Bio:Debbie Hughes

Early Biography
Debbie was Born in Lexington Kentucky on May 14th, 1958. Her father was a well-known photographer by the name of Harry Mack Hughes, her mom was a model by the name of Meldagonde Ryland. She was their 3rd child, her brother Donald Hughes was 4 years older and her sister Diane was 6 years older. Debbie's father died when she was 2. Her mother was in the process of moving the family to Fort Lauderdale at the time of his death

The family lived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and, later, Atlanta, Georgia.

At age 5 Debbie was hit by a car. She suffered a complex fracture of her left leg and stayed in traction for over a month, she was released in a bodycast and had to learn how to walk again a year later. It was during this time that Debbie developed a love of art and drawing.

With the help of her sister and a scholarship, Debbie entered Furman University in 1976. She initally majored in mathematics, but later changed to Art.

When Debbie left college, she found little outlet for her work. It was not until she met Mark Maxwell (her first husband) she discovered the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Debbie started showing her surrealist work at local science fiction conventions and had sales.

Later life and work
In 1989 Debbie sold rights for a painting she had done a year prior, called Solid State to the Science Fiction Chronicle. 3 months later Jim Baen from Baen books hired her to do 3 covers. After Baen, Debbie started working for a company called MBI/Easton Press under the then director Pam Pia. Other work that followed were interiors for Amazing Stories Magazine, Science Fiction Age Magazine and Realms of Fantasy Magazine.

In 1992, Debbie started assignment work for a local company which later became well known in the computer gaming world: Cyberflix. Debbie started out doing illustration for all the characters in their game, JumpRave. After JumpRaven, Cyberflix signed on with Paramount Pictures, to paint characters from the tv show “Viper” and later to animate them.

Debbie left Cyberflix in 1995.

Debbie went on to work for another local company called “The Bookworm” where she returned to painting images on board that were later scanned in and used in the product.

After The Bookworm, Debbie delved into several years of doing CCG (Collectible Game Card) work for 8 different Game Card companies, ending with  Last Unicorn Games and Five Rings Publishing who did DUNE.

Debbie worked for The Knoxville News Sentinel for five years.

Presently Debbie works freelance, in both graphic design and Illustration, she also paints her own works and exhibits them in galleries across the United States.

Recently, Debbie has begun teaching art and graphic design.

Recent work
Her recent illustrations include Spider Robinson's newest book, Very Hard Choices, Ruins Metropolis Ruins Metropolis (Paperback)by Eric T Reynolds (Editor). "The Spirits of Hathor." 2008, The Margarets, Easton Press edition, 2007. Written by Sheri Tepper.

Trivia
On a personal note, Debbie lives in Tennessee, with her husband Dean Erickson and two cats, Tokyo and Trip.