Brent Anderson (comics) explained

Brent Anderson
Birth Name:Brent Eric Anderson[1]
Birth Date:15 June 1955
Birth Place:San Jose, California, U.S.
Art:y
Pencil:y
Notable Works:
Astro City
Awards:Inkpot Award, 1985
Harvey Award, 1996, 1997
Eisner Award, 1996–1998
Website:http://www.BrentAndersonArt.com

Brent Anderson (born June 15, 1955[2]) is an American comics artist known for his work on and the comic book series Astro City.

Early life

In junior high school, Brent Anderson discovered the pantheon of characters in Marvel Comics. The first Marvel comic he read was Fantastic Four #69, "By Ben Betrayed" (Dec. 1967), "They were a family who had super-powers and helped each other out. I wanted to be part of a family like that," he says.[3] Anderson began writing and drawing his own comics on school binder paper, creating a pantheon of his own that included "Radium the Robot" and "The Chameleon". After doing fanzine illustrations, Anderson's first professional comics work appeared in the mid-1970s in independent/underground publications such as All-Slug, Tesserae, and Venture.[4]

Career

Anderson was one of several artists to draw the comics adaptation of Xanadu in Marvel Super Special #17 (Summer 1980).[5] In 1981, Ka-Zar The Savage, written by Bruce Jones, became Anderson's first regular series. The graphic novel followed,[6] as well as artwork on a number of Marvel Comics series, including the heroic space-opera . During this period, Anderson was active doing artwork for independent publishers Pacific Comics and Eclipse Comics, including the innovative cinematic comic Somerset Holmes.[7]

In 1995, Anderson co-created with writer Kurt Busiek and cover artist Alex Ross, the award-winning Astro City. Other work included J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars: Untouchable spin-off series written by Fiona Avery covering the life story of special assassin Laurel Darkhaven. Work continues on a 200-plus page graphic novel, Jar of Ashes, written by Shirley Johnston. Anderson worked with writer Marv Wolfman on a one-shot featuring Green Lantern and Plastic Man entitled Green Lantern/Plastic Man: Weapons of Mass Deception, released in December 2010.[8] A Phantom Stranger ongoing series written by Dan DiDio and drawn by Anderson began in September 2012.[9] In June 2013, Busiek and Anderson relaunched their Astro City series as part of DC's Vertigo line.[10] [11] The ongoing Astro City series concluded as of issue #52 in 2018.[12]

In April 2022, Anderson was reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to Operation USA's benefit anthology book, Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, a project spearheaded by IDW Publishing Special Projects Editor Scott Dunbier, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[13] [14] Anderson and Kurt Busiek teamed up to contribute a new Astro City story to the anthology, which will harbor themes relevant to the events in Ukraine.[15]

Art style

Anderson's work fits into the category of "realism" defined by Neal Adams, one of Anderson's many artistic influences.[16] Anderson's work is known for its focus on character. "My greatest joy in drawing comics comes when I've added nuance to a character with just the right expression and illustrated a scene that captures the perfect moment of mood. When the characters come to life I feel alive. That's why I've dedicated my professional life to creating comics."

