Of Swamp Things, Judges, Captains, and Bat-Men: Interview with Mike Perkins

Active in the comic book world for more than thirty years as both inker and artist, British creator Mike Perkins is one of the veterans of British and American comics. He belongs to that large group of creators—mainly artists—who’ve worked on a multitude of titles, sometimes for just a few issues, perhaps to give more famous colleagues a break, but who also have moments in the spotlight with series or miniseries that go on to win awards or nominations. Solid, dependable, and recognizable artists, but also capable of adapting to the tone of an ongoing series.
All this perfectly describes Perkins, who over the years has refined his technique into an increasingly realistic and detailed style, full of fine lines and heavy shadows—ideal for dark stories with horror and violent elements. This style helped him break through with the acclaimed Swamp Thing series written by Ram V, where he pays homage to the horror vibes of the greats who preceded him on the title, such as Bernie Wrightson, John Totleben, and Steve Bissette. But before that, there were many other comics: starting from his early work on 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, inking artists like Rick Leonardi, Steve Pugh, and Butch Guice, to drawing various issues of Captain America during the celebrated run by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, all the way to the creator-owned The Stand, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and based on Stephen King‘s novel, and Lois Lane alongside Greg Rucka.
We met the artist during the 2025 edition of the Leipzig Book Fair, where he presented the German edition of The Bat-Man: The first knight with Dan Jurgens—a pulp story set in the 1930s, during Batman’s early days. We spoke with him about his career and his most important works.

Hi Mike, and thanks for your time. First of all, let’s talk about your beginnings: when did you decide to become a comic book creator, and what were your original inspirations and influences?
Probably at the age of two, since I was always drawing. But I think I realized I wanted to do this job when the first issue of Captain Britain came out in 1976—I was six years old, and that was the first comic I ever saw. Then shortly after, in 1977, 2000 AD was released, and it featured both Spanish and English creators, and all of that made me realize it was something I wanted to be part of.
Professionally, I found an agent in London who got me my first jobs, and my first professional assignment was in 1994 on 2000 AD and Judge Dredd, and that’s how I really got started.

And what has most influenced your style?
Definitely 2000 AD, so artists like Brian Bolland, Steve Dillon, and Dave Gibbons. They’re brilliant artists, and most of them are still producing amazing work today. Those were my reference points, and now that I’m a professional and have been around for a while, I’ve also had the chance to meet my heroes. And some of them remained heroes even afterward (laughs).

Speaking of your career, you’ve worked on many kinds of comics and for different publishers, including DC and Marvel. Which ones are you most attached to—not just professionally, but emotionally as well?
It’s hard to choose—there are so many. I think The Stand, the adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, is at the top of the list because it was a complete story entirely developed by me and Roberto (Aguirre-Sacasa, Ed.). When you work on characters like Captain America or Spider-Man, you know someone did it before you and someone else will do it after. But with The Stand, everything was there, complete, and it felt more like mine.
That said, I always put a lot of myself into every project, but I think the ones you initiate yourself stick with you more. For example, with Greg Rucka we really developed Lois Lane together, talked about it a lot, and it was a very personal work for both of us. Same with Swamp Thing and Ram V—that was a strong project.
Then there are the indie books, like Rowan’s Ruin with Mike Carey and Freddie the Fix with Garth Ennis. These creator-owned projects are special—they’re like your kids.

Does your approach change when you work on an independent project compared to a more mainstream title?
No, I don’t think so. I always try to give my best in every job. I can’t just phone it in—I have to put everything I have into it.

You mentioned Swamp Thing, and I think that’s a character you’ve had a particular connection with, having worked on him more than once. What do you find fascinating about him?
From an artistic point of view, he gives you a lot of freedom. You can’t really make a mistake when drawing him because you just follow where the brush takes you. If the brushstroke goes in a certain direction, that’s the right one for Swamp Thing, because he’s so tied to the organic world.
And then he has an incredible legacy, with legendary writers and stories. When Ram V and I worked on Swamp Thing, we decided not to use Alec Holland, because his story had already been told perfectly. So we created a new character, to try something different.

