Editing Mike Wieringo (section)

==Early life==
Michael Lance Wieringo was born in [[Vicenza]], Italy, on June 24, 1963 to Cecil E. and Shirley Dean Wieringo, who live in [[Lynchburg, Virginia]]. He had a brother named Matt.<ref name=HeraldSunObiturary>{{cite web |url= http://www.heraldsun.com/obituaries/obit08162007.cfml#49089|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000151/http://www.heraldsun.com/obituaries/obit08162007.cfml|url-status= dead|archive-date= 2007-09-27|title= Obituaries|location= Durham, North Carolina|newspaper=[[The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina)|The Herald-Sun]]|date=August 2007}}</ref>

Wieringo became interested in comics through his father, who was an avid reader. Wieringo began drawing comics when he was 11. He studied [[fashion illustration]] at [[Virginia Commonwealth University]], though he began to consider drawing comics as a profession, and showed his artwork at comics convention during his college years. Soon after graduating, he determined that that field was "dying out". Realizing that he did not possess the fortitude for commercial illustration, he decided to draw comic books.<ref name=Wizard>''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' #41 (January 1995). pp 123-124.</ref>