Clifford Edward VanMeter was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 26, 1956. Born into a military family, VanMeter moved around a lot growing up, and after high school, he enlisted in the US Marines, where he served for four years as a military police officer.
VanMeter began his illustration career after enrolling at Lambuth University in Tennessee, providing art for FASA’s Star Trek: The Role Playing Game (1982), Doctor Who (1985), and Battle-Tech (1985). After graduating, VanMeter founded Starchilde Studios, which published the 1988 RPG Justifiers. Other games VanMeter illustrated included the DC Universe Role Playing Game, and Traveller.
Eventually, VanMeter moved to New York to pursue a career in comics. He wrote and drew for Valiant Comics, and also worked there as Special Projects Manager from 1993 to 1995. He founded Comicolor, one of the first digital coloring and lettering companies for comics in North America, and also worked at Marvel, Milestone/DC, and Image. With “Bloodshot” co-creator Kevin VanHook, VanMeter transitioned to the film industry, working as a line producer and production supervisor at the visual effects company VanHook Studios until 2001.
By 2016, VanMeter was working as a data technician from his home in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He set a GoFundMe during this time, explaining “Like many of you, I don’t have a contingency fund. Frankly, I need help, as soon as possible. Every penny will go toward keeping the bills paid and keeping my insurance in case I get laid off. Prescriptions have become an issue as well. If I lose my prescriptions I’ll be dead in a month.” He is survived by his wife, Betsy, and their children, Donald, Erin, Caitlin, and Rose, as well as two grandchildren, and his sister Alice. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
