Bulletproof Creator Showcase

James Hodgkins

16/04/08 | by Matt Yeo, Editor-in-Chief | Categories: Artists

Comic book artists as diverse as Alex Toth, Jim Aparo, Howard Chaykin, Richard Corben and Milo Manara had a profound affect on a young James Hodgkins. He took these influences on to his work as an illustrator and designer, leading to work for major UK and international advertising companies.

The comic book field itself beckoned when he began inking books for Marvel UK, before producing full art across the Atlantic at DC within The Big Book of Urban Legends and for Black Canary # 8.

He then flitted between the world of advertising and the grim streets of Gotham City where, for the latter, he found himself called upon to act as a Finishing Artist for DC’s Batman line (titles included Catwoman, Detective Comics and assorted Batman specials). Even so, he also found time to produce full art for them including an evocative Man-Bat tale published in The Gotham Chronicles.

More recently he has been Phil Winslade’s inking artist of choice, on Daredevil, and John McCrea’s on a plethora of comics (Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of The Authority, Spider-Man: Tangled Web, Superboy and Kraven), and most currently again partnered Staz Johnson on the prestige book series, Batman Vs Aliens II.

His personal penchant for crime fiction, snappy humour and beautiful women is now to be given free rein in A Little Miss Adventure playing as it does to all Hodgkins’ strengths: a bold charismatic black line, his consummate design sensibilities, and of course his admirable ability to draw sexy ladies!

KEY WORKS

BATMAN: BLACKGATE

JENNY SPARKS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE AUTHORITY

BATMAN VS ALIENS II

Jason Quinn

15/04/08 | by Matt Yeo, Editor-in-Chief | Categories: Artists, Writers

I started off writing nutty Mills & Boon-style romances for the Spanish market before landing a job as Assistant Editor at Marvel UK (now Panini UK) back in the early ’90’s. During my time there I worked as Editor, Project Leader and Chief Sub. I worked on everything from Barbie and Care Bears through to Spider-Man and Football Crazy. In 1999 I went to Pinewood Studios where I scripted most of series 5 of the preschool show, Dream Street. Then, in 2002, I went freelance and am currently spending my time writing scripts for Panini UK’s Spectacular Spider-Man, Wickid, Action Man, DC Thomson’s Commando etcetera etcetera…

KEY WORKS

SPIDER-MAN

X-MEN

ACTION MAN

Jim Alexander

14/04/08 | by Matt Yeo, Editor-in-Chief | Categories: Writers

Come enter my writer’s world. You may even have been an unwitting participant if you’ve read any of the following: Calhab Justice, a future view of Scotland in the Judge Dredd universe. The Batman story where he’s strapped to a chair at the mercy of Two-Face playing ‘Gotham Roulette’. Also for DC, ‘Night and Day’ where the residents of Gotham and Metropolis reveal what they think of the other city.

I followed ‘The Song of Storm’ in Uncanny Origins # 9 for Marvel. I’ve scripted Gabriel, Ripper Legacy, and a number of Raven Chronicles for Caliber.

Most recently I can be found in the pages of Warhammer (‘Deathwatch’, to be collected as a graphic novel out July 2004), Cartoon Cartoons (Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow and Chicken), and Metal Hurlant (including ‘King’s Crown’ drawn by Richard Corben and ‘Elemental’ drawn by David Lloyd). I’ve also scripted O:R:E for Com.X, and write ‘Dreadlock Holmes’ for The Dandy.

“It will be tomorrow, then, we will have our new king.”

KEY WORKS

BATMAN: ‘GOTHAM ROULETTE’

DEATHWATCH

METAL HURLANT: ‘KING’S CROWN’

John A Short

12/04/08 | by Matt Yeo, Editor-in-Chief | Categories: Artists, Writers

Award-winning British comics writer, John A Short, publishes lots of projects under the Alchemy Texts banner. Along with artists like Alwyn Talbot, Alex Paterson and Rehaan Atkhar, John produces adventures in diverse styles… from the light-hearted to the not-for-the-feint-of-heart.

John has been writing (and in some cases drawing) comics for nearly 20 years. From newspaper strips like Ruth Rot and Stickleback, to strips like The Stitch In Time in direct market comics like Harrier’s Avalon. Winner of the 1997 British National Comic Award for ‘Best New British Comic’ with his Revolution Comics’ Octobriana mini-series. Not to mention work in UK national, news-stand distributed magazines like Alien Encounters and Heartbreak Hotel, and in America in places like Rip Off Comix Magazine.

KEY WORKS
ARMAGEDDON PATROL
“What if American superheroes had fought in Vietnam?” Three blood-and-thunder issues published so far.

OCTOBRIANA
The return of the ‘Spirit of the October Revolution.’ John’s take on this classic sixties Russian underground comics character.

RUTH ROT
John ‘Vile’ Short’s Eighties newspaper strip character. The tongue in cheek escapades of the queen of punk rock.

John Cahill

11/04/08 | by Matt Yeo, Editor-in-Chief | Categories: Artists

My love affair with comics began when I was a kid. Black and white reprints of Marvel, Doctor Who Weekly, DC and of course 2000 AD are what I remember most. When there was still a London Cartoon Centre, I had the luck to attend the workshops they ran with David Lloyd as my tutor. A great teacher! My first published work was a series of about 20 editorial illustrations that appeared on the Street Lights pages of The Big Issue magazine. After that, the next three years were spent getting a BA in Illustration at Middlesex University. Since then, my pursuit of a career in comics has so far, resulted in work published in Zarjaz and Something Wicked.