Mike Ploog

Mike Ploog is an artist and illustrator known for his work in comics and film. Ploog worked as a storyboard or concept sketch artist on several Jim Henson projects, both credited (The Dark Crystal) and uncredited (The Great Muppet Caper). While not directly for Henson, Ploog worked as a storyboard artist on Return to Oz along with several Creature Shop veterans, while he was a production illustrator for Frank Oz on Little Shop of Horrors.
Ploog's professional art career began in animation, as a layout artist for Filmation (The Batman/Superman Hour) and Hanna-Barbera (including Wacky Races and later Godzilla). After doing art with The Spirit comic artist Will Eisner for the military publication PS, The Preventive Maintenance Monthly, Ploog began illustrating horror comics (Creepy and other Warren Publishing titles) before joining Marvel Comics. Ploog drew the first several issues of Werewolf by Night, the introductory stories of Ghost Rider, and the first six issues of Frankenstein, plus work on Conan the Barbarian, Man-Thing, and as one of the regular artists for Planet of the Apes (1974-1976).
Returning to animation, Ploog worked on the Ralph Bakshi animated features Wizards (providing still art for the prologue) and The Lord of the Rings (again on layout). In 1981, in addition to designing segments for the animated anthology Heavy Metal, Ploog began working on live-action films including the Ringo Starr comedy Caveman, The Thing, Superman III and Supergirl, Young Sherlock Holmes, John Cleese's Clockwise, the music video for Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," and the 2000 X-Men film. He designed characters for the Disney animated feature The Black Cauldron and would continue in the cartoon world with storyboards for The Tick and features The Prince of Egypt and Titan A.E., pre-production art for Shrek, and character designs for some of HBO's Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child specials. 
Ploog's later comic work includes a 1990 Classics Illustrated version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and select issues of DC Comics' revival of Eisner's The Spirit. 
==Muppet/Henson credits==
*The Great Muppet Caper: Storyboards (uncredited)Darkcrystal.com bio
*The Dark Crystal: Sketch artist
*Dreamchild: Sketch artist
*Labyrinth: Artist (uncredited)Mike Ploog interview. Comic Artist #2, 1998
*The StoryTeller: Storyboard artist (uncredited)
*The Witches: Storyboard artist
==Sources==
==External links==
*British Film Institute filmography
*IMDb
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Category:Designers