Chuck Austen

Chuck Austen (born Chuck Beckum) is an American comic book writer and artist, television writer and producer. In the comics industry, he is known for his work on U.S. War Machine, The Avengers, JLA, Action Comics and the X-Men franchise. In television, he is known for co-creating the animated TV series Tripping the Rift, producing the first season of Steven Universe, and acting as a co-showrunner on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Early life Chuck Austen was born Chuck Beckum. He grew up a military brat, and after his parents divorced, he was raised by his single mother in a housing project. At the start of his career Austen used his birthname; he later abandoned out of a desire to disassociate from his father's family name. After marrying he and his wife picked a new name, inspired by Jane Austen. Career Austen began his career as an artist in the 1980s. Due to not knowing many comics fans he developed a habit of inking his own pencils. After working on Eclipse Comics titles such as Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds, his work came to the attention of Alan Moore, who selected him to take over from Alan Davis on Miracleman, recently added to the company's portfolio. He met Moore for the first time at the 1985 San Diego Comic Con, where he was also announced as the new artist on the title. As the series initially reprinted material from the British anthology Warrior he worked on the main strip until Miracleman #6, cover dated February 1986. Austen's run on the title was short-lived - after contributing a framing sequence to Miracleman #8 he left, something he blamed on Eclipse editor-in-chief Catherine Yronwode making an angry telephone call to his grandmother. Subsequently he drew the first five issues for the short-lived series Hero Sandwich for Slave Labor Graphics, as well as stints on The Badger for First Comics and two issues of Scott McCloud's Zot!, covering for the artist's honeymoon. Austen also wrote and drew the semi-autobiographical black-and-white pornographic comic book series Strips for Rip Off Press and the similarly-themed Hardball for Malibu Comics' Aircel Comics label. He also provided art to lesser-known series such as Open Season and The Trouble with Girls as well as a few DC Comics properties including a Phantom Lady serial for Action Comics Weekly and a short Green Flame story for Secret Origins.