Contact: rafer@plasticfarm.com for all business inquiries.
COMICS BIO: Rafer Roberts is the writer and co-creator of The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee and Grumble (both with Mike Norton) and Modern Fantasy (with Kristen Gudsnuk). He’s written young-adult comics for Minecraft anthologies, mature-reader comics for heavy metal anthologies, and the occasional Rick & Morty comic for everyone. Rafer has worked for Image, Oni, Valiant, Dark Horse, and a few dozen others. Rafer’s artwork appeared in the Eisner- and Harvey-winning anthology Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream, and he was founding editor of the Washington, D.C. comics newspaper, Magic Bullet. His self-published works include Plastic Farm and Nightmare the Rat, both recently concluded. Rafer lives in Baltimore as far as you know.
PRE-PRESS and PRINT PRODUCTION BIO: Rafer Roberts has spent over two decades working in commercial printing and prepress where he prepped the covers of bestselling authors such as Stephen King, James Patterson, Raina Telgemeier, and Jeff Kinney, as well as the paint can labels for companies such as Sherwin-Williams, Rustoleum, and PPG. Rafer has also worked for large newspaper insert printers, factories that produce high-pressure laminates, screen printers, stationary shops, award-winning photographers, award-eschewing designers, independent bands, and small sign shops. Whether you’re a production manager for a large publishing house or a cartoonist putting out your first comic, if you’re doing anything with printing, Rafer can help!
@plasticfarm on Twitter and Instagram
email: rafer@plasticfarm.com
As a self-employed freelancer, Rafer is always available for writing gigs, print and prepress services, or the occasional art commission. He can be contacted via the above email.
Here is a lengthy (yet incomplete) list of books that Rafer worked on:
- 1999-2020: Plastic Farm; writer, artist, publisher. The surreal adventures of a man whose mental illness could alter reality. 25 single issues collected over two volumes, plus a stand-alone graphic novel. Featuring guest artwork by Danielle Corsetto, Dennis Culver, and more.
- 2004: Dope Fiends of the Zombie Cafe; artist. One-shot written by S. Frost. Hula Cat Comics
- 2008: Trickster; production design and layout (pitch). An anthology of Native American Tales told by Native Americans and adapted by comic book artists. Assisted editor Matt Dembicki with file production, design, and layout, prior to the book being picked up by a publisher. Received a special thanks, along with artist Peter Kuper, in the final edition for our contributions. Published by Fulcrum.
- 2010: Girls With Slingshots; guest artist. Webcomic strip by Danielle Corsetto.
- 2010-2011: Magic Bullet; editor (first three issues), contributor (every issue). A free, bi-annual tabloid newspaper focused on the work of Washington DC-based comic artists. Published by Plastic Farm Press (first three issues) and DC Conspiracy (every issue thereafter).
- 2010-2020: Nightmare the Rat; cartoonist. An homage to the early 1900s comics of George Herriman and Windsor McKay, featuring a mischievous rat who steals people’s teeth while they sleep. Serialized primarily in Magic Bullet and published as two tabloid newspapers.
- 2011: Blargh! The Creature From Kraaka-5; short story. Writer/artist. A Kirby-esque tale featuring characters from Dope Fiends of the Zombie Cafe.
- 2012: District Comics, An Unconventional History of Washington, DC; contributing artist. Illustrated the short story “Truman”, written by Art Haupt. Edited by Matt Dembicki. Published by Chicago Review Press – Fulcrum.
- 2012: Fubar, Empire of the Rising Dead; contributing cartoonist. Wrote and illustrated the short story “Second Wind”
- 2012: Oxymoron; contributing artist and variant cover artist. Illustrated the short story “Act Naturally”, written by Rich Douek (Superman: Red and Blue). Illustrated a “retro” variant cover to the anthology, the first of the variant covers to sell out. Edited by Tyler James. Published by ComixTribe.
- 2012-2016: Thanos and Darkseid, Carpool Buddies of Doom; artist. A series of satirical comics, written by Justin Jordan (Superboy), featuring the villains of both Marvel and DC universes and their banal conversations wile on the way to work or road-tripping with the kids. Published online for free, and in two limited-run print editions given away for free. This odd piece of unsanctioned fanart is, at last check, the most widely read comic I have ever worked on. Its viral popularity caught the attention of Warren Simons, Editor-in-chief at Valiant Entertainment, who hired us to create similar comics featuring their characters.
- 2013: Red Ten; pinup artist. Single page illustration featured in the Free Comic Book Day edition of the comic book Red Ten. Distributed worldwide and given away for free during the Free Comic Book Day annual event. Edited by Tyler James. Published by ComixTribe.
- 2013: Ignition; contributing cartoonist. Song of the Billy-Pomp. 215 Ink.
