Mario Gully facts for kids

Mario Gully (/ˈɡʌli/), also known as O.M.G., is an American comic book writer-artist. He is famous for creating the comic book series Ant.

Ant was first published by Arcana Studio. Later, it moved to Image Comics. The comic continued publication through Big City Comics for three more issues.

Gully also drew illustrations for Marvel Comics from 2007 to 2009. After that, he returned to working independently.

Mario Gully's Creative Work

The Story of Ant

How Ant Began

Ant is a comic book series created by Mario Gully. It is about a girl who understands the adult world very quickly. When she is bullied by her schoolmates, she creates an imaginary world. In this world, she has a superhero named the Ant.

Mario Gully shared how he first thought of Ant. He was in a difficult situation in 1996. He felt sad about his choices at that time. One day, he saw a single ant crawling near his window. He wished he could be an ant and start his life over.

Since he couldn't do that, he decided to draw a homemade comic book about it. His comic became popular with others around him. This helped him feel more confident about his drawing skills. That's when he realized he could become a comic book artist.

After this experience, he studied art on his own. He worked with co-writer Matt Nixon to continue the Ant comic series. Gully published Ant through Arcana Studio starting in 2004. Famous artists like J. Scott Campbell and Joe Benitez drew special covers for it. Ant later moved to Image Comics in 2005.

Changes and New Publishers

Ant #8 caused some discussion among readers and comic book stores. This was because it included content that some people thought was not suitable for all readers. The comic was published without clear warnings about this content.

Image Comics later announced that Ant would no longer be published by them. Gully then moved the comic to a new publisher, Big City Comics. There, he released a new Ant series called Ant: Unleashed.

In 2012, Mario Gully sold his character Ant to Erik Larsen. Larsen is the creator of Savage Dragon and a founder of Image Comics. Mario's last Ant cover appeared on a special version of Ant vol. 4 #12. This issue was published on June 9, 2021.

Work for Marvel Comics

Treasure Island (2007–2008)

Mario Gully drew the comic book series Marvel Illustrated: Treasure Island. This series was an adaptation of the classic adventure novel. Writer Roy Thomas adapted the story for the comic book format.

Kidnapped (2009)

Gully worked with Roy Thomas again on another comic book. They published Marvel Illustrated: Kidnapped. Kidnapped is a famous 19th-century adventure novel. Roy Thomas turned it into a comic book series.

Independent Projects (2010s)

Dirty Bones (2014)

Gully launched a comic book series called Dirty Bones on Kickstarter. He wrote and illustrated the comic himself. Thomas Mason added the colors. The story is about a dog caught up in a world of organized crime and forbidden love.

Gully hoped to raise $50,000 for this project. He said it was his first big project since he created Ant. However, the funding goal was not met. The project raised $17,532 from 145 supporters.

Original Mario Gully's very first Sketchbook (2017)

Gully's project, Original Mario Gully's Very First Sketchbook, was successfully funded on Indiegogo. This crowdfunding project offered special commissions and signed prints. It was Gully's first book that focused on his sketch drawings. He aimed to raise $3,000 for this project. It was successful, raising $5,002 from 152 supporters.