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Batton Lash Visits ComicSource™ 

ComicSource™  was proud to host a special signing by one of the top "alternative" creators in the comics industry.

Batton Lash, Creator of Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He studied cartooning and graphic arts at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, under instructors that included Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman.

After graduating, he worked for an ad agency, as Howard Chaykin's very first assistant, and as a freelance illustrator. For several years, he shared a studio at 225 Lafayette Street (former home of EC Comics) with such creators as comics inkers Steve Mitchell and Bob Smith, animator Russell Calabrese, designer Bill Kobz, and humorist Bill Skiff.

In 1979, Brooklyn Paper Publications asked him to create a comic strip and Lash came up with "Wolff & Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre," which he has been writing and drawing weekly ever since. He also did editorial cartoons for The Brooklyn Paper during a 12-year period, and courtroom graphics for two cases.

Additionally, Lash has done Wolff & Byrd stories for such publications as TSR's Polyhedron, American Fantasy, and Monster Scene. Original Wolff & Byrd stories have also appeared in a number of comic books, including Satan's Six, Mr. Monster, Munden's Bar, Frankie's Frightmare , and Panorama.

Lash's non-Wolff & Byrd work includes art for Hamilton Comics' short-lived horror line (Grave Tales, Dread of Night) and DC's The Big Book of Death, The Big Book of Weirdos, and The Big Book of Urban Legends, and Aesop's Desecrated Fables for Rip Off Press. He also co-wrote The Penguin's Putdowns (a book of riddles, for Warner Books), and wrote the infamous Archie Meets The Punisher, last summer's crossover between Archie Comics and Marvel Comics. Another Archie project appeared last fall.

Since May 1994, Wolff & Byrd have held court in their own bi-monthly title from Exhibit A Press, established by Lash and his wife, Jackie Estrada. Lash now resides in San Diego, California.

Sure, we flew artist Batton Lash and his wife/publisher Jackie Estrada from San Diego, California to Boca Raton, Florida. Of course, as revealed in Batton's drawing, it wasn't exactly first class!