Brian Bolland (; born 26 March 1951)Salisbury, Mark, ''Artists on Comic Art'' ( Titan Books, 2000) , p. 11 is a British

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...

. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

artists for British comics anthology '' 2000 AD'', he spearheaded the '

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on ...

' of the American comics industry, and in 1982 produced the artwork on '' Camelot 3000'' (with author Mike W. Barr), which was

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with their ...

' first 12-issue comicbook

maxiseries In the field of comic books, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined before production, and it differs from ...

Salisbury, p. 17 created for the

direct market The direct market is the dominant distribution and retail network for American comic books. The concept of the direct market was created in the 1970s by Phil Seuling. The network currently consists of: * four major comic distributors: ** Lunar ...

.Salisbury, p. 10 Bolland illustrated the critically acclaimed graphic novel '' Batman: The Killing Joke'', with writer

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', '' V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

, and a self-penned '' Batman: Black and White'' story. He subsequently concentrated on working as a cover artist, producing the vast majority of his work for DC Comics. Bolland created cover artwork for the ''

Animal Man Animal Man (Bernhard "Buddy" Baker) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily "borrow" ...

'', ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'', and '' Batman: Gotham Knights'' superhero comic book series. In DC's

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

imprint, Bolland has done covers for ''

The Invisibles ''The Invisibles'' is a comic book series published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication. The series loos ...

'', '' Jack of Fables'', and a number of one-shots and

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. " Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries forma ...

. In addition to interior and cover art, Bolland has also produced several

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

s and pin-ups as both writer and artist. His most notable are the semi-autobiographical humour strip ''Mr. Mamoulian'' and the whimsical rhyming strip ''The Actress and the Bishop''. In 2006, he published ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', showcasing all of Bolland's work to date and also his work as a photographer.

Early life

Brian Bolland was born in Butterwick, Lincolnshire, to parents Albert "A.J." John, a fenland farmer, and Lillie Bolland.Bolland, Brian, "On Sale Everywhere" in Joe Pruett (ed.) ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', (

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-o ...

, 2006), , pp. 10–15 He spent his "first 18 years" living "in a small village near Boston in the fens of

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

, England," but has "no memory of comics" much before the age of ten. When American comics began to be imported into England, c.1959, Bolland says that it "took a little while for me to discover them," but by 1960 he was intrigued by Dell Comics' ''Dinosaurus!'', which fed into a childhood interest in dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Comics including '' Turok, Son of Stone'' and DC Comics' '' Tomahawk'' soon followed, and it was this burgeoning comics collection that would help inspire the young Bolland to draw his own comics around the age of ten with ideas such as "Insect League."Bolland, "The 1960s – Insect League" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 22–23 He recalls that " perheroes crept into my life by stealth," as he actively sought out covers featuring "any big creature that looked vaguely dinosaur-like, trampling puny humans." These adolescent criteria led from ''Dinosaurus!'' and ''Turok'' via ''

House of Mystery ''The House of Mystery'' is the name of several horror comics, horror, fantasy comics, fantasy, and mystery fiction, mystery comics anthology, Comics anthologies published by DC Comics. It had a companion series, ''The House of Secrets (DC Comic ...

'' to "

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. ...

and Robin howere ftenbeing harassed by big weird things, as were

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pub ...

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a b ...

tc" Soon, family outings to

Skegness Skegness ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey District of Lincolnshire, England. On the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, the town is east of Lincoln and north-east of Boston. With a population of 19,579 as of ...

became an excuse for the future artist to "trawl... round some of the more remote backstreet newsagents" for comics to store on an overflowing "bookcase I'd made in school woodwork especially." As early as 1962, aged 11, Bolland remembers thinking that "

Carmine Infantino Carmine Michael Infantino (; May 24, 1925 – April 4, 2013) was an American comics artist and editing, editor, primarily for DC Comics, during the late 1950s and early 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comic Books. Among his character creat ...

's work on the '' Flash'' and

Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day vers ...

's on ''

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

'' and the ''

Atom Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons. Every solid, liquid, gas, ...

'' had a sophistication about it that I hadn't reviouslyseen." He would later cite Kane and Alex Toth as "pinnacle of excellence," alongside "

Curt Swan Douglas Curtis Swan (February 17, 1920 – June 17, 1996) was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 195 ...

, Murphy Anderson,

Sid Greene Sidney Greene (June 18, 1906 – October 1972)Sidney Greene
at the Joe Kubert,

Ross Andru Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21. In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan (comics), T ...

, Mike Esposito,

Nick Cardy Nicholas Viscardi (October 20, 1920 – November 3, 2013), known professionally as Nick Cardy and Nick Cardi, was an American comics artist best known for his DC Comics work on Aquaman, the Teen Titans and other major characters. Cardy was induc ...

and the under-rated

Bruno Premiani Giordano Bruno Premiani (January 4, 1907 – August 17, 1984)
at the

The young Bolland did not rate

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

as highly as DC, feeling the covers cluttered and the paper quality crude. His appreciation of the artwork of

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential c ...

, he says, only materialised much later "through the eyes of a seasoned professional." He did however enjoy UK comics, including newspaper strips such as " Syd Jordan's ''

Jeff Hawke ''Jeff Hawke'' was a British science fiction comic strip created by Sydney Jordan. It was published in the ''Daily Express'' from 15 February 1955 to 18 April 1974, by which point Jordan had "written or co-written and drawn 6,474 episodes." Despit ...

'' nd

David Wright David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the New York Mets. He was drafted by the Mets in 2001 MLB draft and made ...

's '' Carol Day''",Bolland, "Influences – Carol Day by David Wright" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 17 and '' Valiant'' which featured " Eric Bradbury's '' Mytek the Mighty'' and Jesus Blasco's '' Steel Claw''".Bolland, "Influences – The Steel Claw by Jesus Blasco" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 19 Despite such a variety of inspirations, Bolland credits his eventual pursuance of art as a hobby and then vocation to a primary school art teacher, who "evidently said all the right things to me." Growing up as "an only child in a house without culture," (Bolland says that his "mother and father had no use for art, literature or music"), he embraced the late 1960s

pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ...

explosion of " pirate radio stations, music (particularly Frank Zappa...), drug taking,

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dru ...

, "peace and love," "

dropping out Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves. Canada In Canada, most ind ...

," the underground scene, '' Oz Magazine''," and other aspects of hippy culture epitomised by

underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

such as Robert Crumb's ''

Zap Comix ''Zap Comix'' is an underground comix series which was originally part of the youth counterculture of the late 1960s. While a few small-circulation self-published satirical comic books had been printed prior to this, ''Zap'' became the model for ...

''. Having taken both

O-Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...

and

A-Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

examinations in art, Bolland spent five years at art school (starting in 1969) learning

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscip ...

and

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...

. Learning to draw comics, however, was "more a self-taught thing," with Bolland eventually writing a 15,000-word dissertation in 1973 on

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...

– an "artist is teachershad never heard of." He would later recall:

UK career

Fanzines and early work

Bolland studied graphic design at Norwich University of the Arts. While at art school, Bolland drew and self-published a couple of

fanzine A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''- zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share ...

s and his work was published in British underground magazines '' Frendz'', ''

International Times ''International Times'' (''it'' or ''IT'') is the name of various underground newspapers, with the original title founded in London in 1966 and running until October 1973. Editors included John "Hoppy" Hopkins, David Mair ...

'' and '' OZ''.Bolland, "The 1970s – Time Out Illustration" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 27 In 1971, his friend Dave Harwood "took his first step into printed mass production with his ''RDH Comix''," for which Bolland provided a cover (featuring

Norwich Cathedral Norwich Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. It is the cathedral church for the Church of England Diocese of Norwich and is one of the Norwich 12 heritage sites. The cathedra ...

)."Bolland, "The 1970s – Epic & RDH Comix" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 25 Also in 1971, '' Time Out'' – an underground magazine rapidly reinventing itself into "the biggest weekly listings magazine in London" – gave Bolland his "first paid job"Bolland, "The 1980s – Time Out" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 142–143 producing an illustration of

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

guitarist

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...

. While in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, wit ...

, Bolland produced the first episodes of an adult '' Little Nemo in Slumberland''

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

entitled ''Little Nympho in Slumberland'', and when he moved to the

Central School of Art and Design The Central School of Art and Design was a public school of fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School of Arts and Cra ...

in London in 1973, he continued to produce (mostly full-page) ''Little Nympho'' strips for a 50-copy fanzine entitled ''Suddenly at 2-o-clock in the Morning.''Bolland, "The 1970s – Suddenly and Little Nympho" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 29 He also contributed a smaller,

strip Strip or Stripping may refer to: Places * Aouzou Strip, a strip of land following the northern border of Chad that had been claimed and occupied by Libya * Caprivi Strip, narrow strip of land extending from the Okavango Region of Namibia to ...

entitled "The Mixed-Up Kid" to the Central School of Art's "college newspaper... the ''Galloping Maggot''."Bolland, "The 1970s – The Mixed-Up Kid" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 34–35

''2000 AD'', ''Judge Death'' and ''Walter the Wobot''

In 1972, Bolland attended the

British Comic Art Convention The British Comic Art Convention (usually known by the moniker Comicon) was an annual British comic book convention which was held between 1968 and 1981, usually in London. The earliest British fan convention devoted entirely to comics, it was als ...

at the Waverley Hotel in London, and met "a lot of the people who were key in the comics scene of the time," including

Dez Skinn Derek "Dez" Skinn (born 4 February 1951) Miller, John Jackson"Comics Industry Birthdays" ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', 10 June 2005. Accessed 14 August 2010WebCitation archive is a British comic and magazine editor, and author of a number of books o ...

Nick Landau Nick Landau is a British media figure. He is co-owner of the Titan Entertainment Group, which publishes Titan Magazines and Titan Books, and owns the London Forbidden Planet store. In the 1970s, before starting up Titan Distributors, he publishe ...

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable ...

, Angus McKie and – crucially –

Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...