- 2013: Fubar, American History Z; contributing cartoonist. Wrote and illustrated the short story “Leaving the Dead Behind”
- 2013: Wild Women of the Kitty Kat Galaxy; artist. One-shot written by S. Frost. Hula Cat Comics
- 2013: The Harolds: Destroy Everything You Touch; artist. Short story featuring the Heralds of Galactus as a garage emo band. Written by R.M. Rhodes
- 2014: Once Upon a Time Machine; contributing letterer. Fairy Tales and Fables are reimagined to take place in science fiction and fantastical futures. Edited by Chris Stevens and Josh O’Neill. Published by Dark Horse Comics.
- 2014: Oxymoron 2: Killing Time; contributing artist. Illustrated the short story “Play Ball”, written by Rich Douek (Superman: Red and Blue). Edited by Tyler James. Published by ComixTribe.
- 2014: Black Terror: At The Diner; artist. A reimagining of the Golden Age (and public domain) superhero Black Terror as an old man. Written by Jeff McClelland
- 2014: Shutter #2, Tiger Lawyer; artist. Backup story, written by Ryan Ferrier.
- 2014: Shutter #6, Dr. Gravely and Billy in: Lord of The Fruit Flies; artist. Backup story, written by S. Frost.
- 2015: Imaginary Drugs. Dr. Gravely and Billy in: The Burrito Bruhaha; contributing artist. Short story written by S. Frost. IDW
- 2015: UHF trading cards; artist. A set of 4 trading cards, each featuring a Weird Al parody character from the film UHF, used as giveaways during a special screening held near Pittsburgh, PA. Event put on and organized by Weird Al super-fan Jeff McClelland
- 2015: Little Nemo, Dream Another Dream; contributing cartoonist. An Eisner Award Winning anthology featuring modern day comic book masters and their interpretations of Windsor McKay’s classic newspaper comic, published at the same intimidatingly oversized hardcover format as the originals. Also featuring the work of Bill Sienkiewicz (X-Men), Jill Thompson (Sandman), P. Craig Russell (Doctor Strange), J.G.Jones (Watchmen) and many, many more. Edited by Josh O’Neill, Chris Stevens, and Andrew Carl. Published by Locust Moon Press. ***WINNER 2015 Eisner Award for Best Anthology and 2015 Eisner Award for Best Design (by Jim Rugg) ***WINNER 2015 Harvey Award for Excellence in Presentation
- 2015: X-O Manowar #25; variant cover artist. Edited by Warren Simons. Published by Valiant Comics.
- 2015-2016: X-O Manowar #25, Harbinger #25, Archer and Armstrong #25, Bloodshot #25; contributing artist and letterer on a series of short, supposedly funny back-up stories that appeared in every Valiant Entertainment “Anniversary” issue. Written by Justin Jordan (Call of Duty). Edited by Warren Simons, Danny Khazam, Tom Brennan, and Alejandro Arbona.
- 2016: President Mole Man; artist. A back-up story published alongside Thanos and Darkseid, Carpool Buddies of Doom, featuring the weirder Marvel villains as U.S. politicians and lobbyists. Planned sequels were cancelled due to a change in political climate. Published online and as part of a limited-run print edition that was given away for free.
- 2016: Shutter #19, Dr. Gravely and Billy in: Lost in Thought; artist. Backup story, written by S. Frost.
- 2016: ArtistSlam; poster artist. Illustrated poster promoting the Baltmore, MD-based ArtistSlam event.
- 2016: GenZero #1; variant cover artist. Edited by Warren Simons. Published by Valiant Comics.
- 2016: X-O Manowar #35; contributing cartoonist on “The Bachelor Party”, a one-page gag strip featuring the male heroes of the Valiant Universe hitting Las Vegas for some Hangover-esque antics. Edited by Warren Simons. Published by Valiant Entertainment. ***2016 Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist – Rafer Roberts (nominee), 2016 Harvey Award Special Award for Humor – Rafer Roberts (also nominee)
- 2016-2017: A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong; writer, cover artist. An immortal (and immoral) poet-warrior and his puritanical yet violent sidekick battle bizarre madmen and villains in a (surprisingly) heartwarming tale of friendship and redemption. Twelve issues collected in three paperback volumes and an oversized hardcover. Featuring artwork by David Lafuente (Spider-Man, The Graveyard Book), Mike Norton (Revival, Battlepug), Joe Eisma (Morning Glories), and more. Edited by Warren Simons and Danny Khazam. Published by Valiant Entertainment.
- 2017: Rabies Scythe Fight 2; album cover artist. Illustrated the front, back, and innerpackaging for the band Rabies Scythe Fight. Note: illustration was done in 2013, but the album was not released until 2017. Art direction by band member Josh Harper.
- 2017-2018: Harbinger: Renegade; writer. A group of superpowered teenagers fight back against the society that would exploit their abilities. Nine issues collected over two volumes. Illustrated by Darick Robertson (The Boys), Juan Jose Ryp (Batman and Robin), and more. Edited by Warren Simons. Published by Valiant Entertainment. French Edition published by Bliss.
