Joe Phillips is an American artist, known for his gay-themed illustration, erotic animation, and his earlier work on superhero comic books.

Early life

Phillips was born in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia in the 1960s. He attended Northside School of the Arts< where he learned skills such as set design and designing costumes. Upon graduation he traveled to Europe where he took part in projects such as guerrilla street art.

Career

Upon his return to the United States, he worked on the comic book series ''

Southern Knights Southern Knights was a comic book created by the husband-and-wife team of Henry and Audrey Vogel.''The Crusaders'' #1 splash page. It chronicled the adventures of a superhero team based in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Initially known ...

''. His first major comic book job was penciling eight issues of the comic book ''

Speed Racer ''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese media franchise about Auto racing, automobile racing. ''Mach GoGoGo'' was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in tankōbon book form by Sun W ...

'' for

NOW Comics NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comic boo ...

, starting in 1988. In 1989 he took over penciling interiors and covers for

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 thei ...

' ''

Mister Miracle Mister Miracle (Scott Free) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Mister Miracle'' #1 (April 1971) and was created by Jack Kirby. Publication history Mister Miracle debuted in ...

'' with issue #7, continuing until the series ended in 1991. He then penciled two issues of ''

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 ...

'', filling in between retiring artist

George Perez George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

and new regular artist

Jill Thompson Jill Thompson (born November 20, 1966) is an American illustrator and writer who has worked for stage, film, and television. Well known for her work on Neil Gaiman's '' The Sandman'' characters and her own ''Scary Godmother'' series, she has wor ...

, and went on to produce art for DC and

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 ...

titles including ''

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 conceive ...

'', ''

Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...

'', ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...

'', '' Legion of Super-Heroes'', ''

The Incredible 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 ...

'', and '' Lobo''.Joe Phillips - Comic Book Database
Retrieved September 16, 2007. Phillips was one of the founding members of Gai-Jin Studios, a comic book studio whose past members include artists such as

Adam Hughes Adam Hughes (born May 5, 1967) is an American comics artist and illustrator best known to American comic book readers for his renderings of pinup-style female characters, and his cover work on titles such as ''Wonder Woman'' and ''Catwoman''. H ...

and

Brian Stelfreeze Brian Stelfreeze is an American comic book artist. Stelfreeze is a painter, penciller, inker and colorist and has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher. He is one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios. Career ...

. In late 1992 he began penciling a story arc reviving the Legion of Super-Heroes character Timber Wolf, written and inked by

Al Gordon Alan Gordon (born June 22, 1953) is an American comic book creator primarily known as an inker and writer. He is best known for his 1990s work on DC Comics' ''Legion of Super Heroes'' and the ''Justice League of America'', Marvel Comics' ''Fanta ...

. In 1996 he created a new comic book character The Heretic, published by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon comic book shops know ...

. Other later work included '' Captain America'', ''

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...

'', ''

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 ''

Superboy Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...

''. In 2008 he worked on the '' Doctor Who'' comic book.

LGBT-themed work

In his art for a single-issue

comic entitled ''Superboy & Risk: Double Shot'', Phillips dropped "

easter eggs Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tra ...

" hinting at his homosexuality.Joe Phillips Autobiography
Retrieved September 16, 2007. Eriq Chang, art director of gay-youth-focused ''

XY Magazine ''XY'' is a gay men's magazine which has been published in the United States since 1996. XY started as a gay male youth-oriented magazine and social network. Its name is a reference to the XY chromosome pair found in males. ''XY'' published iss ...

'', noticed and hired Phillips to draw a comic strip that would become known as "Joe Boy". In September 1999, Phillips co- founded Xodus USA, through which he designed sold clothing and gay-themed accessories, which were carried by online clothing retailer International Male. After that partnership was dissolved in August 2000, Phillips produced calendars and other print materials for 10% Productions. It was during this period that Phillips was engaged by Ska Killers, Toasters, USA. Phillips was approached by the

hardcore porn Hardcore pornography, or hardcore porn, is pornography that features detailed depictions of sexual organs or sexual acts such as vaginal, anal or oral intercourse, fingering, anilingus, ejaculation, and fetish play. The term is in contras ...

website Karas Adult Playground to produce adult animation, his first – ''Cumquest'' – was a spoof on the popular sci-fi series '' Star Trek''. Another animation job followed for the gay porn website Absolutely Male for which Phillips created the animation ''

The House of Morecock ''The House of Morecock'' is a gay pornographic adult cartoon created through computer-generated animation. It was the first American-made gay adult animation, and was created by Joe Phillips, a comic book artist and freelance illustrator who ...