.Bolland, "1970s – Powerman" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 37 Bolland and Gibbons became firm friends. After finishing his college course, Bolland was hit with "the stark reality of unemployment" and on the advice of GibbonsSalisbury, p. 13 joined art agency Bardon Press Features. "A few two-page strips" for D.C. Thomson resulted, but Bolland would refer to this period as his "lowest time." Bardon did however produce a client called Pikin which was "planning a bi-weekly comic about an African superhero," Powerman, which was to be sold in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

. Gibbons and Bolland were to draw alternate issues (Bolland's first issue was ''Powerman'' No. 2.), and Bolland recalls that "soon Dave had drawn his entire story and I had produced just a few pages." This knowledge – "that Dave could produce a page a day... and that I was going to have to do the same" – was a shock, but proved to be "the very best kind of training ground." With comics purportedly being new to Nigeria, Bolland recalls this work being created specifically to be "really simple; six panels on a page and llthe panels had to be numbered." Not only was this work " e best way to learn the simple rules of comic book storytelling," but "better still, it was going someplace where nobody I knew could see it." He "drew around 300 pages of that very straightforward, simple-to-follow work, and I guess the storytelling flowed naturally from that."Salisbury, p. 12 Even so, he "was always struggling to get the last eight or ten pages finished," and was occasionally helped by friends, both from his "Norwich School of Art days," Gibbons and future-''2000 AD'' and '' League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' artist Kevin O'Neill.Bolland, "The 1970s – Help from Friends" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 42 Bolland writes that starting with ''Powerman'' he "found regular employment drawing comics, one of which, ''

'', in 1977–80, turned out to be quite a hit..." In early 1977, Bardon agent Barry Coker called Gibbons and Bolland to the office and showed them "mock-ups from a new science fiction comic IPC was planning to publish."Bolland, "The 1970s – 2000AD" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 57 Gibbons joined

Carlos Ezquerra Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra (12 November 1947 – 1 October 2018) was a Spanish comics artist who worked mainly in British comics. He is best known as the co-creator of ''Judge Dredd''. Biography Early work Born in Ibdes, Zaragoza (province), provin ...

in "jumping into ''2000AD'' feet first with issue 1 (or Programme, later Prog 1)... but meanwhile ollandwould have to keep drawing ''Powerman'' on isown." ''Powerman'' dropped to a monthly schedule, and Coker soon got Bolland "a cover on ''2000 AD'' in May '77 with Prog 11" (7 May 1977; signed "Bollo"). Bolland recalls of those early days that: Other covers following (nearly a third of the first 30), as well as stand-alone pages and some inking duties on Gibbons' ''

Dan Dare Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories. Dare appeared in the ''Eagle'' comic story ''Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future'' from 1950 to 1967 (and subsequently in repr ...

''. Already familiar with Nick Landau (acting editor), when another artist dropped out, Bolland was called directly to complete a ''

'' story in Prog 41 (3 Dec 77) and soon was established as a regular artist on the series.Bolland, "The 1970s – My First Dredd Nov 1977" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 42 "From that point on," writes Bolland, "either he andauor his successor Steve MacManus called me direct whenever they wanted me to do a ''Dredd'' story." Dredd stories started as traditional UK comic stories, i.e. "six-page one-offs... riters

Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfather o ...

and John Wagner seem ngto spurn the American comic idea of continuing stories or, worse, the idea of a ''2000 AD'' continuity between characters," Bolland seeing this as a "strength... hav ngone great new idea each week."Bolland, "The 1970s – Dredd Stories and 2000AD covers" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 72 Soon, though, the writers began to craft serials, and Bolland's distinct abilities with subtle facial expressions, dramatic lighting and the dynamic composition of page layout made him the perfect choice to draw the ongoing sagas, starting with " The Lunar Olympics". Bolland contributed artwork to such ''Judge Dredd'' story-arcs as " Luna Period", " The Cursed Earth", " The Day the Law Died", " The Judge Child Quest" and " Block Mania". As the Dredd stories rose in popularity, they "were moved so they started on the middle pages" with a colour double-page spread, which Bolland "always struggled with"Bolland, "The 1970s – The Muties Mountain Double Page Spread" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 76 finding it "very difficult... ryingto fill that space most effectively." Ultimately the weekly deadlines meant that Bolland was unable to produce all episodes of the epic storylines himself, and the art chores on ''The Cursed Earth'' were split between Bolland and Mike McMahon. Bolland's early work on ''Judge Dredd'' was much influenced by McMahon, a talented newcomer whose idiosyncratic style was fuelling the interest in the new character. Bolland thought McMahon was "terrific, the real ideas man on Dredd," but noted that McMahon's approach was "very

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

ic," while the "average comics reader, certainly at the time, does tend to prefer realism." Bolland therefore states that he "aped Mike's genius... and then reinterpreted reddin a style which actually borrowed a lot from the work of the American artists," retaining McMahon's "granite-jawed" look but bringing a level of realism and fine detail to the character, which Mark Salisbury says "finally cemented the iconic image." As well as honing the look of the character and contributing to the highest-profile early storylines, Bolland also created the look of two of the wider Dredd universe's most enduring characters: Judge Death (and the other three Dark Judges) and

Judge Anderson Judge Cassandra Anderson is a fictional law enforcer and psychic appearing in the British science fiction comics '' 2000 AD'' and the ''Judge Dredd Megazine''. Created by writer John Wagner and artist Brian Bolland, Anderson made her debut as a s ...

. Later, Landau's Titan "decided they could repackage the ''Judge Dredd'' stories in an American comic format with new covers and sell it to America," and did under the brand " Eagle Comics".Bolland, "The 1980s – Eagle Comics Covers" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 145 Bolland provided many of the covers for these compendium issues. Bolland "drew the first three episodes of the ''Judge Death'' story over the winter of 1979–80," as "just another villain in just another excellent John Wagner script."Bolland, "The 1980s – Judge Death" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 114 He does not "remember doing any sketches to get him right," the "outfit was described somewhat in the script... and details of it were heavily inspired by the look of Kevin O'Neill's ''

Nemesis the Warlock ''Nemesis the Warlock'' is a comic series created by writer Pat Mills and artist Kevin O'Neill which appeared in the pages of the British weekly comics anthology '' 2000 AD''. The title character, a fire-breathing demonic alien, fights again ...

''. Bolland was, he acknowledges, "by far the slowest of the rotating ''Judge Death'' artists," opting to "take as long as I needed and do a half-way decent job" rather than rushing. For the sequel, a "massive (for me) 30 pages," ''2000 AD'''s editorial banked one-off stories to give Bolland long enough to draw it all. When Nick Landau began (in 1981) Titan Books' reprints of Judge Dredd material, he "used this story non-chronologically" to begin the series. Landau spent time paginating the book at Bolland's flat, and discovered that " me stories started or ended on the wrong page thereby leaving blank pages," as it was set to be "in effect, the first book exclusively of my work" the artist "gladly offered to add three full page pictures for the ''Cursed Earth'' volume and a new back cover for the first ''Judge Dredd'' volume.Bolland, "The 1980s – Titan Books" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 124 Walter the Wobot was an android with a speech impediment who served as Judge Dredd's personal servant robot. Created for light relief, Bolland notes that " e great thing about the ''Judge Dredd'' strip was it's icability to slide seamlessly between gritty sci fi adventure, nasty gothic horror,

spoof Spoof, spoofs, spoofer, or spoofing may refer to: * Forgery of goods or documents * Semen, in Australian slang * Spoof (game), a guessing game * Spoofing (finance), a disruptive algorithmic-trading tactic designed to manipulate markets __NOTOC__ ...

ery, all the way to daft comedy."Bolland, "The 1970s – Walter the Wobot" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 68 Walter's solo adventures – "Walter the Wobot, Fwiend of Dwedd" – were the latter style. Bolland drew all bar a couple of Walter's adventures, which appeared between Progs #50–61; #67–68 and #84–85 (with Ian Gibson drawing the first two episodes and

Brendan McCarthy Brendan McCarthy is a British artist and designer who has worked for comic books, film and television. He co-wrote the film '' Mad Max: Fury Road''. He is the brother of Jim McCarthy. Life and career Early life and work Brendan McCarthy was ...

the last two), and says that he "was usually able to complete one in a day." He namechecks "the great Don Martin" as an artist he "shamelessly ripped off" for the human supporting characters, drawing most of the pages in

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and ...

, 1978.

Other UK work

In between ''Dredd'' assignments Bolland drew horror strips for

's ''

House of Hammer ''The House of Hammer'' was a British black-and-white magazine featuring articles and comics related to the Hammer Film Productions series of horror and science fiction films. The brainchild of Dez Skinn,Dakin, John. "'Marvel Revolution' in Eng ...

'', having been introduced to the comic through another of the "fanboy in-crowd," Trevor Goring, who drew "a comic strip version of the movie '' Plague of the Zombies''," and asked Bolland to ink it.Bolland, "The 1970s – House of Hammer" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 65 Soon, Bolland was asked to draw "'' Vampire Circus''" (dir. Robert Young, 1972; comic version scripted by Steve Parkhouse), and "pile on the gore" for his first Hammer horror adaptation – although he found much of the "blood painted out" in the printed version. From the 1970s to the present, Bolland has also produced one-off pieces of artwork for use as record (including one for ''

The Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1 ...

'' in 1975Bolland, "The 1970s – The Drifters" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 44–45), paperback book (including the UK Titan editions of George R. R. Martin's ''

Wild Cards ''Wild Cards'' is a series of science fiction superhero shared universe anthologies, mosaic novels, and solo novels. They are written by a collection of more than forty authors (referred to as the "Wild Cards Trust") and are edited by George R. ...

'' anthologiesBolland, "The 1980s – Wild Cards" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 209) and magazine covers (including '' Time Out'' and every major comics publication). He continued to produce work for fanzines, including for Nick Landau's '' Comic Media News'',Bolland, "The 1970s – Comic Media News" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 47 and ''Arkensword'' and even "drew the hazard cards" for a

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a com ...

called ''Maneater''.Bolland, "The 1970s – Maneater" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 46 He later "got to know the

Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are '' Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake, I ...

guys, Steve Jackson and

Ian Livingstone Sir Ian Livingstone (born 29 December 1949) is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of a series of role-playing gamebooks, ''Fighting Fantasy'', and the author of many books within that s ...

