Michel Fiffe

From a cramped New York studio, Michel Fiffe has built one of indie comics’ most fiercely independent careers — a Cuban-American cartoonist who writes, draws, colors, and letters every page he publishes under his COPRA Press imprint. Born in Havana, Fiffe walks the razor’s edge between punk-rock rawness and mainstream accessibility, earning praise from The Comics Journal as a creator whose “aim is to be as appealing as possible.” Perfect for fans of Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree, Tom Scioli’s American Barbarian, and the raw, handcrafted energy of 1980s indie comics.

The COPRA Saga

Fiffe’s breakout and defining work is COPRA, a monthly action/revenge series he launched in November 2012. What began as a love letter to vigilante superhero comics — drawing inspiration from classic Ostrander/Yale Suicide Squad, Frank Miller’s Daredevil, and the gritty action sensibilities of 1980s DC and Marvel — quickly detonated into something far more ambitious. COPRA follows a black-ops squad of costumed convicts on increasingly violent, emotionally complex missions, and its handcrafted, full-color aesthetic — all raw ink washes and electric hues — has earned it a cult following that’s endured for well over a decade.

Despite intentionally small print runs, COPRA sold out issue after issue and garnered acclaim from outlets like Comic Book Resources, ComicsAlliance, and The Comics Journal. Compendiums reprinting three issues at a time were released by Bergen Street Comics, and eventually, Image Comics stepped in to publish collected editions. The series ran for 45 self-published issues before culminating in Death of COPRA, a four-issue miniseries released by Image Comics in 2025 that brought Fiffe’s magnum opus to its explosive, gut-punch finale. Along the way, COPRA earned a Society of Illustrators / MoCCA Fest 2026 Award of Excellence for the COPRA Master Collection Book 2.

In 2024, Fiffe published Creating COPRA, a 64-page DIY guide to making and self-publishing comics, supported by the Koyama Provides Grant — further cementing his role as a mentor and advocate for the independent comics community.

ZEGAS and Other Works

Before and alongside COPRA, Fiffe created ZEGAS, an anthology-style series tracking the surreal urban adventures of orphaned siblings Emily and Boston Zegas. Running from 2011 to 2013, ZEGAS paints from a dramatically different palette than COPRA — minimalist, neorealistic, and deeply introspective, blending grounded character conflicts with psychedelic visual detours. The series was collected by Fantagraphics in 2017, bringing its intimate, experimental storytelling to a wider audience hungry for something beautifully strange.

Fiffe’s big mainstream break came in 2014 when Marvel Comics tapped him to write All-New Ultimates, a 12-issue series set in the Ultimate Universe, where he worked with artists Amilcar Pinna and Giannis Milonogiannis. He’s since contributed to DC Comics (Superman Red & Blue), unleashed Bloodstrike: Brutalists for Image Comics, wrote G.I. Joe: Sierra Muerte for IDW, and produced Panorama for Dark Horse. His one-shot “Guilty Pleasure” appeared in Marvel’s Secret Wars: Secret Love anthology.

Beyond his own creations, Fiffe has been a prolific comics journalist, conducting in-depth interviews for The Comics Journal with legendary artists including Trevor Von Eeden and Tony Salmons, and writing extensively about the craft and business of comics.

Why You Should Know Him

Michel Fiffe represents a rare breed in modern comics: the complete cartoonist who handles every aspect of production while building a sustainable, self-published empire. His run on COPRA alone — spanning well over a decade, nearly 50 issues, and a four-issue finale — is a thunderous testament to what’s possible when raw talent meets relentless independence. In an era of corporate comics, Fiffe proves that one person with a vision, a printing budget, and an unshakeable work ethic can create something that rivals the biggest publishers on every level.

Visit his website at michelfiffe.com to grab COPRA issues, ZEGAS collections, and original art. Support his work on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes process posts and tutorials. Follow him on Twitter/X, Instagram, and Bluesky — and watch a master of the form build his legacy in real time.