Alitha Martinez Explained
Alitha E. Martinez is an American comic book artist best known for her work on for Marvel Comics's Iron Man, the Heroes webcomics, and DC's Batgirl.[1] Over the course of her career she has worked for all the major comic book publishers, including Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Archie Comics.
Career
Martinez attended the School of Visual Arts in the mid-1990s. She has discussed the challenges she faced as often the only female student in her cartooning classes.[2]
For much of the latter half of the 1990s, Martinez worked as a background assistant/inker for other creators, with her earliest known work being her 1993 contribution to the series Cable. Martinez counts 1999 as her big break in comics when she was working as an assistant to Marvel editor Joe Quesada.[3] [4] [5] Via this connection, she became the lead artist on Iron Man, working on the book for the better part of 2000 and 2001.
After a series of short stints and one-shots for the next few years, Martinez became a regular artist on the Season 2 and Season 3 Heroes webcomics produced in 2008–2009 to supplement the popular television show of the same name.
Moving to DC Comics, Martinez co-created the villain Knightfall in Batgirl #10 (August 2012).
In recent years, she helped create the artwork, including cover art, for a special commemorative issue of Riverdale by Archie Comics.[6] Martinez penciled most of the first five issues of World of Wakanda, a spin-off from the Marvel Comics' Black Panther title that was primarily written by Roxane Gay.[7] In 2017, she was a guest artist for the limited series Lazarus X+66 from Image Comics, written by Greg Rucka.[8] She also worked on five issues of Marvel Comics' Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.
In 2019, Martinez released the series Omni with writer Devin K. Grayson for the Humanoids Publishing comic line.[9]
In 2020, art by Martinez was included in the exhibit Women in Comics: Looking Forward, Looking Back at the Society of Illustrators in New York City.[10]
Martinez is on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts.[11]
Personal life
Martinez is of Honduran and Curaçao heritage. She has a son named Michael.
Awards
Bibliography (selected)
Archie Comics
DC Comics
Devil's Due Publishing
Graphic Universe
- The Quest for Dragon Mountain: Book 16 (Twisted Journeys) (2010) – with writer Robin Mayhall
- Faces, Part 1 (2008) – with writer Mark Sable
- Berlin parts 1 and 2 (2008) – with writer Christopher Zatta
- Hindsight (2008) – with writer Oliver Grigsby
- Foresight (2008) – with writer Zach Craley
- Dreams Unto Death (2008) – with writer Christopher Zatta
- The Sting of Injustice (2008) – with writer Christopher Zatta
- Viewpoints (2008) – with writer Chuck Kim
- The Caged Bird parts 1 and 2 (2008) – with writer Timm Keppler
- What We Have Wrought (2009) – with writer Joseph Robert Donnelly
Image Comics
Marvel Comics
NBM/Papercutz
Notes and References
- News: Regine L. Sawyer . Women in Comics NYC Collective International: Women's History Month Spotlights – Alithea E. Martinez. March 25, 2015. CBR. 2017-03-18. en-US.
- https://sva.edu/features/get-to-know-bfa-cartooning-faculty-member-alitha-martinez "Get To Know: BFA Cartooning Faculty Member Alitha Martinez,"
- Web site: TSL Comic Book Convo Presents: Comic Book Chats with Artists Alitha E. Martinez and The Franchize Jerry Gaylord. The Shadow League. December 23, 2015.
- Horne, Karama. "Indie Comics Spotlight: Alitha Martinez Has Been Here Before," SyFyWire (Feb 15, 2018).
- https://www.marvel.com/comics/creators/794/alitha_martinez "Alitha Martinez: Comics,"
- News: Ron C. . Check out a preview of Riverdale One Shot and more new Archie Comics on sale 3/1/17. February 28, 2017. Archie Comics. 2017-03-18. en-US.
- Web site: Wade. Cameron. See the First Page of World of Wakanda from Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates & Alitha Martinez. pastemagazine.com. Paste Magazine. 20 March 2017. en. 13 October 2016.
- Web site: Lazarus: X+66 #4 (Of 6). Image Comics. November 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171109081131/https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/lazarus-x66-4-of-6. November 9, 2017. dead.
- McMillan, Graeme. "'Omni' Lets Artist Alitha E. Martinez Create the Future of Comics," Hollywood Reporter (August 12, 2019).
- https://www.societyillustrators.org/exhibits/women-comics-looking-forward-and-back "Women in Comics: Looking Forward and Back,"
- https://sva.edu/faculty/alitha-martinez "Alitha Martinez: Comic book artist: Pre-College Program BFA Cartooning,"
- Petski, Denise. "Eisner Awards 2018: The Complete Winners List – Comic-Con," Deadline (July 21, 2018).
- Web site: Herviou . Nicole . Marvel's Black Panther: World of Wakanda Wins GLAAD Media Award . . Valnet Inc. . June 29, 2018 . https://archive.today/20180629193733/https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-world-wakanda-glaad-award/ . June 29, 2018 . April 13, 2018 . live .
- News: Nir. Sarah Maslin. 2020-09-09. Central Park Birder Turns Clash Into Graphic Novel About Racism. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-09-09. 0362-4331.