," and produced various "games related drawings" including a cover or two for '' Fighting Fantasy'' Adventure Game Books,Bolland, "The 1980s – Steve Jackson Games" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 167 and RPG scenario pamphlets.Bolland, "The 1980s – Steve Jackson Games" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 169 His cover work for Games Workshop includes the role-playing game '' Golden Heroes'' and its only adventure '' Legacy of Eagles'', and the ''Fighting Fantasy'' book '' Appointment with F.E.A.R.'' In 1977, Bolland was approached by Syd Jordan to

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to r ...

some episodes of Jordan's newspaper strip ''

''.Bolland, "The 1970s – Jeff Hawke" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 52–55 (Fellow fandom-pro artist

Paul Neary Paul Neary (born 1949) is a British comic book artist, writer and editor. His first work was for Warren Publishing in the 1970s before working with Dez Skinn at Marvel UK as well as work for '' 2000 AD''. He later became editor-in-chief of Mar ...

had "already done quite a few.") Bolland drew 13 episodes, and "Syd touched up some of the faces, a few details here and there, to make them look a bit more like him." By this point, "although the ''Express'' owned the rights to the strip, they were not printing it," but since it had a strong European following, these new episodes (Bolland believes) "got collected in anthologies in French and Spanish," but not in the UK except briefly in "the fanzine ''Eureka''." In 1985, as a known fan, Bolland was approached by Nick Landau to select stories and draw covers for two Titan collections of the strip, with a third design going unpublished. Bolland also contributed "A Miracle of

Elisha Elisha ( ; or "God is my salvation", Greek: , ''Elis îos'' or , ''Elisaié,'' Latin: ''Eliseus'') was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker. His name is commonly transliterated into English as Elisha via Hebrew, E ...

" to Knockabout Comics' ''

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The ...

OZ Trial Special'', written because

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. T ...

history had piqued the interest of Bolland when living near the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docu ...

.Bolland, "The 1980s – A Miracle of Elisha" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 156 This page was later reprinted in the star-studded ( Moore,

Hunt Emerson Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

, Gaiman, Gibbons, Dave McKean, etc.) ''Outrageous Tales From the Old Testament'' volume, although Bolland's name was left off the cover.Bolland, "The 1980s – Outrageous Tales From the Old Testament" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 156 Bolland produced a considerable amount of advertising work, initially because his agent "Barry Coker kept putting advertising jobs my way," including a number of ads for " Palitoy's '' Star Wars'' toys."Bolland, "The 1970s – Star Wars Ads" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 99 He also drew some of the earliest pieces of advertising artwork for the science fiction and comic shop Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed, which ran in various

fanzines A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share t ...

, convention programmes, and magazines such as ''Time Out'' and was commissioned by future- Titan Distribution and

Forbidden Planet ''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story by Allen Adler and Irvi ...

co-founder Mike Lake (who was "working there at the time") c. 1976.Bolland, "The 1970s – Dark They Were and Golden Eyed" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 48 As well as the DTWAGE adverts, Bolland also contributed (alongside most of his peers) artwork to advertise, and/or feature in programme booklets for the UK Comicon, starting c.1976.Bolland, "The 1970s – Comicon 1976" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 46 In 1978, Nick Landau, Mike Lake and Mike Luckman "took their comic distribution business into the highstreet," opening the first

comics shop, for which Lake asked Bolland to produce the now-famous "People like ''us'' shop at... FORBIDDEN PLANET" adverts. Bolland's artwork would also feature on the shop's plastic bags, as well as T-Shirts and "covers for their SF, comic and TV & film catalogues," among other places.Bolland, "The 1970s – Forbidden Planet" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 96 Later, when a branch of Forbidden Planet was opened in New York, and at a second location in London, Bolland "did ads for both of them."Bolland, "The 1970s – Forbidden Planet Expansion" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 96

DC Comics

Bolland was among the first British comics creators 'discovered' by the American comics industry, spearheading the so-called "

" in 1979/80. Bolland recalls that his big break came when

Joe Staton Joe Staton ( born January 19, 1948) is an American comics artist and writer. He co-created the Bronze Age Huntress (Helena Wayne), as well as the third Huntress (Helena Bertinelli), Kilowog and the Omega Men for DC Comics. He was the artist ...

attended the Summer 1979 Comicon, and, needing somewhere to work (on ''

'') while in the UK, arranged to stay with the Bollands.Bolland, "The 1970s – Green Lantern" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 102 Staton called his editor Jack Harris and told him that Bolland, a big ''Green Lantern'' fan, would like to draw a ''Green Lantern'' cover; Harris agreed. He drew several covers for

, starting with ''Green Lantern'' No. 127 (April 1980), as well as some fill-in stories. These stories included, in 1980-1981, "Certified Safe" in ''

Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues c ...

''Bolland, "The 1980s – ''JLA'' 200 and ''Superman'' Beastman Cover" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 130 and "Falling Down to Heaven" in ''

Madame Xanadu Madame Xanadu is a comic book mystic published by DC Comics. The character is identified with Nimue, the sorceress from Arthurian mythology made popular by Sir Thomas Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur''. The character was played by Jeryl Prescot ...

'', DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the "

" of fans and collectors. For editor Julius Schwartz, Bolland drew covers around which writers would craft stories, which included two

Starro Starro (also known as Starro the Conqueror) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (February–March 1960). It was created by Gardner Fox and Mike ...

covers for ''

Justice League of America The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' No. 189 and 190 and ''

'' No. 422 (Aug. 1986). Among his earliest interior work for DC was a chapter in ''Justice League of America'' No. 200 (March 1982) alongside artistic heroes Joe Kubert,

and

, as well as

Jim Aparo James N. Aparo (August 24, 1932 – July 19, 2005) was an American comic book artist, best known for his DC Comics work from the late 1960s through the 1990s, including on the characters Batman, Aquaman, and the Spectre, along with famous stories ...

George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' and ''The Avengers (co ...

and

Dick Giordano Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics. Early l ...

. This gave the artist his "first stab at drawing ''Batman''." Bolland felt that "after my cover 'GL'' #127worked out the people at DC turned their gaze on London... and particularly on the group of artists at ''2000AD'' who had been weaned on the DC characters."Bolland, "The 1970s – The European Invasion" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 103 He recalled that, "after I was settled in at DC, scouts from that company came to our "

Society of Strip Illustration The Society of Strip Illustration (SSI), later known as the Comics Creators Guild, was a British network for all those involved in any stage of the creative process of comics production. The SSI, which was co-founded in 1977 by Denis Gifford, met ...

" meetings to win over a few more of us," making a "formal invitation" at an SSI meeting, which saw "

, Kevin O'Neill... en

Alan Davis Alan Davis (born 18 June 1956) is an English artist and writer of comic books, known for his work on titles such as '' Captain Britain'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'', '' ClanDestine'', ''Detective Comics'', '' Excalibur'', '' JLA: The Nail'' and '' J ...

and

Mark Farmer Mark Farmer (born 1957 in Birmingham) is a British comic book artist. He is best known as an inker, often working with Alan Davis. Career Farmer got his start in the UK comics industry before becoming part of the British Invasion, the wave of ...

," following the artists " Alan Grant "went across" and, at some point, a certain tall hairy writer from the Midlands." In 1982, DC editor

Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...

chose Bolland to be the artist on DC's '' Camelot 3000'' 12-issue maxi-series, with writer Mike W. Barr. The story, dealing with the return of

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

to save England from an

alien invasion The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest peopl ...

in the year 3000, not only "represents the single biggest body of work" by Bolland – and his only attempt to draw a monthly title – but was also the "first example of a DC (or otherwise) maxi-series." Bolland was not familiar with the Arthurian legends, and initially conceived Merlin as a comical character.Bolland, "The 1980s – Camelot 3000" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 133 The series was graced with considerable media hype, and Bolland found himself "whisked off to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

and places and made a fuss of." Bolland was allowed to pick between two inkers, but opted to ink his covers himself. Bolland was uncomfortable with having a third party ink his pencils, and later admitted that he put a high level of detail into his art for the series to leave as little room as possible for the inker to creatively reinterpret his work. However, "by the end I was quite pleased with the results." Reacting indignantly to being presented with Ross Andru layouts for the first two ''Camelot 3000'' covers, he ''Camelot 3000'' had lengthy delays between its final issues. Bolland recalled that he and DC "talked quite a bit about how long it would take me to do the series," and because the series was inked by other artists, he started off "churning the pages out with great enthusiasm."Salisbury, p. 16 As the series continued, however, Bolland became increasingly meticulous, "trying to make the pages look better and better". The added details he introduced into his artwork caused significant delays in the final issues of the limited series, causing issues #8–11 to be released on a quarterly rather than monthly status, and the final issue to be

cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the true date of publication (the on-sale date or release date); later cover dates are common in magazine and comic book publishing. More unus ...

d nine months later than the penultimate issue. Bolland drew a pinup for ''

'' No. 400 (Oct. 1984) and its companion portfolio. In 1986, Bolland was one of several artists who contributed pages to the anniversary issue ''

'' No. 400 (Oct. 1986), his offering featuring villains

Ra's al Ghul Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...

and

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she i ...

.Salisbury, p. 19 Around this time, Titan Books were trying to launch a line of comics written by

, including a ''Batman Meets Judge Dredd'' one-off by Moore and Bolland.Bolland, "The 1980s – The Killing Joke" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 195–197 After watching the 1928 film '' The Man Who Laughs'', which features a character named Gwynplaine (played by

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films '' Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and '' The Man Who Lau ...

) whose rictus grin inspired the visual design of the Joker, Bolland conceived of the 1988 graphic novel '' Batman: The Killing Joke''. The book was written by

to great critical acclaim, winning the

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

for Best Graphic Album, and has been regarded as one of the all-time best Joker stories, and one of the greatest Batman graphic novels ever. It would also prove to be highly influential on future Batman and Joker stories, though it has also been met with criticism for the violence inflicted on the character

Barbara Gordon Barbara Gordon is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. The character was created by television producer William Dozier, editor Julius Schwartz, writer Gardne ...

