Comics Writer Resources
Writing For Comics
• Sryptic Studios
Link: http://www.scrypticstudios.com
With the multitude of artist studios, where can a
struggling comic book writer go for advice and story research?
Occasionally, writers can get information on the craft of writing at
creator message boards, or they could scour the internet for
articles,
story research, resources, and script samples.
SCRYPTIC STUDIOS is an online
writer's studio and resource centre featuring five members: Jeffery
Stevenson, Jim Keplinger, Dan Taylor, Kevin Melrose, and, of course,
Ryan Scott Ottney himself. All five members are published writers with
professional
attitudes hailing from various backgrounds and formal training, from
screenwriting to journalism; but one industry they all love and share
enthusiasm for is comic books.
The goal of these five writers and this site is to
provide others with a simple online resource geared toward the
advancement of their craft. Along with sharing such resources as articles & columns, story
references categorized by topic, and recommended reading material to
help make your story shine, SCRYPTIC STUDIOS also offers an active
message board where you can share experiences and be a part of a
comic
writing community.
One of the more popular and valuable features is the sample script
database that includes actual scripts from comics, film, radio, and
television. Already SCRYPTIC STUDIOS has had generous script
donations
by such popular comic book writers as Mark Waid, Paul Jenkins, Steven
Niles, Gail Simone, Brian Augustyn, Marv Wolfman, Larry Young, and
many
more.
• David
A. Law's Creating Comics Site
An invaluable guide to comics resources on
the web for writers, artists, self-publishers and anyone interested
in creating comics.
• The Comic Creators Guild
Link: comicscreators.org.uk
UK organsiation. The Comics Creators Guild exists to promote the interests of professionals working within this field, and to increase public awareness of the comic strip medium. Its principal aim is to demonstrate that comic strips are a valuable art form, as well as a powerful and versatile communication medium, equally effective within the spheres of entertainment, education, and marketing.
The Guild is run by comics professionals and its aims are - and always will be - to represent the interests of comics professionals, those intent on pursuing careers in the industry, or those working with the art form. The Guild seeks to establish better lines of communication between editors, publishers and creators, leading to a cohesive effort to improve working conditions and to raise the public’s awareness of the medium. The Guild seeks to promote the creation of comics in all forms and always to foster a spirit of professionalism and excellence in the medium.
• Writing for Comics
An excellent site, though not apparently updated since
1999, packed with plenty of reference about the art of telling comic
strips.
• Nine
Tips on Writing Comics
You couldn't put it more succinctly than this.
• Pitching to 2000AD
For anyone struggling to get stuff published in the
UK comic 2000AD there's a dedicated mail list
where you can get critiques and (sometimes) helpful hints. To join, just
e-mail subscribe-scriptdroids@yahoogroups.com
Browsing through the online archive is recommended before posting, just
to avoid repetition. Other than that, all welcome. Suggestion supplied
by Andrew Ness
• The
Nine Act Structure Home Page
This page is devoted entirely to story structure
in film and interactive games. An excellent guide to writing movie plots
and interactive games, and you may find information here you can apply
to your comics writing.
Part of the Story
Web web site, which author David Siegel (who started writing scripts
in 1986 when he worked at Lucasfilm, Ltd.) describes as " the most
useful story A good story is a train wreckout of structure resource on
the Internet."
•The Things You NEED to Know to Make a Great Comic
Link: www.urban75.org/comics/faq.html
Written by Nate Piekos of Blambot Fonts & Comic Lettering, this is
a great, easy to read and darn useful guide to writing comics for any medium,
online or print.
• Rok Comics
Link: www.rokcomics.com
Turn your comics strips into comics for mobile and earn
money from sales. There's even a comic creator tool with characters and scenes
so you don't even need an artist. hah!
• The
Screenwriter's and Playwright's Home Page
Craft instruction and resources for screenwriters
and playwrights.
• SitsVac
Comics creator Kev Sutherland has compiled
this brilliant site on comdey writing as part of the process of in his
ITV show The SitCom Trials and
often tours the country. Although it's aimed primarily at
would-be sitcom writers, much of the advise could be applied
to writing generally and if you're thinking of writing a "funny" strip
it wouldn't hurt to check this out. It's packed with invaluable
comedy writing tips, script samples and much more. There's
also a discussion group you can join. Brilliant!
General Sites
• Advice
for Evil Overlords
This hilarious item also offers some pertinent
points about cliches for SF and action-adventure writers!
