James O'Barr is an American comic book creator born on January 1, 1960. Raised in foster care in the Detroit area, O'Barr experienced a defining personal tragedy at age 18 when his fiancee was killed by a drunk driver. He enlisted in the Marines in 1978 and was stationed in West Berlin, where he illustrated combat manuals and began work on The Crow in 1981 as a way of processing his grief.
The Crow was published by Caliber Press beginning in 1989 and has sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. The story of a murdered man resurrected to avenge his own death and his fiancee's became an underground phenomenon. It was adapted into the 1994 film starring Brandon Lee, which became a cult classic. Further film, television, and comic adaptations have followed.
O'Barr was also affiliated with the experimental metal band Trust Obey, which released the album Fear and Bullets: Music to Accompany The Crow in 1993 on Trent Reznor's Nothing Records label.
