True Brit: Celebrating the Comic Book Artists of England [Paperback]

George Khoury (Author), David Roach (Author), Jon B. Cooke (Author), Eric Nolen Weathingon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004

True Brit celebrates the rich history of British comic book artists with a wide selection of breathtaking art, intimate photographs and in-depth interviews with the men who have transformed the comics field to the sensation it is today! From classic bestsellers like Watchmen to current sensation The Ultimates, the artists of England have revolutionized the way comics are seen and perceived. This is the definitive book on British comics artists, where the creators describe how their art has evolved and how it has affected and changed the industry. Here, in their own words and images, are the influential artists whose images and stories have sold millions of comics.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Illustrated with copious samples, this fascinating collection gives much valuable information about the British artists who have helped transform comics since the 1980s. American readers have admired the work of writers such as Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, but they may not have realized how much the success of those scripts has depended on the talents of fellow Brit artists. Beginning with a brief history of the British comic industry, the bulk of this work consists of 21 short interviews with or essays about major creators. The list includes Brian Bolland (Batman: The Killing Joke), Mark Buckingham (Miracle Man), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), David Lloyd (V for Vendetta), Dave McKean (every Sandman cover), Kevin O'Neill (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and Barry Windsor-Smith (Conan). There's enough information here to suggest why skilled British cartoonists were ready to leap into post-Comics-Code-Authority American comics. The big question is whether there is any such thing as "British comic art" anymore; the answer may be that these artists helped make comics the lively international literary field it is today.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In the early 1980s, the comic-book industry sustained a British invasion comparable to the one in rock music 20 years earlier. Writers, such as Alan Moore and Grant Morrison, who revolutionized the superhero genre, made the biggest splashes, but the battalion of artists that accompanied them exceeded them in number, if not in influence. This collection includes interviews and profiles of the most prominent of those artists, the likes of Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Dave McKean (Sandman), Alan Davis (X-Men), and Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates).Additional entries spotlight artists who, renowned at home, are largely unknown on this side of the Atlantic, from veterans of 1950s weekly comics and newspaper adventure strips (e.g., the departed masters Frank Bellamy and Ken Reid) to such outre figures as 1960s underground artist Hunt Emerson. Besides representative examples of each artist's work, the book includes Welsh-born artist David A. Roach's valuable and succinct distillation of the history of British comics. Many of the artists covered work on some of today's most popular comics, so expect fan demand for this collection. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: TwoMorrows Publishing (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893905330
• ISBN-13: 978-1893905337
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > History & Price Guides

More About the Author

George Khoury has written and edited the Eisner-nominated Kimota!, The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore, True Brit, and The Age of TV Heroes (with Jason Hofius). He served as senior editor to the award-winning Comic Book Artist magazine and as a regular contributor to the popular Modern Masters series. In the last 20 years, he's been a freelance writer for magazines, newspapers, and internet. He was born and raised in New Jersey.