• Comic
Book Artist
Magazine devoted to celebrating the lives and
work of the great cartoonists, writers & editors
• The
Comic Creators' Index
Shizuka Abe's links to comic creator's official web pages.
• Comics
Media Archives
Comics links page which includes search engine facility.
• Comic
Book Resources
RECOMMENDED Database-driven general News and resource site with hundreds
of links -- far better than you'll find here!
• European
Comics on the Web
This is an overview of pointers to information
on European comics (in French: bandes dessinιes)
that has been made available on the web. The site, which is fully searchable,
features sections on comics series, news sites, indexes, publishers and
shops.
Comic Writers
2K Comics
The Official Website of comic book writers Jay Faerber, Devin Grayson,
and Brian Vaughan. This site offers a look into their creative minds with
sneak peeks of what is upcoming.
Dan Abnett
Official: www.danabnett.com and blog for news at:
theprimaryclone.blogspot.com
This is one of the funniest comic writer sites I've seen in a while, with Dan
poking fun at his 15-plus years of comics and novel writing in mashed up comic
strips etc. suggesting the only way he could have written everything he had done
is by cloning himself.
Dan has been writing comics and books since the late 1980s and is particularly
proud of the 2000AD series
Sinister Dexter (with Simon Davis, Andy Clarke
et al), the series Knights of Pendragon and Lords
of Misrule (with Steve White, John Tomlinson
and Gary Erskine),
Hypersonic (with
Steve White), Durham Red (with Mark Harrison),
The VCs (with Antony Williams), Resurrection
Man, Majestic, the
Legion of Superheroes, Force
Works, the Punisher and
many others (with Andy Lanning), and, for the Black Library, Darkblade,
Titan, Inquisitor
Ascendant, Lone Wolves and
the many other novels.
He has been deservedly nominated or shortlisted for several awards, he
won Best Writer Now at the 2003 National Comic Awards.
Jim Alexander
Official: jimalwriter.blogspot.com
Writer for Marvel UK, amongst many other things, (including Deathwatch --
the second biggest selling Graphic Novel from Warhammer/Black Library).
His Disease, Desire, Delinquency blog is a gem of a site when it comes
to news on some MUK titles, and written with humour too - always a plus.
Fiona Avery
Official: www.FionaAvery.com
Writer of the 2001 sries from Top Cow, No Honor. Has also written
for Marvel. Contributed stories to the Crusade follow up television
series to Babylon 5 and is also a novelist.
Scott Beatty
Official: www.scottbeatty.com
The Official Website of comic book writer Scott Beatty (Robin:
Year One, various DC Universe Secret
Files & Origins). This site offers a look
behind the curtains with sneak peeks of what is upcoming.
Ed Berridge
Monster Squad Official Site: www.freewebs.com/monstersquad
Writer for British fanzine FutureQuake'
s The End is Nigh and co-creator of Pony
School, Berridge thinks your mother is pretty foxy and wears better
shoes than you. Ed's Monster Squad appears in every
issue of British fanzine FutureQuake.
David Bishop
Official: viciousimagery.blogspot.com
Professional journalist, former 2000AD and Judge Dredd: The Megazine editor, David's credits include The Phantom comic, historical feratures on 2000AD and The Megazine for, well, the Megazine, and various Doctor Who novels, David's a man of many talents, not least of which was putting up with me as a flat mate for some time, poor man. Now lives north of the border, where he's also involved in the Biggar Theatre Workshop. Warning: the pictire of him on his blog is very scary.
T. Casey Brennan
Official: www.konformist.com/mkkafe/tcasey/tcasey.htm
This is one of several links for the writer. The
Black Mistress, an obscure Phantom
Lady imitator created by Bill Black (and scripted
by Brennan), seems to be gaining momentum on the Internet. Brennan
wrote several Phantom Lady stories for Bill Black, two of them published
in Fem Fantastique # 1 and #3. Brenan feels the character
be "a ridiculous racial and sexual double entendre, offensive to an extreme
degree -- in short, the kind of thing Netizens love". Find one strip
at: http://www.videogasm.com
Official: http://www.writing.me.uk
This site deals with Chris' quest to become a comic book writer, while providing
resources to fellow comic creators (aspiring and otherwise).Includes plenty of links and advice on comics writing, not just from Chris but other creators too. (An example -- should comic strip scripts be double spaced)
Joe Casey
Official: www.manofaction.tv/casey
Joe's credits include Automatic Kafka, Wildcats and Hip Flask
Antonella Caputo
Link: www.graphicclassics.com
Lancaster-based writer who mainly writes scripts for comics and graphic
novels. Her work has been published in America, Italy, Mexico and the
UK and she has worked with comics artists such as Rick Geary, Mark A
Nelson and her partner, Nick Miller (co-creator, with John Freeman, of
the Greatcoat strip).
