Alan Kupperberg (May 18, 1953 – July 16, 2015) was an American comics artist known for working in both comic books and newspaper strips.
Alan Kupperberg was born on May 18, 1953[1] in New York City. He graduated from the High School of Art and Design in 1971.[2]
Alan Kupperberg entered the comics industry by working at Neal Adams' Continuity Associates[3] and was a member of the Crusty Bunkers.[4]
Occasionally working as a writer, Kupperberg created the 1983 one-shot comic Obnoxio the Clown vs. the X-Men, and handled everything from writing and illustrating to lettering.[8] In 1987, Kupperberg worked on both The Spectacular Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man. His work on those titles included The Amazing Spider-Man #289 (June 1987) which featured the Jack O'Lantern (Jason Macendale) becoming the new Hobgoblin[9] as well as The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #7 (1987) which depicted the honeymoon of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson.[10] From 1988–1991, Kupperberg drew Spider-Ham back-up stories in Marvel Tales.[5]
For Marvel Custom Comics, he provided art for clients such as Campbell Soup Company, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Sylvan Learning Center, and The Dallas Times Herald.[2]
In 1978, Kupperberg and writer Marv Wolfman took over the Howard the Duck weekly newspaper strip. Kupperberg also worked on the short-lived The Incredible Hulk strip[11] and Little Orphan Annie.[2]
From the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, Kupperberg illustrated such DC Comics titles as Justice League of America, The Warlord, The Fury of Firestorm, COPS, Dragonlance, and Blue Devil.[5][12]
Kupperberg drew illustrations for Archie Comics,[5] National Lampoon, Cracked magazine, Spy, and McClannahan Books.[2]
Kupperberg worked on script development and character design for Sullivan Bluth Studios' 1994 animated feature Thumbelina. In 1994, he worked with Nickelodeon on the Tom Terrific animated project.[2]
He also did design work and scripting for numerous advertising and production agencies. His autobiographical strips appeared in Comic Art and in the Streetwise book.
Kupperberg's brother, Paul Kupperberg, also works in the comic book field as a writer, editor and executive, primarily at DC Comics.
Alan Kupperberg died of thymus cancer on July 16, 2015.[13]
