Sean Simmans

Sean Simmans (born 1970) is a Canadian artist, cartoonist, and writer, best known for his work on Rizzo, a syndicated American comic strip co-authored by Chris Riseley.

Early Days

Simmans was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and grew up in a mining town, probably Thompson, in the northern part of the province. He began cartooning as a child and sold his first caricature portrait when he was twelve. Local advertising assignments followed. When he was sixteen, he penned the comic strip Tweed for his hometown newspaper.

He worked as a miner, underground, from 1990 until 1998, when a spinal injury forced him into early retirement. At this point, he began doing artwork for online e-zines, mostly of the erotic variety. He also designed book covers for up and coming publishers like Dead End Street. To date he has designed and illustrated over fifty book and magazine covers.

In 2000, Simmans began writing short fiction as W. Bill Czolgosz. He placed his first story, 32 Cherries, in the anthology Viscera, from "Venus or Vixen Press" (edited by Cara Bruce.) His full-length novel, Eat at Zero's, was published by Coscom Entertainment in 2005.

Also in 2005, Simmans collaborated with Chris Riseley to create the daily comic strip Rizzo. After caricaturing Riseley into the title role, Simmans turned his alter ego, Czolgosz, into the strip's second lead character, Bill-- a crotchety cynic in a blue lizard suit. (Rizzo also features the old Tweed character in a small supporting role.)

By early 2006, Rizzo was appearing in twenty publications, including: "The Agoura Acorn, The Sonoma Sun-Times, the Logan Herald, the SLC Weekly, The Writers Post Journal, the Camarillo Acorn, Arcata Eye, SanPete Messenger, SLUG, Dos Palos Star, The Bay News, Thousand Oaks Acorn, Fleming Island Messenger, MacLean's, Butte Valley Star, Northridge," plus the" Simi & Moorpark Acorns."

In 2007, Simmans illustrated the graphic novel Of Magic & Men, written by A.P. Fuchs, featuring Fuch's Manitoba-grown Axiom-man character, and published by Coscom Entertainment.

RIZZO: YEAR ONE, The Second Edition, was released in October 2007, featuring a new introduction. This version addresses the departure of Chris Riseley from the Rizzo project.

The Rizzo project was placed on hold in late October 2007, when Simmans took a sabbatical from all his endeavors in order to take care of his wife, who underwent emergency brain surgery. Periodicals such as the Sonoma Sun began running archival strips.

The Super-Serious Work

Simmans' paintings, those that sell in The Doghide Gallery and appear on magazine covers, are essentially oversized mixed-media cartoons.

After an in-house dispute at a The Writer's Post Journal, contemporary artist Nick Johns called Sean Simmans "unstable" and "crazy." Dancer Staci Flores, a friend of the artist, remarked that Simmans is "a conspiracy theorist and a gun lover. He will disappear in his studio for days and not sleep." The Melfort Journal confirmed that his studio is very dungeon-like and "of questionable light."

Writing partner Chris Riseley stated, "He is a mad genius. Completely off his nut. He has his finger on the pulse of the darkness. But he might be the fastest artist alive."

Typically, Simmans churns out a fully-inked Rizzo strip in fifteen minutes and will complete fully-rendered book cover assignments overnight.

Due to his spinal condition, however, he has been known to go on medical sabbaticals without notice. At an auction in March, 2006, he met with fledgling documentarian/Rizzo fan Ram Patu and admitted, "Sometimes I think I'm a bastard. If I were somebody else, I would probably choose not to work with me."

As of June 2007, Simmans and Riseley no longer collaborate. Neither artist has commented.

Other Works

Sean Simmans is also involved with the comic projects Eau de Larry, Freedom Ball, Ezta of Uranus, and the educational feature 48 Seconds of History. He recently sat on the creative board of the short-lived horror magazine Kopfhalter! and introduced the world to the tragically un-super hero known as Owlman.

Influences

Simmans cites Gilbert Shelton, S. Gross, Berke Breathed, and MAD Magazine as his earliest influences. Also, "Richard Corben might be the world's greatest living artist." (quoted in the "Writer's Post Journal".)

Links

http://www.rizzocomics.comhttp://www.rizzodaily.comhttp://simmanswebsite.sasktel.net

References

The Melfort Journal-- Melfort, SK.
The Writer's Post Journal-- LBF Books.
Kopfhalter! Magazine-- Coscom Entertainment [coscomentertainment.com] Various Internet sources includinghttp://www.lulu.com/content/738044http://www.cleansheets.comhttp://www.scarletletters.comhttp://www.liespeopletell.comRIZZO: YEAR ONE ISBN#:978-0-9794-5240-6RIZZO: YEAR ONE (Second Edition) ISBN#: 978-0-9784559-0-3GRIST MILL ISBN#: 978-0-9794524-1-3