For examples of her work, please check out www.graphicclassics.com.
Christina Z
Official: www.ChristinaZ.com
Writer and designer. Writer of Witchblade, CreeD, and Tigra
Michael T. Collins
Official: www.freakhousegraphics.co.uk
Mike's written for several titles, including DC's Star
Trek, Doctor Who Magazine and many more. Oh, and he's a brilliant artist,
too. Talented swine! (It's okay, I'm on his Christmas card list, he knows
I like him really. Mike, put that sharpened pencil down.
That's not a very nice thing do do with a sharp instrument...)
Paul Cornell
Link: www.paulcornell.blogspot.com
After contributing to British fanzines, Paul Cornell entered and won
a Young Writers’ competition that saw his Kingdom
Come screened
on BBC2. He then focussed on children’s television, before branching
out to contribute to the supernatural series Springhill and
briefly contributed to Coronation Street. His
credits also include Children’s
Ward, Casualty,
Holby City and Doctors,
but he will be best known to genre TV fans for his work on Doctor
Who and Robin Hood Adventures.
His Doctor Who script Father's Day was nominated
for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2006,
and reached third place.
He has also written six Doctor Who novels,
three audio books and the animated internet adventure Scream of
the Shalka,
comic strips for Doctor Who Magazine, plus novels and audio books featuring
Bernice Summerfield, a spin-off character from one of his Who books.
Paul has also written two mainstream science-fiction novels and several
non-fiction books about television.
His comics credits aside from Doctor Who include
stories for the Judge Dredd Megazine and
Wisdom for Marvel Comics.
Daniel Cox
ComicSpace: www.comicspace.com/danielcox
UK based writer, creator of The
HDKD which appeared in Dimestroe's Mysterious
Visions anthology from in 2007; the full story should be available
now in web and print versions. The Human DK Dynamic! is a beautiful meditation
on Buddhist concepts of life and death cunningly disguised as kick ass
zombie kung fu action! Featuring a host of demons, giant mechs, ninjas,
pop stars and 1,000 undead Zombiezillas.
He's also creator of the superb Frequent
Flyers and wokrs with Dan
White on The
Graveyard Cats cartoon.
Peter David
Official: peterdavid.malibulist.com
Peter David is a prolific author whose career,
and continued popularity, spans nearly two decades. He has worked in
every conceivable media: Television, film, books (fiction, non-fiction
and audio, over 50 of them), short stories, and comic books, and acquired
followings in all of them.
His web site is a essentially blog and it's well worth dropping in
and seeing what he has to say on "stuff". His comments
are rarely dull!
Jamie Delano
Official: www.jamiedelano.co.uk
Official site with current projects, biography, and more.
Andy Diggle
Official: www.andydiggle.com
ComicSpace: www.comicspace.com/andydiggle
Freelance comics writer, currently
working for 2000AD and DC Comics. Comics include Green Arrow: Year One and
The
Losers. Previously editor of 2000AD, for
which he won the 2001 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Editor.
He's also worked on unproduced movie scripts and treatments, and did
a dialogue polish on the computer game Magic
And Mayhem for Mythos Games.
Paul Dinis Web
Blog: www.livejournal.com/users/kingofbreakfast/
Paul Dini helped createcartoons at Warner Bros. from 1989. Starting
with Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toons Adventures, he went on
to write (and eventually coproduce) Batman: The Animated Series.
He won four Emmys, three comics industry Eisner awards, and has,
within the space of sixteen years, written more cartoons than most
sane people will see in a lifetime. He recently (as of August 2005)
left the day to day writing staff of drama series Lost to concentrate
on feature film screenplays, TV animation pilots and "a new monthly comic book series" which he describes as a "sexy
action/adventure with a very harsh, sinister twist."
Chuck Dixon
Official: www.dixonverse.com
Dixon cut his teeth writing the Savage
Sword of Conan and since then his credits include
many scripts for DC Comics including Detective
Comics. After a long run with DC Comics and
other publishers, hew recently moved to Floriad where he works writing
multi-genre stories for CrossGen Comics.
