Mateo “Teo” Mendoza is a Texas-born artist and writer currently living and working on a Native American reservation as a pharmacist in northern Arizona. In 2024, he founded METAL FIST Publishing, launching his debut series The Malevolent MF DOOM followed by Disease Detective the next summer. A self-taught penciler, inker, colorist, and letterer, Mateo blends hip-hop energy with classic comic storytelling.

Like many who discovered comics in the early 2000s, he was first inspired by Bendis and Bagley’s Ultimate Spider-Man. His influences range from Javier Rodriguez, Will Eisner and Juanjo Guarnido to masters such as the Romitas, Jack Kirby, Bernie Kriegstein, Mort Meskin, Hector Germán Oesterheld, and Jim Steranko. After stepping away from comics during college, his creative spark returned, fused with his love of underground 90s rap, giving rise to his unique, fast-paced and cinematic storytelling style.

Mateo’s work celebrates doing what you love, finding your voice, and keeping the old-school spirit alive.