After a friend at college complimented his inking, Karl Kesel began submitting his portfolio toMarvel Comics andDC Comics.[3] Kesel's first work for DC Comics appeared inNew Talent Showcase #4 (April 1984).[4] He soon became the inker onTales of the Legion of Super-Heroes[4] — so soon, in fact, that he suspected that he was assignedNew Talent Showcase #8 as a test run to see how well he jelled withTales of the Legion penciller Terry Shoemaker.[3] Kesel was discouraged that inks which looked smooth and clear on his original pages appeared clunky in the printed comics, and with guidance fromDick Giordano he studied how to draw in a way that would appear better on the printed page.[3] Kesel worked withStephen DeStefano on the'Mazing Man series, as well as providing inks over the pencils ofGeorge Pérez onHistory of the DC Universe andJohn Byrne onLegends andSuperman vol. 2.[4] With his then-wifeBarbara Kesel, he co-wrote aHawk and Dove miniseries in 1988 which was drawn byRob Liefeld.[5] Kesel and artistTom Grummett are the creators of the modernSuperboy character, Kon-El / Conner Kent, who debuted in the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc, starting fromThe Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993).[6] Kesel and Grummett also worked on Superboy'ssolo series, which began publishing in February 1994.[7] In 1996, Kesel and artistStuart Immonen producedThe Final Night limited series.[8] That same year, Kesel was one of the many creators who contributed to theSuperman: The Wedding Album one-shot, where Superman andLois Lane married.[9] Kesel wrote the 10-issue miniseriesBatman and Superman: World's Finest (April 1999–January 2000), which explored the post-Crisis history of the eponymous characters, with each of the ten issues taking place one year after the other.[10] Kesel and artistTerry Dodson launched aHarley Quinn ongoing series in December 2000.[11]
Kesel worked with comic book illustratorBrandon McKinney on issues #6 and #13 of the comic seriesAliens: Space Marines published byDark Horse Comics, which accompaniedalien figures in the first line of Alien figures released byKenner in 1992.
In 2000, Kesel and his formerSuperboy collaborator Tom Grummett createdSection Zero as part of theGorilla Comics imprint atImage Comics. Gorilla Comics was intended to be a creator-owned company financed by a comics-related website, eHero.com.[15] The website proved to be a financial failure, leaving the creators to personally finance their own books. Along with the other Gorilla Comics creators, Kesel and Grummett attempted to continue the series they started, but these efforts proved to be unsuccessful.[16] In January 2012, Kesel announced that he and Grummett would relaunchSection Zero as a webcomic on the Mad Genius Comics website.[17][18] The previously published stories were posted on the site and new material was added as it was completed.[19] AKickstarter campaign in 2017 allowed Kesel and Grummett to finish the story.[20][21]
For several years, Kesel was married to fellow comics writerBarbara Kesel (née Randall), with whom he wroteHawk and Dove; they have since divorced.[22]
^Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 234.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Written by Barbara and Karl Kesel and drawn by future superstar Rob Liefeld, this five-issue miniseries reestablished the famous pair for a new generation.
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 259: "The issue also featured four teaser comics that introduced a group of contenders all vying for the Superman name...A cloned Superboy escaped captivity in a yarn by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 265: "Superboy set up camp in picturesque Hawaii in his new ongoing title written by Karl Kesel and with art by Tom Grummett."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 274: "In this four-issue miniseries by writer Karl Kesel and artist Stuart Immonnen, the heroes of the present united with the Legion of Super-Heroes and the New Gods in an attempt to stop a 'sun-eater'."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 275: "The behind-the-scenes talent on the monumental issue appropriately spanned several generations of the Man of Tomorrow's career. Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, the one-shot featured the pencils of John Byrne, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Paul Ryan, Jon Bogdanove, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Grummett, Dick Giordano, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ron Frenz, and Dan Jurgens."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 289: "Batman and Superman reunited in April [1999] in the ten-issue limited seriesWorld's Finest...The series was written by Karl Kesel."
^Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 297: "Written by Karl Kesel and drawn by Terry Dodson, the double-sized first issue dealt with Harley's twisted relationship with the Joker."
^Kesel, Karl (w), Immonen, Stuart (p), Koblish, Scott (i). "Remembrance of Things Past" Fantastic Four, vol. 3, no. 56 (August 2002). Marvel Comics.
