Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship Japan/U.S. Friendship Commission Creative Artists Fellowship Los Angeles Times Book Prize
Miller and Mazzucchelli collaborated again on the graphic novel Batman: Year One, serialized in issues #404–407 (Feb-May 1987) of
DC Comics' monthly Batman title, and published in a single volume shortly afterwards. Batman: Year One is considered one of the best Batman stories ever produced.[8] Mazzucchelli had previously drawn Batman in a five page backup story in World's Finest Comics #302 (April 1984).[9]
After Batman: Year One, Mazzucchelli drew an
Angel story in Marvel Fanfare #40 (Oct. 1988).[10] He then moved on to focus on more personal projects.[11] He published three issues of his own independent anthology, Rubber Blanket, co-edited by his wife, painter
Richmond Lewis, in which he began finding his voice as a writer in addition to exploring new avenues of visual expression. His evocative and haunting stories in Rubber Blanket, notably "Near Miss," "Dead Dog," "Discovering America," and "Big Man," set the stage for his work to come. Mazzucchelli's work in Rubber Blanket, and especially his use of two-color printing to create his artwork, influenced a number of young indie-comics artists through the 1990s and 2000s, including
Darwyn Cooke, Frank Santoro, and
Dash Shaw.[12] With writer/artist
Paul Karasik, he co-wrote and illustrated an adaptation of
Paul Auster's City of Glass,[13] published first by Avon Books in 1994, then by Picador in 2004 as City of Glass: The Graphic Novel. Auster's later book The Brooklyn Follies features a character with the name Nancy Mazzucchelli, an homage to David. He continued to write and draw short comics for various publishers until 2000. Mazzucchelli was one of the artists on the Superman and Batman: World's Funnest one-shot written by
Evan Dorkin.[14]
^DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1980s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:
Dorling Kindersley. p. 226.
ISBN978-0756641238. 'Born Again' was a seven-issue story arc that appeared in Daredevil from issue #227 to #233 (Feb.–Aug. 1986) by writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli.{{
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^Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1980s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:
Dorling Kindersley. p. 227.
ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. Melding Miller's noir sensibilities, realistic characterization, and gritty action with Mazzucchelli's brilliant iconic imagery, "Year One" thrilled readers and critics alike...as well as being one of the influences for the 2005 film Batman Begins.{{
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^Manning, Matthew K.; Dougall, Alastair, ed. (2014). "1980s". Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom:
Dorling Kindersley. p. 150.
ISBN978-1465424563. A rare early example of Mazzucchelli's Batman before his ground-breaking 'Batman: Year One' story in February 1987, this tale featured Superman and Batman doing something quite out of the ordinary for the duo: having a drink at a local bar.{{
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help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
^Trumbull, John (June 2017). "'Marvel Fanfare #40: Fallen Angels and Stormy Weather". Back Issue! (96). Raleigh, North Carolina:
TwoMorrows Publishing: 64–65.
^Young, Frank (August 1992). "Comics Used to be about Telling Stories: David Mazzucchelli Discusses his Transition from Mainstream to Independence". The Comics Journal (152). Seattle, Washington:
Fantagraphics Books: 114–199.
^Nadel, Dan.
"Space Odyssey". Bookforum. Mazzucchelli's use of two colors and his employment of color as a tool for emotional layering would influence countless cartoonists throughout the '90s and 2000s, including Darwyn Cooke, Frank Santoro, and Dash Shaw.