Steve Leialoha

Summary

Steve Leialoha (born January 27, 1952)[1] is an American comics artist whose work first came to prominence in the 1970s. He has worked primarily as an inker, though occasionally as a penciller, for several publishers, including Marvel Comics and later DC Comics.

Steve Leialoha
Leialoha at the 2023 WonderCon
Born (1952-01-27) January 27, 1952 (age 72)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Penciller, Inker
Notable works
Fables
Spider-Woman
AwardsInkpot Award 1986
Eisner Awards 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007

Early life edit

 
Cover for Spider-Woman #8 (November 1978). Art by Carmine Infantino and Steve Leialoha.

Steve Leialoha was born in San Francisco, California, the son of a Native Hawaiian father. He began reading comics as a child, explaining, "My dad would always give me comics. I mean, he would like to read all sorts of stuff, and he would pass everything along to me. Harvey comics and that kind of thing, when I was six or seven. As I got older, the Marvel Age, which I think of starting like in 1962, I was ten, which is certainly a good age for reading that stuff."[2]

Career edit

Steve Leialoha's career began in 1975 with the early independent comic book Star*Reach,[3] drawing the five-page story "Wooden Ships on the Water", adapted by writer Mike Friedrich from the song by David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Paul Kantner, in issue #3 (Sept. 1975).[4] He continued to contribute to Star*Reach and the same publisher's Quack for four years.

Leialoha freelanced as a regular contributor to Marvel from 1976 to 1988,[3] working on such series as Warlock, Star Wars,[5] Spider-Woman, the Spider-Man title Marvel Team-Up, the Firestar limited series, New Mutants and Howard the Duck.[4] He and writer J. M. DeMatteis co-created "Greenberg the Vampire" in Bizarre Adventures #29 (Dec. 1981).[6]

Leialoha was one of the artists on Batman #400 (Oct. 1986)[7] and in the 1990s, he began working at DC Comics on Batman and other characters; at Harris Comics on Vampirella; and at Claypool Comics on Soulsearchers and Company. He inked part of the World's End story arc in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series.[8][9] The following decade, he became the regular inker on most of the issues of the DC/Vertigo series Fables, penciled by Mark Buckingham, for which they won the Eisner Award for "Best Penciller/Inker Team" in 2007.[10][11]

Personal life and tributes edit

Graduated in 1969, Oceana High School, Pacifica, CA.

Leialoha lives in San Francisco. He was partnered with comics artist Trina Robbins until her death in 2024.[2]

Writer Larry Hama named the G.I. Joe character Edward Leialoha (code name Torpedo) after Steve Leialoha.[12]

Bibliography edit

Claypool Comics edit

Comico edit

Dark Horse Comics edit

DC Comics edit

Paradox Press edit

  • Big Book of Death (1995)
  • Big Book of Grimm (1999)
  • Big Book of Little Criminals (1996)
  • Big Book of Losers (1997)
  • Big Book of the Unexplained (1997)
  • Big Book of Weirdos (1995)

Vertigo edit

  • The Dreaming #24, 47, 56 (1998–2001)
  • Fables #1–3, 5–10, 14–17, 19–21, 23–27, 30–33, 36–38, 40–45, 48–50, 52–56, 60–61, 63, 65–69, 71–75, 88–91, 94–98, 100, 102–106, 108–112, 114–121, 125–129, 131–135, 139–150 (2002–2015)
  • Jack of Fables #6, 11, 20, 22, 25, 38 (2007–2009)
  • Nevada #1–6 (1998)
  • Sandman Presents: Deadboy Detectives #1–4 (2001)
  • Sandman Presents: Petrefax #1–4 (2000)
  • The Unwritten #50 (2013)
  • Vertigo Secret Files & Origins: Swamp Thing #1 (2000)
  • Vertigo: First Offenses #1 (2005)
  • Vertigo: Winter's Edge #1 (1998)

Marvel Comics edit

Awards edit

  • 1986: Won Inkpot Award[13]
  • 2003: Won Eisner Award for "Best New Series" and "Best Serialized Story" for Fables #1–5: "Legends in Exile" with Bill Willingham and Lan Medina.[14]
  • 2005: Won Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story", for Fables #19–27: "March of the Wooden Soldiers" with Willingham and Mark Buckingham.[15]
  • 2006: Won Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story", for Fables #36–38, 40–41: "Return to the Homelands" with Willingham and Buckingham.[16]
  • 2007: Won Eisner Award for "Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team", for Fables with Buckingham.[11]

References edit

  1. ^ Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Munson, Kim (August 29, 2014). "Interview: Steve Leialoha". Comics Alternative. Archived from the original on November 27, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Steve Leialoha". Lambiek Comiclopedia. 2007. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Steve Leialoha at the Grand Comics Database
  5. ^ Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 180. ISBN 978-0756641238. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 202: "Writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Steve Leialoha explored a new take on the vampire myth with Greenberg."
  7. ^ Trumbull, John (December 2013). "A New Beginning...And a Probable End Batman #300 and #400". Back Issue! (69). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 51.
  8. ^ Bender, Hy (1999). The Sandman Companion. New York, New York: DC Comics. p. 269. ISBN 978-1563894657.
  9. ^ Burgas, Greg (January 7, 2013). "Comics You Should Own – Sandman". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014.
  10. ^ Irvine, Alex (2008), "Fables", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The Vertigo Encyclopedia, London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley, pp. 72–81, ISBN 978-0-7566-4122-1, OCLC 213309015
  11. ^ a b "2007 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on August 24, 2012.
  12. ^ Bellomo, Mark (2009). The Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982–1994: Identification and Price Guide. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 34. ISBN 978-0896899223.
  13. ^ "Inkpot Award". San Diego Comic-Con. 2016. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017.
  14. ^ "2003 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012.
  15. ^ "2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012.
  16. ^ "2006 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.

External links edit

  • Steve Leialoha at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • Steve Leialoha at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
  • Steve Leialoha at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
Preceded by
n/a
Howard the Duck inker
1976–1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by Star Wars inker
1977
Succeeded by
Preceded by Spider-Woman artist
1980–1982
Succeeded by
Brian Postman