Kunkel, Mike 1969–

PERSONAL: Born 1969; married; children: one son.

ADDRESSES: Office—Astonish Comics, 10061 Riverside Dr., #785, Toluca Lake, CA 91610.

CAREER: Comic-book artist, illustrator, writer, and animator. Founder of Astonish Comics, Toluca Lake, CA, 1999 (merged with Blue Dream Studios, 2003, to become Astonish Factory); former animator for Disney Studios.

AWARDS, HONORS: Two Eisner awards, for Herobear and the Kid.

WRITINGS:

The Inheritance (originally published in comic-book form as Herobear and the Kid), Astonish Comics (Toluca Lake, CA), 2002.

(With others) Decoy: Storm of the Century, Penny-Farthing Press (Houston, TX), 2003.

Creator of comic-book series, including Herobear and the Kid, The Land of Sokmunster, Ed's Terrestrials, Teddy Bear Dreams, and The Dreamland Chronicles.

SIDELIGHTS: Mike Kunkel began self-publishing his comics as Astonish Comics in 1999, and in 2003, he merged his studio with Scott Christian Sava's Blue Dream Studio, creating the Astonish Factory. Both Kunkel and Sava have worked in animation, and together they offer a range of comics, books, and toys.

At their Web site, Kunkel and Sava say that they believe "that children are the most important audience you can create for. In our society, kids have become a demographic, a label, a statistic…. We still see them as kids, something we all were at one time. Our thoughts are to create stories that reach kids, and to not do it by talking down to them and telling them what to like, but to simply talk to them honestly and let them feel that we created something we believe in too."

Kunkel's Herobear and the Kid is a comic book that is enjoyed by both children and adults. Reminiscent of the much-loved Calvin and Hobbes, it features a boy and his stuffed animal. The boy is Tyler, whose family moves into the mansion of his deceased grandfather. In his new bedroom, Tyler finds his inheritance, an old stuffed polar bear and a broken pocket watch. His sister's gift is a spinning top.

The pocket watch enables Tyler to tell whether something is good or bad, and the bear has the ability to turn into a superhero—ten feet tall, and wearing a red cape, which is the only color in the un-inked, penciled comic. "Kunkel uses this to spectacular effect," wrote Alasdair Stuart for Savant online, "especially when he first appears at the end of issue one. Suddenly, there's color in Tyler's life and that single splash of red comes to symbolize every fantastic element of the comic, it becomes visual shorthand for adventure." Tyler is also trying to adapt to his new school and friends, and deal with bullies. He fantasizes about his classmate Vanessa and soon discovers that his bear had also been a special friend of his grandfather.

Greg McElhatton reviewed the second issue for iComics online, commenting that "the real key to the fun of Herobear and the Kid is the sheer joy that Kunkel puts into his work. There's a level of energy and excitement on every page that can't help but infect the reader."

The third issue opens with Tyler trying to hide Herobear from Henry, the family butler, but when Henry addresses the bear by name, Tyler realizes that they have met before. The issue reveals the complete history of Tyler's grandfather and some of how and why Herobear was created. Tyler also receives another gift, an empty box, that is in fact the connection to his grandfather. The boy is also given insight into his future and learns that he is destined to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

Kunkel, interviewed by Caleb Gerard of Comic Book Galaxy online, was asked his perspective on comics and kids. "I think we are maybe not offering enough of a choice to them. I think that there are too many creations out there that aren't for kids at all. And that's fine for the industry to have a wide spectrum of bizarre and outrageous stuff, but we have to go the other way and offer a lot of variety in the all-ages category. Give kids something to start with and grow up on."

Jason Cornwell, who reviewed the third issue for silverbulletcomics.com, wrote that "Kunkel's art is one of the main reasons I sought this book out," adding that "it has a sense of youthful exuberance … that is perfect for the delivery of its subject. The art conveys a child-like logic and simplicity of seeing the world." Cornwell also noted that "there is a very real sense" in volume three "that … Tyler isn't quite the same little awkward kid, whose biggest worries mirrored those of the average kid. In other words, this issue makes Tyler into something quite special."

Wendy Craig Green, commenting on the series for Comic World News online, wrote that "ever since its debut in 1999 … Herobear and the Kid has slowly built an ever-growing fan base—and for good reason. Rarely does a new comic come out which has its own individual style…. Kunkel has created a story which brings back those childhood memories in a story about friendship, loss, growing up, and the power of imagination."

In 2003 Kunkel came out with a new story arc in the adventures of Herobear and the Kid. With Saving Time, number one, Tyler is trying to protect Henry from Von Klon, a maniac with an unusual collection of toys. Kunkel also began publishing ten-page companion books that offer six extra pages of story and four of artwork.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

ONLINE

Astonish Factory Web site, http://www.theastonishfactory.com/ (January 4, 2004), "Mike Kunkel."

Comic Book Galaxy, http://www.comicbookgalaxy.com/ (January 4, 2004), Caleb Gerard, interview with Kunkel.

Comic World News, http://www.comicworldnews.com/ (January 4, 2004), Wesley Craig Green, review of Herobear and the Kid.

iComics, http://www.icomics.com/ (January 4, 2004), Greg McElhatton, review of Herobear and the Kid, number two.

Savant, http://www.savantmag.com/ (January 4, 2004), Alasdair Stuart, review of Herobear and the Kid.

Silver Bullet Comic Books Weeb site, http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/ (January 4, 2004), Jason Cornwell, review of Herobear and the Kid, issue number three.