Berni Wrightson

Berni Wrightson, born Bernard Albert Wrightson on October 27, 1948, in Baltimore, Maryland, was an American artist celebrated for his exquisitely detailed horror illustrations and comic book work. He passed away on March 18, 2017. Wrightson began his career in 1966 as an illustrator for *The Baltimore Sun*, and by 1968 he was drawing for DC Comics, becoming a regular artist on the horror anthologies *House of Mystery* and *House of Secrets*. With writer Len Wein, he co-created the Swamp Thing in *House of Secrets* #92 (1971), a character that quickly earned its own series, with Wrightson providing art for the first ten issues. In 1974, he moved to Warren Publishing, where he adapted stories by Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. He later collaborated with Stephen King on the comic adaptation of *Creepshow* (1982) and spent years crafting a celebrated illustrated edition of Mary Shelley’s *Frankenstein* (1983). Wrightson also contributed concept art for film and television. His signature style, marked by intricate pen and brushwork, made him a defining figure in horror comics. He was posthumously inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2018.