. Speaking circa 2000, Bolland said that since ''The Killing Joke'' he has only drawn comics that he also wrote. Six years later he clarified that In 1996, Bolland wrote and drew the story "An Innocent Guy" for the anthology '' Batman: Black and White'', in which an otherwise normal inhabitant of

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List of Batman supporting characters#Bat-Family, allies and List of Batman fa ...

documents his plan to carry out the ultimate

perfect crime Perfect crimes are crimes that are undetected, unattributed to an identifiable perpetrator, or otherwise unsolved or unsolvable as a kind of technical achievement on the part of the perpetrator. The term is used colloquially in law and fiction (es ...

and assassinate the Dark Knight Detective. Drawing inspiration from a cover by Alex Toth, and intended as an homage to the Silver Age ''Batman'', Bolland wrote in 2006 that "If anyone were to ask me what is the thing I've done in my career that I'm most pleased with, it would be this."Bolland, "The 1990s – An Innocent Man" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 254 Approached by Batman-editor Mark Chiarello, Bolland was asked whether he would like to draw Batman covers for a new title, '' Batman: Gotham Knights''. Jumping at the chance, he remarks that "there was a misunderstanding" resulting in his being unaware of the first issue being scheduled, resulting in "the superb Dave Johnson" drawing No. 1 instead, and Bolland joining at issue No. 2. Bolland's first two covers were coloured by editor Chiarello, but from issue No. 5 to No. 47 (his last) they were coloured by the artist himself. As his run progressed, "the job of getting a cover on ''Gotham Knights'' passed from Mark to a number of other people," and Bolland "found more and more of isfirst ideas for covers being turned down." Eventually, Bolland was "told hat he'dbe off the book in a few issues time," but after discovering that upcoming covers featured Bane prominently (and not the Joker or Penguin as he had been hoping for some time), Bolland "said I'd go right away."Bolland, "The New Millennium – Batman Gotham Knights" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 266

Covers

Although his forays into interior artwork are almost universally acclaimed, Bolland is now far more commonly seen as 'just' a cover artist – although he notes that he has never decided to actually "pursue covers exclusively," having merely "branched off a little bit" from strip work. He admits that he works slowly, and consequently finds covers easier to supply than whole story artwork. He also noted simply that he began to "concentrate on covers... really just because they were the jobs that I was offered." He adds that for artists like him, "it's common knowledge they're going to say no" to strip work, "so editors get them to do pin-ups instead." Bolland has contributed covers – in many cases to complete runs/arcs – to some of the more famous landmark comics of recent years since the 1990s, with his photo-realistic work leaving an indelible impression on the titles for which he works, as the primary external reference image. His iconic covers are in high demand, although his work predominantly appears on titles published by

.Bolland, "The 1990's" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 230–231 Bolland now draws on a computer, eschewing pencil and paper. He cites the influence of

, who "had got into computers himself, and... was really enthusing about them." Noting also that some colorists were increasingly using computer effects "seemingly arbitrarily," he decided "that if I didn't take control of the colouring process myself... hose effectswould eventually transform the covers into something not my own."Salisbury, p. 26 Starting in 1997, Bolland "bought all the gear" and spent ten frustrated months learning the ropes and ultimately finding the liberating "infinite ability to change" his now-solely-onscreen artwork. He states categorically that, in his opinion, " ere is absolutely no difference between drawing on my Wacom tablet and drawing on a pad of paper." Having fully embraced the technology, Bolland has also produced a number of lessons/tutorials on his official website demonstrating his complex techniques. He states that, while this leap means that he no longer produces any paper-based artwork (a profitable sideline for many artists who sell on their original work to collectors), "the pen and paper are gone for good."Salisbury, p. 28 Bolland recalls that, in the wake of ''The Killing Joke'', he "was offered a lot of work," but didn't feel ready to make a long commitment.Bolland, "The 1980s – Animal Man" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 213 So, instead

''Animal Man''

The first 63 issues of ''

'' featuring Bolland's artwork covered the tenures of writers

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for t ...

Peter Milligan Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', ''Revol ...

Tom Veitch Tom Veitch (September 26, 1941 – February 14, 2022) was an American writer, known for his work in the comic book industry. He was also a novelist and a poet. He was the brother of comics writer and artist Rick Veitch. Early life Veitch wa ...

and

Jamie Delano Jamie Delano (; born 1954) is an English comic book writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers which started to feature in American comics in the 1980s. He is best known as the first writer of the comic book s ...

, with Bolland's images maintaining a continuity of style and imagery while the interior work underwent several changes of style and storyline. Initially, he recalls that his cover images derived directly from the script. He would "go through and find a scene that looked as if it would make a good cover," or "find a particular hook that cleverly summed up what's going on inside the book." This included the incorporation of photographs into the later covers of Morrison's tale of

metafiction Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and story ...

and deus ex machina author-input. With the (post-Morrison) move of ''Animal Man'' to DC's new 'Mature Readers' imprint

, Bolland notes that the covers moved to "full color painted covers" with issue No. 57. These of his covers were "a mixture of ink linework, color washes,

airbrush An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that atomizes and sprays various media, most often paint but also ink and dye, and foundation. Spray painting developed from the airbrush and is considered to employ a type of airbrush. History ...

and then, eventually, areas painted in poster color by my wife, Rachel," which ultimately saw her have significant input on some covers, with Bolland acknowledging that "some of the last ''Animal Man'' covers were more her than me."Bolland, "The 1990s – Vertigo Animal Man" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 228–229 Describing the art of good covers, Bolland remarks that Happy coincidence also plays its part, as when a

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a ...

story arc saw Bolland's work coincide with the plot in such a way that he was able to produce a recreated cover from an alternate angle to shed new light on an initially inconsequential image.

''The Invisibles''

Bolland's covers adorn the whole second and third volumes of

's ''

'' and his depictions of the main characters are widely reprinted as the definitive images, despite them all having been realised by other artists – and often drawn by several before Bolland entered the picture. With this title, the artist remarks "the subject matter is more complicated," necessitating his "working a lot of strange

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different co ...

ism and subliminal messages into the cover designs" to create "an image that puzzles to a degree and is layered with elements of

surrealism Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

." Asked to take over from Sean Hughes and "do the covers on volume two" by editor Shelly Roeberg, Bolland found her to be "the dream editor," effusive with praise and "very specific about what she required." Generally, Bolland recalls "she was enthusiastic about my ideas," although Morrison had "creator's approval" on all designs. Finding that he had a rapport with, and the trust of, his editor, Bolland thinks that these factors "resulted in some of ismost experimental work."Bolland, "The 1990s – The Invisibles" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 256 Newly embracing the use of a computer, Bolland cites ''The Invisibles'' Vol 2 No. 11 as his earliest computer-assisted piece of artwork, using it to "insert... a computer generated background behind a severed hand."Bolland, "The 1990s – The Computer" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 260 For the third series, The covers for the third volume of ''The Invisibles'' were "done on the computer," in part because "Vertigo were paying for "painted" covers and ollandfelt ehad to deliver something more than line and flat color." The experimental nature of the twelve covers was assisted by the fact that, says Bolland "neither I nor Shelly had seen that issue's script." For the trade paperback covers, Bolland "was determined to make each one weirder than the last," and so created a

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

inspired "fleshy mass ubbed "The Blobby Man"with a typewriter" for ''Entropy in the UK''. Having convinced

Karen Berger Karen Berger (; born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known for her role in helping create DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1993 and serving as the line's Executive Editor until 2013. She currently oversees Berger ...

(Editor in chief of Vertigo) and Shelly Roeberg that it was a good idea, the artist recalls that "Shelly rang up and, rather than telling me how wonderful I was, said that when she saw it she nearly lost her lunch! I was asked to turn his skin color from flesh to blue to tone him down a bit." For the final ''Invisible Kingdom'' TPB cover, Bolland produced "a cover containing 12 small alternative ''Invisibles'' covers," which "took a long time to do." Likening the process to creating "a mini comic strip," Bolland says that "if any detail made any sense it had to be changed to something that didn't."Bolland, "The 1990s – The Invisibles, Volume 3" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 262–263 Bolland's style includes the initial 'rough' outline stage, making it easy for the publisher (and, in some cases, the writer) to "sign off" on his designs.Salisbury, p. 21 In the case of ''The Invisibles'', however, although Morrison officially had "final approval on the cover designs," Bolland describes him as "very generous about my work," saying that "it's not his job to actually come up with the idea."Salisbury, p. 24 In selected cases, however, Bolland would ask for ideas, and in one specific case " Shelly oeberg the editor... did once relay that Grant wanted an arm coming out of the water holding a gun on the cover of the last issue." Bolland admits "I don't know exactly why. I just supplied it."

''Wonder Woman''

Bolland also contributed a large number of covers to ''

'', beginning with William Messner Loebs's first issue (#63, June 1992''Wonder Woman'' #63 (DC, June 1992)
Retrieved 23 February 2009.) after that author took over writer (and artist)

's 1987 post-Crisis relaunch. Bolland recalls his time drawing ''Wonder Woman'' fondly, as one of the few occasions he actually sought work rather than being sought for work. He recalls Bolland's first cover saw Diana next to the headline: "The ''Stunning'' return of comics' greatest heroine!" speaking directly to the reader the words "... Miss me?" Bolland's covers over the next 30-plus issues laid the visual groundwork for the character, and saw Bolland illustrate up to and including the centennial issue No. 100. To prepare for his work, Bolland "clipped pictures of the most beautiful women of the time –

Christy Turlington Christy Nicole Turlington Burns (born January 2, 1969) is an American model and humanitarian. She represented Calvin Klein's Eternity campaign in 1989 and again in 2014, and also represents Maybelline. Turlington was named one of '' Glamour''s ...

Stephanie Seymour Stephanie Michelle Seymour (born July 23, 1968) is an American model and actress. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was one of the most popular supermodels, being featured in the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' and the cover of ''Vogue'', ...

