American artist, comic writer, graphic novelist, and honorably discharged Marine, who created Terminal Lance in 2010, a comic strip and website that satirizes United States Marine Corps life. The name is a slang term for a Marine who finishes an enlistment (i.e. terminates) as a Lance Corporal.
In 2016, Uriarte independently released the 290-page graphic novel Terminal Lance: The White Donkey which he wrote and illustrated. The book was independently published on 1 February 2016, after a successful Kickstarter in 2013. Shortly after, the book was picked up by Little, Brown and Company and retitled The White Donkey: Terminal Lance, and was released on 19 April 2016.
Uriarte was born to American parents of European, Mexican and Jewish descent. He spent most of his childhood in Corvallis before moving to Portland, Oregon at the age of 16. After graduating high school and taking two years of general education classes at Portland Community College, Uriarte enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 19 as an 0351 Assaultman. He served from 2006 to 2010, obtaining the rank of Lance Corporal and fulfilling various roles.
He served two tours in the Iraq War as part of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, the first in 2007-2008 (in the Al Zaidan region) and the second in 2009. He began writing and drawing Terminal Lance soon after returning.
After ending his service in May 2010, Uriarte enrolled in the California College of the Arts, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in Animation. Currently he lives with his wife in Burbank, California, where he works as a writer and artist full time.
Link to Terminal Lance: Author
