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Mike Collins is a Wales-based comic book artist and writer and has been working in comics since the mid-1980s. Born in West Bromwich in 1961, he moved to Wales in 1985 after an abortive stab at a career in the Law, in London. Despite his training as a High Court Barrister, Mike decided that he enjoyed the fiction-based life of comic book characters over the fiction-based statements of clients. He's married to Karen Collins and father of 3 daughters, Bethan, Rebecca and Rhiannon and is currently placed in Cardiff.

UK comics

In the mid to late 1980s, Mike wrote and drew strips for Marvel Comics United Kingdom division, amongst them; Spider-Man, Transformers, Doctor Who, and Zoids. He also worked on the celebrated UK weekly comic 2000 AD drawing Judge Dredd, Sláine and Rogue Trooper, as well as writing various Future Shocks.

US comics

He was hired in the 'Second Wave' of British artists lured to the United States in the late 1980s. Through the 1990s he worked primarily for DC Comics on their key titles - Batman, Superman, Flash, Teen Titans, Wonder Woman and the Justice League.

He also drew a series of licenced comics for the company, using various TSR/Dungeons and Dragons characters. A brief spell at Marvel saw Mike working on Uncanny X-Men (Key issue: #266, the first appearance of Gambit). He was back to DC though, to write and draw Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, a revival of a 1960s Charlton Comics character.

Mike's primarily known for his work on TV and Movie tie-in comics- for both Marvel and DC he has written and drawn Star Trek comics. In the late 90s he drew a Babylon 5 mini-series, "In Valen's Name", written by series creator J. Michael Straczynski and Peter David. A departure from most tie-in productions in that it actually serves as series 'canon' being based on an unused 3rd season script.

Current work

Currently the artist (and sometime writer) on Panini Comics Doctor Who Magazine, Mike also writes and draws a strip for Weekly World News, as well as co-creating the series American Gothic with Ian Edginton for 2000 AD.

Outside of comics Mike paints covers to a monthly series of downloadable Star Trek novels - the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, and works as a storyboard artist for both animation and live-action TV and movies.

Unusual and unique work

He wrote and designed the first ever Welsh language graphic novel - Mabinogi in association with Cartwyn Cymru in 2001, and is the first UK artist to produce a series of graphic novels for Norway with Gunnar Staalesen, featuring his celebrated private eye, Varg Veum.

He works a key illustrator for Welsh language school books using the comic strip medium, aimed at reluctant learners.

He supplied art for a number of cards in the Harry Potter Trading Card Game.

Music

When not working in comics, Mike fronts a tribute band: TomWaits4NoMan.

Bibliography

Tharg's Future Shocks: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World" (with Alan Davis, in 2000 AD #509, 1987)

Judge Dredd: "Doomsday" (with John Wagner, in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.58-3.59, 1999)

Sinister Dexter: "Wising Off" (with Dan Abnett, in 2000 AD #1311, 2002)

Starfleet Corps of Engineers: "Caveat Emptor" (with Ian Edginton, ebook, 2002, tpb No Surrender, 2003)

American Gothic (with Ian Edginton, in 2000 AD #1432-1440, 2005)

Doctor Who:
- "The Nightmare Game" (with Gareth Roberts, in Doctor Who Magazine #330-332, collected in The Flood, 226 pages, 2007, ISBN 9781905239658)
- The Ninth Doctor Collected Comics (98 pages, April 2006) collects:
  - "The Love Invasion" (with Gareth Roberts, in Doctor Who Magazine #355-357)
  - "Art Attack" (art and script, in Doctor Who Magazine #358)
  - "The Cruel Sea" (with Rob Shearman, in Doctor Who Magazine #359-362)
  - "A Groatsworth of Wit" (with Gareth Roberts, in Doctor Who Magazine #363-364)