Jim Dougan
LiveJournal: chatterbox-dc.livejournal.com/ChatterBox
The Chemistry Set: www.chemsetcomics.com
Jim is a comic writer hailing from the Hudson Valley hamlet of Millbrook,
NY, and currently lives in Washington, DC. His best-known work in comics
is the comedy graphic novella Crazy
Papers, drawn by Danielle Corsetto.
Jim is a founding member of the comics collective The
Chemistry Set,
and the editor of the first ChemSet anthology collection No
Formula,
coming in August 2008 from Desperado
Publishing.
In whatever time he has
left over from creating comics, he works as an economics consultant,
hangs out with his awesome wife Rachel, and cheers for DC United.
Warren Ellis
Official: www.warrenellis.com
If you want opinions, this guy has them in spades, and bucket loads
of talent, too. Ellis also has his own forum over on Delphi. Gosh,
I wish I'd held onto the fnazines he used to write way back in the
late 1980s.
Mark Evanier
Official: www.povonline.com
Simon Furman
Official: www.wildfur.net
This site, created in partnership with artist Andrew Wildman, is a blank slate right now. Jump over to The Engine to view this writer's latest project. Simon Furman probably knows more about Transformers than anyone else alive.
Furman cut his comic book teeth editorially on Scream! (a junior horror
title published in 1985 by IPC Magazines) and Captain Britain Monthly (for
Marvel UK), and his first script work - bar a few short stories in UK horror
comic Scream! - appeared in Transformers (UK, issue #13). While continuing
to edit titles such as Thundercats, Furman wrote numerous (too numerous to
list here) Transformers stories and scripts for Zoids, Doctor Who Monthly and
the US-format comic books Death's Head and Dragon's Claws. Furman then took
over the script duties on the US Transformers book with issue #56, and has
since written Alpha Flight, She-Hulk, What If?, Transformers: Generation 2
and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Now working primarily in TV animation, Furman has
scripted episodes of Beast Wars, Roswell Conspiracies, X-Men: Evolution and
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future.
Neil Gaiman
Official: www.neilgaiman.com
During the course of almost 20 years as a writer, British-born Neil Gaiman
has been one of the top writers in modern comics, and is now a best-selling
novelist.
He was the creator/writer of monthly cult DC Comics horror-weird series,
Sandman, which won Neil the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for best
writer (1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994), best continuing series (1991, 1992
and 1993), best graphic album -- reprint (1991), and the Best Graphic
Album -- New (1993); the Harvey Award for best writer (1990, 1991) and
best continuing series (1992); and Sandman #19 took the 1991 World Fantasy
Award for best short story (making it the first comic ever to be awarded
a literary award).
The best-selling author of several novels including Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, and Good Omens with Terry Pratchett, Gaiman has also authored the critically-acclaimed children's books The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and Coraline. His short fiction has appeared in the collections Smoke and Mirrors and Angels and Visitations. He currently resides in a gothic mansion in the American Midwest.
See also:
• The Neil Gaiman Visual Biography
•
The Dreaming: www.holycow.com/dreaming
Dan Goldman
Official: http://dangoldman.net
Dan Goldman is a New York-based writer, artist and designer. His critically-acclaimed
graphic novel Shooting
War was listed among 2007's top graphic novels in the Village
Voice and Publisher's Weekly.
He is also a founding member of online comics anthology ACT-I-VATE,
where he serializes the psychedelic psychodrama "Kelly".
Dan is currently working with The New Republic's Michael Crowley on 08:
A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail, a nonfiction comics
memoir of the presidential primaries to be published by Crown Books
in autumn 2008.
Alan Grant
Official:
Bad Press: www.badpressltd.com
Northern Lightz:
www.northernlightz.com
Prolific comics writer Alan Grant is well known
for his work on 2000AD and
Batman, but he also wrote Doomlord and
Joe Soap for
the 1980s Eagle and
is co creator of characters such as The
Bogie Man.
He has also written a graphic
novel adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel
Kidnapped,
with art by Cam Kennedy, as part of
a project revolving around Edinburgh being the first UNESCO City
of Literature in 2007. This talented writer and editor always has
a number of comics-based projects in the pipeline, including publications
from Bad Press
• Read a 2002 interview with Alan Grant by
Andy Diggle: Go
Paul Gravett
Official: www.paulgravett.com
Writer, editor, publisher -- this may perhaps not be the best page for Paul Gravett,
whose name is synonymous in the UK with promoting independent and non-English
language comics, fostering new comics talent, promoting manga... oh, and lining
up my
first ever writing gig, The Science Service. But he is a news-filled sort of guy! He also writes also a column for Comics International magazine.
