'Rocko's Modern Life' #4.
Darren Auck is an American cartoonist, art director and teacher at the Joe Kubert School of Art. After making his first comic stories for Pacific Comics and DC Comics in the 1980s, he was a staff artist and art director at Marvel Comics, working with famous characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man and She-Hulk. He also drew Marvel's comic book series based on Joe Murray's TV show 'Rocko's Modern Life' (1994) on Nickelodeon.
Early life
Darren Auck was born in 1961 in Detroit, Michigan. As a child, he developed a keen interest in comics, cartoons and pop culture. He started writing and drawing his own comics at age six. When he was a student at North Hunterdon High School in the 1970s, he took part in workshops led by the famous comic artists John Buscema and Don Heck. Inspired, he created his own comic book with self-created superheroes and fantasy warriors, and self-published with a $500 loan from his dad. With the help of his print shop teacher, he produced more issues, which were then widely distributed throughout the school.
First comic book work
Auck got his professional training at the Joe Kubert School of Art in Morris County, where veteran artist Joe Kubert himself was one of his teachers. After graduating in 1983, Auck saw his first comic book work - a four-page sci-fi story - published in issue #2 of Vanguard Illustrated by Pacific Comics, released in January 1984. He then freelanced for DC Comics, writing and drawing a back-up story for 'Sgt. Rock' #399 (1984), and contributing occasional stories to the anthology titles 'Talent Showcase' (1985) and 'Elvira's House of Mystery' (1986).
What if...? #34 - 'Adventures in Spidey-Baby-Sitting' (February 1992).
Marvel Bullpen
Throughout the 1990s, Auck was part of the so-called "Marvel Bullpen" - nickname for the staff and creators working at the Marvel Comics offices in New York City. Starting out as staff letterer in the first half of the decade, he later served as art director. He oversaw the cover direction for the entire comic book line, did art corrections as well as production art and operated as editor and talent scout. Between 1990 and 1993, he made single-page superhero satires for the humor title 'What The..?!', and participated in story productions for Marvel's 'What If...?' comic book. For 'The Sensational She-Hulk' issue #53 (July 1993), he penciled the episode 'Death Becomes Her', second installment in the 'To Die and Live in L.A.!' story arc. He drew some 'Devil-Slayer stories for Marvel Comics Presents (1993-1994), and penciled Marvel's seven-issue mini-series 'Rocko's Modern Life' (1994), based on the animated television series by Joe Murray on Nickelodeon. He also worked on Marvel's 'Ren & Stimpy' comics (1992-1995), starring John Kricfalusi's signature characters.
'The Incredible She-Hulk' #53.
Later work
Since September 2000, Darren Auck is an instructor with the Joe Kubert School of Art in Dover, New Jersey, teaching classes about the business of art, as well as methods and materials. Dedicated to guide a new generation of comic book artists, Auck also does free portfolio reviews at Comic Cons. Through his High Bridge house studio, Auck has done commercial art for Rodale Press, Workman Publishing, the New York Life Insurance Company, The New York Financial Writers Association, BMW, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the rock band AC/DC and various trading card companies. In his spare time, he has been developing characters like 'Psychotrono - The Monster Manglin' Man' and the creator-owned graphic novel projects 'Jersey Devil vs. Bigfoot', 'My Best Friend Bigfoot' and 'Uncle Samson and Son'. In 2020, he illustrated the short story 'The Medium is the Message', written by Hagai Palevsky for Tyler and Wendy Chin-Tanner's crowd-funded comic anthology 'Maybe Someday - Stories of Promise, Visions of Hope' (2020).
'The Medium is the Message', from the anthology 'Maybe Someday' (2020).