Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American
comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
painterPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . In art, the term describes both the act and the result, which is called a painting. Paintings may have for their support such surfaces as walls, paper, canvas, wood, glass, lacquer, clay or concrete...
,
illustratorAn illustrator is a graphic artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, and
plotterA plotter is a vector graphics printing device to print graphical plots, that connects to a computer. There are two types of main plotters. Those are pen plotters and electrostatic plotters.- Overview :...
, acclaimed for the
photorealismPhotorealism is the genre of painting based on making a painting from a photograph. The term is primarily applied to paintings from the United States photorealism art movement that began in the late 1960s, early 1970s.-Style and history:...
of his work. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for
Marvel ComicsMarvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
and
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
(e.g.
MarvelsMarvels is a four-issue comic book limited series written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross and edited by Marcus McLaurin, and published by Marvel Comics in 1994...
and
Kingdom Come, respectively), as well as being involved in creating independent works featuring
superheroA superhero is "a fictional character of unprecedented powers dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest"...
es (e.g.
Astro CityKurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered around a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
and
Project SuperpowersProject Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It is co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art for #0 by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski, and Carlos Paul for the...
. Because his painting style is time-consuming, he primarily serves as a plotter and/or cover artist.
Career
Ross first became enamored of superheroes as a child, when he saw
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
on the children's TV series
The Electric CompanyThe Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977. After it ceased production that...
.
Ross' first published work was the 1990 five issue miniseries,
Terminator: The Burning EarthTerminator: The Burning Earth was first published in 1990 by NOW comics. It was published as a five part story utilizing characters featured in James Cameron's popular film, The Terminator...
, which was written by
Ron FortierRon Fortier is an American author, primarily know for his Green Hornet and The Terminator comic books and his revival of the pulp hero, Captain Hazzard. Early in his career he also wrote short stories and co-authored two novels for TSR....
. Ross created all of the art, from pencils through coloring for the series. He performed similar work on a variety of titles over the next few years. In 1993, he completed his first painted superhero assignment, the cover of a
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
novel: Superman: Doomsday & Beyond.
During this time, Ross met writer
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek is a comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Biography and early career:...
and the two began submitting proposals for series that would feature paintings as their internal art. Marvel agreed to a project that would tell much of the history of the
Marvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles published by Marvel Comics take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and Captain America....
from the perspective of an ordinary person. That
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
,
MarvelsMarvels is a four-issue comic book limited series written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross and edited by Marcus McLaurin, and published by Marvel Comics in 1994...
, was released in 1994, and chronicled the life of a
photojournalistPhotojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
, as he reacted to living in a world of superheroes and villains.
Busiek, Ross, and penciller
Brent AndersonBrent Anderson is an American comic book artist best known for his work on X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills and the comic book series Astro City.-Biography:...
went on to create
Astro CityKurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered around a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
, first published by
Image ComicsImage Comics is an American comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties...
in 1995 and later by Wildstorm Comics. The series features an original superhero world and continues the theme of
Marvels, exploring how ordinary people, and superheroes and villains too, react to a world where the fantastic is commonplace. Ross paints the covers and helps set the costumes and the general look and feel for the series, which has been published sporadically in recent years.
In 1996, Ross worked with writer
Mark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is best known for his eight-year run as writer of the DC Comics' title The Flash, as well as his scripting of the limited series Kingdom Come and Superman: Birthright, and his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America.- Birth and early career :Waid was...
on the
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
Kingdom Come, which presents a possible future for the
DC universeThe DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, in which Superman and several other classic superheroes return from
retirementRetirement is the point where a person stops employment completely . A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours...
to tame a generation of brutal
anti-heroIn fiction, an antihero is a protagonist archetype whose character or goals are antithetical to traditional heroism. The term dates to 1714, although literary criticism identifies the trope in earlier literature. - History :...
es. The work featured Ross' redesigned versions of many DC characters, as well as a new generation of characters.
Ross followed
Kingdom Come with
Uncle Sam, a non-superhero work for DC's Vertigo line, an experimental work that examined the dark side of American history.