Noel
K. Hannan
Official: www.ankh.datasnake.co.uk/ankh.htm
This website is the home of Noel K.
Hannan's science fiction publishing featuring archive material
from Nightfall Press, Bad To The Bone and ankh. There's also over
x thousand words of fiction including the complete texts of two novels,
Kingdoms of Clay and The Children, and an MP3 soundtrack for the
graphic novel Streetmeat.
Tony Isabella
Official: www.wfcomics.com/tony
The official website for Tony Isabella, "America's Most Beloved Comic-Book Writer & Columnist" (it
says here).
Geoff Johns
Official: www.geoffjohns.com
Anthony Johnston
Official: www.antonyjohnston.com
Blog: www.mostlyblack.com
Author, designer and illustrator. Comics include Frightening
Curves, Midway the
sci-fi epic Wasteland for
Oni Press, and the all-ages fantasy Western Texas Strangers for
Image Comics. He also writes the Alex
Rider graphic novel adaptations for Walker
Books, and his second novel Stealing
Life was recently published by Abaddon
Books.
D. Curtis Johnson
Official: deeptht.armory.com/~crisper/
Co-creator (along with
J.H Williams III) of the much too short-lived DC series Chase.
Simon Jowett
Official: www.simonjowett.com
Making stuff up since the late 20th century, Simon has written
for some of the biggest names in children's television, including Bob
the Builder and Wallace & Gromit,
and some of the biggest names in action-adventure, including James Bond, Spider-Man,
Doctor Who and A.T.O.M. He is currently writing for
Chop Socky Chooks, a new series from the company behind
Wallace & Gromit, Zula
Patrol, the scientific
edu-comedy from Zeeter Productions, and is developing a to be announced action-comedy
series for Cartoon Network.
Rachel Kadushin
Link: www.bestfriendsproductions.com/rachelinfo.htm
Co-creator of Heroes in Birmingham
Jim Keefe
Official: www.keefestudios.com
Flash Gordon writer and artist. Among other things, this site has a superb section devoted to Flash Gordon.
Joe Kelly
Official: www.manofaction.tv/kelly/index.html
Joe's credits include JLA, Superboy, Steampunk
and more.
Tony Lee
Blog: mrtonylee.blogspot.com
Live Journal: http://users.livejournal.com/_tonylee_
Comics Bulletin Column: www.comicsbulletin.com/hoaw
Tony Lee has written a variety of titles out including Dodge & Twist out from AiT/PlanetLar, Warrior Nun Areala: Excommunicated from Antarctic Press, Hope Falls from AAM/Markosia and Doctor Who: The Forgotten from IDW Publishing.
Andy Mangels
Official: www.andymangels.com
Andy Mangels always planned to be a comic book
artist. While in college, he sold his first writing in the comic industry,
and the emphasis for his career shifted to writing instead of art. His
comics work includes stories Bloodwulf (a best seller), Nightmares On
Elm Street, Quantum Leap,
Elfquest: Blood of Ten Chiefs,
Superboy and
Batman Adventures.
he also edited the award-winning Gay Comics for eight years. He's also
a busy author and feature writer.
Graham Marks
Official: www.marksworks.co.uk
The freelance Children's Editor for Publishing News since 1993, Graham's
comics credits include Genetix and Motormouth for Marvel UK. He's also
written many novels including Zoo for Bloomsbury.
Don McGregor
Official: www.donmcgregor.com
Don has written in almost every genre comics
has to offer. He broke into comics doing Creepy and Eerie at Warren
in the early 1970s. He then got an editorial job at Marvel, continued
in horror with Morbius,
picked up superheroes with Luke Cage and the Black Panther (which he'd
revisit at least twice more, establishing himself as the definitive
Black Panther writer) and did a little Science Fiction with a character
called Killraven. In 1978, he created Sabre at Eclipse, the first graphic
novel to be sold in comic stores. He then created the beloved Detectives,
Inc. and wrote short stories in Eclipse Magazine for a short while.
In the 1980s, Don also created Ragamuffins, Alexander Risk, and Nathaniel
Dusk -- all critically acclaimed works. Don has been fortunate enough
to work with some incredible artists: Billy Graham, Paul Gulacy, Gene
Colan to name just a few.
An interview with Don at: www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/don_mcgregor.htm
Alan McKenzie
Official: www.thestoryworks.com
Former editor of 2000AD, Doctor Who Monthly, Starburst and many other
titles. He's now an award-winning web designer.
