{{Short description|Comic book creator from New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox comics creator | image = 2023_San_Diego_Comic-Con_International_by_Gage_Skidmore,_279.jpg | caption = Stenbeck in 2023 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = New Zealander | cartoonist = y | write = | art = y | pencil = | ink = | edit = | publish = | letter = | color = | alias = | signature = | notable works = ''Baltimore''<br />''Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder''<br />''Koshchei''<br />''Hellboy''<br />''Our Bones Dust'' | awards = | website = {{URL|https://www.benstenbeck.com}} }}
'''Ben Stenbeck''' is a New Zealand comic book creator, primarily an artist. He has frequently collaborated with Mike Mignola on stories for the ''Baltimore'' series and the Hellboy Universe, and co-created the ''Lands Unknown'' series with him.
==Career== He started his comic book career in 2003 when he illustrated a short ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' comic book story in the anthology ''Tales of the Vampires'' for Dark Horse Comics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martin |date=2022-11-28 |title=GVN Talking Comics Interview: Artist Ben Stenbeck For Dark Horse Comics 'Koshchei in Hell' |url=https://geekvibesnation.com/gvn-talking-comics-interview-artist-ben-stenbeck/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Geek Vibes Nation |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2008, he made his Hellboy Universe debut when he illustrated a ''B.P.R.D.'' one-shot, ''The Ectoplasmic Man''.<ref>{{cite web |title=B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man |url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/15-581/B-P-R-D-The-Ectoplasmic-Man-one-shot |website=Dark Horse Comics |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref> Since then he has worked on several titles for the Hellboy Universe including ''Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Mignola: The Return To 'HellBoy' |url=https://comicvine.gamespot.com/articles/mike-mignola-the-return-to-hellboy/1100-138772/ |website=Comic Vine |date=July 2009 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref> ''Frankenstein Underground'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keith |first1=Jed W. |title=Mike Mignola Gets Animated with FRANKENSTEIN UNDERGROUND |url=https://www.freaksugar.com/mike-mignola-frankenstein-underground-interview-part-1/ |website=Freak Sugar|date=9 March 2015 }}</ref> ''Koshchei'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Banks |first1=Nick |title=Flashback Interview: 'Koschei the Deathless' Artist Ben Stenbeck |url=https://conskipper.com/koschei-the-deathless-ben-stenbeck-interview |website=Con Skipper |date=8 June 2020 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref> and ''Hellboy''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shannon |first1=Hannah Means |title='It Was The Scariest Thing I've Ever Done' – Mike Mignola On 'The Hounds of Pluto', Hellboy And The B.P.R.D. 1953 And The Winter Special |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/it-was-the-scariest-thing-ive-ever-done-mike-mignola-on-the-hounds-of-pluto-hellboy-and-the-b-p-r-d-1953-and-the-winter-special |website=Bleeding Cool |date=3 August 2015 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref>
In 2010, Mike Mignola and writer Christopher Golden chose Stenbeck to illustrate the comic book adaptation of their novel, ''Baltimore, or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Manning |first1=Shaun |title=Golden Sails on "The Plague Ships" |url=https://www.cbr.com/golden-sails-on-the-plague-ships |website=Comic Book Resources |date=6 July 2010 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Geddes |first1=John |title=Golden brings vampire expertise to 'Baltimore' series |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/comics/2010-08-18-baltimore-golden18-ST_N.htm |website=USA Today |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref> He continued working on ''Baltimore'' over the next five years with his final story, ''The Wolf and the Apostle'', coming out in late 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tweedale |first1=Mark |title=Mignolaversity: Big Changes in "Baltimore" with Golden, Stenbeck, Bergting, and Allie [Interview] |url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/interviews/mignolaversity-big-changes-in-baltimore-with-golden-stenbeck-bergting-and-allie-interview |website=Multiversity Comics |date=31 July 2014 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref>
Image Comics published his first creator owned comic, ''Our Bones Dust'' in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quaintance |first=Zack |date=2023-10-26 |title=INTERVIEW: Ben Stenbeck shares new original series, OUR BONES DUST |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-ben-stenbeck-shares-new-original-series-our-bones-dust/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=The Beat |language=en-US}}</ref> As a first-time writer, he focused on telling the story through the art with long stretches of silence.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brooke |first1=David |title=Silence in storytelling and sci-fi: Ben Stenbeck talks new series 'Our Bones Dust' |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2023/10/31/ben-stenbeck-our-bones-dust/ |website=Adventures in Poor Taste |date=31 October 2023 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref> In January 2025, the ''Lands Unknown'' series he co-created with Mike Mignola will be debuting in ''Bowling with Corpses & Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown'' from Dark Horse Comics.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roe |first1=Mike |title='Hellboy' Creator Mike Mignola Launches 'Bowling With Corpses' Anthology, 'Lands Unknown' Comic Universe |url=https://www.thewrap.com/mike-mignola-bowling-with-corpses-lands-unknown-hellboy/ |website=The Wrap |date=4 April 2024 |access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref>
