For nearly eight years, Eric Trautmann contributed to Microsoft Game Studios properties such as Allegiance, Crimson Skies and Halo: Combat Evolved. He also wrote prose fiction and non-fiction related to those properties, including a Crimson Skies novella and a non-fiction art portfolio book, The Art of Halo. In 2006 he left Microsoft to become a full-time freelance writer.

His first comic book work was for Prima Games, a comic series based on the Perfect Dark franchise. His six issue miniseries titled "Perfect Dark: Janus's Tears" debuted in August 2006.

In August 2007 he wrote issue #17 of the DC Comics series "Checkmate", with series writer Greg Rucka.

As a result of his work on Checkmate #17, Trautmann became the regular co-writer of the series alongside Greg Rucka, beginning with issue #21 and continuing through issue #25.

Following this, Trautmann and Rucka collaborated again on the one-shot FINAL CRISIS: RESIST, illustrated by Ryan Sook and Marco Rudy.

During this period Trautmann and fellow comics writer Brandon Jerwa started a collaboration, co-writing a 9-page short titled "WIDE AWAKE: BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP," which appeared in the second volume of Image Comics' POPGUN anthology series. The story can be read in its entirety (and with commentary!) at Comics Waiting Room. This story has become the basis for what will be an ongoing webcomic , Wide Awake, which launched a teaser chapter for Free Comic Book Day 2009. On the strength of the teaser, Wide Awake was recently optioned for feature film development by independent film company, Do-Over Productions.

Trautmann has recently been writing for Dynamite Entertainment, beginning with a short "four issue arc" on Red Sonja (he recently completed scripting chores on his fourteenth issue), then spearheading the relaunch of iconic horror-adventure heroine Vampirella. In November 2011, he -- along with co-creators Alex Ross and Daniel Indro -- wrote the first in a new ongoing Flash Gordon series, titled "Zeitgeist."

The DC/VERTIGO original graphic novel—titled Shooters—was recently solicited for April 2012; the book was penned by Trautmann and friend and collaborator Brandon Jerwa, and is illustrated by Whiteout's Steve Lieber.