, etc." saying that he was predominantly interested in their faces ("The body I generally made up"). Interested particularly in drawing the costume, which he feels "has to be one of the sexiest in comics," he soon found the character removed from her normal costume in the storyline, "defeating, for me, the whole point." For her return to her famous costume, Bolland produced the Britannia-esque pose from ''Wonder Woman'' #72 (Mar 1993). He says that " ages like that... usually arise when you're completely stuck for an idea." The image was so iconic that it was released as a poster and later turned into a statue. Shortly thereafter, Diana underwent another costume change – this time designed by Bolland, and mostly drawn on the interior pages by Mike Deodato. The black costume was roundly disliked, even by its designer, Bolland, who philosophically says only that "it was what was asked for at the time," and – aside from ''Camelot 3000'' – is "the only occasion" he was asked to design a costume. The new costume – black hotpants, halter top, straight hair (which Bolland ''did'' like) and "WW"-emblazoned jacket – was based, Bolland thinks, "on a

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as ...

outfit I saw

Cindy Crawford Cynthia Ann Crawford (born February 20, 1966) is an American model, actress and television personality. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was among the most popular supermodels and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers, runways, as well as fash ...

wearing in an issue of '' Vogue''."Bolland, "The 1990s – The New Costume" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 233

Other cover work

Bolland notes that while he tends not to reuse cover ideas, he does occasionally produce "what I like to think of as homages to my own covers." Particularly, for "the first issue of the Eagle ''Judge Dredd'' comic" – which repackaged ''2000 AD'' stories for the American market – on which the positioning of the figures echoed similar covers Bolland had drawn "two or three times for different companies with different characters." In addition to his landmark runs on ''Animal Man'' and ''The Invisibles'', Bolland has also produced lengthy runs on covers for

Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim. He serve ...

' '' The Flash'' (from roughs by series editor

Joey Cavalieri Joey Cavalieri is an American writer and editor of comic books. He is best known for his work on the characters Green Arrow and Huntress as well as the co-creation of Helena Bertinelli, the third Huntress, for DC Comics. Career Joey Cavalieri ...

Bolland, "The New Millennium – The Flash" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 268) and the Batman anthology series '' Batman: Gotham Knights'', as well as assorted issues of ''

Tank Girl ''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine '' Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...

'' (for original UK publication '' Deadline'' and the two subsequent Vertigo miniseries ''Tank Girl: The Odyssey'' and ''Tank Girl: Apocalypse''), ''

'', ''

'' and many more, including a number of oneshots and miniseries for DC's offshoot

. From 2007 to 2011, Bolland was the cover artist on Vertigo's ''

Fables Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mor ...

'' spin-off '' Jack of Fables'', replacing previous cover artist James Jean. Bolland's covers also appear on the DC/Vertigo trade paperback collections of Grant Morrison's ''

Doom Patrol Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...

'', although he only produced "a couple" of covers for the individual issues. He recalls that he "turned in quite a few roughs, but, disappointingly for me, they were often rejected," previous cover artist

Simon Bisley Simon Bisley is a British comic book artist best known for his 1990s work on '' ABC Warriors'', '' Lobo'' and '' Sláine''. Early life Simon Bisley began drawing when he was six years old. He is self-taught, with only a short one-year stay at ...

being "a hard act to follow."Bolland, "The 1990s – Doom Patrol" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 242 Long-standing familiarity with DC characters and staff, coupled with high demand have combined with other factors to mean that the vast majority of Bolland's work has been for DC Comics. In ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', he also mentions in passing that a bad experience with a

Marvel UK Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US-produced stories for the British weekly comic market. Marvel UK later produced original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Di ...

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' cover and a later oddity with a She-Hulk cover featuring

Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck first appeared in ''Adventure into Fear'' #19 (cover- ...

have given him a mild "phobia about Marvel... ndthe laws of the production line" that overrule "whatever it is I have to give."Bolland, "The 1990s – Howard and She-Hulk" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 221 He has however, produced odd covers for Marvel,

First Comics First Comics was an American comic book publisher that was active from 1983 to 1991, known for titles like '' American Flagg!'', '' Grimjack'', ''Nexus'', ''Badger'', '' Dreadstar'', and '' Jon Sable''. Along with competitors like Pacific Comics ...

Continuity Comics Continuity Publishing, also known as Continuity Comics, was an American independent comic book company formed by Neal Adams in 1984, publishing comics until 1994. History After years as a freelancer and comics art packager (with his company Con ...

Eclipse Comics Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was ...

New Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), m ...

and a dozen other companies, large and small, as well as book, magazine and record covers. For Dark Horse Comics, Bolland has produced several diverse covers, including a couple for Michael Chabon's ''The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist'' at the behest of editor

Diana Schutz Diana Schutz (born February 1, 1955) is a Canadian-born comic book editor, serving as editor in chief of Comico during its peak years, followed by a 25-year tenure at Dark Horse Comics. Some of the best-known works she has edited are Frank Miller ...

. He recalls that "the cover for number ten was done in the style of Hergé's '' The Adventures of Tintin''... but the book was cancelled after number eight."Bolland, "The New Millennium – The Escapist Covers" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 282 Bolland is noted by some for his use of bondage imagery, although in a humorous self-referential comment, he quotes this "fact" (cited as from Wikipedia), and states that he is "unsure" of the sentiment's accuracy. He notes that "I can only think off-hand of a few occasions when I've drawn bondage. A few Wonder Woman covers perhaps, a Flash cover, a 2000 AD cover, a Mr. Mamoulian page... but that's all that I can remember out of many hundreds of images.""The Art of Brian Bolland" – The Official Website
. Retrieved 25 February 2009. In 2006's ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', he does suggest that "I trace my mild bondage fetish back to a book of Bible stories that must have been given to my father as a Sunday school gift when he was a child," wherein "was a picture of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo ic" Such Biblical imagery was bolstered in 1971 by a book bought in Paris "called '' Les Filles de Papier''... large part of

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

was taken up with comic strips about women tied up in fiendish and excruciating positions by mad robots... it was just jaw-droppingly bonkers... and yet... there was something rather appealing about it." ''The Art of Brian Bolland'' also features a separate "Nudes" section, mostly created for the purpose of "trying out a different inking technique or trying to work out the figure from a difficult angle."Bolland, "Nudes" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 283–292 Only three of the nude sketches involve scenes of bondage.Bolland, "Nudes" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 285, 292

Other comics work

In addition to his early forays into full interior strip art, and his later focus on covers, Bolland has also produced a number of short – often single pages – strips, numerous pin-ups and a pair of ongoing 'occasional' humour strips. These latter feature Bolland as writer-artist, his now-preferred method of working. Most notable are Bolland's two 'personal projects', ''Mr. Mamoulian'' and ''The Actress and the Bishop'', all appearances of which strips were collected in the book '' Bolland Strips!'' (Palmano-Bennet/ Knockabout Comics, 2005). ''Bolland Strips!'' stemmed from a suggestion by Josh Palmano (owner of Gosh Comics in London, and also involved in publishing company Knockabout Comics) to collect all instances of Bolland's two strips and Steve Moore's "Zirk" story. Bolland had other thoughts, and suggested including an undrawn 20-page story called "The Actress & the Bishop and the Thing in the Shed" (written 18 years previously), and two stories written and illustrated by him for Vertigo Comics. After negotiations with DC, the two stories – "Princess & the Frog" (from ''Heartthrobs'') and "The Kapas" (from ''Strange Adventures'') were included alongside six limited edition Éditions Déesse prints.Bolland, "The New Millennium – Bolland Strips!" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 279

''Mr. Mamoulian''

Among Bolland's other works is the Robert Crumb-esque semi-autobiographical stream of consciousness humour strip '' Mr. Mamoulian'', which was first printed in

Paul Gravett Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer, and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing since 1981. He is the founder of ''Escape Magazine'', and for many years wrote a monthly article on comics appearing in the UK magaz ...

's UK pro-zine ''Escape'' and later brought to the US in issues of the Dark Horse title '' Cheval Noir'' and the

Caliber Comics Caliber Comics or Caliber Press is an American comic book publisher founded in 1989 by Gary Reed. Featuring primarily creator-owned comics, Caliber published over 1,300 comics in the decade following its inception and is ranked as one of America ...

anthology ''

Negative Burn ''Negative Burn'' is a black-and-white anthology comic book published beginning in 1993 by Caliber Press, and subsequently by Image Comics and Desperado Publishing. Edited by Joe Pruett, ''Negative Burn'' is noted for its eclectic range of genres ...

''. Bolland recalled that the origins of the character lay in him "contemplating middle age" on his 36th birthday, and experimenting with drawing "whatever came into my head." The name echoes the character's mammalian look ("lie a

hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction ...

"), although Bolland acknowledges that Armenian-American film director

Rouben Mamoulian Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( ; hy, Ռուբէն Մամուլեան; October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director. Early life Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent. H ...

may also have provided an inspiration on the name front. Noting his enjoyment of

Berke Breathed Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed (; born June 21, 1957) is an American cartoonist, children's book author, director, and screenwriter, known for his comic strips ''Bloom County'', '' Outland'', and ''Opus''. ''Bloom County'' earned Breathed the Pu ...

's ''

Bloom County ''Bloom County'' is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which originally ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, whe ...

'', Bolland's own strip didn't "have a funny line to end each page, because I wasn't always in a funny mood." Thus the strip became an "exposé of the inner me" drawn because "I felt like it... t to deadline," as a forum to explore and express "various interests of mine, various philosophical notions, personal

neuroses Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from t ...

." Designed to be read individually – indeed, early publication in ''Escape'' was in "no particular order" – gradually it became clear that a mildly self-referential "chronological narrative was taking shape," "a plot that would come to a shock conclusion on page 96 – and then continue, possibly, to volume two."Bolland, "The 1980s – Mr. Mamoulian" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 182 Bolland writes in 2006 that " ter a while,

of Titan Books showed an interest and offered to act as my agent." Through Landau, Bolland saw his strip published across Europe in publications including ''Linus'', ''Cimoc'' and (in Sweden) ''Pox''. Such widespread exposure had its downside, when the original artwork went missing, meaning that " bsequent prints of ''Mamoulian'' have ad to bemade from olland'sphotocopies." Disenchanted by the loss of (more of) his artwork, and with "European interest... waning," Bolland "lost interest in doing more." Subsequent to the collection ''Bolland Strips!'', however, interest from ''Negative Burn'' (now published by

Desperado Publishing Desperado Publishing is an American independent comic book publisher, established in 2004. Located in Norcross, Georgia, Desperado's president is Joe Pruett, its creative director is Stephan Nilson, and its director of business development is form ...

