GRAPHIC artist Richard Piers Rayner's wildest dreams came true when he was hired to draw super heroes and villains for the world's top comic firms, DC and Marvel.

But now his illustrations are to take on a new dimension after movie mogul Stephen Spielberg and his firm Dreamworks bought up his work to transform into a blockbuster film.

The sultan of the silver screen, who made classic such as ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jaws, has signed a contract to make the film of Road To Perdition, a graphic novel which Richard illustrated.

And Oscar winner Tom Hanks has signed to play the film's lead, while top director Sam Mendez is to join Spielberg at the helm.

Set in Chicago, Illinois, the book is a gangster story, written by author Max Allan Collins, who is from the Windy City.

Teesside artist Richard spent four years drawing the pictures to go with Collins' words, and it was published last year.

While many novels are turned into films, it is less known for a graphic book to follow the same route. However, Richard has been told the legendary filmmaker is particularly fond of the idea.

"Spielberg apparently loved it. It's an unusual thing for it to become a movie like this, it's not a regular novel, it's a graphic novel," he said.

"Spielberg said 'this is great, I don't even need storyboards, all the work's done'."

Richard's big break came in the late 1980s, when he had produced his own black and white graphic novel, which he took to a London firm for advice.

He was put in touch with bosses at DC Comics, who were looking for an artist to illustrate the Hellblazer series.

Since then, he has drawn comic favourites such as Batman and Swamp Thing for DC, and Dr Who for Marvel.

"I always wanted to draw comics for a living," said Richard, 47, from Crathorne. "I grew up on Superman and Batman."

He even tries to slip a little of the North-East home into his work. Richard's Dr Who comics have actually featured the Transporter Bridge and Middlesbrough's Linthorpe Road, while bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale and the drink's logo have also been known to creep in.

Last month he became Middlesbrough Football Club's artist in residence.

As for the film, he has already been invited to the Hollywood celebrity premiere - in 2002, but before then he is hoping to visit the set when production starts next year.