industry in the early 2000s, quickly making a name for himself with moody, textured art that often blended horror and noir. His signature use of heavy shadows, stark colors, and distorted figures became a hallmark of titles like *Hellspawn*, *Dark Days*, *Ten Grand*, and *Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery*. He also contributed to DC's *Gotham by Midnight*, bringing his unsettling aesthetic to the Batman universe.

Over a career spanning more than two decades, Templesmith has been credited as artist, colorist, inker, letterer, and writer on over 100 issues. His collaborations with Niles and Ellis produced some of the most distinctive horror comics of the 2000s. He has received multiple industry awards, including recognition from the Eisner Awards. Templesmith remains active, continuing to shape the visual language of modern horror comics.

Known for

Full bibliography · 82 series

Fell (2005) · 12
Voodoo Child (2007) · 8
Ten Grand (2013) · 8
Hellspawn (2000) · 7
Wormwood Gentleman Corpse (2006) · 7
Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery (2003) · 6
Dark Days (2003) · 6
Choker (2010) · 6
Gotham by Midnight (2015) · 6
Lone (2003) · 5
30 Days of Night (2002) · 4
Shadowplay (2005) · 4
Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Calamari Rising (2007) · 4
Welcome to Hoxford (2008) · 4
30 Days of Night: 30 Days 'til Death (2008) · 4
Groom Lake (2009) · 4
Kane & Lynch (2010) · 4
The Squidder (2014) · 4
Crashdown (2024) · 4
30 Days of Night: Red Snow (2007) · 3
Fused (2002) · 2
Silent Hill: Dying Inside (2004) · 2
30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow (2004) · 2
Masters of Horror (2005) · 2
Dead Space (2008) · 2
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Archives Omnibus (2016) · 2
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Mr Wormwood Goes to Washington (2017) · 2
The Department of Truth (2020) · 2
Wizard Edge (2002) · 1
Drawing on Your Nightmares (2003) · 1
#1
30 Days of Night Annual 2004 (2004) · 1
#1
Love Me Tenderloin: A Cal McDonald Mystery (2004) · 1
Tales of the Vampires (2003) · 1
#2
30 Jours de Nuit (2004) · 1
#1
HellSpawn (2002) · 1
#3
IDW's Tales of Terror (2004) · 1
#1
Blood-Stained Sword (2005) · 1
Karney (2005) · 1
#1
Silent Hill: The Grinning Man (2005) · 1
Runes of Ragnan (2005) · 1
#1
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse Taster (2006) · 1
#0
Voodoo Child Preview Issue (2007) · 1
Spike: Shadow Puppets (2007) · 1
#2
Tank Girl: The Gifting (2007) · 1
#3
30 Days of Night: 5th Anniversary (2007) · 1
#1
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: One-Shot (2007) · 1
Cory Doctorow's Futuristic Tales of the Here and Now (2007) · 1
#4
Sabbath: All Your Sins Reborn (2008) · 1
Pulp Tales: Josh Medors Benefit Comic (2008) · 1
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub (2008) · 1
#1
Doctor Who: The Forgotten (2008) · 1
#6
Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery (2009) · 1
Doctor Who: Through Time and Space (2009) · 1
G.I. Joe: Origins (2009) · 1
#12
Popgun (2007) · 1
#4
We Will Bury You (2010) · 1
#1
ShadowHawk (2010) · 1
#2
5 Days to Die (2010) · 1
#3
The Lovecraft Anthology (2011) · 1
#1
Brimstone (2011) · 1
#1
Hundred Penny Press: 30 Days of Night (2011) · 1
#1
Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse (2011) · 1
#1
Doctor Who (2011) · 1
#9
30 Days of Night: Omnibus (2011) · 1
#1
Chew: Secret Agent Poyo (2012) · 1
#1
Doctor Who Omnibus (2013) · 1
#1
Legends of the Dark Knight (2012) · 1
#2
Ash and the Army of Darkness (2013) · 1
#1
Hatter M: Far from Wonder (2014) · 1
#1
2000 AD Winter Special (2005) · 1
The Evil Within (2014) · 1
#1
Victorie City (2016) · 1
#1
Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame (2016) · 1
#2
Hellspawn Intégrale (2017) · 1
Lucifer (2016) · 1
#13
Wasteland Compendium (2017) · 1
#1
Dark Souls (2016) · 1
Beyond the Demon, the Sea (2019) · 1
Batman / Superman: Authority Special (2022) · 1
#1
Batman / Superman: Authority - Especial (2022) · 1
Night Club (2022) · 1
#5

Original biography and editorial content © comicbooks.com™. Information drawn in part from Wikipedia and the Grand Comics Database. Portrait by Unicornmagic / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0). Cover thumbnails shown under fair use, each linking to its issue.