Woodrow Phoenix

Woodrow Phoenix is a British comics artist, writer, editorial illustrator, graphic designer, font designer and author of children's books. [cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9784770030177 |title=About the Author |accessdate=2007-06-08 | publisher=www.powells.com ] His work is graphic and playful but is unusual for its high degree of formal experimentation. He draws in very different styles which make his comics appear to be the work of three or four completely different creators.The vividly colored angular graphics of "The Sumo Family" are completely unlike the grainy impressionist mood of "The Liberty Cat". The elegant line of "Sherlock Holmes and The Vanishing Villain" is a differing style again that bears no relation to the many "SugarBuzz!" comics that followed. His most recent book "Rumble Strip" is his most radical departure from previous directions that even dispenses with characters, leaving only backgrounds.

He was a contributor to a number of British comics magazines including "Escape", "Blaaam!" and "Blast!" and was part of the British small press comics scene in the 1980s. He is currently a contributor to The DFC.

Phoenix is known for two main solo creations. The first is "The Sumo Family", which debuted in "Escape" magazine, and was serialised weekly in the Independent on Sunday newspaper in the UK, then monthly in both "Manga Mania" magazine, and German/Swiss "Instant" magazine. The second is "The Liberty Cat", which was published in Japan by Kodansha in Morning magazine. [cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9784770030177 |title=About the Author |accessdate=2007-06-08 | publisher=www.powells.com ]

His critical essays on comics have appeared in catalogs for exhibitions at the ICA in London, and at the University of Sussex. Books he has authored include a children's book titled "Count Milkula: A Tale of Milk and Monsters!" (ISBN 9780954657659) [cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780954657659-0 |title=Count Milkula: A Tale of Milk and Monsters! |accessdate=2007-06-08 |publisher=Mogzilla ] ; a cultural study "Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World" (ISBN 9784770030177), an in depth look at Japanese toy designs from the post-war era to present times, and their effect on the imaginations and Western markets along with their impact on trends in design and pop culture. [cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9784770030177 |title=Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World |accessdate=2007-06-08 |publisher=Kodansha International ] ; "Rumble Strip", published in 2008, is a non-fiction look at the difficult social issues arising from society’s dependence on the automobile and has been reviewed in the London Times as “an utterly original work of genius”. [cite web |url=http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780954930998 |title=Rumble Strip |accessdate=2008-08-08 |publisher=Myriad Editions ]

History

A trained typographer, Phoenix was a letterer in the 1980s for most of the UK's comics publishers including Escape, Fleetway, Dark Horse UK, "Toxic" and "Acme". He also lettered graphic novels for Gollancz and Methuen. He self-published several comics during this time as part of the Fast Fiction collective begun by Paul Gravett before working as a professional artist and writer for UK and US comics companies.

His first collaboration was with Glenn Dakin on "Sinister Romance", a humor title they jointly wrote, drew and edited. Four issues were published by Harrier Comics' new wave imprint. Stories were also contributed by Warren Pleece and Bob Lynch.

He has since collaborated as artist and/or writer with Andi Watson, Matt Wagner, Alan Moore, Chris Reynolds, Chris Webster, Eddie Campbell, Rian Hughes, Gordon Rennie, Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison, Paul Grist, Evan Dorkin, Oscar Zarate, Jose Munoz, Carl Flint, Ian Carney, Jake Carney, Zach Howard, Annie Caulfield, Steve May.

With co-writer Ian Carney he created an anthology comic called "SugarBuzz" published by Slave Labor Graphics, featuring a cast of over fifty characters. The most popular being Pants Ant, who featured in an animated cartoon for The Cartoon Network; and the Where's It At, Sugar Kat? series which was also optioned for film and TV projects by Walt Disney inc.

He was one of the first western comics creators to appear in Kodansha's weekly manga anthology "Comics Morning" magazine in Japan, producing a mystery detective strip called "The Liberty Cat". His work has also appeared in numerous anthologies and book collections including "Grendel: Black White and Red" (with writer Matt Wagner), "The Big Book of Death" and "The Big Book of Weirdos", "It's Dark in London" edited by Oscar Zarate, "The Brighton Book" and "Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman".

