Timothy Roger Sale (May 1, 1956 – June 16, 2022) was an American

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

-winning

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...

, "best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman and for influencing depictions of the Caped Crusader in numerous films." He is primarily known for his collaborations with writer

Jeph Loeb Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series '' Smallville'' and ''Lost'', writer for the films ''Commando'' and ''Teen Wolf'', and a writer and ...

, which included both comics work, and artwork for the TV series ''

Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

''. Sale's renditions of Batman influenced modern cinematic depictions of the character, with film directors and actors directly citing Sale's work.

Early life

Tim Sale was born on May 1, 1956, in

Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named a ...

, the son of Dorothy Young, a feminist political activist, and

Roger Sale Roger Sale (1932–May 11, 2017) was an American literary critic and author, brother of Kirkpatrick Sale and father of Tim Sale. He spent most of his career as a professor of English at the University of Washington. Children's literature Sale's i ...

, a literary critic. He spent most of his early life in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Washington, having moved there with his family at age six. He attended the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

for two years before moving to New York City to attend the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by ...

, as well as the comics workshop run by artist

John Buscema John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...

. Mr. Sale completed the "John Buscema Art School, which was advertised in the pages of Marvel Comics and held in a New York City hotel for a short time in the 1970s." He returned to Seattle before graduating from SVA.

Career

Sale began doing art for the series ''

MythAdventures ''MythAdventures'' or ''Myth Adventures'' is a fantasy series created by Robert Lynn Asprin. After twelve novels by Asprin, published 1978 to 2002, he and Jody Lynn Nye continued the series with seven more books. After his death in May 2008, she ...

'' in 1983, and was soon working on ''

Thieves' World Thieves' World is a shared world fantasy series created by Robert Lynn Asprin in 1978. The original series comprised twelve anthologies, including stories by science fiction authors Poul Anderson, John Brunner, Andrew J. Offutt, C. J. Cherr ...

''. The body of Sale's comics work has been with collaborator

. The duo, credited in their comics as 'storytellers', produced popular work such as the "Year 1"-centered '' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials'', '' Batman: The Long Halloween'', '' Batman: Dark Victory'', as well as ''

Superman for All Seasons ''Superman for All Seasons'' is a 4-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1998, hot off the heels from their previous success, '' Batman: The Long Halloween'', and a ...

'' and '' Catwoman: When in Rome''. At

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, the team has produced the so-called "color" books such as '' Daredevil: Yellow'', '' Spider-Man: Blue'', and '' Hulk: Gray''. A '' Captain America: White'' limited series was announced in 2008 but only a #0 issue was published. The long-delayed project finally saw print in September 2015. With

Darwyn Cooke Darwyn Cooke (November 16, 1962 – May 14, 2016) was a Canadian comics artist, writer, cartoonist, and animator who worked on the comic books ''Catwoman'', '' DC: The New Frontier'', ''The Spirit'' and '' Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter''. ...

, Sale launched the '' Superman Confidential'' series in 2007. Sale worked on artwork for the television program ''

'', where his frequent collaborator Jeph Loeb served as a writer and producer. Sale's artwork appeared in the show as the work of the

precognitive Precognition (from the Latin 'before', and 'acquiring knowledge') is the purported psychic phenomenon of seeing, or otherwise becoming directly aware of, events in the future. There is no accepted scientific evidence that precognition is a ...

artist

Isaac Mendez ''Heroes'' is an American superhero drama television series created by Tim Kring that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006, to February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover that they have supe ...

as well as other artists on the show. Eric Powell was hired as the colorist for Sale's work. Sale also created the

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of such fonts that shared an overall design. In mod ...

used in the show's captions and credits, which he based on his handwriting. In 2021, '' The Long Halloween'' was adapted for a two-part animated film from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Awards

Sale won an

in 1999 in the "Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team" category.

Personal life and death

Sale lived in the

Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. It contains the three most populous counties in the state—King, Snohomish, and Pierce� ...

. On June 13, 2022,

Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...

announced Sale had been admitted to the hospital with severe health issues. Representatives of Sale later confirmed he was in the hospital while asking for privacy. Three days later, Sale died on June 16, from

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

. "He is survived by his mother; his sister, Maggie Sale; and his partner, Susan Bailey."