In the early 2000s, with writer
Jim KruegerJim Krueger is a comic book writer, novelist and filmmaker.-Career:He won two Addy Awards during his first year as a copywriter. A year later he became a creative director at Marvel Comics and has since become a freelance comic book writer/property creator.His original works include The Foot...
, Ross plotted and designed characters for a trilogy of Marvel
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
,
Earth XEarth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
,
Universe X, and
Paradise X, which combined dozens of Marvel characters from various time periods.
Between 1998 and 2003, writer
Paul DiniPaul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures,...
and Ross produced annual
tabloidA tabloid is an industry term for a smaller newspaper format per spread; to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest stories and entertainment, often distributed free of charge ; or to a newspaper that tends to sensationalize and emphasize or exaggerate or...
-sized editions celebrating the 60th anniversaries of DC Comics' Superman (
Peace on Earth), Batman (
War on Crime), Shazam (
Power of Hope), and Wonder Woman (
Spirit of Truth), as well as two specials featuring the
Justice LeagueThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
,
Secret Origins and
Liberty and Justice.
In 2001, Ross won acclaim for his work on special comic books benefiting the families of those killed in the
September 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners...
, including his portraits of paramedics, police and firefighters. He has also designed DC merchandise, including posters, dinner plates, and statues. In late 2001, Ross painted four covers to the December 8, 2001
TV GuideTV Guide is a North American weekly magazine about television programming.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews. Some issues have also featured horoscope listings and crossword puzzles.-Annenberg/Triangle era: The...
, which depicted
Tom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling , an American actor, director, and former model. He is best known for his continuing portrayal of Clark Kent in the television series Smallville...
, Kristen Kreuk and
Michael RosenbaumMichael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying Lex Luthor on Smallville and also for portraying the Flash in the DC animated universe. Rosenbaum has also done film and other voiceover work....
of the TV series
SmallvilleSmallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB, premiering on October 16, 2001...
, and Superman.
In early 2002, Ross designed the promotional poster for the
2002 Academy Awards2002 Academy Awards may refer to:* 74th Academy Awards, the Academy Awards ceremony that took place in 2002* 75th Academy Awards, the 2003 ceremony honoring the best in film for 2002...
, which depicted Oscar perched atop the
First National BuildingThe First National Building is an office tower in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Completed in 1930, the structure rises 26 stories and includes two basement levels, occupying an entire block along Cadillac Square . The tower's main uses are for offices and retail. It was constructed primarily with...
. The Academy loaned Ross an actual Oscar statuette for a week for him to use as reference for the painting. Ross stated that he photographed members of his family as if they were receiving it. That same year, he was one of four artists who depicted Spider-Man on one of the covers to the April 27, 2002 issue of
TV Guide as a promotional tie-in to the feature film
Spider-ManSpider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The first installment in the Spider-Man series, the film, directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp, stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Willem Dafoe.The film begins with...
.
In 2004, DC compiled the
coffee table bookA coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for...
Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, written and designed by
Chip KiddChip Kidd is an American author, editor, and graphic designer, best known for his innovative book covers.- Early life :...
. In late 2005, a paperback version of the book was published to include new artwork by Ross, including sketches for his
Justice mini-series.
Also in 2004, Ross designed 15 paintings for the opening credits of the film
Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
. The paintings presented key elements from the first film. Ross later donated the paintings to be auctioned off on
ebayeBay Inc. is an American Internet company that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide. A majority of the sales take place through a set-time auction format, but subsequent methods include...
to benefit the United Cancer Front.
In August 2005, Ross worked again with writer Jim Kreuger and penciller Doug Braithwaite on 12-issue, bi-monthly
limited seriesA limited series is a series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
JusticeJustice was a twelve-issue American comic book limited series published bimonthly by DC Comics from August 2005 through June 2007, written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with art also by Ross and Doug Braithwaite...
for DC Comics. The series focuses on the enemies of the
Justice League of AmericaThe Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
banding together to in an effort to defeat them.
