Who are the graphic novel artists of Warriors?
BY THE EDITOR
James L Barry
As the very first, and one of the longest-running, graphic novel artists for Warriors, James L Barry has become a staple of Warriors art! He illustrated the first-ever Warriors graphic novel, the Graystripe’s Adventure series, then went on to illustrate the Ravenpaw’s Path series and the SkyClan and the Stranger series, then came back later to recreate all three series anew with the new full-color editions. His contributions to the series didn’t end with graphic novels either – from Bluestar’s Prophecy to Leopardstar’s Honor, he illustrated short comics for the end of each Super Edition. He ended his work with Warriors with four standalone full-color graphic novels – A Shadow in RiverClan, Winds of Change, Exile from ShadowClan, and A Thief in ThunderClan.
Barry’s other work includes having worked as a staff illustrator for Next Magazine, contributions to Entertainment Weekly, and storyboarding work for various international brands. He has done illustration work for clients including Harper Collins, Target, The Wall Street Journal, American Express,
Pratt Institute and Animated Storyboards. He recieved his MFA from the School of Visual Arts, and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
Bettina Kurkoski
This dynamic artist served as the illustrator for a single addition to the Warriors series, but the striking art she created for The Rise of Scourge has left an impact on the series, and the fans, since its release. Kuroski’s work with Erin Hunter is not limited to Warriors, however, as she also illustrated the two Seekers graphic novels, Toklo’s Story and Kallik’s Adventure!
Kurkoski graduated from the University of Massachusets with a BFA in illustration, after which she placed as a runner-up in the TOKYOPOP’s Rising Stars of Manga contest. She afterwards illustrated several projects for TOKYOPOP, including projects under the Star Trek brand. She currently resides in Plymouth, Massachusets.
Don Hudson
This is the artist who brought to life the tragic – and toxic – romance between Tigerstar and Sasha through the three–book series of that name. While this was his only contribution to the Warriors series, the hard tale of Sasha’s life has resonated for fans since the series’ release. Hudson resides in Los Angeles, California, and has done illustration work for multiple series, including Marvel Comics, illustrating such iconic characters as Spider-Man and Captain America.
Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter
These partners are working together to bring to life the brand-new illustrated adaptation of The Prophecies Begin! Their Warriors journey is a new one for fans, and we know that their stunning visual style is going to bring these characters to life in a way that fans have never seen before. They met through drawing webcomics together online and have gone on to write and illustrate several original comic books together including Dungeon Critters and The Bawk-Ness Monster. Their work on Warriors will be their first adapted works. They currently reside in Austin, Texas.
