Billi 99

About the Author

Sarah Byam’s earliest memory is of the 1967 Detroit summer uprisings. She has witnessed the deep kindness and cooperation, as well as the crime and violence, present in America’s cities. She studied writing at Northern Michigan University and art at Wayne State University's Center for Creative Studies. While living in Detroit, she met the great artist/writer William Messner-Loebs and his wife Nadine. They brought her to her first comics convention in Chicago, where her career began. Sarah has written comics, poems, short stories, posts, novels, marketing material, slogans, screeds, and holiday stories for friends and family. She considers creating Billi 99 with Tim Sale to be the best of her work and only wishes she could do it again. She lives in Seattle with her husband where they are ruled by two precocious cats. It is universally recognized that she cannot make cookies, but her baklava is not too bad. Tim Sale was an American comics artist. Born in Ithaca, NY, and raised in Seattle, after attending the John Buscema Workshop, he became a comics professional. Over the course of his career, Tim received many accolades and awards including three Eisner Award nominations for Billi 99. Known primarily as a superhero artist, he raised the bar through his love of mid-20th century illustrators, like Norman Rockwell, Earl Oliver Hurst, and John Singer Sargent. Tim was an influential storyteller who poured emotion into his work. Brave and innovative, he painted his pages with hundreds of shades of handmade inks. His signature play with light and shadow inspired artists and moviemakers alike. Tim loved comics, baseball, and art. But, most of all, he loved his partner, Susan Bailey.  He was so devoted to her; he gave her Billi 99 as her to introduce to his work. He was kind and generous to colleagues and fans alike. We miss him very much. José Villarrubia was born in Madrid, Spain, and lives in Baltimore. He’s an Illustration professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he leads the Sequential Art Minor. He has been working regularly in comics for the last thirty years for all the main publishers in the US. His coloring for comics has received multiple honors, including the Harvey Award in 2011. He is best known for his collaborations with Alan Moore, Richard Corben, Jae Lee, Jeff Lemire, and Paul Pope. He was also the editor and colorist of Infidel (Image Comics), he restored Absolute Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson (DC Comics) and is the restorer and art director of The Richard Corben Library (Dark Horse). He colored Tim Sale on several occasions, including Superman for All Seasons, SOLO, and Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album.