He also worked as a concept artist on video games and films,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sketches |first=Two |date=2019-09-17 |title=Watch: comic artist Ben Stenbeck on Hellboy, Buffy and imposter syndrome |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/video/17-09-2019/watch-comic-artist-ben-stenbeck-on-hellboy-buffy-and-imposter-syndrome |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=The Spinoff |language=en}}</ref> being part of the design department of Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings'' movies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fiamma |first=Andrea |date=2018-05-20 |title=Sunday Page: Ben Stenbeck su "Slaine" di Mike McMahon |url=https://fumettologica.it/2018/05/slaine-mike-mcmahon-fumetto/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Fumettologica |language=it-IT}}</ref> In 2005, he directed a short film called ''Zombie Movie''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-02-24 |title=2Chums Moving Pictures |url=http://www.2chums.com/ |access-date=2024-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080224060959/http://www.2chums.com/ |archive-date=2008-02-24 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Bibliography==
===Art=== * "Antique" (Dark Horse Comics, with Drew Goddard in ''Tales of the Vampires'', 2003) * ''Living With The Dead'' #1–3 (Dark Horse Comics, with Mike Richardson, 2007) * ''Hellboy Universe'' (Dark Horse Comics): ** ''Hellboy Animated: The Yearning'' (with Jim Pascoe, 2007) ** ''B.P.R.D.: The Ectoplasmic Man'' (with John Arcudi and Mike Mignola, 2008) ** ''Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder'': *** "Murderous Intent" (with Mike Mignola in ''Dark Horse Presents'' #16, 2008) *** ''In the Service of Angels'' #1–5 (with Mike Mignola, 2009) *** "Beware the Ape" (with Mike Mignola in ''Dark Horse Presents'' #36, 2014) *** ''City of the Dead'' #1–5 (with Chris Roberson and Mike Mignola, 2016) ** ''Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.'': *** ''1953: The Phantom Hand & The Kelpie'' (with Mike Mignola, 2015) *** ''1953: The Witch Tree & Rawhead and Bloody Bones'' (with Mike Mignola, 2015) **''Frankenstein'': ***''Frankenstein Underground'' #1–5 (with Mike Mignola, 2015) ***''Frankenstein Undone'' #1–2 (with Scott Allie and Mike Mignola, 2020) **''Lobster Johnson: Mangekyō'' (with John Arcudi and Mike Mignola, 2017) **''Koshchei'': ***''Koshchei the Deathless'' #1–6 (with Mike Mignola, 2018) ***''Koshchei in Hell'' #1–4 (with Mike Mignola, 2023) **''Hellboy'': *** "Return of the Lambton Worm" (with Mike Mignola, 2018, for Playboy magazine) ***"Happy New Year, Ava Galluci" (with Mike Mignola in ''Hellboy Winter Special (2018)'', 2018) ***''The Silver Lantern Club'' #1–5 (with Christopher Mitten, Chris Roberson and Mike Mignola, 2021) *''Marvel Comics Presents'' Vol. 2, #12: Man-Thing—Dirty Work (Marvel Comics, with Jai Nitz, 2008) * ''Baltimore'' (Dark Horse Comics): ** ''The Plague Ships'' #1–5 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2010) ** "A Passing Stranger" (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola for Free Comic Book Day, 2011) ** ''The Curse Bells'' #1–5 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2011) ** ''Dr. Leskovar's Remedy'' #1–2 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2012) ** ''The Play'' (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2012) ** ''The Widow and the Tank'' (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2013) ** ''The Inquisitor'' #1–3 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2013) ** ''The Infernal Train'' #1–2 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2013) ** ''Chapel of Bones'' (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2014) ** ''The Wolf and the Apostle'' #1–2 (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, 2014) ** "Monstrous" (with Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola in ''Baltimore Omnibus Volume Two'', 2020)
===Writing and art=== * ''Our Bones Dust'' #1–4 (Image Comics, 2023)
===Writing=== * "Feeder" (Dark Horse Comics, with Matt Smith in ''Headless Horseman Halloween Annual (2024)'')
==Awards== ===Nominations=== * 2011 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series (for ''Baltimore: The Plague Ships'')<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mandelo |first=Lee |date=2011-04-11 |title=Presenting the Eisner Award Nominees for 2011 |url=https://reactormag.com/presenting-the-eisner-award-nominees-for-2011/ |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=Reactor |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stenbeck, Ben}}
Category:Living people {{DEFAULTSORT:Stenbeck, Ben}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:New Zealand comics artists