'', a story about a gay

paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...

investigator. ''Morecock'' proved to be very popular and a set of 10 episodes was released on DVD by 10% Productions in 2001. In 2002 ''Morecock'' won a

GayVN The GayVN Awards are film awards presented annually to honor work done in the gay pornographic industry. The awards were sponsored by '' AVN Magazine'', the parent publication of ''GAYVN Magazine'', and continue the recognition for gay pornograp ...

award in the category "Best Alternative Release". A series of comic strip books followed alongside sets of postcard books. TLA Video lists ''Morecock'' as one of their all-time bestselling titles. In 2001 Phillips released "Boys Will Be Boys" - a calendar featuring original gay-themed art. In 2003 a book of the same title was released; it featured the art from the 2002 and 2003 calendars and incorporated some new original pieces. ''Boys'' was the first gay-themed comic book that

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

Bruno Gmunder released. Due to its success, in 2007 the book was re-released as an "Extended Edition" containing nearly double the amount of art. The calendar continues to be released annually. In 2003 Phillips helped launch ''Xodus Magazine'', with former Xodus USA co-founder and current publisher Nicholas Reedy. The magazine was created for the gay community and featured covers, a cartoon series and spot illustration by Phillips as well as a wrap up column at the end of each issue. The magazine featured an

advice column An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response. The responses are wr ...

from mothers of gay people. After three years of successful distribution, the magazine ended publication after a long legal battle eventually drained its resources. Other clients who commissioned Phillips for gay work include ID Lube, Elbow Grease, Inside Pride, Jocko Underwear, ''Odyssey Magazine'', ''Gloss Magazine'', '' Gay and Lesbian Times San Diego'', ''

Freshmen A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. Ara ...

'', All Boy, Cyber Socket, and

Prism Comics Prism Comics is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) creators, stories, characters, and readers in the comics industry. It does this through informational booths and pro ...

plus singers Ari Gold, Justus Boys, Alan Gnuo and

Levi Kreis Levi Kreis (born November 4, 1981) is an American actor and singer from Oliver Springs, Tennessee. In 2010, he won a Tony Award for playing Jerry Lee Lewis in '' Million Dollar Quartet''. Career Music Kreis's debut album, ''One of the Ones'', ...

. He also created the art for the comic book character Rage, which featured in the second season of the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series '' Queer as Folk''. In 2004 he was the Artist Guest of Honor at Gaylaxicon, the annual national

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

, horror, comics and

gaming Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playin ...

convention. In 2006 with Adult Visual Animation, Phillips released his second adult-themed animated movie entitled ''Stonewall & Riot: The Ultimate Orgasm''. The movie was a cross-over of the two genres Phillips was known for - Superheroes and work for the gay community. The movie was created entirely in

3D graphics 3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...

. As with his previous movie, ''Stonewall & Riot'' was nominated for a GayVN award.

Other work

Phillips worked for Bud Light, for which he created unique art for a nationwide 12-month ad campaign featuring his signature "Joe Boys". He also created the artwork for the front cover of multiple "Masterbeat" compilation CD's by DJ Brett Hendricson. He was one of four finalists for a MySpace competition in which

Dashboard Confessional Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the songThe Sharp Hint of New Tears off their debut album, '' The Swiss Army Romance''. History Early ...

searched for their next music video and he was also a finalist in a nationwide advertising campaign by

Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arran ...

. A music video for singer Ari Gold which he directed and animated won

LOGOs ''Logos'' (, ; grc, λόγος, lógos, lit=word, discourse, or reason) is a term used in Western philosophy, psychology and rhetoric and refers to the appeal to reason that relies on logic or reason, inductive and deductive reasoning. Ari ...

"Music Video of The Year 2007".LOGO Online: The Click List - 2007 Top 10 Music Videos
Retrieved December 14, 2007. In late 2008 his comic book creation ''The Heretic'' was re-released in a

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 ...

format. He has also worked with gay porn producer

Chi Chi LaRue Larry David Paciotti (born November 8, 1959) is an American director of pornographic films. He appears as the drag- diva persona Chi Chi LaRue (), and has been credited as director under the names "Lawrence David" and "Taylor Hudson". Caree ...

to create promotional art for Channel 1 Releasing. Current projects underway include a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to "The House of Morecock", a music video for

and several new books, including comics for Dark Horse and

TokyoPop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed ...

. In June 2009 Phillips won a Nicky award for "Outstanding Community Artist". In 2013, Phillips animated and directed the official music video for UK Rock singer/songwriter

Matt Fishel Matt Fishel is a British singer, songwriter, music producer and record label owner. He plays guitar, piano, bass and keyboards. He grew up in Nottingham in the East Midlands in the late 1990s, going on to study Music and Performing Arts at Paul ...

's single " When Boy Meets Boy"."Matt Fishel - When Boy Meets Boy (Official Music Video)"
YouTube. 02 June 2013. Retrieved on 14 June 2013."Watch: Matt Fishel's When Boy Meets Boy"
''

Out Magazine ''Out'' is an American LGBTQ news, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any LGBTQ monthly publication in the United States. It presents itself in an editorial manner similar to '' Details'', ''Esquire' ...

