Mike Perkins began drawing at a very early age. After attending the Bournville College of Art, Birmingham, England he set himself up as a self-employed artist and pursued work in comics.
As well as illustrating children's books and educational literature, Perkin's career has encompassed computer game design, album covers and business-centered graphic design, although it is probably for his comic book work that he is more widely known.
This led to further work in the American market with both DC Comics and Caliber Comics; where he worked on Kilroy is Here, Black Mist, Amongst The Stars, Negative Burn, St. Germaine, Brian Lumley's Necroscope and an adaptation of Doctor Faustus. The latter being a collaboration with Mike Carey, with whom he has worked with throughout his career – most notably on the co-created Carver Hale for 2000 AD and Spellbinders for Marvel Comics.
His first sole inking job, over the pencils of Phil Winslade, led to other inking opportunities at DC and Dark Horse Comics which in turn opened the doors to being asked to join the then new Florida-based comic company CrossGen.
While there, he primarily inked the series Ruse, and worked alongside Mark Waid, Butch Guice and Laura Martin.[1] He also pencilled and inked Archard's Agents and co-created Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Tony Bedard. He subsequently signed exclusively with Marvel Comics, where he continued to work until May 2018.
From 2008 to 2009, Perkins worked on illustrating The Stand: Captain Trips, Marvel Comics' adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Stand, on which he collaborated once more with colourist Laura Martin.[3][4]
Since May 2018, Perkins has been working at DC Comics.[5] He has illustrated the limited comic book series Lois Lane: Enemy of the People, and the 16-issue limited series The Swamp Thing with author Ram V from March 2021 to August 2022.[6][7]
Spellbinders: Signs and Wonders (pencils, with Mike Carey and inks by Andrew Hennessy, Marvel Comics, 6-issue mini-series, trade paperback, 144 pages, 2005, ISBN0-7851-1756-3)
Captain America No. 8, 10–17, 19, 22–24, 26–30, 34–36 (inks, with Ed Brubaker and pencils by Mike Perkins & Steve Epting, Marvel Comics, 2005-ongoing)
Union Jack: London Falling (pencils, with writer Christos Gage and inks by Andrew Hennessy, 4-issue mini-series, February 2007 – July 2007, trade paperback, 96 pages, July 2007, ISBN0-7851-2181-1)