Keith Murphey is the founder and President of the Comic Book Artists Guild also known as CAG. Murphey learned much about comic books through his mentor Frank McLaughlin, while attending Paier College of Art. This venerable University is the same school that Howard Porter attended. As an aspiring creator, Murphey got his start doing freelance illustrations and submitting to comicbook publishers before deciding to switch to self-publishing in early 2000.

It was at this point he became intent on creating a small group of friends to share comic book related projects and issues with. This collaboration of creators led to creating their first anthology of work (CAG Anthology #1, 2001). During this time, he began to talk about developing separate CAG groups in different states, which would in turn all share the goal of comic book networking. Six years later, Murphey has the help of his partner and Creative Director, Mark Mazz and have formed a new publishing entity, Guild Works Productions (GWP). With a strong core network of creators, GWP published its first book Psychosis! in October 2006, which was followed by the fifth annual anthology, CAG #5 in early 2007. Murphey also has a story in CAG’s West Coast Anthology, which was recently released at the Comic-Con International: San Diego, 2007.

Currently, he is collaborating with fellow CAG member Hector Rodriguez on Hell’s Blood.

Guild Works has a very bright future with the support of CAG members from NYC, CT, MA, NE, LA, TX and soon South Carolina! The Guild’s meetings happen every month in many different states. A list of which can be found at ComicArtGuild.

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Mark Mazz (born September 24, 1962) is an American comic book art director, editor and comic book writer. Mazz was born in the Franklin Square section of Queens, New York. He is best known for being the creative director for Harris Comics from 1995–1998. Currently the creative director for the Comicbook Artists Guild, and business partner, & creative director for Guild Works Productions.

An illustration major at the School of Visual Arts, Mazz studied both classical and modern illustration and storytelling techniques under Marshall Arisman, John Foote, Carlos Llerena Aguirre, art spiegelman, and Dennis O'Neil.

In 1988, Mazz met long-time associates Mitch Waxman, Joseph Mauceri and Michael DeLepine. These associations lead Mazz to be active in the independent comics community starting in 1990, and his first published assignments for Malibu Comics, and Rock ‘N’ Roll Comics.

During the early 1990's, Mazz was involved with several small start-ups, and new ventures. Corporate logo design, establishing Mastheads, retailer incentives, free standing Inserts, industry trade advertising, promotional materials, trade posters were all paid services that MazzStudios offered. During this period, MazzStudios' client list included: Crusade Entertainment, Cry for Dawn Productions, POP entertainment, Angel Publishing, Sirius Entertainment, Cailber Comics, and Utterly Strange Publications.

In 1994, Mazz moved to Marvel Comics as a freelance art director in their advertising and promotions department. Once again, a long-time association was formed with another consulting professional, Robert J. Sodaro. Sodaro was then freelancing as a copywriter for Marvel, and Mazz found his style and finesse to be a breath of fresh air. During his time at Marvel, Mazz made strides to integrate desktop publishing techniques into Marvel's renown Bullpen studio environment. This lead to other opportunities outside of Marvel and his move to a fully digital design studio, Arnie Sawyer Studios.

Well re-known through out the film industry and entertainment fields, Arnie Sawyer Studios was very influential for Mazz. With a client list that included, Miramax Films, PBS Broadcasting, New Line Cinema, Fleer, Upper Deck, Topps, Marvel Entertainment, and New Yorker Films, Mazz stepped up his design work. One of the projects that the studio tackled was the redesign of the 1964 Mars Attacks trading cards series from Topps. The quality reissue of the 40-year old trading card set, received media attention and caught the eye of director Tim Burton. The 1994 re-issue is credited for inspiring Burton's Mars Attacks film. A heavy work-load and creative atmosphere was to have an an added bonus. It allowed Mazz to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Andrea.

During the spring of 2006, Mazz renewed his association with the comics industry in general. Highly respected within the Indic comics community, Keith Murphey was then in his fifth year as the president of the Comicbook Artists Guild. Impressed by the network, and general good-faith of the community, Mazz asked fellow creator James Rodriguez for an introduction. In a drastically changed marketplace, Keith Murphey and Mazz discovered mutual ideals and set a course with their new joint venture, GWP Publications.

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British born artist, Ed Traquino, has accepted the position of Production Manager for Guild Works Productions. Traquino has an immensely diverse background in the London comic art scene, and recently relocated to the States hoping to further pursue his life-long dream of working in the comics industry.

Born in South London in 1973, Traquino has self-published several works, including Terrier & Puppies (2003), The Hollow Flat (2004), Evil Eyes (2005), and his first U.S. publication, Sleazy Does it! (2007).

In addition to all of this, Ed has brought his immensely diverse background in the London comic art scene (where he contributed to Future Quake Press and other publishers) to his new position as the Production Manager for Guild Works Productions. Here in the States Ed has not only self-published, but has contributed extensively to GWP’s flagship title Psychosis! ac both an artist and a letterer. For his film work he is represented by Famous Frames.

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Robert J. (“Bob”) Sodaro was bitten by a radioactive comicbook back in the early 1960s, and has been hooked on comics ever since. Although he had been reading comic strips and comicbooks since he was able to read, it wasn‘t until the early ’70s that Bob discovered what fandom was all about. It was around that time, he was invited by a fellow fan from Vermont (Hi Mark) to join a fledgling APA that Bob helped name Phoenix.

It was in the early ’80s that Bob went “semi”-Pro with his contribution to the legendary comics publication Amazing Heroes (that article can be read here on Blake Bell’s Steve Ditko page). From there, Bob managed to leverage other fan-based articles into print, contributing to The FantiCo Chronicles, The Comics Journal, Comics Buyers’ Guide, Wizard, Hero Illustrated, Flux, Combo, Nonsports Update, and many other publications. He also wrote marketing and promotional material directly for many of the comicbook publishers themselves, including Marvel (Marvel Age, Marvel Vision, Marvel Year in Review), DC, Image (Extreme), Dark Horse, Valiant/Acclaim, and many others. He is also a regular contributor (both staff reviewer and Sr. Title Coordinator) to SpiderFan.Org.

In addition to his comicbook work, Bob is also the author of two (non-comics) books, (Kiddie Meal Collectibles — a price guide/history about Fast Food toys and Collectibles — and Trivia Mania: Commercials and Ads. He is currently also the features editor of Comics Values Annual. During the late ‘70s, he created and wrote a short-lived espionage comicbook series for Deni Lobert’s Renegade Press entitled Agent Unknown. He in a regular contributor to Psychosis! (Never Judge a Book..., which appeared in Psychosis! #1; and Ghost Writer which appears in Psychosis! #2. Bob also has follow-up stories scheduled for issue 3 and beyond, and is working on a long-awaited revival of Agent Unknown.

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