Bill Mantlo
A prolific contributor to Marvel Comics in the 1970s, Tony Isabella informed
comics fans that after leaving the comics field to practice law, Bill
Mantlo suffered what is called a 'closed-head, traumatic brain injury'
after being struck by a car approximately six-and- a-half years ago.
While he was able to regain nearly all of his physical abilities, he was,
and remains, severely impaired cognitively. Outside of immediate family,
Bill currently has little, or no, contact with the 'outside world' on
any regular basis.
If fans of Bill's work would like to communicate with him, all cards/letters
should be sent to Bill in care of: The Mantlo Family, 1995 Miller Place,
Merrick, NY 11566 USA. They will relay all correspondence to Bill during
one of our near-daily visits with him, and if possible, will try to
have Bill respond personally, as best he can.
The most recent published work by Mantlo was in Heavy Metal's 20th
anniversary issue, a short story written years ago for French artist
Jean-Claude Gal. The writer's brother described it as "a neat
Indiana Jones-type adventure."
Publishers seeking to contact Mantlo's family for the payment of royalties
owed to the writer for the various reprintings of his work can contact
them at the above address.
Source: Comic Book Net Mag
• Read a tribute to Bill Mantlo
at: www.whiterose.org/howlingcurmudgeons/archives/007058.html
Mark Millar
Official: www.millarworld.net
One of the most acclaimed and successful creators currently working in comics, Mark Millar has written two of the best-selling US comic book titles of recent years: Marvels' The Ultimates and
Ultimate X-Men. The Avatar Press site
describes him as a "writer who is known for the range of his
contributions to the field with everything from the romance of
Trouble to intensity of The Authority, Millar also weaves a huge
range of elements into his stories - from politics to relationships,
religion to science, and everything in between - blending them
into seemless,unrelenting action and drama."
•
Buy The Ultimates 1 Volume One from amazon.co.uk: Click Here
• Buy The Ultimates 1 Volume One from amazon.com: Click Here
• Buy The Ultimates 1 Volume Two from amazon.co.uk: Click Here
• Buy The Ultimates 1 Volume Two from amazon.com: Click Here
• Buy The Ultimates Volume Two: Homeland Security from amazon.co.uk: Click Here
• Buy The Ultimates Volume Two: Homeland Security from amazon.com: Click Here
Frank Miller
Fan Site: The
Unofficial Frank Miller Site
Excellent site devoted to the work of Frank Miller. Well laid out and
with sensible navigation.
Gary Spencer Millidge
Official: www.millidge.com
Abiogenesis Press PO Box 448 Southend-On-Sea
Essex SS1 2FN England
Writer, artist and publisher of the highly-acclaimed Strangehaven.
Graphic novels of this title are distributed in the US by Top
Shelf.
Pat Mills
• Wikipedia Entry
• 2004 Interview on 2000AD Review
• Read Pat's tribute to Massimo Belardinelli on downthetubes
Pat Mills is the British comics writer best known
as the co-creator of Marshal
Law (with artist Kevin O'Neill), and the creator of the science-fiction
themed British magazine, 2000AD.
His strips for this include Nemesis
the Warlock (also
with Kevin O'Neill), Judge Dredd, Sláine,
Greysuit, and Defoe:
1666. He also writes the best-selling French
graphic novel series Requiem, Vampire
Knight with
art by Olivier Ledroit, various other
French series (read
more about them here), and a Doctor
Who radio
play.
Doug Moench
Fan Site: The
Man Behind Batman
Alan Moore
“I despise the comic industry,
but I will always love the comic medium,” says Moore. “The
sun will have turned into a dull red ember before I am doing any
licensed characters for anybody.”
Alan Moore, interviewed by New York Press, June 2006
I first encountered Alan Moore at
the legendary Westminster comic marts many years ago. Matt Bingham
and I had produced this satirical
fanzine
about comics which included a letters page spoofing the style of
letters we thought comics creators would write, including Alan. We
gave Alan a copy
at a
signing ("Did I write you a letter?") he asked. And ran away.
A few weeks later we got a real letter from Alan promising horrible
revenge. He was joking of course. Well, I think he was joking, but
it could explain the eight fot tall demon that lives in my cellar these
days. He did subscribe to the 'zine though, which was very nice of
him, considering how big and frightening he might apear to some.
You can read some of his early
strips on this site devoted to his work for the music newspaper Sounds.
Of course since then, and the days of Westminster Comic Marts, Alan
gone on to do millions of things that still stagger most comics readers
today including Lost
Girls, Watchmen, From
Hell and
ABC Comics.
