Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Justice League | Tagged: kevin maguire, tanga

Kevin Maguire Will Be Telling His Own Stories Going Forward

Kevin Maguire tells Bleeding Cool that he will be telling his own comic book stories going forward

Published Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:57:07 -0600

Article Summary

Kevin Maguire is shifting focus from DC Comics to creating his own original comic book stories and characters.
After 38 years in the industry, Maguire cites creative fulfillment as a key reason for leaving mainstream publishers.
He now owns his creation Tanga, a cosmic heroine, and partnered with Rocketship Entertainment for new projects.
Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera showcases Maguire's storytelling vision and passion for creator-owned work.

Yesterday, Bleeding Cool reported comic book creator Kevin Maguire's recent words about what might be his final cover art for DC Comics, as well as his citing a lack of a pay increase in twenty years. Kevin Maguire further clarified to Bleeding Cool, "The page rate was NOT the main reason I won't be doing work for DC, but it WAS a supporting one."

"My intention is not to do work for ANYONE anymore. I turned 65 this year and I've been telling other people's stories for over 38 years. I want to spend what time I have left in my career focusing on my own long-gestating ideas. I'm overdue to start building my own library. Spending my career doing variant covers is just empty to me. I want to create and develop characters. I want to create moments people remember, not just splash pages. I got into this gig because I love storytelling. How important is this to me? I got my only tattoo to commemorate it. It's on my right forearm. The Japanese word "ikigai" which translates essentially to "your purpose in life". It's to remind me that my drawing hand should be used to do what I want to do, not what others want me to do. Tanga was my ikigai. So, I don't want this to seem like a diss at DC specifically. They've been fantastic to me over the years. But unless they're going to pay me to write, draw content that I will own, it's time for me to amicably part company. And, by the way, this is why I never do interviews. Misleading clickbait headlines." I'd disagree that's what I did, it was an accurate summation of what Kevin said then, but I'm happy to update with his additional context.

Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera by Kevin Maguire

Tanga was created by Kevin Maguire and first appeared in the DC Comics anthology series Weird Worlds miniseries in 2011, followed by My Greatest Adventure miniseries. A cosmic, wandering space goddess who travels the universe in search of simple pleasures and adventures, she was often portrayed in a glamorous, pin-up style inspired by 1950s glamour aesthetics and specifically modeled after glamour model Carla Brown. Kevin Maguire gained full rights to the character and in 2024 partnered with publisher Rocketship Entertainment for a major collection, Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera on Kickstarter, published last year.

Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera by Kevin Maguire
Wandering space goddess Tanga receives a warm welcome on a planet with a BIG problem. Will she help, or will she make matters worse? Superstar writer/artist KEVIN MAGUIRE takes you to the farthest (and craziest) reaches of out, outer space with the adventures of TANGA, his creator-owned hero!

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