Mike Spicer
Self-taught colorist who has colored the Diamond Gem Award-winning Head Lopper, Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers, and numerous titles across Marvel, DC, Image, and Skybound.
đź“Ť North Carolina
Mike Spicer didn’t go to art school for comics. He taught himself how to color — picking up the craft through sheer persistence and a ravenous appetite for the medium — and that self-made foundation is what gives his work its unmistakable texture and swagger. From the blood-soaked fantasy vistas of Head Lopper to the chrome-and-explosion chaos of Transformers, Spicer has become one of the most in-demand colorists in modern comics, bringing depth, atmosphere, and emotional firepower to every page he touches. Perfect for fans of colorists like Jordie Bellaire, Dave Stewart, and Matt Hollingsworth — Spicer represents the best of what a dedicated, craftsman-like approach to color can bring to the medium.
The Daniel Warren Johnson Collaborations
No creative partnership defines Spicer’s career quite like his work with writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson. The two have been creative soulmates since Extremity (2017–2018), Johnson’s debut Image Comics series about a young woman hunting revenge in a world of giant mechs and tribal warfare. Spicer’s colors on that series — burning oranges, dusty browns, electric blues — gave Johnson’s already explosive linework an extra jolt that critics and readers felt immediately.
From there, the duo became inseparable. Together they delivered Murder Falcon (2019), a heavy metal-infused tale of monsters, music, and healing where Spicer’s saturated neon palette locked perfectly into the book’s punk-rock heartbeat. Do a Powerbomb! (2022–2023) saw the pair tackle professional wrestling and cosmic horror, Spicer’s colors shifting gears between the garish glare of the ring lights and the otherworldly dread creeping in from the shadows. And in Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (2020), Johnson and Spicer’s DC Black Label epic, the colorist proved he could handle the icons of the Big Two with equal authority — his post-apocalyptic earth tones giving way to supersaturated primaries in the book’s most punishing action beats.
Their partnership hit a new peak with Transformers (2023–present), the Skybound Entertainment relaunch that became one of the defining comics of the decade. Spicer’s work on the series is a masterclass in making machines feel alive — giving each Transformer a distinct metallic sheen, battle-scarred weathering, and personality through color alone. The book has consistently dominated sales charts, and Spicer’s palette is a massive part of why every page sings.
Their most recent collaboration, The Moon Is Following Us (2024–2025), a ten-issue Image Comics series, keeps the streak alive. On top of that, Spicer colored Johnson’s Beta Ray Bill miniseries for Marvel and the Energon Universe Special one-shots — proof that when this duo locks in, nobody wants them to stop.
Head Lopper: A Fantasy Color Tour de Force
Before Jordie Bellaire took over coloring duties, Mike Spicer defined the visual identity of Andrew MacLean’s Head Lopper across its first four volumes. His work on the series — from The Island through The Quest for Mulgrid’s Stair — established the book’s signature look: bold, flat fields of color that let MacLean’s geometric linework breathe, punctuated by atmospheric lighting that made the fantasy realm of Narschlahn feel genuinely dangerous and alive.
Spicer’s colors on Head Lopper walk a tightrope between cartoonish brightness and grimdark brutality, perfectly matching the series’ uniquely unstable tone — a book where decapitation is played for laughs one page and for gut-punch pathos the next. ComicsAlliance called out Spicer’s work in their previews, and the volumes he colored remain fan favorites to this day.
DC, Marvel, and Beyond
Outside his signature partnerships, Spicer’s career cuts across the entire comics landscape. At DC, he has colored Action Comics, Absolute Batman, Batgirl (the 2024 ongoing), DC K.O., and lent his talents to the Justice League: Dream Girls DC Pride special. At Marvel, his credits include the Star Wars: The Last Jedi adaptation, The Mortal Thor, and X-Men Unlimited. He has also colored across Skybound’s expanding Energon Universe — G.I. Joe, Universal Monsters: The Mummy, and the Creepshow horror anthology.
Spicer served as colorist on Stillwater (Image/Skybound), a chilling horror series about a town where nobody can die, and has worked with artists like Tom Raney, James Harren, Phil Hester, and John McCrea on projects spanning every major publisher.
A Self-Taught Success Story
In a 2020 interview with Comicstories, Spicer laid out how he broke into the industry without formal training — learning through online tutorials, trial and error, and an unshakeable stubbornness. That journey from art teacher to one of the busiest colorists in comics is a testament to what self-directed drive can achieve in an industry that often feels walled off from the outside.
Today, Spicer balances work for every major comics publisher with family life in North Carolina, maintaining an active presence on Instagram and YouTube where he shares his process and mentors aspiring colorists. Through his Linktree, fans can find his portfolio, social channels, and commission info in one place.
Whether he’s making Optimus Prime gleam, Diana of Themyscira’s lasso crackle with power, or a Viking’s axe blade drip with fresh blood — Mike Spicer’s work makes every page better. And in an industry full of talented colorists, that’s what separates the good from the unforgettable.
