James O'Barr conceptualized The Crow in the early '80s as a response to a personal tragedy. A self-taught artist, O'Barr first began the series while in the Marines stationed in Germany, where he was on loan to the Army illustrating hand-to-hand combat manuals. Inspired by such diverse sources as the works of French poets George Bataille and Anton Artaud, the music of punk artists Ian Curtis and Iggy Pop, and the stories of Lewis Carroll and Edgar Allan Poe, James O'Barr conceived the character of The Crow as a supernatural force driven by equal parts of love and revenge.

No stranger to life's down side, O'Barr was raised in institutional and foster care in the Detroit area. Returning to Detroit after his early discharge from the Marines, O'Barr finished the first chapter of The Crow saga and tried to interest a variety of publishers in the series, but found all doors closed to him. He ultimately shelved the project for seven years, supporting himself with a variety odd jobs, including auto detailing, and attending two years of medical school. Eventually a local comic shop owner who was starting his own publishing venture, Caliber Comics, picked up the series. Four issues of The Crow appeared between late '88 and '89 before financial problems with Caliber ended the run mid-story. During this time, O'Barr also painted a series of covers for other Caliber titles, notably Dead World.

O'Barr was able to place The Crow with Kevin Eastman's Tundra Press, who repackaged the comics as two graphic novels, then issued a third volume of all new material to finish The Crow's saga. It was around this time that Jeff Most optioned the film rights to O'Barr's creation, later to be produced in association with Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation.

O'Barr credits his distinctive visual style to studying classical Renaissance sculpture, film noir, and his two years of medical training. He currently lives in the Detroit area where he is working on a new graphic novel and screenplay entitled Gothik (to be made into a feature film produced by Jeff Most).