Born on August 11, 1964, in Korea, Jim Lee grew up to become one of the most recognizable artists in American superhero comics and, eventually, a senior executive at DC Comics, where he has served as President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer since 2023.
X-Men #4 (1992)
Lee broke into the industry at Marvel in 1987, drawing titles including Alpha Flight and The Punisher War Journal before landing on The Uncanny X-Men. That assignment proved transformative. Working alongside writer Chris Claremont, he helped co-create the fan-favorite character Gambit and developed the fluid, highly detailed figure work that would define his reputation. The collaboration culminated in the 1991 launch of a second X-Men series; X-Men #1, which Lee penciled and co-wrote with Claremont, holds the Guinness World Record for best-selling comic book of all time. His character designs from that era were later adapted directly for X-Men: The Animated Series.
Avengers #8 (1997)
In 1992, Lee joined several fellow artists in founding Image Comics, establishing his own studio, WildStorm Productions, home to creator-owned titles such as WildC.A.T.s and Gen13. He sold WildStorm to DC in 1998, then spent years producing acclaimed DC work — most notably the Batman story "Hush" and "Superman: For Tomorrow" — before ascending through the company's editorial leadership. He was named co-publisher in 2010 and sole publisher in 2020.
Infinite Crisis #3 (2006)
Lee's many honors include a Harvey Award, an Inkpot Award, and three Wizard Fan Awards.