Alan Moore doesn't have an official site (he uses a typewriter to write
all his scripts), but this site offers the latest news on what Alan's
up to: www.alanmoorefansite.com
This
Brazillian site features tons of interviews with Alan, pics
and more. If you
want to read some great advice about writing comics, take a look.
• Conducted in two sessions in
September and October 2002, and originally serialised in the 2000AD
fanzine Zarjaz, Daniel Whiston's interview with the legendary Alan Moore now appears on the Engine Comics web site. It's a fascinating indepth discussion on the creative process behind his writing, a must read for any fan of literature.
Link:www.enginecomics.co.uk/interviews/interviews.htm
Leah Moore and John Reppion
Link: www.moorereppion.com
In addition to the wonderful British comics revival Albion,
Leah Moore and John Reppion's combined credits include Raise
the Dead and Witchblade:
Shades of Gray for Dynamite Entertainment, Dark
Horse Book Of Monsters - The Horror Beneath for Dark Horse,
Monsters Anthology - Lusca for Accent UK and Wildstorm's 2004-5 Wild
Girl mini series.
Leah Moore is also an illustrator whose work includes the cover of
Puny Earthling's Puny Earthling #1 and she has written two short stories
for the 2007 Royal Mail Christmas stamps first day cover and presentation
pack which will be released in November 2007. Her solo strip
scripts include Tom Strong's Terrific Tales
#5 - "King Solomon
Pines" and Tom Strong #19 - "Bad To The Bone" for America's
Best Comics.
John Reppion's credits include various zombie related articles and
reviews for the online sites Revenant Magazine (www.RevenantMagazine.com),
book reviews for Fractal Matter (www.FractalMatter.com)
and comic strips such as The End Is Nigh
#1: Zombies - "Theological
Dead End", The End Is Nigh #2:
War - "The Gods Of War" and "Megiddo",
The End Is Nigh #3: Watch The Skies -"It's Raining Them!" for
End Is Nigh and more.
• Buy
Albion from Amazon.co.uk (Titan edition)
• Buy
Albion from Amazon.com (Wildstorm edition)
• Read
the February 2007 dtb interview with Leah and John
• Read Joe Gordon's January 2007 interview on the Forbidden Planet International
site
Grant Morrison
Official: www.grant-morrison.com
Includes info on the Invisibles
his upcoming comics work.
Try this link for a comprehensive list of his work: http://www.timemachinego.com/morrison/
Denny O'Neil
Column: www.worldfamouscomics.com/cyberden/
The official website of Denny O'Neil operated by friends and fans of
the storyteller! This website also serves as the supplement to the O'Neil
Observer Quarterly Fanzine dedicated to storytelling of Denny and the
craft of comic book writing. The fanzine and the companion website is
a place for comic book fans to analyze, discuss, and of course, celebrate
the work of Denny O'Neil and other comic book writers.
Harris O'Malley
Link: www.studiounderhill.com
Studio Underhill, P.O. Box 685135 Austin, TX 78768-5135 USA
Harris O'Malley is the writer/artist/publisher of the dark urban-fantasy series Between the Cracks and Masquerade. He's also collaborated with writer Jens Altmann on the horror graphic novel Beserker.
Jim Ottaviani
Official: www.gt-labs.com
So, you've always wanted to learn how to build an atomic bomb? You're
in luck: Jim Ottaviani is not only a comics writer...he also has a master's
degree in nuclear engineering!
Rob Plumpton
Official: www.robplumpton.co.uk
ComicSpace: www.comicspace.com/robertwplumpton
Rob describes himself as "an excellent writer with great ideas, but
the visual abilities of a four year old." His site includes information
on his projects (including picture books, graphic novels and strips like
"Superfrog"). He works with artist Dan
Waring, among others.
Pure Crass
Official: www.geocities.com/purecrass
Purecrass. Home of comic writer/artist duo
David Hailwood and Stuart Giddings. Both have been published in numerous
Independent comics, and are long serving members of the Temple APA. David
Hailwood recently had a film on TV about killer socks, which he prays
no-one ever saw...
Jason Quinn
Telephone: 00 34 968 553778 E-mail: jason.q@terra.es
Jason Quinn's first writing work was for the Spanish equivalent
of Mills & Boon. Since then he has written for most of Marvel and Panini UK’s
titles. He recently completed scripts for the hit CiTV show Dream
Street. Jason's current comic strip script work includes Panini
UK's Spectacular Spider-Man,Action Man and
Power Rangers.