Awards

Bibliography

DC Comics

Vertigo

Wildstorm

Eclipse Comics

Image Comics

Marvel Comics

Now Comics

Pacific Comics

Slave Labor Graphics

External links

Notes and References

  1. Per the cover of Marvel Graphic Novel #5: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (1982)
  2. Web site: John Jackson Miller . Miller . John Jackson . Comics Industry Birthdays . . June 10, 2005 . Iola, Wisconsin . December 12, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110218031356/http://cbgxtra.com/knowledge-base/for-your-reference/comics-industry-birthdays . February 18, 2011 . dead . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: Bio. Brent. Anderson. n.d.. Brentandersonart.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20130602210828/http://www.brentandersonart.com/bio.asp. June 2, 2013. live. mdy-all.
  4. Web site: Anderson, Brent. Jerry. Bails. Jerry Bails. 2006. Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999. https://web.archive.org/web/20120304002804/http://www.bailsprojects.com/%28S%28o3ybip55kq0pvqe2h4lkyg35%29%29/bio.aspx?Name=ANDERSON%2C+BRENT. March 4, 2012. live. mdy-all. December 29, 2013.
  5. Friedt. Stephan. Marvel at the Movies - The House of Ideas' Hollywood Adaptations of the 1970s and 1980s. Back Issue!. 89. 64. TwoMorrows Publishing. July 2016. Raleigh, North Carolina. The interior [art] was a group effort with over a dozen people credited with different aspects of the artwork (including layouts by Rich Buckler and Jimmy Janes, and finished pencils by Michael Nasser [Netzer], Brent Anderson, Joe Brozowski, Al Milgrom, and Bill Sienkiewicz)..
  6. Web site: Brent Anderson. August 14, 2009. Lambiek Comiclopedia. https://web.archive.org/web/20130526071123/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/anderson_brent.htm. May 26, 2013. live. mdy-all. December 29, 2013.
  7. Schweier. Philip. Somerset Holmes. Back Issue!. 90. 48–55. TwoMorrows Publishing. August 2016. Raleigh, North Carolina.
  8. Web site: First Look: Green Lantern/Plastic Man: Weapons of Mass Deception. Alex. Segura. September 16, 2010. DC Comics. https://web.archive.org/web/20131230015201/http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/09/16/first-look-green-lanternplastic-man-weapons-of-mass-deception. December 30, 2013. live. mdy-all.
  9. News: DC Adds Four to New 52, Including DiDio's Phantom Stranger . Vaneta . Rogers . June 8, 2012 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20120611151650/http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dc-new-52-four-series-didio-phantom-stranger.html . June 11, 2012 . dead . mdy-all . June 10, 2012 . Written by [Dan] DiDio with art by Brent Anderson, The Phantom Stranger will spin out of the character's recent appearances in Justice League and DC's Free Comic Book Day story. .
  10. News: Astro City Moves to Vertigo with New Series in June. Albert. Ching. April 1, 2013. Newsarama. https://web.archive.org/web/20130626155524/http://www.newsarama.com/17318-astro-city-moves-to-vertigo-with-new-series-in-june.html. June 26, 2013. live. mdy-all.
  11. News: Busiek takes fans on another trip through Astro City. Brian. Truitt. June 3, 2013. USA Today. https://web.archive.org/web/20180811101939/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/06/03/kurt-busiek-astro-city-comic-book-series/2383501/. August 11, 2018. September 30, 2013. mdy-all. live.
  12. News: Astro City Ongoing Ends in April, With Plans for OGN Future. Chris. Arrant. January 22, 2018. Newsarama. https://web.archive.org/web/20180811095945/https://www.newsarama.com/38281-astro-city-ongoing-ends-with-plans-for-ogn-future.html. August 11, 2018. live. mdy-all. August 11, 2018.
  13. Web site: ZOOP launches benefit anthology COMICS FOR UKRAINE: SUNFLOWER SEEDS. Kaplan, Rebecca O.. The Beat. en-US. live. April 18, 2022. April 26, 2022. April 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220418170150/https://www.comicsbeat.com/zoop-launches-benefit-anthology-comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/.
  14. Web site: 'Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds' to benefit Ukrainian refugees. AIPT. Brooke, David. en-US. live. April 18, 2022. April 26, 2022. April 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220426153140/https://aiptcomics.com/2022/04/18/comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/.
  15. Web site: Comic Book Creators Team for Ukraine Relief Effort Anthology 'Sunflower Seed'. The Hollywood Reporter. Kit, Borys. en-US. live. April 20, 2022. April 30, 2022. April 20, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220420202544/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/arts/comic-book-anthology-sunflower-seed-ukraine-relief-effort-1235131833.
  16. Web site: Comic Vine Interview with Brent Anderson. Tony. Guerrero. July 1, 2008. Comic Vine. https://web.archive.org/web/20131230014607/http://www.comicvine.com/articles/comic-vine-interview-with-brent-anderson/1100-133242/. December 30, 2013 . live. mdy-all.