'', United States, 03 June 2013. Retrieved on 17 June 2013. Described by ''

'' as a "cute (and sexy)" love story "with a superhero twist", it shows an animated version of Fishel meeting a mysterious skater boy in a bar and concludes with a superhero fight and rescue sequence. British magazine The Gay UK called it "one of the best music videos we've seen in a long time.""Matt Fishel Releases When Boy Meets Boy Single"
''The Gay Uk Magazine'', UK, 19 July 2013. Retrieved on 26 July 2013. On 30 October 2013, the video for " When Boy Meets Boy" won the 2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Award for Best Pop/Rock Video."RightOutTV Music & Video Awards Winners 2013"
''RightOutTV Awards'', Canada, 30 October 2013. Retrieved on 01 November 2013. Phillips created the artwork for

's debut album '' Not Thinking Straight'', which was released in April 2013 on Young Lust Records."This week's new releases 08-04-2013"
''

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts in ...

'', UK, 08 April 2013. Retrieved on 16 June 2013."iTunes-Music-Matt Fishel-Not Thinking Straight"
Retrieved on 16 June 2013. The album booklet comprises 18 original illustrations by Phillips, each representing a different song's lyrics and portraying themes and issues surrounding young gay life, relationships and experiences.Hopps, Gordon
"Songs In The Key Of Gay - Matt Fishel"
'' Bent Magazine'', UK, 15 March 2013. Retrieved on 13 June 2013. Phillips created the artwork for

's 2013 singles " Radio-Friendly Pop Song", " When Boy Meets Boy" and "

Oh Santa! "Oh Santa!" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her second Christmas album and thirteenth studio album, ''Merry Christmas II You'' (2010). Carey wrote and produced the song in collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Brya ...

Bibliography

Movies

*''Stonewall & Riot: The Ultimate Orgasm'' (October 2006) *''

'' (September 2001)

Art books and illustration

*''Boys Will Be Boys – Extended Edition'' (April 2007) *''Chasing Adonis: Gay Men And the Pursuit of Perfection'' (Illustration Only) (January 2007) *''Cali Boys'' (April 2006) *''Ari Gold'' (Illustrations only) (October 2005) *''Tales From The House Of Morecock, Vol 2'' (September 2005) *''The House Of Morecock'' (Postcard Book) (August 2005) *''Tales From The House Of Morecock'' (June 2005) *''The Joy Of Gay Sex'' (Illustrations Only) (May 2004) *''For The Boys'' (Postcard Book) (April 2004) *''For The Boys'' (April 2004) *''The Adventures of a Joe Boy! Volume One'' (March 2004) *''Reeling in the Years: Gay Men's Perspectives on Age and Ageism'' (Illustrations only) (January 2004) *''Boys Will Be Boys (Postcard Book)'' (March 2003) *''Boys Will Be Boys'' (March 2003) *''Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behaviour'' (Illustrations Only) (June 2001)

Comic books

*'' Doctor Who'' #1-#2 (January 2008 - February 2008) (penciller) *''

Midnighter Midnighter is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books first published by WildStorm and later DC Comics once it absorbed the former. The character was created by writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch. The character made hi ...

'' #3 (March 2007) (penciller) *''

10th Muse ''Tenth Muse'' (also ''10th Muse'') is an independent superhero comic book series about a modern-day daughter of the Greek god Zeus. It was created in 2000 by Darren G. Davis and originally written by Marv Wolfman. Several real-life models se ...

'' #13 (September 2006) (cover artist) *'' Prism Comics: Your LGBT Guide To Comics'' #3 (2005) (cover artist) *'' Thundercats: Reclaiming Thundera'' #5 (February 2003) (penciller & inker) *'' Body Doubles'' #4 (January 2000) (cover artist & penciller) *'' Jokers Wild'' #1 (September 1998) (cover Artist & penciller) *''Superboy & Risk: Double Shot'' #1 (February 1998) (cover Artist & penciller) *''The Heretic'' #1 - #4 (November 1996 - March 1997) (writer, cover artist & penciller) *''

'' #97 - #100 (October 1994 - January 1995) (cover artist) *'' Aliens: Colonial Marines'' #4-#6, #8-#10 (April 1993 - July 1994) (cover artist) *'' Timber Wolf'' #1 - #5 (November 1992 - February 1993) (cover artist & penciller) *''

'' #56, #60 (July 1991, November 1991) (penciller) *''

'' #7 - #28 (August 1989 - July 1991) (cover artist & penciller) *''

'' #12 - #19 (August 1988 - April 1989) (penciller)

Video games

*''My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant'' (2012) (character artist) *''Escape from Pleasure Planet'' (2016) (character artist)

References

External links

Official WebsiteMySpace Page
*
Joe Phillips at Bruno Gmuender
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Joe American cartoonists American comics artists African-American comics creators American comics creators Flash artists Gay artists American gay writers Inkpot Award winners LGBT African Americans LGBT comics creators LGBT screenwriters LGBT people from Georgia (U.S. state) Hentai creators Living people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people African-American male writers Year of birth missing (living people)