Brief Biographies

MIKE OKAMOTO has been illustrating for over 40 years. Born and raised in Detroit, his art earned him a full scholarship to Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. Pounding the pavement after college, he illustrated for publications such as Golf Illustrated, Scholastic, Business Week, Video Review, and more, which put money in the bank but didn’t fulfill his lifelong ambition of working in comics.

In 1990, he penciled Atomic Age, written by good friend Frank Lovece, and which marked the beginning of his career in comics. As Frank pitched the mini-series to various publishers, Mike’s art got the attention of David Campiti at Innovation Comics. Even though they didn’t pick up Atomic Age (it was published by Marvel/Epic Comics 1990-1992 with the great Al Williamson inking), Mike was hired to create interior pencils for The Vampire Lestat. Moving on to pencils for other Innovation titles like Hero Alliance, The Maze Agency and more, he introduced his unique painting style on cover art for many Innovation titles including Lost in Space. It was his work on Piers Anthony’s On a Pale Horse #1 that got the industry's attention, and he was honored with the Russ Manning Newcomers Award at the 1992 San Diego Comic Con.

Over the years Mike balanced his comic art (Forbidden Planet, Night Cry, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Kabuki, Lady Death and more) and his commercial illustration (winning 6 Illustrator of the Year awards for his golf art!), and continues to look for interesting projects. He’s currently creating commercial animations for games and music videos, as well as his original comic creation Jo Hammy.

DIANA LIGHT-OKAMOTO has been a writer, editor, and vice-president of Innovation Comics during their glory years of 1989 - 1992. She first met Mike in person while she was his editor on Piers Anthony’s On A Pale Horse, and they married in 1991

Daughter, Jennifer Light, graduated high school second in her class and has completed studies at Boston University.  She currently resides in Boston.  She is Diana's proudest creation, and Mike's most joyous association!  Jennifer is now married to Ed McCauley, whom we are proud and honored to call "son"!

 

Mike Okamoto began comics work in 1990, including:

The Vampire Lestat
(Innovation Comics, 1990) Interior pencils on issues #3 and #4.

The Atomic Age
(Marvel/Epic Comics, 1990-92) Co-creator, cover and interior pencils, 4-issue mini-series.

Hero Alliance
(Innovation Comics, 1990) Pencils and colors on cover art, issues #11, #12. Interior pencils on issue #11 ("Obligations").

Hero Alliance Quarterly
(Innovation Comics, 1992) Painted cover art,issue #4

Hero Alliance Special
(Innovation Comics, 1992) Painted back cover art.

Maze Agency
(Innovation Comics, 1990) Interior pencils issue #15

Celestial Mechanics
(Innovation Comics, 1990-92) Cover pencils, issues #1, #2. Painted cover art, issue #3.

Timedrifters
(Innovation Comics, 1990-91) Painted cover art on issues #1, #2, #3.

Lost in Space
(Innovation Comics, 1991-92) Painted cover art on issues #1, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, and Limited Edition #1.

Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse
(Innovation Comics, 1991-92) Cover and interior painted art for issue #1. Cover art on issues #2 and #3.

J. N. Williamson's Masques
(Innovation Comics, 1992) Painted story art (Rail Rider), Book One.

Clive Barker's Hellraiser
(Marvel/Epic Comics, 1992) Painted Story (Nursery Crimes) for Hellraiser Dark Holiday Special.

Forbidden Planet
(Innovation Comics, 1993) Graphic novel cover art.

The Green Hornet
(Now Comics, 1993) Painted cover art on issue #21.

Night Cry
(CFD, 1994) Painted cover art for Night Cry issue #4.

Kabuki
(Caliber Press, 1995) Painted pin-up for Kabuki Gallery.

Lady Death
(Chaos! Comics, 1995) Painted art for Lady Death Chromium Trading Card.

Kim Elizabeth's Dark World Vampires
(Millenium Publications, 1995) Painted art for the poem "Vampire Soul".

Marvel Portraits of a Universe
(Marvel Comics, 1995) Painted art, "Dr. Strange versus Baron Mordo and Dormammu".

Babylon Crush
(Boneyard Press, 1996) Painted cover art for Issue #5.

Five Years of Pain
(Boneyard Press, 1997) Painted cover art

Chaos! Quarterly
Chaos! Comics, 1996) "Bad Girls" story, painted art, issue #2.

Suspira
(Chaos! Comics, 1997) Painted covers and interior story art for 4-issue mini-series.