Tim Sale

Timothy Roger Sale (May 1, 1956 – June 16, 2022) was an American comics artist, "best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman and for influencing depictions of Batman in numerous films." He is primarily known for his collaborations with writer Jeph Loeb, which included both comics work and artwork for the TV series Heroes. Sale's renditions of Batman, particularly in his works Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, influenced modern cinematic depictions of the character, with film directors and actors directly citing Sale's work.

Early life Tim Sale was born on May 1, 1956, in Ithaca, New York, the son of Dorothy Young, a feminist political activist, He attended the University of Washington for two years before moving to New York City to attend the School of Visual Arts, as well as the comics workshop run by artist John Buscema. Mr. Sale completed the "John Buscema Art School, which was advertised in the pages of Marvel Comics and held in a New York City hotel for a short time in the 1970s."

Career

Sale began doing art for the series MythAdventures in 1983, and was soon working on Thieves' World.

The body of Sale's comics work has been with collaborator Jeph Loeb. The duo, credited in their comics as 'storytellers', produced popular work such as the "Year 1"-centered Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory, as well as Superman for All Seasons and Catwoman: When in Rome. At Marvel Comics, the team has produced the so-called "color" books such as Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue, and Hulk: Gray. A Captain America: White limited series was announced in 2008 but only a #0 issue was published. The long-delayed project finally saw print in September 2015.

With Darwyn Cooke, Sale launched the Superman Confidential series in 2007.

Sale worked on artwork for the television program Heroes, where his frequent collaborator Jeph Loeb served as a writer and producer. Sale's artwork appeared in the show as the work of the precognitive artist Isaac Mendez as well as other artists on the show. Eric Powell was hired as the colorist for Sale's work. Sale also created the font used in the show's captions and credits, which he based on his handwriting.

In 2021, The Long Halloween was adapted for a two-part animated film from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Personal life and death Sale lived in the Seattle metropolitan area. On June 13, 2022, Jim Lee announced Sale had been admitted to the hospital with severe health issues. Representatives of Sale later confirmed he was in the hospital while asking for privacy. Three days later, Sale died on June 16, from kidney failure. "He is survived by his mother; his sister, Maggie Sale; and his partner, Susan Bailey."