Ian McGinty

McGinty was born in Annapolis, Maryland. He began drawing comics at age six, heavily inspired by Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and Garfield.{{cite web|url=https://carlscomix.com/ian-mcginty-making-a-career-out-of-comics/|title=Ian McGinty: Making a Career Out of Comics|date=January 21, 2017|website=Carl's Comix|access-date=June 6, 2025}} As a child, he pasted newspaper comic strips into albums and later discovered superhero comics like Spider-Man. He spent part of his youth in Savannah, Georgia, a city he described as “beautiful and weird and gross and amazing and messed up and awesome”—an influence that would later shape Welcome to Showside.{{cite web|url=https://comicsalliance.com/ian-mcginty-welcome-to-showside-interview/|title=A Comic For Everybody: Ian McGinty Discusses ‘Welcome to Showside’|date=September 2, 2015|website=Comics Alliance|access-date=June 6, 2025}}

McGinty’s early artistic influences included newspaper strips and indie comics with “heavy lines and extreme angles,” such as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. He broke into professional comics with Boom! Studios, working on all-ages licensed properties.

McGinty illustrated for Adventure Time, Bravest Warriors, Bee and Puppycat, and Munchkin, contributing both art and original ideas.{{cite web|url=http://doomrocket.com/ian-mcginty-interview/|title=Ian McGinty On Waffle Tacos, Z2 Comics, And The Success Of 'WELCOME TO SHOWSIDE'|date=January 21, 2016|website=Doomrocket|access-date=June 6, 2025}} His work on Adventure Time and Bravest Warriors solidified his reputation for lively, character-driven humor.

In 2015, McGinty created Welcome to Showside, a creator-owned series published by Z2 Comics.{{cite news|title=Modern Prometheus Founded to Bring Indie Comics to Screen (Exclusive): Henry Rollins and Paul Pope are involved in comic book adaptations|first=Graeme|last=McMillan|date=July 27, 2015|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/modern-prometheus-founded-bring-indie-811205/|access-date=June 6, 2025}} The book was adapted as an animated pilot with McGinty as showrunner and voice of the main character, Kit. The pilot featured Henry Rollins and received hundreds of thousands of views. He also worked on Robot’s Tale, a graphic novel collaboration with Eliot Rahal and the band Dance Gavin Dance,{{cite web|url=https://popculturesquad.com/2020/03/31/spotlight-interview-ian-mcginty-eliot-rahal/|title=Spotlight Interview with Ian McGinty and Eliot Rahal, creators of the new OGN, Robot’s Tale|date=March 31, 2020|website=Pop Culture Squad|access-date=June 6, 2025}} and illustrated The Wonderful World of Perfecto, a comic memoir of DJ Paul Oakenfold.{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ian-mcginty-on-remixing-paul-oakenfolds-life-stories-in-perfecto/|title=INTERVIEW: Ian McGinty on remixing Paul Oakenfold’s life stories in Perfecto.|date=December 28, 2017|website=Comics Beat|access-date=June 6, 2025}}

McGinty led development on the Welcome to Showside animated pilot, collaborating with Z2 Comics and Modern Prometheus, and featuring a cast including Henry Rollins. The pilot was produced before the comic’s full release and supported by extensive online fan engagement.

He contributed to numerous anthologies, variant covers, and graphic novels, including Poppy: Genesis 1 and Perfecto. His Munchkin work for Steve Jackson Games included original card designs based on his own creations.

McGinty’s style was noted for blending “cute” and “grotesque” elements, “Looney Tunes” energy, and broad all-ages appeal. Reviewers and interviewers praised Welcome to Showside for combining horror, humor, and inclusivity, and for its encouragement of fan creativity. McGinty described his approach as focusing on community and giving other artists the freedom to add to his worlds.

McGinty lived in Los Angeles and Savannah during his career. He died in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 8, 2023, at age 38.{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/artist-ian-mcginty-has-passed-away-at-age-38/|title=Artist Ian McGinty has passed away at age 38|first=Heidi|last=MacDonald|date=June 9, 2023|website=Comics Beat|access-date=June 6, 2025}}

• Adventure Time (various issues)
• Adventure Time: Candy Capers (with Yuko Ota and Ananth Panagariya, illustrations)
• Bravest Warriors (#21–36, with Kate Leth)
• Bee and PuppyCat (#3, with Madeleine Flores, Anissa Espinosa, and Tait Howard)
• Munchkin (#3, writer: Tom Siddell & Jim Zub; artist: Ian McGinty)
• Munchkin Guest Artist Edition (Steve Jackson Games, card/game artist)

• Invader Zim (#15, co-writer and artist)

• Welcome to Showside (2015–2016, story and art)
• Robot’s Tale (with Eliot Rahal, 2020)
• Poppy: Genesis 1 (illustrator)
• The Wonderful World of Perfecto (with Paul Oakenfold, 2017)

McGinty was recognized for his influence in expanding all-ages comics, his encouragement of fan participation, and his cross-media collaborations bridging comics, music, and animation.

• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7741859/ IMDb: Ian McGinty]
• [https://comicsalliance.com/ian-mcginty-welcome-to-showside-interview/ Comics Alliance interview (2015)]
• [https://popculturesquad.com/2020/03/31/spotlight-interview-ian-mcginty-eliot-rahal/ Pop Culture Squad: Robot’s Tale interview]
• [https://carlscomix.com/ian-mcginty-making-a-career-out-of-comics/ Carl’s Comix: Career interview]
• [https://www.comicsbeat.com/artist-ian-mcginty-has-passed-away-at-age-38/ Comics Beat obituary]

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Category:1985 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:American comics writers

Category:American comics artists

Category:American graphic novelists

Category:People from Annapolis, Maryland

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