External links

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+'''Mike Collins''' is a [[Wales]]-based [[comic book]] [[Comics artist|artist]] and [[writer]] and has been working in comics since the mid-1980s. Born in [[West Bromwich]] in [[1961]], he moved to Wales in [[1985]] after an abortive stab at a career in the Law, in [[London]]. Despite his training as a [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] [[Barrister]], Mike decided that he enjoyed the fiction-based life of comic book characters over the fiction-based statements of clients. He's married to Karen Collins and father of 3 daughters, Bethan, Rebecca and Rhiannon and is currently placed in Cardiff.
-'''Mike Collins''' is a Teenager. He likes [[Zorbing]] and [[Skateboarding]], particularly [[Tony Hawk]] and [[Bam Margera]]
+== UK comics ==
+In the mid to late 1980s, Mike wrote and drew strips for [[Marvel Comics]] United Kingdom division, amongst them; ''[[Spider-Man]]'', ''[[Transformers (comic)|Transformers]]'', ''[[Doctor Who spin-offs#Comics|Doctor Who]]'', and ''[[Zoids]]''. He also worked on the celebrated UK weekly comic ''[[2000 AD (comic)|2000 AD]]'' drawing ''[[Judge Dredd]]'', ''[[Sláine (comics)|Sláine]]'' and ''[[Rogue Trooper]]'', as well as writing various ''[[Future Shocks]]''.
+== US comics ==
+He was hired in the 'Second Wave' of British artists lured to the United States in the late 1980s. Through the 1990s he worked primarily for [[DC Comics]] on their key titles - ''[[Batman]]'', ''[[Superman]]'', ''[[Flash (comics)|Flash]]'', ''[[Titans (comics)|Teen Titans]]'', ''[[Wonder Woman]]'' and the ''[[Justice League]]''.
+He also drew a series of licenced comics for the company, using various [[TSR]]/[[Dungeons and Dragons]] characters. A brief spell at Marvel saw Mike working on ''[[Uncanny X-Men]]'' (Key issue: #266, the first appearance of [[Gambit]]). He was back to DC though, to write and draw ''[[Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt]]'', a revival of a 1960s [[Charlton Comics]] character.
+Mike's primarily known for his work on TV and Movie tie-in comics- for both Marvel and DC he has written and drawn ''[[Star Trek]]'' comics. In the late 90s he drew a ''[[Babylon 5 Novels, novelizations, short stories, and comic books#Comic books|Babylon 5]]'' mini-series, "In Valen's Name", written by series creator [[J. Michael Straczynski]] and [[Peter David]]. A departure from most tie-in productions in that it actually serves as series 'canon' being based on an unused 3rd season script.
+== Current work ==
+Currently the artist (and sometime writer) on Panini Comics ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'', Mike also writes and draws a strip for ''[[Weekly World News]]'', as well as co-creating the series ''[[American Gothic (comics)|American Gothic]]'' with [[Ian Edginton]] for ''2000 AD''.
+Outside of comics Mike paints covers to a monthly series of downloadable Star Trek novels - the ''[[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]]'', and works as a storyboard artist for both animation and live-action TV and movies.
+== Unusual and unique work ==
+He wrote and designed the first ever Welsh language graphic novel - [[Mabinogi]] in association with Cartwyn Cymru in 2001, and is the first UK artist to produce a series of graphic novels for Norway with [[Gunnar Staalesen]], featuring his celebrated private eye, [[Varg Veum]].
+He works a key illustrator for Welsh language school books using the comic strip medium, aimed at reluctant learners.
+He supplied art for a number of cards in the [[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]].
+==Music==
+When not working in comics, Mike fronts a tribute band: '''TomWaits4NoMan'''.
+==Bibliography==
+*''[[Future Shocks|Tharg's Future Shocks]]'': "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World" (with [[Alan Davis]], in ''2000 AD'' #509, 1987)
+*''[[Judge Dredd]]'': "Doomsday" (with [[John Wagner]], in ''[[Judge Dredd Megazine]]'' #3.58-3.59, 1999)
+*''[[Sinister Dexter]]'': "Wising Off" (with [[Dan Abnett]], in ''2000 AD'' #1311, 2002)
+*''[[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]]'': "Caveat Emptor" (with [[Ian Edginton]], [[ebook]], [[2002 in comics|2002]], [[Trade paperback (comics)|tpb]] ''No Surrender'', [[2003 in comics|2003]])
+* ''[[American Gothic (comics)|American Gothic]]'' (with [[Ian Edginton]], in ''2000 AD'' #1432-1440, [[2005 in comics|2005]])
+*''[[Doctor Who]]'':
+** "The Nightmare Game" (with [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]], in ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' #330-332, collected in ''The Flood'', 226 pages, 2007, ISBN 9781905239658)
+**''The Ninth Doctor Collected Comics'' (98 pages, April 2006) collects:
+*** "The Love Invasion" (with [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]], in ''Doctor Who Magazine'' #355-357)
+*** "Art Attack" (art and script, in ''Doctor Who Magazine'' #358)
+*** "The Cruel Sea" (with [[Rob Shearman]], in ''Doctor Who Magazine'' #359-362)
+*** "A Groatsworth of Wit" (with [[Gareth Roberts (writer)|Gareth Roberts]], in ''Doctor Who Magazine'' #363-364)
+==External links==
+*[http://www.freakhousegraphics.co.uk Official website]
+*[http://homepage.ntlworld.com/michael.collins17/mikecv.htm A CV of Mike's various and varied work]
+*[http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=MIKEC 2000 AD profile]
+*[http://www.myspace.com/dafreakhouse Mike Collins] at [[MySpace]]
+*[http://www.mikecollins.deviantart.com Mostly non-comics work] at [[Deviantart]]
+*[http://www.comicspace.com/mikecollins Mike's page on the Comics version of MySpace]
+[[Category:2000 AD creators|Collins, Mike]]
+[[Category:Doctor Who comic creators|Collins, Mike]]
+[[Category:British comics artists|Collins, Mike]]
+[[Category:British comics writers|Collins, Mike]]
+[[Category:1961 births|Collins, Mike]]
+[[Category:Living people|Collins, Mike]]
+[[no:Mike Collins]]