- 2016: 4001 AD Shadowman; co-writer with Jody Houser (Star Wars). The undying spirit of The Shadowman battles evil…in the future! Illustrated by Robert Gill (Avengers). Collected in 4001 AD Beyond New Japan. Edited by Tom Brennan. Published by Valiant Entertainment.
- 2016: Faith #5; contributing writer, back-up story. A short story featuring the title character Faith and tying into the then-upcoming Harbinger Renegade, illustrated by Colleen Doran (Sandman). Historical note: This issue was released one week prior to the 2016 election and featured an appearance by then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who also featured prominently on the cover. Edited by Tom Brennan.
- 2017: Rai, The History of the Valiant Universe; writer. A chronological retelling of the Valiant Entertainment universe, from the stone age to a far distant future, exploring themes of heroism and communal destinies. Illustrated by Francis Portela (Black Panther, Adventure Comics). Edited by Warren Simons and Charlotte Greenbaum. Published by Valiant Entertainment.
- 2017: Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook; contributing artist. Illustrated a pin-up featuring characters from the comic book Tellos. Published by Baltimore Comic-Con.
- 2018: Modern Fantasy; writer, co-creator, pinup artist. A young ranger woman moves to the big city in search of adventure, but finds only low-paying data entry jobs working for Beholders and Barbarians. When her reptilian roommate’s boyfriend is taken by an evil cult, she and her friends join together to save him and prevent the cult from summoning a world-destroying fire demon. Serialized over four issues and collected in a single volume. Illustrated and co-created by Kristen Gudsnuk (Making Friends, Minecraft). Edited by Shantel Laroque. Published by Dark Horse Comics.
- 2018: ReDistricted; contributing artist. Illustrated the short story “Rebel Rose” for the online site ReDistricted, online continuation of the 2012 anthology District Comics. Written and edited by Matt Dembicki. Published online.
- 2018: The Immortal Time Traveller; writer, co-creator. A one-shot comic book featuring an immortal jerk who can time travel at will and his gun-toting sidekick who hates his guts. Illustrated by co-creator Giles Crawford. Self-published by Plastic Farm Press.
- 2018-2020: Grumble; writer, co-creator. A low-rent con man, turned into a Pug by a wizard, and his half-demon daughter go on the run from the forces of good and evil after them both. Sixteen issues, including a Free Comic Book Day crossover with Eric Powell’s The Goon, collected over three volumes. Illustrated and co-created by Mike Norton, colored by Marissa Louise, lettered by Crank! Edited by Alejandro Arbona. Published by Albatross Funnybooks
- 2019: Minecraft, Stories From The Overworld; contributing writer, short story “The Witch and The Pillager”, illustrated by Ryan Maniulit. Published by Dark Horse Comics, licensed from Mojang.
- 2019: Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook; contributing artist. Illustrated a pin-up featuring special guest Juanjo Guarnido’s Blacksad. Published by Baltimore Comic-Con.
- 2019: The Black Terror: Social Insecurity; cover art. A reimagining of the Golden Age (and public domain) superhero Black Terror as an old man. Written by Jeff McClelland
- 2019: Dead Beats, a musical horror anthology; contributing artist, short story “There Might Be Monsters”, written by Daniel Kibblesmith (Loki, Late Show with Stephen Colbert). Published by A Wave Blue World
- 2019: Soft Wood; contributing artist. A humor-centered spinoff of Heavy Metal Magazine. Published by Heavy Metal.
- 2021: Plastic Farm Chapter 99; cartoonist. A return and conclusion to Plastic Farm following a long hiatus, skipping approximately 1000 pages worth of comics and getting right to the point. Published in Corridor Magazine #1.
- 2022: Chunklenut Muldinkledook; writer/artist. Single page comics made for the Magic Bullet comics newspaper.
- 2023: Rick and Morty #1; Rick and Morty #7; variant cover artist. Edited by Shantel LaRoque. Published by Oni.
- 2023: Rick and Morty Presents: Rick in a Box; writer. A one-shot about a world without Rick and/or Morty, illustrated by Zander Cannon. Published by Oni.
- 2023: The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee; writer. A creator-owned graphic novel about four misfit teens, their terrible rock band, and how they save their town from a horde of rampaging mutant pigs. Illustrated and co-created by by Mike Norton, published by Dark Horse Comics.
- 2024: A Sound of Thunder: Queen of Hell #1-4; writer. The first arc in a planned 12-issue comic series that directly ties in to a 12-song concept album by power metal band A Sound of Thunder.
- 2024: Ceek’r [Seeker]: An idea in search of a story; writer/artist. Stream-of-consciousness one-shot the explores the creative process itself. Self-published.
- 2025: Hotel Exorcist; contributing artist. Spot illustrations for a role-playing game handbook.
- 2025: Wait, Luke! Act I, Scene I; writer/artist. A Star Wars / Waiting For Godot short comic