After
Justice he started on projects focusing on Golden Age characters:
Project SuperpowersProject Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It is co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art for #0 by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski, and Carlos Paul for the...
with
Jim KruegerJim Krueger is a comic book writer, novelist and filmmaker.-Career:He won two Addy Awards during his first year as a copywriter. A year later he became a creative director at Marvel Comics and has since become a freelance comic book writer/property creator.His original works include The Foot...
for
Dynamite EntertainmentDynamite Entertainment is a comic book publisher founded in 2005, first producing two Army of Darkness limited series published through Devil's Due Publishing until self-publishing their titles later that year.-Overview:...
. and in
2008-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
, Ross began work on
Avengers/Invaders featuring Marvel characters but published by Dynamite Entertainment. The story pits
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
versions of
Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, Namor, and other classic war characters against the modern
AvengersThe Avengers are a team of superheroes that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The Avengers #1 The Avengers are a team of superheroes that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The Avengers #1 The Avengers are a team...
groups. He has not stated what will happen in the series, but he has stated the recent death of Captain America has improved the story, since it was conceived a year before his death. He also collaborates on DC's
Justice Society of AmericaThe Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
. Ross is also set to draw the covers of
Dynamite EntertainmentDynamite Entertainment is a comic book publisher founded in 2005, first producing two Army of Darkness limited series published through Devil's Due Publishing until self-publishing their titles later that year.-Overview:...
's comic book series featuring
The PhantomThe Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many forms of media, including television and film, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the African jungle...
. He will also redesign the hero's costume. In 2009 he was announced as cover artist for
Fighting AmericanFighting American is a patriotic comic book character created in 1954 by writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby, published by Cretswood Publication / Prize Comics and, against normal industry practices of the time, creator-owned...
.
Toys
DC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
(the exclusive collectibles division of
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
) has produced 3 sets of action figures from the comics book
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Alex Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
based on Alex Ross' artwork. The first set of figures included
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
,
Wonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superhero created by William Moulton Marston. First appearing in All Star Comics #8 , she is one of three characters to have been continuously published by DC Comics since the company's 1944 inception .Wonder Woman is a member of an all-female tribe of Amazons...
,
Green LanternAlan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:...
and
HawkmanHawkman is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
. The second set included
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
,
Red RobinRichard John "Dick" Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 on April 1940....
,
Captain MarvelCaptain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
and
Kid FlashKid Flash is a superheroine in the alternate future of Kingdom Come in the DC Comics universe. She first appeared in Kingdom Come #3 .-Publication history:...
. The last set included
MagogMagog is the name of several fictional characters in the comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Kingdom Come #1 , and was created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross. In 2009, Magog was ranked as IGN's 75th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time...
,
FlashThe Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
, Armored
Wonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superhero created by William Moulton Marston. First appearing in All Star Comics #8 , she is one of three characters to have been continuously published by DC Comics since the company's 1944 inception .Wonder Woman is a member of an all-female tribe of Amazons...
and
DeadmanDeadman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Strange Adventures #205 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Carmine Infantino.-Publication history:...
. An exclusive figure of
Red ArrowRoy Harper is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was known for over fifty years as Green Arrow's teenage sidekick Speedy. He first appeared alongside his mentor in More Fun Comics #73...
was released through
ToyFareToyFare is a monthly comedy and collecting magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focuses on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previews new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for hundreds of different toy lines, new and...
magazine.
DC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
also released several other Ross-designed characters through their
ElseworldsElseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others that...
toylines. These figures included
The SpectreThe Spectre is a fictional cosmic entity and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the next month, #52...
,
Norman McCayNorman McCay is a fictional character from the DC Comics series Kingdom Come. As Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds series, McCay has not been seen in the regular DC Universe continuity since. However, with the recent revelations in the Justice Society of America title, McCay is apparently a part of DC...
,
JadeJade is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics DC universe. Known affectionately as "Jennie" or "Jen", she is the daughter of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Her mother is Rose Canton, the Golden Age villain known as Thorn...
,
NightstarNightstar is a fictional character from DC Comics, the daughter of Starfire and Red Robin aka Dick Grayson, who was also the first Robin and Nightwing...
