Michael J. Weller
Michael John Weller (South London, 1946) is a British underground comics artist, political writer, cartoonist, activist and album-cover designer. Weller designed USA sleeve for David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" LP (Mercury, 1970), re-released (EMI CD 1999 and "Metrobolist" LP, CD, streaming formats, Parlophone, 2020). As "Captain Stelling" Weller wrote and drew "The Firm" (cOZmic Comics, 1972) - an early British artist's publication inspired by American underground comic book innovations. In 1973, a page by "Stelling" entitled 'Missile Crisis' was made part of Michel Choquette's comic book The Someday Funnies. He  followed "Willie D" (Andrew Marr) as featured cartoonist on Chainsaw punk zine (1980–84). Michael Weller enjoyed a parallel career in the 1980s and 1990s as political writer, cartoonist, activist of the left, and local community organiser based in Penge, south London. In 2006 he became a signatory to the Euston Manifesto. As 'M.J.', 'Michael John', 'Mick' and 'Mike' Weller - using identity-playing forenames, nicknames and other noms-de-plume - he has produced artists books, zines and small press publications. Between 1990 and 2010 he was associated with London's poetry scene. Launch of "Beat Generation Ballads" was documented in video  by Voiceworks (2011), becoming the title of a large-scale musical composition for piano by Michael Finnissy premiered at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2014, winning a solo British Composer Award 2015. "Beowulf Cartoon" has been on reading display at Poetry Library exhibitions "Visual Poetics" (2013) and "Poetry Comics" (2015). Michael John Weller continues to write, draw, and publish for traditional print and digital mediums, including artists film.