Des Taylor

Artist Des Taylor with ArtGlaz from PinupEXPO

Fashion Reporter Katie Rogers created by Des Taylor

Cabaret Star Vesha Valentine created by Des Taylor

Superspy Scarlett Couture created by Des Taylor

60's Crime Fighter The Blue Lotus created by Des Taylor

Desmond John Corey Taylor, Jr. (born 18 April 1971) is an English pop art and comic book illustrator from Tottenham, North London, England. He is the creator of Katie Rogers, a graphic novel originally published in 2008 by Ape Entertainment.^[1] and other forthcoming characters, Scarlett Couture, The Vesha Valentine Story, (published by Slave Labor Comics) Legend of the Blue Lotus and The Infamous Katie Rogers ( a brand new graphic novel in the works) .He has also published 'Learn This- How to Draw Comics and Manga by Wayland Books. His official print site is DESPOP. www.despop.co.uk.

Early life and education

Des Taylor was born 18 April 1971 in Tottenham to immigrants from Montserrat, West Indies. He was educated at Bruce Grove Primary School in Tottenham and Northumberland Park Secondary School in Northumberland Park. Taylor studied art, English and drama at Southgate College in Enfield from 1990-91. He took an art foundation course at the College of North East London from 1991-92. He graduated in 1994 from West Herts College in Watford, following studies in graphic design. Throughout his studies Taylor had always developed a passion for Fashion Design and was inspired by everyday people.^[2]

Illustration career

Taylor started drawing as a child after watching his older sister paint. Upon seeing Star Wars in 1977, Taylor was drawn into fantasy art.^[3] After earning his art degree, Taylor became a freelance illustrator working in London. Among his early professional clients was Watford's Geri Halliwell, before she became an international star with the Spice Girls. Taylor’s illustration of Halliwell is included in her autobiography If Only. In December 2009, Des Taylor hosted his first art exhibition-THE ART OF DES TAYLOR at the trendy Maverik Showroom in London's East End. He was assisted by (top art creative and famous fashion window designer for THEO FENNELL, Christian Louboutin, PRADA) close friend, Emma Davidge. His style has bridged the gap between POP art, Comic book illustration and animation so to be used commercially in Comics, Fashion and Design. Film studios and producers have show interest in his work to date. Among Taylor’s clients:^[3]

• Citroën
• Company
• Cosmopolitan UK
• Fabric (club)
• Theo Fennell
• FHM
• Chameleon Visual
• La Perla
• Ministry Of Sound
• More!
• Thomas Pink
• Pizza Hut
• Ann Summers

ITV studios America

• Touch
• Gerald Eve

Influences

Taylor has stated his influences are comic book creators Bruce Timm and Jack Kirby, along with painters Toulouse Lautrec and Roy Lichtenstein.^[2]

Michael Jackson

From 1990-92, Adrian Grant, publisher of Off The Wall, the official UK Michael Jackson fan magazine, tapped Taylor to provide original illustrations of the King of Pop. Taylor consequentially met Jackson backstage and the singer told him how much he loved Taylor’s cartoons. In June 2002 Taylor presented Jackson onstage at the Killer Thriller party at Equinox, Leicester Square, London.

Katie Rogers

In the summer of 2005, whilst recuperating from a serious soccer injury, Taylor started to flesh out the comics character Katie Rogers. The character is a fictional English-born publicist working in Manhattan. Taylor took inspiration from his visits to New York City, mixed with his experiences around the girls he had met working as a freelance illustrator in the world of fashion. Many of the character’s traits and personality quirks are based on Taylor’s friends.

Katie Rogers debuted on the social networking site Myspace in 2006 and gained an army of more than 7,000 followers. This led Taylor to launch Katie's Party, live events held in various nightclubs in Soho, London. The online character entered the real world in parties that featured cocktails, dancing and top London DJs.