) "has coaxed new pages out of" the artist.

''The Actress and the Bishop''

Bolland's other "personal project" is his occasional strip " The Actress and the Bishop". This strip's origins date back to 1985, when Frederick Manzano commissioned Bolland to "draw 6 plates in my own portfolio bearing my name" for Éditions Déesse, a "small Paris based comic-store-cum-publishers, and Bolland drew in one of the six plates an elderly Bishop (whose face echoed "shamelessly" the work of

Alberto Breccia Alberto Breccia (April 15, 1919 – November 10, 1993) was an Uruguayan-born Argentine artist and cartoonist. A gifted penciller and inker, Breccia is one of the most celebrated and famous comics/ Historieta creators in the world, and specially p ...

Bolland, "Influences – Mort Cinder by Alberto Breccia" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 18) and a femme fatale Actress.Bolland, "The 1980s – Éditions Déesse" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 160 Bolland was subsequently approached by

Garry Leach Garry Leach (19 September 1954 – 26 March 2022) was a British comics artist and publisher. Biography Garry Leach's early work for ''2000 AD'' included mainly one-off stories featuring ''Dan Dare'' and '' M.A.C.H. 1''.A1''."Bolland, "The 1980s – The Actress and the Bishop" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 202 They asked Bolland to draw – and write – "a few pages for the first issue," and Bolland recalls that it "was the first time I'd been commissioned to write and draw anything." Actively seeking to write a story that wouldn't "fit into any identifiable genre," Bolland found the description 'Whimsy' reached by Leach and Elliot to be very apt, and "rooted in the Englishness" of the artists life. Written in rhyming couplets, the pair "look like the punchline of a smutty joke," but their creator instead "wanted the reader to see them in a benign and non-judgemental light" – the antithesis of "

Benny Hill Alfred Hawthorne "Benny" Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992) was an English comedian, actor, singer and writer. He is remembered for his television programme ''The Benny Hill Show'', an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double ent ...

, Frankie Howerd "Oo er, Mrs!"... atherlike the

owl and the pussycat "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1870 in the American magazine '' Our Young Folks: an Illustrated Magazine for Boys and Girls'' and again the following year in Lear's own book ''Nonsense Songs, ...

setting sail in a pea green boat." Three pages in ''A1'' No. 1 were followed by another three in ''A1'' No. 3, while a "longer story with 110 verses... gathered dust for 17 years" until publication in the compendium hardback ''Bolland Strips!''.

''The Art of Brian Bolland''

In 2006 a comprehensively sizeable retrospective of Bolland's work was published under the title '' The Art of Brian Bolland'', featuring contextualising references and copious text – 33,500 wordsBolland, "Moving Things About" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 310 – written by the artist alongside hundreds of pieces of artwork and rare photographs. ''The Art of Brian Bolland'' covers all of the artist's work to date, under an introduction from close friend

,Bolland, "Introduction by Dave Gibbons" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 6 an autobiographical essay and sections ranging from his "Influences" (featuring near-unseen examples of Bolland's childhood art),Bolland, "Influences" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 16–19 through each of the decades from the 1960s to the present. The book also showcases several of Bolland's own photographs taken in Asia and Russia over twenty years of travelling.Bolland, "Places of Interest" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 293–309

Non-comics work

An accomplished photographer (examples of Bolland's work are, for example, included in the Image/Desperado book ''The Art of Brian Bolland''), as of May 2008, Bolland noted on his website that he is "working on a book about a week I spent in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

in 1988." Some photographs taken by Bolland in Burma are reprinted in the

Image An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...

-published retrospective ''The Art of Brian Bolland''.Bolland, "Places of Interest" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 293–309 Much in demand for advertisements, Bolland has produced work down the years for bookshops – including pioneering UK Sci-Fi/Comics sellers such as Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed and

– and film festivals including a poster for

BFI Southbank BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the UK, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Institute. Histo ...

's July/August 2008 Comic-Book Movies series. His work has appeared on the covers of, and inside, numerous publications over the decades, ranging from

to several covers for London-based magazine ''Time Out'' and other professional, internationally sold magazines. Bolland has also produced posters for local theatre groups' amateur stage productions, most notably for his local "village panto" production of ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' in 2004.Bolland, "The New Millennium – Beauty and the Beast" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 274

Personal life

Bolland married his girlfriend, illustrator and sometime-collaborator Rachel Birkett in 1981.Bolland, "The 1980s – Munden's Bar" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 179 She later gave up illustration "to become a cook in a vegetarian restaurant",Bolland, "The 1990s – Happy Birthday!" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 219 although she has since assisted her husband with his work, acting as colourist, inker, co-artist and ghost. The two have a son, Harry.

Awards

Wins

Bolland and his work have received considerable recognition in both the British and American comics industry. He was awarded the "Best Newcomer" award by the

in 1977 (the SSI "was formed in . . . 1977," making this one of their first awards).Bolland, "The 1970s – SSI Illustration" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 81 In 1982, he received an

Inkpot Award The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...

, and the following year, he was named "Favourite Artist" in the British section of the

Eagle Awards The Eagle Awards were a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They were awarded by UK fans voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's ''Eagle'' comic, they were launched in 1977 for comics released in ...

. In 1989, Moore and Bolland's ''The Killing Joke'' received an

for "Best Graphic Album," while Bolland was named separately as "Best Artist/Penciller/Inker" for the same work. The same year, Bolland won three Harvey Awards; two in the same categories for the same work – "Best Artist" and "Best Graphic Album" – while the third was also ''The Killing Joke'' which was separately honoured as the winner of the "Best Single Issue" award. In 1992, Bolland won an Eisner Award after being named "Best Cover Artist," an honour he received three years in a row (1992–1994), and twice subsequently (1999, 2001) for various works. To date, he ties with James Jean (''

'' cover artist) for five Cover Artist Eisners. In 2007, Bolland added to his Eisner Award wins when ''The Art of Brian Bolland'' won the "Best Comics-Related Book" award.

Nominations

The '' Camelot 3000'' limited series, which he created with Mike W. Barr, was nominated for the 1985

Kirby Award The Jack Kirby Comics Industry Awards were a set of awards for achievement in comic books, presented from 1985-1987. Voted on by comic-book professionals, the Kirby awards were the first such awards since the Shazam Awards ceased in 1975. Sponsore ...

for Best Finite Series, narrowly losing to Marv Wolfman and

's ''

Crisis on Infinite Earths "Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...

''. In 2002, he placed second behind

for the title of "Best Artist Ever" in the short-lived

National Comics Awards The National Comics Awards was a series of awards for comic book titles and creators given out on an annual basis from 1997 to 2003 (with the exception of the year 2000) for comics published in the United Kingdom the previous year. The votes wer ...

Bibliography

Interior comic work includes: *'' 2000 AD'' ( IPC Media): **''

'': "Greenworld, Part 2" (with

Gerry Finley-Day Gerry Finley-Day (born 1947, Broughty Ferry, Dundee) is a Scottish comics writer, prolific from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of " Rogue Trooper". Career He began his career at D.C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the edit ...

and

, in No. 35, 1977) **''

'': *** "The Mega-City 5000, Part 2" (with John Howard, in No. 41, 1977) *** "Land Race" (with John Howard, in No. 47, 1978) *** "The Lunar Olympics" (with John Howard, in No. 50, 1978) *** "Luna 1 War" (with John Howard, in No. 51, 1978) *** "The Face-Change Crimes" (with John Howard, in No. 52, 1978) *** "The Oxygen Board" (with John Howard, in No. 57, 1978) *** "Full Earth Crimes" (with John Howard, in No. 58, 1978) *** "The Cursed Earth": **** "Part 5: The Mutie Mountains" (with

, in No. 65, 1978) **** "Part 9: The Slay-Riders!" (with Pat Mills, in No. 69, 1978) **** "Part 10: Requiem for an Alien!" (with Pat Mills, in No. 70, 1978) **** "Part 17: Giants aren't Gentlemen!" (with

Jack Adrian Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, in No. 77, 1978) **** "Part 18: Soul Food" (with Jack Adrian, in No. 78, 1978) **** "Parts 21–22: Tweak's Story" (with Pat Mills, in #81–82, 1978) *** "Crime and Punishment" (with John Howard, in No. 86, 1978) *** "Outlaw" (with John Howard and Dave Gibbons, in No. 87, 1978) *** "The Day the Law Died!" (with John Howard): **** "Part 6: Behold the Hordes of Klegg!" (with

Garry Leach Garry Leach (19 September 1954 – 26 March 2022) was a British comics artist and publisher. Biography Garry Leach's early work for ''2000 AD'' included mainly one-off stories featuring ''Dan Dare'' and '' M.A.C.H. 1''.T.B Grover, in #224–228, 1981) *** "Block Mania, Part 9" (with T.B Grover, in No. 244, 1981) *** "The Alien Zoo" (with John Wagner, in ''Annual'' '82, 1981) **''

Tharg's Future Shocks ''Tharg's Future Shocks'' is a long-running series of short strips in the British weekly comic '' 2000 AD'' in 1977. The name originates from the fictional editor of 2000 AD and the book titled '' Future Shock'', written by Alvin Toffler, publi ...

'': "Solo Flip" (with Jack Adrian, in No. 52, 1978) **''Walter the Wobot'' (with

Joe Collins Joseph Edward Collins (born Joseph Edward Kollonige; December 3, 1922 – August 30, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball player born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. On September 25, he began his major league career playing for the New York Y ...

