Rick Geary

Rick Geary (born February 25, 1946) is an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for his meticulously detailed, often macabre historical graphic novels. He is most famous for *A Treasury of Victorian Murder* series, as well as standalone graphic biographies of figures like Leon Trotsky and J. Edgar Hoover. Geary’s career in comics began in the late 1970s, and his work is characterized by a precise, crosshatched line and a dry, understated narrative tone. He has served as artist, writer, inker, letterer, and colorist across nearly a hundred issues, with notable credits including *Cheval Noir*, *Pox*, *Classics Illustrated*, *Gumby*, *Graphic Classics*, and *Black Dahlia* (part of his *A Treasury of XXth Century Murder* series). Geary’s signature style—combining period-appropriate illustration with a forensic eye for detail—has made him a singular voice in true-crime and historical comics. He collaborated frequently with editors and publishers at NBM and Dark Horse, and his work has been praised for its scholarly rigor and narrative clarity. Later in life, he continued to produce graphic histories and illustrations, maintaining a steady output into the 2020s. Geary has received multiple Eisner Award nominations and is recognized as a master of the graphic-novel format for his ability to turn cold case files into compelling visual stories.