Jim Rugg

drawing by Rugg of Gen13, from 2011 Rugg was born in the town of Connellsville, Pennsylvania and moved to Pittsburgh. His art influences include Frank Miller, Erik Larsen, David Lapham, Jack Kirby, David Mazzuchelli, Mike Mignola, the Hernandez brothers, Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, Chris Ware, and Julie Doucet. Rugg is also inspired by television shows like The Office and Arrested Development, the films of Wes Anderson, Kōbō Abe’s writing, Todd Hido’s photography, and Toba Khedoori's drawings and paintings. His fortunes began turning around in 2009, when he began working on Image Comics' One Model Nation and Dark Horse Comics' The Guild. In 2010 Rugg (along with co-writer Maruca) released Afrodisiac, collecting stories previously published in anthologies along with new material. (The character first appeared in the pages of Street Angel). Rugg currently teaches in the MFA Visual Narrative program at the School of Visual Arts. == Cartoonist Kayfabe and comic historian ==

and Rugg discussing Cartoonist Kayfabe in 2019 The Cartoonist Kayfabe series created by Ed Piskor and Jim Rugg, significantly impacted the comic book community by revisiting classic comic books, discussing the processes and stories behind them, and featuring notable figures from the industry. The YouTube show has produced over 1,800 videos in its library since its creation. One of the achievements of the series was bringing together Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird for commentaries on their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. Eastman and Laird, who had not collaborated in years, were invited to discuss their original TMNT comics, providing insights into their creation and evolution of the series. This reunion was particularly special for fans and scholars of comics, as it not only highlighted the creative synergy between the two but also explored the cultural impact of TMNT. The episodes served as a deep dive into the artistic and narrative choices that shaped the TMNT universe, offering fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at the making of a franchise that has remained popular across decades. == Awards ==

Rugg was nominated for a 2010 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Minicomic for Rambo 3.5. In 2011, Afrodisiac was nominated for an Eisner Award in the humor category, and in 2015, Rugg won the Eisner for best publication design for Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream. He served on the Ignatz Award jury in 2006. == Bibliography ==