Legacy

DC Comics publisher

praised Sale, saying, "Tim Sale was an amazing artist, draftsman and storyteller. Beyond the taut chiaroscuro style which became his trademark. Tim clearly put a premium on storytelling, clarity and pacing — cherishing emotion above all. His stories were beautifully visceral, nuanced and evinced deep humanity. Tim simply had no use for surface banality." Filmmakers

Christopher Nolan Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Cinema of the United States, Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. ...

and

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves (born April 27, 1966) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He first gained recognition for the WB drama series ''Felicity (TV series), Felicity'' (1998–2002), which he co-created with J. J. Abrams. Reeves came t ...

, both of whom directed ''Batman'' films, have cited '' Batman: The Long Halloween'' and its sequel, '' Batman: Dark Victory'', as an influence on those films. In an interview with the website World of Batman,

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...

, who played the character, characterized the "really fantastic imagery" with which Sale rendered those works. Commenting on Sale's figurework, Bale stated, "I would kind of imitate those positions."

Bibliography

Selected works

* '' Billi 99'' (with Sarah Byam) * ''

Grendel Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem '' Beowulf'' (700–1000). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. Grendel is feared by a ...

'' (with

Matt Wagner Matt Wagner (born October 9, 1961) is an American comics artist and writer who is best known as the creator of the series ''Mage'' and ''Grendel (comics), Grendel''. Career Matt Wagner's first published comic book work was ''Comico Primer'' #2 ( ...

) * '' Deathblow'' (with

and

Brandon Choi Brandon Choi is an American comic book writer best known as one of the co-creators of the series Gen¹³ which enjoyed high popularity in the middle and late 1990s. He also wrote several other titles for WildStorm. Choi was born in Seoul, Korea, ...

) * '' Superman Confidential'' ka "Superman: Kryptonite"(with

) * ''Tim Sale: Black And White'' hardcover (Active Images, 2004); Revised and Expanded Edition (Image Comics, 2008). An art and career retrospective of Tim Sale. By

Richard Starkings Richard Starkings (born 27 January 1962) is a British font designer and comic book letterer, editor and writer. He was one of the early pioneers of computer-based comic-book lettering, and is one of the most prolific creators in that industry. ...

and John "JG" Roshell with Tim Sale. ;With Jeph Loeb * ''

Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...

Must Die!'' collects ''Challengers of the Unknown'' vol. 2 #1–8 (March–Oct. 1991),

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, trade paperback 224 pages, October 2004, * '' Batman: Haunted Knight'' collects ''Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special'' #1 (Dec. 1993), ''Batman: Madness A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special'' #1 (1994), and ''Batman: Ghosts Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special'' #1 (1995), DC Comics, trade paperback 192 pages, September 1996, * ''Wolverine & Gambit: Victims'' collects ''Wolverine/Gambit: Victims'' #1–4 (Sept.–Dec. 1995),

, hardcover 112 pages, November 2009, ; trade paperback March 2013, * '' Batman: The Long Halloween'' collects ''Batman: The Long Halloween'' #1–13 (Dec. 1996–Dec. 1997), DC Comics, hardcover 369 pages, February 1999, ; trade paperback October 2011, * ''

Superman For All Seasons ''Superman for All Seasons'' is a 4-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1998, hot off the heels from their previous success, '' Batman: The Long Halloween'', and a ...

'' collects ''Superman For All Seasons'' #1–4 (Sept.–Dec. 1998), DC Comics, hardcover 208 pages, October 1999, ; trade paperback October 2002, * '' Batman: Dark Victory'' collects ''Batman: Dark Victory'' #1–13 (Dec. 1999–Dec. 2000), DC Comics, hardcover 408 pages, May 2012, ; trade paperback 392 pages, October 2002, * ''Daredevil: Yellow'' collects ''Daredevil: Yellow'' #1–6 (Aug. 2001–Jan. 2002), Marvel Comics, hardcover 160 pages, July 2002, ; trade paperback July 2011, * '' Spider-Man: Blue'' collects ''Spider-Man: Blue'' #1–6 (July 2002 – April 2003), Marvel Comics, hardcover 160 pages, May 2003, ; trade paperback August 2011, * '' Hulk: Gray'' collects ''Hulk: Gray'' #1–6 (Dec. 2003 – April 2004), Marvel Comics, trade paperback 168 pages, June 2011, * '' Catwoman: When in Rome'' collects ''Catwoman: When in Rome'' #1–6 (Nov. 2004–Aug. 2005), DC Comics, hardcover 160 pages, December 2005, ; trade paperback June 2007, * ''

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

'' #1 (Dec. 2004) with Jeph Loeb,

Brian Azzarello Brian Azzarello (born August 11, 1962 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer and screenwriter who first came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series ''100 Bullets'', published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo. ...