And one of the most striking aspects of Swamp Thing, besides the really interesting and well-written story, is your art—it leans heavily into horror and feels deeply inspired by the Alan Moore era, with Steve Bissette and John Totleben.
Well, I think when you work on Swamp Thing you have to look at them. At one point I got into some trouble with John, because I paid tribute to a couple of his images, and when they appeared online, he got a bit upset. But when we met in person, I explained my intentions, and after that, everything was fine. So yes, there’s a connection, an inspiration—but then you have to expand on it. When we started, Ram and I talked a lot about body horror, gore, horror—and that’s the feeling I wanted to bring to the series.

Another character you’ve worked on a lot is Captain America, especially during Brubaker’s run. What do you remember about that experience?
Well, the credit really goes to Steve Epting and Ed Brubaker, not me. That was a time when I was more known as an inker than a full artist. I had been inking Butch Guice on Ruse for two or three years, so I was trying to re-establish myself as a full-on penciler.
They asked me to ink Steve Epting on a few issues, and then offered a more regular position—but I initially said no. I wanted to draw, not just ink. The next day, Ed Brubaker called me and suggested alternating: Steve would handle one story arc, and I would draw and ink the next three issues. In the end, it worked perfectly.

As you just mentioned, you’ve done a lot of work as an inker too. How has that experience influenced your drawing style? And how much of yourself can you bring into someone else’s work when you ink it?
Inking another artist always teaches you something new. When I ink someone, I try to look at how they ink themselves, because that’s the style they’re aiming for. My goal is to respect their vision—not impose my own. For instance, when I inked Lee Weeks on one of the Captain America issues, I went back and studied a story he’d done with Dave Gibbons where he had inked himself. I read that story to absorb his technique.

Let’s talk about Batman: The First Knight, which you did with Dan Jurgens and has just been released in both Italy and Germany. Where did the idea come from to bring Batman back to the 1930s?
Dan was working on a project called Generations, which explored different superhero eras. For that, I drew a panel with 1930s Batman, and Dan had the idea to pitch a comic set in that time period. We had already worked together on Green Lantern, but when he pitched it, I was busy on Swamp Thing, so I asked for more time.
We later pitched it to DC, but it didn’t go through until we brought it to the Black Label line, which approved it. The 1930s Batman is so visually iconic—the gloves, the ears, everything. It was a really fun project to work on.

And visually speaking, how did you prepare to recreate the 1930s setting?
I did a lot of research. Many of the places in the comic are near my home, so I took a lot of reference photos. For example, the prison in the story is a real building that’s now a tourist site, so I was able to visit and photograph it from various angles.

And now to the final question: it’s been announced that you’re working on a new Judge Dredd story written by his creator, John Wagner. What does it mean for you to return to that character?
Dredd was my second professional job, and looking at it now, it seems awful (laughs). Dredd is always evolving, because he ages one year for every real year. It’s one of my favorite comics—I still read it every week.
When I moved back to the UK after twenty years in the US, I ended up in a town where a lot of comic book creators live—including John Wagner. We had already met and got along. I had told him I’d love to work with him, but he was practically retired. Then he saw my work on Batman and decided to write something for me. So, that’s how it all came about. And since we live nearby, I often go to John’s house—we sit down, have a cup of tea, and look out at the countryside while we talk about work. It makes everything more pleasant. I feel like I’m eight years old again, and I have to remind myself I’m not a kid anymore, even though I’m sitting next to John Wagner (laughs).

And what can you tell us about it? The title is Death of a Judge, pretty self-explanatory…
I can’t say anything—I don’t want to spoil it!

Thanks for your time, Mike!

Interview conducted live at the Leipzig Book Fair on March 29, 2025

Mike Perkins

Born in 1969, he is a British comic artist and illustrator. He began his career working with the British magazine 2000 AD and Marvel UK, later breaking into the American market with publishers like DC Comics and Caliber Comics. Among his most well-known works are Carver Hale, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, House of M: Avengers, Captain America, The Stand, and The Swamp Thing. In 2024, he worked as the artist on the mini-series The Bat-Man: First Knight, written by Dan Jurgens. Over his career, he has received multiple Eisner Award nominations and won honors including the Harvey Award and the Eagle Award.