About J.M. Martin

In the mid-90s, Joe worked for Caliber Press, where he was mentored by the company's founder and publisher, Gary Reed. The Michigan-based publisher put out comics such as The Crow, Deadworld, The Realm, Kabuki, and more. While at Caliber, Joe had a hand in creating a collectible card game based on Todd McFarlane's Spawn universe; he also designed covers, advertisements, and Spawn "Collectors' Club" circulars for their toy line; he helped manage the company's art archives; he lettered dozens of comics; and he also wrote a 17-issue run of the fantasy comic series, Legendlore, illustrated by the now-renowned French artist Philippe Xavier.

From 2001 to 2005, Joe was the ENnie-award-winning managing editor of Privateer Press, assisting with building the best-selling Iron Kingdoms and Warmachine intellectual properties from scratch. He edited and wrote RPG game supplements, worked with contractors, illustrated maps, and managed a select group of writers.

Joe became the managing editor in 2006-2008 for a syndicated magazine called YOUnique, where he guided the direction of humanitarian and activist articles, interviewed local personalities such as UFC champion Rich Franklin, movie actor Josh Hutcherson, and former news anchor and game show host, Nick Clooney.

Joe is the author of the Dead West series (in cahoots with Kenny Soward with edits by Tim Marquitz), and he has penned several short stories in Sails & Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy, Dark Heroes, Manifesto: UF, Neverland's Library, and At Hell's Gates (vol. 1). He is also the editor of the award-winning Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues (2015).

In mid-2013, he created Ragnarok Publications along with Tim Marquitz. Martin operated as the Creative Director and later Publisher until he retired from Ragnarok in 2017 to write, edit, and reclaim more of his time. He has edited for various indie authors, as well as for companies such as Simon & Schuster, Procter & Gamble, Post Hill Press, Permuted Press, LMBPN, and several more.