, and

Diana Schutz Diana Schutz (born February 1, 1955) is a Canadian-born comic book editor, serving as editor in chief of Comico during its peak years, followed by a 25-year tenure at Dark Horse Comics. Some of the best-known works she has edited are Frank Miller ...

, DC Comics * '' Captain America: White'' #0–5 (Sept. 2008–Dec. 2015), Marvel Comics

Short stories

* ''Grendel: Black, White & Red'' #1 (

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops known ...

, 1998). Eight-page short story with writer

. * ''Robert E. Howard's Myth Maker'' (1999). One-shot drawn by several pencillers such as

John Bolton John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United Sta ...

(also cover artist of the issue),

Richard Corben Richard Corben (October 1, 1940December 2, 2020) was an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in '' Heavy Metal'' magazine, especially the ''Den'' series which was featured in the magazine's first film ad ...

Kelley Jones Kelley Jones (born July 23, 1962) is an American comics artist best known for his work on ''Batman'' with writer Doug Moench and on '' The Sandman'' with writer Neil Gaiman. Early life Kelley Jones was born in Sacramento, California and grew up ...

. Tim Sale drew several pages, with script by

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibl ...

. * ''

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of ''Creepy'' ...

: Rebirth'' #1 (Harris Comics, 1999). Eight-page short story with writer Jeph Loeb, and variant cover. * '' 9-11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember, Volume Two'' (DC Comics). One-page short story from an idea by Chuck Kim. * '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tales of the Slayers'' TPB (Dark Horse Comics, February 2002). Cover and short story (12 pages) written by

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...

, about a female medieval vampire hunter. *'' JSA: All Stars'' #2 (DC Comics, 2003). Six-page back up story about the Golden Age Hawkman and Hawkgirl, with writer Jeph Loeb. * ''Tales of The Batman: Tim Sale'' collection of Batman tales drawn by Tim Sale in his career with writers

, Alan Grant, James Robinson, and

Kelley Puckett Kelley Puckett is a comic book writer. He is notable for having co-created DC Comics characters Cassandra Cain and Connor Hawke. Bibliography DC Comics * '' Batgirl'' #1-19, 21–25, 27–29, 33-37 * '' The Batman and Robin Adventures'' #24 ** ...

, 240 pages, January 2009,

Cover work

* ''

The Foot Soldiers ''The Foot Soldiers'' is a post-apocalyptic superhero comic book written by Jim Krueger and with art by Mike Oeming. Plot The plot concerns a world where traditional super-heroes once existed, but have since been killed by oppressive robotic bei ...

'' #3 (Dark Horse Comics, 1996) * '' Adventures of Superman'' #597, ''

Batgirl Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...

'' #21, ''

Detective Comics ''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...

'' #763, ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...

'' #13, '' JSA'' #29 and ''The

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...

'' #10 (DC Comics, December 2001). All the issues were part of the " Last Laugh" crossover. * '' Flinch'' #5 (DC Comics/Vertigo, 1999) * '' El Diablo'' #1–4 (DC Comics/Vertigo, 2001) * ''

Queen & Country ''Queen & Country'' is an American comic book published by Oni Press and written by Greg Rucka with various artists illustrating. It was inspired by the British ITV television series ''The Sandbaggers'' (1978–1980), which was created and prima ...

'' #1–4 (Oni Press, 2001) * ''Detective Comics'' #777–796 (DC Comics, February 2003 – September 2004) * ''Batgirl'' #69–73 (DC Comics) * ''Batman (vol. 3)'' #1–5, 17, 21–23, 29–30, 38, 54 (DC Comics)

References

External links

Tim Sale
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators

at Batman-on-Film.com
Sale's KCRW Guest DJ Set
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sale, Tim 1956 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American artists 21st-century American artists American comics artists Artists from Ithaca, New York DC Comics people Eisner Award winners for Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team Marvel Comics people School of Visual Arts alumni University of Washington alumni Deaths from kidney failure