He shares a studio in London with another comics writer/artist, Ed 'Ilya' Hillyer.

Bibliography

Comics work (not a complete list)

* "The Sumo Family" weekly comic strip in The Independent on Sunday, 1990
* "The Sumo Family" one page color comic strip in Manga mania magazine 1991-93

* "The Liberty Cat" 4 episodes for Comics Morning magazine, Kodansha Japan 1993-94

* "Sherlock Holmes in the Curious Case of the Vanishing Villain" (Atomeka Press, Tundra Press 1993) with Gordon Rennie, writer

* "Lazarus Churchyard" #2 (Tundra Press 1992) "Goodnight Ladies" pin ups by D'Israeli, Phil Winslade, Steve Pugh, Woodrow Phoenix, Duncan Fegredo, Garry Marshall and Gary Erskine.

* "Sonic the Hedgehog" in "Sonic the Comic" #2 and #5 (Fleetway Editions, 1993) writer: Mark Millar artist: Woodrow Phoenix

* "Ecco the Dolphin" in "Sonic the Comic" #13-18 (Fleetway Editions, 1993) writer & letterer: Woodrow Phoenix (letterer on #13-15 only) Artists: Chris Webster and Steve White

* "ToeJam and Earl" in "Max Overload" #1, #2 and #3 (Dark Horse UK, 1994) writer: Annie Caulfield artist: Woodrow Phoenix

* "Eager Beaver" (Missive Device) with Ian Carney (Slab-O-Concrete Publications, 1999) ISBN 1-899866-93-0

* "Sugar Buzz!" with Ian Carney, 9 issues (SLG Publishing, 1998-)

* "Sugar Buzz: Live at Budokan!" (Slab-O-Concrete, 1999) ISBN 1-899866-33-7

* "The Skeleton Key/Sugar Kat special" (SLG Publishing, 2000) with Andi Watson, Ian Carney

* "The Pants Ant Trouser Hour" (SLG Publishing, 2001)

* "Kitsune Tales" (SLG Publishing, 2003) with Andi Watson, artist

* "Where's it at Sugar Kat: The Thin Of the Land" (SLG Publishing, 2003) ISBN 0-943151-56-2

* "SugarBuzz! Your ticket to happiness" (SLG Publishing, 2004) ISBN 1-59362-008-X

* "That's a Horse of a Different Colour" (The DFC, ongoing weekly, 2008–)

Animation

* "Pants Ant" (pilot, 2004) for Cartoon Network, unaired

* "Net Worth" (2001) The Prudential

* "Vicious Mouse" (1999) MTV Asia

Children's Books

* "Count Milkula" (2006) Mogzilla ISBN 0-9546576-5-9

* "Is that your Dog?" (Mammoth, 2001) ISBN 0-7497-4247-X

* "Baz the Biz" (Mammoth, 1999) ISBN 0-7497-3630-5

Other Books

* "Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World" (Kodansha International, 2006) ISBN 9784770030177

* "Rumble Strip" (Myriad Editions, 2008) ISBN 9780954930998

Anthologies

* "End of the Line" in The Brighton Book (Myriad Editions, 2005) ISBN 0-9549309-0-8

* "The Slab-O-Concrete Inactivity Book" with Craig Conlan, co-editor (Slab-O-Concrete Publications 2002) ISBN 1-899866-42-6

* "Grendel: Black White and Red" (Dark Horse)

* "You are Here" in "It's Dark in London" (Serpent's Tail, 1997) ISBN 1-85242-535-0

References

* Lisa Holloway (2008) in conversation with Woodrow Phoenix at Castor & Pollux gallery, Brighton UK 12/6/08

* Withrow, Steven (2003) Toon Art: The Graphic Art of Digital Cartooning, 146-47 Watson-Guptill Publications ISBN 0-8230-5378-4

* Stangroom, Howard (2003) "Howard Stangroom interviews Woodrow Phoenix" Comics Forum Magazine 25, 31-43

* Clarke, Theo (1988) "And then nothing happened" The Comics Journal #122, 107-124

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.myriadeditions.co.uk] - Myriad Editions website