): *** "Walter's Brother" (in #52–56, 1978) *** "Radio Walter" (in No. 57, 1978) *** "Master-Mind" (in No. 58, 1978) *** "The Fwankenheim Monster" (in #59–61, 1978) *** "Frankenheim's Finest Hour!" (in No. 67, 1978) *** "Grin and Bear It!" (in No. 68, 1978) *'' Graphixus'' #3: "Little Nympho in Slumberland Meets Benny Bunny" (script and art, Graphic Eye, 1978) *''

'' #1: "Falling Down to Heaven..." (with

J.M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis (; born December 15, 1953) is an American writer of comic books, television and novels. Biography Early career J. M. DeMatteis's earliest aspirations were to be a rock musician and comic book artist. He began playing in ban ...

, 1981) *''

'' #115: "Certified Safe" (with

Arnold Drake Arnold Drake (March 1, 1924 – March 12, 2007) was an American comic book writer and screenwriter best known for co-creating the DC Comics characters Deadman and the Doom Patrol, and the Marvel Comics characters the Guardians of the Galaxy, am ...

, DC Comics, 1981) *''

'' #200: "A League Divided" (with

Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...

, among other artists, 1982) *'' Warrior'' #3: "Zirk: Silver Sweater of the Spaceways" (with Pedro Henry,

Quality Communications Quality Communications was a British publishing company founded by Dez Skinn that operated from 1982 to 2008. The company's most notable publications were the monthly comics anthology ''Warrior'', which featured early work by writer Alan Moore; ...

, 1982) *'' Camelot 3000'' #1–12 (with Mike W. Barr, DC Comics, 1982–1985) *''

Grimjack Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by the American company First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist L ...

'' #22: "Mother's Calling" (with John Ostrander,

, 1986) *''

'' #400: "Resurrection Night!" (with Doug Moench, among other artists, DC Comics, 1986) *'' Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament'': "Elisha's Miracle" (script and art, anthology

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

, Knockabout, 1987) *'' The Outsiders'' #18: "Freeway of Fear!" (with Mike W. Barr, DC Comics, 1987) *'' Real War Stories'' #1: "The Elite of the Fleet" (with Mike W. Barr, Eclipse, 1987) *''

Power Comics Power Comics was an imprint of the British comics publisher Odhams Press (itself a division of IPC Magazines) that was particularly notable for its use of material reprinted from American Marvel Comics. Appearing chiefly during the years 1967 ...

'' #1–4 (with Don Avenell,

Norman Worker Norman Worker (1927 – 5 February 2005) was a British comic book writer, best known for his work on comic books featuring Lee Falk's ''The Phantom''. Norman was born in Kent, England, in 1927. When he was 17 years old, he fought in World War II ...

and Dave Gibbons, Eclipse, 1988) *'' Batman: The Killing Joke'' (with

, graphic novel, DC Comics, 1988) *'' AARGH!'' #1: "A Page from Brian Bolland" (script and art, Mad Love, 1988) *''

Annual'' #1: "Epilogue" (with

, DC Comics, 1988) *'' A1'' (script and art, Atomeka): ** "The Actress and the Bishop Go Boating" (in No. 1, 1989) ** "The Actress and the Bishop Throw a Party" (in No. 3, 1989) ** "Parcels of Events" (in ''True Life Bikini Confidential'', 1990) *'' Cheval Noir'' No. 3, 5–9, 11–12, 15–18 (''Mr. Mamoulian'' strips, script and art, Dark Horse, 1989–1991) *'' Freak Show'': "Harry the Head" (script and art, anthology graphic novel, Dark Horse, 1992) *'' Legends of Arzach'' #6: "The Fountains of Summer" (with

Jean-Marc Lofficier Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier (b ...

, among other artists, Kitchen Sink, 1992) *''

'' #1–5, 7–14, 16, 18–22, 24–27, 29, 33, 35, 38–39, 42–50 (''Mr. Mamoulian'' strips, script and art,

Caliber In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the finished bore match ...

, 1993–1997) *'' Batman: Black and White'' #4: "An Innocent Guy" (script and art, DC Comics, 1996) *'' Heartthrobs'' #1: "The Princess and the Frog" (script and art,

, 1999) *''

Strange Adventures ''Strange Adventures'' is a series of American comic books published by DC Comics, the first of which was August–September 1950, according to the cover date, and published continuously until November 1973. Original series ''Strange Adventures ...

'' #1: "The Kapas" (script and art, Vertigo, 1999) *''

'' #1–5, 13, ''Summer Special'', ''Winter Special'' (''Mr. Mamoulian'' strips, script and art,

, 2005–2007) *'' Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall'': "What You Wish for" (with

Bill Willingham William Willingham (born 1956) is an American writer and artist of comics, known for his work on the series '' Elementals'' and ''Fables''. Career William Willingham was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. During his father's military career the fam ...

, graphic novel, Vertigo, 2006) *'' 52'' (DC Comics): ** "The Origin of Animal Man" (with Mark Waid, co-feature, in No. 19, 2006) ** "The Origin of Zatanna" (with Mark Waid, co-feature, in No. 34, 2006) *''

Countdown to Final Crisis ''Countdown'', also known as ''Countdown to Final Crisis'' for its last 24 issues based on the cover, was a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by DC Comics. It debuted on May 9, 2007, directly following the conclusion of ...

'' #31: "The Origin of Joker" (with Mark Waid, co-feature, DC Comics, 2007) *'' DC Universe: Legacies'' #7: "Snapshot: Reunion!" (with

, co-feature, DC Comics, 2011) *'' Wasted'' #6: "Shit the Dog: Relish That!" (with Alan Grant and John Wagner,

Bad Press ''Bad Press'' is a 2023 documentary film directed by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker and Joe Peeler. Premise The film centers Angel Ellis with her fellow free press Myskoke Media reporters and their fight for government transparency and access to infor ...

, 2011) *'' The Spirit'' #17: "Strange Bedfellows" (with

Howard Chaykin Howard Victor Chaykin (; born October 7, 1950) is an American comic book artist and writer. Chaykin's influences include his one-time employer and mentor, Gil Kane, and the mid-20th century illustrators Robert Fawcett and Al Parker. Early life ...

, DC Comics, 2011)

Covers only

*'' 2000 AD'' No. 11, 15–17, 19, 20, 23, 27, 30, 45, 105, 121, 131, 134, 144, 146, 161, 166–167, 197, 199, 210, 213, 215–216, 236, 240, 242, 248, 403, 848, 891, Prog 2000, 1336, 1505, ''Sci-Fi Special'' '79 and '81, ''Judge Dredd Annual'' '81, ''Annual'' '83, ''Judge Dredd Mega-Special'' '88 ( IPC Media/

Fleetway Fleetway Publications was a magazine publishing company based in London. It was founded in 1959 when the Mirror Group acquired the Amalgamated Press, then based at Fleetway House, Farringdon Street, London. It was one of the companies that merg ...

/ Rebellion Developments, 1977–2006) *'' Starlord'' No. 2, ''Annual'' '81 (IPC Media, 1978–1980) *''

'' No. 127, 130–131 (

, 1980) *''

Adventure Comics ''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), m ...

'' No. 475 (DC Comics, 1980) *''

'' No. 189–190 (DC Comics, 1981) *'' Tales of the Green Lantern Corps'' No. 1–3 (DC Comics, 1981) *'' DC Comics Presents'' No. 43 (DC Comics, 1982) *''

Amazing Heroes ''Amazing Heroes'' was a magazine about the comic book medium published by American company Fantagraphics Books from 1981 to 1992. Unlike its companion title, ''The Comics Journal'', ''Amazing Heroes'' was a hobbyist magazine rather than an analyti ...

'' No. 14, 52, 191, 197 (

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

, 1982–1991) *''

'' No. 1–10, 15–33 ( Eagle, 1983–1986) *'' Judge Dredd: The Judge Child Quest'' No. 1–5 (Eagle, 1984) *''

Axel Pressbutton Axel Pressbutton is a fictional character appearing in comic books. A violent cyborg with the face of Ernest Borgnine, a button on his chest which delivers orgasmic pleasure when pressed, and a phobia about vegetation, he was created by Steve M ...

'' No. 1 ( Eclipse, 1984) *'' 2000 AD Monthly'' No. 2, 5 (Eagle, 1985) *''Judge Dredd's Crime Files'' No. 1–2 (Eagle, 1985) *''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications and ...

'' No. 571, 609 (DC Comics, 1985–1988) *'' Elvira's House of Mystery'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 1986) *'' Detective Comics'' No. 559, ''Annual'' No. 2 (DC Comics, 1986–1989) *''

Tales of the Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

'' No. 63–65, 77 (DC Comics, 1986–1987) *'' Vigilante Annual'' No. 2 (DC Comics, 1986) *'' 2000 AD Monthly'' vol. 2 No. 1 (Eagle, 1986) *''Judge Dredd'' No. 34–35 ( Quality, 1986) *''

'' No. 422, ''Annual'' No. 12 (DC Comics, 1986) *''

'' No. 33 (

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

, 1986) *'' Secret Origins'' No. 7, ''Special'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 1986–1989) *'' ESPers'' No. 3 (Eclipse, 1986) *'' The Outsiders'' No. 16 (DC Comics, 1987) *''Adventures of the Outsiders'' No. 45 (DC Comics, 1987) *'' Valkyrie'' No. 2 (Eclipse, 1987) *'' Swamp Thing'' No. 151–153, ''Annual'' No. 3 (1987–1995) *''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

'' No. 122 (Fantagraphics Books, 1988) *''

'' No. 1–56 (DC Comics, 1988–1993) *'' Legion of Super-Heroes Annual'' No. 4 (DC Comics, 1988) *''Judge Dredd's Crime File'' No. 1–4 (Fleetway, 1989) *''Secret Origins of the World's Greatest Super-Heroes'' TPB (DC Comics, 1989) *'' The Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told'' TPB (DC Comics, 1989) *''

'' No. 445–447 (DC Comics, 1990) *'' Revolver Special'' No. 2 (Fleetway, 1990) *'' Prince: Alter Ego'' No. 1 (

Piranha Press Piranha Press, an imprint of DC Comics from 1989 to 1994, was a response by DC to the growing interest in alternative comics. The imprint was edited by Mark Nevelow, who instead of developing comics with the established names in the alternative co ...

, 1991) *''Animal Man'' TPB (DC Comics, 1991) *''

Robin Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') ** Bush-robin **Forest r ...