,
AquamanAquaman is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
and
Blue BeetleBlue Beetle is the name of three fictional American comic book superheroes published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
. Ross designed the costume the current incarnation of
BatwomanBatwoman is a fictional character and female counterpart to the superhero Batman, created by Bob Kane and Sheldon Moldoff. This character appears in publications produced by DC Comics and related media. Batwoman made her first comic book appearance in Detective Comics #233...
wears; this character has been released in action-figure form by DC Direct as part of its "52" line of toys.
DC DirectDC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
has released a line of action figures for the comic book
JusticeJustice was a twelve-issue American comic book limited series published bimonthly by DC Comics from August 2005 through June 2007, written by Alex Ross and Jim Krueger, with art also by Ross and Doug Braithwaite...
based on Alex Ross' artwork:
- Series 1: Bizarro, Sinestro, Cheetah, Flash, Superman, Superman (Variant)
- Series 2: Aquaman, Batman, Black Canary, Black Manta, Parasite
- Series 3: Green Lantern, Joker, Plastic Man, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman
- Series 4: Black Adam, Hawkman, Shazam!, Solomon Grundy, Zatanna
- Series 5: Brainiac, Green Arrow, Lex Luthor, Martian Manhunter, Martian Manhunter (Translucent), Red Tornado.
- Series 6: Batman Armored, Green Lantern Armored, Hawkgirl, Scarecrow.
- Series 7: Aquaman Armored, Gorilla Grodd, Green Lantern John Stewart, Superman Armored
- Series 8: Batgirl, Captain Cold, Supergirl, Toyman
Other media
- Alex Ross drew the cover picture on the Anthrax
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene and is notable for being the first to combine heavy metal with rap music...
albums We've Come for You AllWe've Come for You All is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was produced by the band and Scrap 60, and includes the singles "What Doesn't Die," "Safe Home," and "Taking the Music Back." It is considered a comeback album for the band after lackluster commercial success...
and Music of Mass DestructionMusic of Mass Destruction is Anthrax's second full-length live album, and is packaged as one CD and one DVD. The songs were recorded on December 5 and December 6, 2003, during performances at Chicago's Metro....
.
- Ross had a feud with filmmaker Kevin Smith because Smith's film Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's "View Askewniverse" series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in the Eden Prairie Center, which is located in Minnesota...
seemed to imply that Stan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
was the sole creator of the Marvel Universe. Ross stated that he feels that Jack KirbyJacob Kurtzberg , better known by the pen name Jack Kirby, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor. Growing up poor in New York City, Kurtzberg entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s. He drew various comic strips under different pseudonyms, ultimately settling on Jack Kirby...
should have half the credit. This feud was referenced in the DVD for Mallrats.
- Ross had designed a series of costumes for the 2002 film Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The first installment in the Spider-Man series, the film, directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp, stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and Willem Dafoe.The film begins with...
, but director Sam RaimiSamuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series and Drag Me To Hell as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films.-Early life:Raimi, the fourth of five children, was born in Royal Oak,...
instead chose not to use them. Rather, many of the costumes were redesigned prior to filming. In the film's video game counterpart, as an easter egg, it is possible to unlock a playable version of Ross' Spider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer and editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
design. When using this unlockable, the Green GoblinThe Green Goblin is a name shared by several fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. The original and current Green Goblin, Norman Osborn,...
will also feature one of Ross' unused character outfits. As such, Ross was commissioned to do a series of drawings for the opening credits of Spider-Man 2Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
, which recapped the major events from the first film.
- Ross painted the Kollectors Edition cover for the console game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. in the Mortal Kombat series, which was released on November 16, . The game contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
. A smaller version of this painting is included on a separate textured card inside the case. He is also featured in his own segment on the Blu Ray/DVD included in the package.
Awards
His awards include a 1997
Will EisnerWilliam Erwin Eisner was an acclaimed Jewish-American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of...
Award for the limited series
Kingdom Come (with Mark Waid) and a 1998
National Cartoonists SocietyThe National Cartoonists Society is the world's largest organization of professional cartoonists. It presents the Reuben Awards.The NCS was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
Comic Book Award for
Superman: Peace on Earth.
External links
Interviews