Justin Russell

always inventing stories to go along with images of comic book characters, cartoons, and animals. During middle school I discovered fantasy through Dungeons and Dragons. I was smitten. All of my creative efforts since have involved making my own stories and worlds, and images to describe them. The definitive moment when I realized I could make a living doing art came in 1993, when my curiosity about a particular dragon bookmark brought me into contact with the work of Michael Whelan. The next time I went to order comic books from the monthly catalog, I noticed Mr. Whelan had a book of illustrations available. I was thunderstruck. I had never heard of this kind of thing. My mom, maybe by some divine intervention, or by the influence of some wizard's spell, allowed me to get the art book instead of my usual fare. When it came, I remember opening the large, heavy package and sitting alone in my room, eagerly flipping the pages, one at a time, seeing process work and finished art side-by-side. Then and there I had an epiphany, like a thunderbolt. I knew what I would do for the rest of my life. Since then I have endeavored to make that happen.