Paul Pope
An American cartoonist who fuses European graphic elegance with manga's kinetic energy to create stylish, emotionally charged science fiction sagas.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American cartoonist·Birthday: September 25·Generation X
Biography
Paul Pope operates in the space where high art meets pulp adventure. Emerging from the self-publishing scene of the 1990s with his series THB, he cultivated a fiercely independent spirit. His work is instantly recognizable: a lush, inky line that feels both classical and urgently modern, applied to stories of lonely outsiders and resilient teenagers in futuristic cities. He drew inspiration from his time working in Japan and studying European comics, synthesizing these influences into a unique visual language. While he has created major works for DC Comics, like 'Batman: Year 100,' he has maintained his artistic autonomy, often returning to his own creator-owned worlds. Pope is less a mainstream comics figure and more a respected auteur, whose books are celebrated for their sheer graphic ambition and romantic soul.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and self-published the acclaimed sci-fi series 'THB' through his own Horse Press.
- Won multiple Eisner Awards, including for 'Batman: Year 100' and 'The One Trick Rip-Off'.
- Published the graphic novel 'Battling Boy' through First Second Books, a critical and commercial success aimed at younger readers.
- His work '100%' was nominated for the prestigious Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize.
Did You Know?
He lived and worked in Tokyo for several years, which deeply influenced his artistic style.
He studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City under comics artists like Will Eisner.
He designed a line of clothing and accessories for the Japanese fashion label BAPE.
His art has been exhibited in galleries internationally, including in Rome and Paris.
“Comics are a language of pictures, and I like to speak it fluently.”
