In 1987, Steve Purcell applied and got accepted to work for Lucasarts as a Game Designer, but more importantly, an artist, with his first box art being for "Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders", "The Secret of Monkey Island", "Monkey Island 2: Lechuck's Revenge", and eventually, "Sam and Max Hit the Road" The first game using Steve Purcell's characters with him on board as the game designer and the concept artist.
Steve Purcell has a array of art styles, but it usually ends with creatures who should normally appear normal, to appear somewhat deranged (a case proven with the character of Max). His style of work has changed over the years, his earlier works being very accurate and look like a portrait (The first two Monkey Island games being an example of this) but he can also do very comedic looking art styles such as the appearance of Sam and Max, and slowly showing that style of work in Telltales Game, Tales of Monkey Island and Sam and Max Season 1 &2.
Name: Steve Purcell
Notable creations and work: Sam and Max (Comic, Game, Show), Monkey Island 1 and 2 Box Arts.
Born: N/A
Steve Purcell was born in California with a drawing passion at the age of three. Steve has an younger brother, Dave, who had two original characters, an anthropomorphic, six foot, detective dog named Sam and his partner a deranged, hyperkinetic rabbit Max. Over the years, Dave slowly stopped making short comics mid-way, causing Steve (unknowingly to his brother) to secretly finish the comic, eventually, Dave wrote a note to Steve, apparently knowing the whole time, that he gives Steve full rights to Sam and Max as his own characters, seeing that he developed their characters more then Dave.
Purcell stated once in an interview that he was an "average" student that barely paid attention in class, however,
if it was up to him, he wish he did pay more attention because he noticed that one's work comes usually from what one knows. He studied at a junior college for a film-making course, but later transferred to California College of Art and Design in 1980, graduating with a bachelor's degree in reading the fine art. In 1987, Steve published his first full length 32 page comic of Sam and Max.