Michael Turner was an American comic book artist and writer best known as a co-creator of the Witchblade franchise, which later inspired a Japanese anime television series. Born Michael Layne Turner on April 21, 1971, in Crossville, Tennessee, he initially studied pre-medicine at the University of Tennessee before leaving to pursue a career in art. After relocating to California, he was discovered by publisher Marc Silvestri at a comic book convention and subsequently hired by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics. Turner began his career in the industry doing background illustrations before moving on to more prominent roles.

Turner rose to prominence in 1995 as one of the key creative forces behind the comic series Witchblade, alongside Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, Brian Haberlin, and Christina Z. The series, published by Top Cow Productions, follows a New York City police detective who wields an ancient, sentient gauntlet known as the Witchblade. Turner served as the primary penciler for the comic's early issues, with his artwork defining the visual identity of the property. His style was noted for blending the dynamic, heroic proportions of traditional American comics with the clean lines, bright aesthetics, and emotional expressiveness often associated with Japanese manga, making his work accessible to a broad international audience.

The commercial success of the Witchblade comic led to its adaptation into an anime series. In 2004, the Japanese animation studio Gonzo announced plans to produce a twenty-four episode television series based on the property. The Witchblade anime premiered in Japan in 2006. While the anime featured an entirely new story and a different protagonist named Masane Amaha, it was produced in consultation with Top Cow and exists within the same continuity as the original comic. The series was later licensed for North American distribution by FUNimation Entertainment. Additionally, the franchise expanded into manga with Witchblade: Takeru, a spin-off series written by Yasuko Kobayashi, who had co-written the scripts for the anime, and serialized in Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine.

Beyond Witchblade, Turner was the creator of several other notable properties, including Fathom, which debuted in 1998, and Soulfire. Fathom, a creator-owned series, reflected Turner's personal interests as an avid scuba diver and explored themes of underwater civilizations. In 2002, following a period of legal disputes over the rights to his creator-owned work, Turner founded his own publishing company, Aspen MLT, where he continued to produce his original series. He also contributed extensively as a cover artist for major publishers, producing variant covers for numerous high-profile Marvel and DC Comics titles, including Civil War, Superman/Batman, and The Uncanny X-Men. Notably, his work on the Superman/Batman storyline helped reintroduce the character Supergirl to the modern DC Universe.

In March 2000, Turner was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. He continued to work prolifically throughout his treatment, which included the loss of his right hip and part of his pelvis. Michael Turner died on June 27, 2008, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of thirty-seven. His artistic legacy is defined by his ability to bridge the stylistic gap between American and Japanese comic art, and his work remains significant for demonstrating how an American comic property could be successfully adapted into a Japanese anime format, paving the way for further cross-cultural collaborations in the industry.