In 2009 San Diego-based Ape Entertainment brought out the first Katie Rogers graphic novel.^[1] which was split up into a magazine format with an 88-page story, short stories and character interviews. Although loved by fans Taylor felt that the book and character had more potential in the book market and was looking to target a new market as comic book sales had been suffering in the US.

In August 2011 Des decided to totally revamp and update the character to better compliment his changing art style. After mutual agreement he ended his publishing contract with Ape Comics and is working on a complete reboot of the character to keep up with the changing trends in Social Media. A new graphic storybook called The Infamous Katie Rogers is currently in the works.

Vesha Valentine

In late 2010 (after a first appearance in Celebrity jeweler Theo Fennell's store Christmas window displays around London) Des Taylor began to flesh out a comic character that would put him and his talents on the radar. Created out of a love for the screen siren's of classic cinema, Taylor moulded the character Vesha Valentine. Part cabaret artist, Burlesque performer and all around Show Girl. The book , designed to be read like a fictional autobiography. Unlike your traditional comic book of panels and speech ballons Taylor designed Vesha Valentine to be read in a more ' storybook' type of adventure, a format he has called 'Modern Graphic Pulp' or Graphic Storybook.

" The Vesha Valentine Story is presented like an episode of E! True Hollywood Stories. It traces the rise and fall of a Hollywood starlet (who is a composite of famous screen queens like Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth), from her days of entertaining diner patrons to becoming a big time Hollywood actress. As a young girl born to a famous mother, Vesha had a natural gift of song and dance, performing at the cafe owned by her grandparents in France. Like many young girls of the time, Vesha set her sights on performing on stage in front of large crowds. She would find herself in a small rinky dink revue that was struggling to compete with the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergere. However, Vesha's gift for performance would bring the house down as hundreds would flock to see her show. Vesha wanted more and after starring in several successful films, she would move to Hollywood and start living an all too familiar life: she would date movie executives, famous heartthrob actors and eventually stick to a young Navy captain. In typical Hollywood fashion, Vesha would be met with financial ruin as elements from her past catch up to her and news of her husband being shot down over Vietnam drive her to drinking. Vesha would ultimately bounce back and recapture the success that drove her to become America's sweetheart." so an adequate quote explained from part of a review from the blog Life, The Universe and Video games .

Vesha Valentine was released to great reviews in March 2011, published by Slave Labor Graphics in San Jose. The book was Number 10 in the Top 25 Small Press graphic novels at Diamond Distributors in April 2011. Two launch parties were held to celebrate the books launch in London at Bar Bodega, Watford and at bespoke lingerie/ sex store BORDELLO in which model Nina Hearne posed as the comic book star. Celebrity jeweler Theo Fennell and his family attended the BORDELLO party as well as other creatives in the art and fashion industry. Taylor plans to create more Vesha Valentine art and books in the near future.

Personal

In 2001 Taylor appeared on the UK game show Blind Date as the picker. The show was hosted by 1960s icon Cilla Black. He went to the isle of Aran, Scotland, as a grand prize.

Taylor resides in Watford. He is a lifetime Tottenham Hotspur F.C. supporter and follows world football. He collects comic books and Star Wars collectibles with a passion.^[2]

He is engaged to marry his fiance Wiesia Radwanska ( who inspired the name 'Vesha' for Vesha Valentine) and is expecting his first child, a little girl named Scarlett in early 2012.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} [1], Ape Entertainment upcoming projects, accessed 29 April 2009
2. ^ ^{a b c} [2], PVUK: Des Taylor Biography, accessed 29 April 2009
3. ^ ^{a b} [3], Des Taylor official site, accessed 29 April 2010

External links

• Official Katie Rogers site
• Official artist site

Review from Comic Book Resources Review of Vesha Valentine Bookgasm review of Vesha Valentine Story

Persondata
Name	Taylor, Des
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	18 April 1971
Place of birth	Tottenham, London, England
Date of death
Place of death