Mike Grell (born September 13, 1947) is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow, The Warlord, and Jon Sable Freelance. Early life Grell studied at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and took the Famous Artists School correspondence course in cartooning. To avoid getting drafted into Army service during the Vietnam War, he enlisted for four years in the U.S. Air Force, including a stint as illustrator in Saigon. After the Air Force, Grell enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Art, and also worked as a freelance graphics artist. Career Grell entered the comics industry as an assistant to Dale Messick on the Brenda Starr comic strip in 1972. DC Comics In 1973 Grell moved to New York City, and began his long relationship with DC Comics. At DC, Grell worked on characters such as Aquaman, Batman, Green Arrow, and the Phantom Stranger in arcs or single-issue stories. He and Elliot S. Maggin launched the Batman Family title in 1975 and Grell would work with Dennis O'Neil on the revival of the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series the following year. For a time between 1976 and 1978, Grell was writing and penciling one series, Warlord, and providing pencil art on two others, Green Lantern and Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes His regular first assignment at DC was on Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, a high-profile assignment for an artist with no prior experience illustrating a monthly comic book. Grell says he got that job because he was walking in the editor's door to ask for work, literally, as the previous artist, Dave Cockrum, was walking out the door, having just quit. Grell inked a Cockrum penciled story ("Lost: A Million Miles from Home!") in issue #202 and became the penciler of the book with issue No. 203 (August 1974) which featured the death of Invisible Kid. These stories were written by Cary Bates with later issues by Jim Shooter. Grell drew All-New Collectors' Edition #C-55 (1978), a treasury-sized special written by Paul Levitz in which longtime Legion members Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad were married. The Warlord A writer as well as artist, Grell cemented his status as a fan-favorite with his best-known creation, The Warlord. The character first appeared in 1st Issue Special No. 8