Peter Rogers
Official: www.peter-rogers.com
British comics writer whose credits include a Vietnam-based horror "Eye
of the Storm" , with art by Azim Akberali.
Sara Ryan
Official: www.sararyan.com
Author of the highly-praised Empress
of the World. She says on her site: "The best writing
advice she ever got came from Kate Wilhelm: 'Write what you would
most want to read.' The second best came from Harry Ingham: 'You
are much better when you show your soul than when you display your
erudition.'
Steven T. Seagle
Official: www.manofaction.tv/seagle/index.html
Credits include The Crusades, House of Secrets and Superman
Ricky Sprague
Link: childmurderingrobot.blogspot.com
Los Angeles-based Comic book writer, cartoonist, and filmmaker. Writer
on the ongoing KISS comic announced in January 2007 from Platinum
Studios.("The original -- and the BEST -- rock superheros of
all time return to comic books in 2007! A mysterious and beautiful
figure reveals to each KISS member that they carry the world-protecting
warrior spirits of the 4K -- but have they learned this incredible
secret too late?")
J. Michael Stracyznski
Online posts archive: www.cs.sunysb.edu/~ezk/b5jms/
In addition to being the crerator of Babylon
5 and Crusade, Straczynski has written numerous comics, including
Amazing Spider-Man for Marvel.
J.
Michael Straczynski: Words, Words, Words
A guide to writing, with a particular emphasis on comics writing, which apears
on the comis web site Newsarama
Jake Tinsley
Official: www.myspace.com/whambangcomics
At 13, Jake Tinsley of Lake Worth, Texas is one of the youngest published comic book writers in America. He is the creator and writer of the comic book and comic strip adventures of 12-year-old Shaman superhero Night Owl. Jake is in the process of writing a Night Owl children's book and creating several other characters for publication. ROK Comics runs Jake's Night Owl strip, for which rising manga star Jason Dube does the art.
Ben Tinsley
Official: www.myspace.com/whambangcomics
Ben Tinsley, a veteran journalist with nearly 20 years of experience, writes, edits and publishes titles for Wham Bang Comics, including Night Owl, Genius, John Doe, and Sentinels of Freedom. He also is the father of 13-year-old comic book writer Jake Tinsley. He's in the process of helping Jake and manga artist Jason Dube finish an upcoming children's book based on the Night Owl character -- a 12-year-old shaman superhero. Ben Tinsley is the lead writer on the upcoming El Diablo comic book.
Tom Tully
The writer on countless British comics classics, now beleived retired,
Tom Tully has never talked about his work in print. It is believed
he ran a pub at one point and tried to break into children's books.
Richard Sheaf reports that in 1989 Tom, who was writing Dan Dare for the 1980s Eagle at that time, wrote to Eagle Times (the quarterly journal of the Eagle Society) with the following to say:
"I have had several requests over the years to talk or write about my involvement with the original Eagle, most of it from someone called Dragon's Dream [a reference to a republisher of Eagle strips - John].
"I did script Heros the Spartan, and other things, but I've never been one to speculate on the past, from a purely mercenary point of view... it does nothing for the old bank balance. The original Eagle was, I will admit, a publishing milestone, and I think it right that it should be commemorated in magazines such as yours.
I am quite proud of the current Dan Dare series which I also script, and a about to embark on what I believe will be a classic outer-space story. I know the artwork is indifferent, but we are about to do something about that. Whether we like it or not, the tastes of readers have changed. I think the original Dan and Digby look quite preposterous these days... like a couple of pensioned-off traffic wardens.
As I said, I am not too keen on contributing to the debate on old Eagle 'classics', and if this letter does not constitute the basis for an article, pleaes accept my apolgoies. I have never regarded any of my work as legendary, and am more interested in promoting my career in childrens' books at the moment."
Of course that was written nearly 20 years ago and his views may have altered since then. But we wouldn't bet on it!
John Wagner
Co-creator of Judge Dredd. Read
and an interview by Joe Gordon with John Wagner
about the 2006 Judge Dredd epic Origins.
Official: www.gn.apc.org/thunderlizard/index.html
Interview: Click here for the dtbinterview with Steve White about Walace & Gromit Comic
Both illustrator and writer, Steve edited a huge number of comics for Marvel UK, including Transformers and the original and much-admired run of Knights of Pendragon.
Brian Wood
Official: www.brianwood.com
Writer, illustrator and comics artist whose credits include The Walk and Channel Zero.