'' No. 1–5 (DC Comics, 1991) *''

Challengers of the Unknown The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces. The characters' provenance is ...

'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 1991) *''

Maze Agency ''The Maze Agency'' is an American mystery comic book series created by Mike W. Barr and first professionally published in 1988. It revolves around a pair of detectives (Jennifer Mays and Gabriel Webb) and their adventures solving puzzling murder ...

'' No. 20 (

Innovation Publishing Innovation Publishing (also known as Innovation Books and the Innovative Corporation) was an American comic book company based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was co-founded by David Campiti in 1988 after writing a business proposal and raising ...

, 1991) *''

Judge Dredd Megazine ''Judge Dredd: The Megazine'' is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in September 1990. It is a sister publication to '' 2000 AD''. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Judge Dredd's locale Mega-City One. Content Like ...

'' No. 16 (Fleetway, 1992) *'' Doom Patrol: Crawling from the Wreckage'' TPB (DC Comics, 1992) *''

'' No. 0, 63–92, 94–100 (DC Comics, 1992–1995) *''

Congorilla Congorilla, originally a human character known as Congo Bill, is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transformed in ...

'' No. 1–2 (DC Comics, 1992) *''Animal Man'' No. 57–63, ''Annual'' No. 1 (

, 1993) *''Doom Patrol'' No. 64, 75 (Vertigo, 1993–1994) *'' Showcase '93'' No. 3 (DC Comics, 1993) *''

'' vol. 2 No. 31 (Fleetway, 1993) *'' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' No. 50, 119 (DC Comics, 1993–1999) *''Batman: The Collected Legends of the Dark Knight'' TPB (DC Comics, 1993) *'' Kilroy is Here'' No. 0 (

, 1994) *'' Hellstorm: Prince of Lies'' No. 16 (Marvel, 1994) *'' Vamps'' No. 1–6 (Vertigo, 1994–1995) *'' Deadline'' No. 58 ( Deadline, 1994) *''

The Atom The Atom is a name shared by five superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, was created by writer Bill O'Connor and artist Ben Flinton and first appeared in All-American Pub ...

Special'' No. 2 (DC Comics, 1995) *'' Tank Girl: The Odyssey'' No. 1–4 (Vertigo, 1995) *''Tank Girl: Apocalypse!'' No. 1–4 (Vertigo, 1995–1996) *'' The Spectre'' vol. 3 No. 42 (DC Comics, 1996) *''

The Batman Chronicles ''The Batman Chronicles'' is a series of comics published by DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is ...

'' No. 3 (DC Comics, 1996) *'' The Flash: The Return of Barry Allen'' TPB (DC Comics, 1996) *''

v2'' No. 1–22 (Vertigo, 1997–1999) *'' Lobo'' No. 37 (DC Comics, 1997) *'' Kilroy: Daemonstorm'' No. 1 (Caliber, 1997) *'' Predator vs. Judge Dredd'' No. 1 ( Dark Horse, 1997) *'' Vertigo: Winter's Edge'' No. 1 (Verigo, 1998) *'' Corny's Fetish'' No. 1 (Dark Horse, 1998) *'' The Spirit: The New Adventures'' No. 3 ( Kitchen Sink, 1998) *'' Gangland'' No. 2 (Vertigo, 1998) *''Batman Villains: Secret Files and Origins'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 1998) *''The Invisibles v3'' No. 12-1 (Vertigo, 1999–2000) *'' Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' No. 87 (DC Comics, 1999) *''

Fanboy A fan or fanatic, sometimes also termed an aficionado or enthusiast, is a person who exhibits strong interest or admiration for something or somebody, such as a celebrity, a sport, a sports team, a genre, a politician, a book, a movie, a vi ...

'' No. 6 (DC Comics, 1999) *'' Batman: Gotham Knights'' No. 2–11, 14–21, 23–30, 32–40, 42–47 (DC Comics, 2000–2004) *'' Superman and Batman: World's Funnest'' (DC Comics, 2000) *'' Silver Age'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 2000) *''The Flash'' No. 164–178, 180–187 (DC Comics, 2000–2002) *''

Adventures in the Rifle Brigade ''Adventures in the Rifle Brigade'' is the name of two Vertigo comic book limited series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Carlos Ezquerra. The first series, ''Adventures in the Rifle Brigade'', was released in 2000. Its sequel, ''Adventures ...

'' No. 1–3 (Vertigo, 2000) *'' Comicology'' No. 4 (

TwoMorrows TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs. List of maga ...

, 2001) *'' Joker: Last Laugh'' No. 1, 6 (DC Comics, 2001–2002) *''Animal Man: Origin of the Species'' TPB (Vertigo, 2002) *''

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a st ...

: Everyday Magic'' (Vertigo, 2003) *'' Blood & Water'' No. 1–5 (Vertigo, 2003) *''Animal Man: Deus Ex Machina'' TPB (Vertigo, 2003) *''JLA: Zatanna's Search'' TPB (Vertigo, 2004) *''

Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...

'' No. 32 (DC Comics, 2004) *''Doom Patrol Archives Volume 2'' HC (DC Comics, 2004) *''

Back Issue! ''Back Issue!'' is an American magazine published by TwoMorrows Publishing, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 2003 and published eight times yearly, it features articles and art about comic books from the 1970s to the present. Edited ...

'' No. 3 (TwoMorrows, 2004) *'' Catwoman: Nine Lives of the Feline Fatale'' TPB (DC Comics, 2004) *''Doom Patrol: The Painting That Ate Paris'' TPB (Vertigo, 2004) *'' DC Comics Presents: Green Lantern'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 2004) *''DC Comics Presents: The Atom'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 2004) *'' Desperado Primer'' No. 1 (

, 2005) *'' Michael Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist'' No. 7–8 (Dark Horse, 2005) *'' DC's Greatest Imaginary Stories'' TPB (DC Comics, 2005) *''Doom Patrol: Down Paradise Way'' TPB (Vertigo, 2005) *'' Rann-Thanagar War'' TPB (DC Comics, 2005) *'' Steel Claw: The Vanishing Man'' HC ( Titan, 2005) *'' DC Universe: The Stories of Alan Moore'' TPB (DC Comics, 2006) *''Doom Patrol Archives Volume 3'' HC (DC Comics, 2006) *''

'' No. 39 (DC Comics, 2006) *''

Jonah Hex Jonah Woodson Hex is a fictional antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is scarred on the r ...

'' No. 6 (DC Comics, 2006) *''Doom Patrol: Musclebound'' TPB (Vertigo, 2006) *'' Justice Society Volume 1'' TPB (DC Comics, 2006) *''

Elephantmen ''Elephantmen'' is an American ongoing monthly comic book published by Image Comics and written by Richard Starkings with art by Moritat and a number of other artists. Issue #1 was released in July 2006. Overview Some 200 years from now, the M ...

'' No. 3 (

Comicraft Comicraft is a company which provides graphic design and lettering services to various (primarily comic book) companies. History The company was founded by Richard Starkings in 1992. Starkings had been working for Marvel UK for five years, but ...

, 2006) *'' Huntress: Darknight Daughter'' TPB (DC Comics, 2006) *''Doom Patrol: Magic Bus'' TPB (Vertigo, 2007) *'' Justice Society Volume 2'' TPB (DC Comics, 2007) *'' Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor'' TPB (Dark Horse, 2007) *'' The Helmet of Fate: Detective Chimp'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 2007) *'' Amazing Transformations of Jimmy Olsen'' TPB (DC Comics, 2007) *'' Deathblow'' No. 4 ( Wildstorm, 2007) *'' Jack of Fables'' No. 12–20, 22–50 (Vertigo, 2007–2011) *''Doom Patrol: Planet Love'' TPB (Vertigo, 2008) *'' Jeff Hawke: Overlord'' HC (Titan, 2008) *'' Femme Noir: The Dark City Diaries'' No. 1 (

Ape Entertainment Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister ...

, 2008) *'' Jeff Hawke: Ambassadors'' HC (Titan, 2008) *''

The War That Time Forgot ''The War that Time Forgot'' was a comic book feature published by DC Comics beginning in 1960 in the title '' Star Spangled War Stories'', created by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. It ran for eight years, ending in 1968 and retur ...

'' No. 2 (DC Comics, 2008) *'' The Spirit'' No. 26–28 (DC Comics, 2009) *'' Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?'' HC (DC comics, 2009) *''Last Days of Animal Man'' No. 1–6 (DC Comics, 2009) *''

Green Lantern Corps Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians of the Universe, Guardians, a ...

'' No. 45 (DC Comics, 2010) *'' DC's Greatest Imaginary Stories: Batman and Robin'' TPB (DC Comics, 2010) *''Zatanna'' No. 1–6 (DC Comics, 2010) *'' Star-Spangled War Stories'' No. 1 (DC Comics, 2010) *''

Dial H ''Dial H'' was a DC Comics superhero title launched in 2012 as part of the second wave of The New 52. It is a contemporary, frequently humorous take on the Silver Age title ''Dial H for Hero''. It was written by novelist China Miéville, featuring ...

'' No. 1-15, 0 (DC Comics, 2012-2013)

References

External links

* *
Brian Bolland
at Barney

at the

Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ), though since 2007, his son Boris Kousemaker is the current owner. From 1968 to 2015, it was located ...

Brian Bolland
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bolland, Brian 1951 births Alumni of Norwich University of the Arts Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design Eisner Award winners for Best Cover Artist Eisner Award winners for Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team English comics artists Harvey Award winners for Best Artist or Penciller Inkpot Award winners Living people People educated at Boston Grammar School People from the Borough of Boston Role-playing game artists Underground cartoonists

Early life

UK career

Fanzines and early work

''2000 AD'', ''Judge Death'' and ''Walter the Wobot''

Other UK work

DC Comics

Covers

''Animal Man''

''The Invisibles''

''Wonder Woman''

Other cover work

Other comics work

''Mr. Mamoulian''

''The Actress and the Bishop''

''The Art of Brian Bolland''

Non-comics work

Personal life

Awards

Wins

Nominations

Bibliography

Covers only

References

Further reading

External links