Dave Gibbons is an
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
comic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, writer and sometime
lettererA letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comic's "display lettering": the story title lettering and...
. He is best known for his collaborations with writer
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
, which include the miniseries
WatchmenWatchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
and the Superman story "
For the Man Who Has Everything"For the Man Who Has Everything" is a comic book story by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, first published in Superman Annual #11 and later adapted into a Justice League Unlimited episode in 2004.-Plot:...
". He also was an artist for the UK anthology
2000 AD, for which he contributed a large body of work from its first issue in 1977.
IPC Comics
Gibbons broke into British comics by working on horror and action titles for both DC Thomson and
IPCIPC Media , a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year.- Origins :...
. When the science-fiction anthology title
2000 AD was set up in the mid-1970s, Gibbons contributed artwork to the first issue,
Prog 01 (February 1977), and went on to draw the first 24 installments of
Harlem HeroesHarlem Heroes is a British comic strip that formed part of the original line-up of 2000 AD. Inspired by the popularity during the 1970s of kung fu films and the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Heroes was devised by Pat Mills, employing elements from his Hellball comic strip, and scripted by Tom Tully...
, one of the founding (and pre-
Judge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
) strips.
Mid-way through the comic's first year he began illustrating
Dan DareDan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
, a cherished project for Gibbons who had been a fan of the original series and artist
Frank Hampson who, alongside
Frank BellamyFrank Bellamy was a British comics artist, best known for his work on the Eagle comic, for which he illustrated Heros the Spartan and Fraser of Africa. He reworked its flagship Dan Dare strip....
,
Don LawrenceDonald Southam Lawrence was a British comic book artist and author.Lawrence is best known for his comic strips The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire in the British weeklies Ranger and Look and Learn and the Storm series, first published in the Dutch weekly Eppo...
and
Ron TurnerRon Turner may refer to:*Ronald Turner , Canadian politician*Ronald L. Turner, chairman and chief executive officer of Ceridian Corporation*Ronald William Turner , English World War I flying ace...
are well-liked and inspirational artists to Gibbons, whose "style evolved out of [his] love for the
MAD Magazine artists like
Wally WoodWallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
and
Will ElderWilliam Elder was an American illustrator and comic book artist who worked in numerous areas of commercial art, but is best known for a zany cartoon style that helped launch Harvey Kurtzman's Mad comic book in 1952....
".
Also working on early feature
Ro-BustersRo-Busters is a British comic story that formed part of the original line-up of Starlord. Similar in premise to that of the Thunderbirds television series, it was created by writer Pat Mills and was drawn by Carlos Pino and Ian Kennedy initially, before Starlord's merger with 2000 AD...
, Gibbons became one of the most prolific of
2000 ADs earliest creators, contributing artwork to 108 of the first 131 Progs/issues. He returned to the pages of "the Galaxy's Greatest Comic" in the early 1980s to create Rogue TrooperRogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
with writer Gerry Finley-DayGerry Finley-Day was a prolific British comics writer from the 1960s to the 1980s, best known as the creator of Rogue Trooper.He started out at D. C. Thomson & Co., before becoming the editor of IPC's girls' title Tammy in 1971, for which he wrote strips such as "Ella on Easy Street" and "The Camp...
and produce an acclaimed early run on that feature, before handing it over to a succession of other artists. He also illustrated a handful of Tharg's Future Shocks
shorts, primarily with author Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
.
Gibbons was also known, by sight but not by name, to readers of the short-lived IPC title TornadoTornado was a short-lived weekly British comic published for 22 issues by IPC Magazines between March 1979 and August 1979. After the cancellations of the Starlord and Action titles IPC launched Tornado as a way to use up stories already commissioned for the other titles. Like Action it was a mixed...
. Whereas 2000 AD
was said to be "edited" by the alien ThargThe Mighty Tharg is a recurrent character in science fiction comic 2000 AD, one of only two characters to appear in nearly every issue of the comic...
, Tornado
was "edited" by superhero Big E, who as alter-ego Percy Pilbeam also worked on the magazine. These characters appeared in photographic form within the comic, with Gibbons posing as both Big E and Pilbeam for the entire 22 issue run of Tornado
before it was subsumed into 2000 AD
.
Doctor Who
Gibbons departed from 2000 AD
briefly in the late 1970s/early 1980s to became the lead artist on Doctor Who Weekly/MonthlyDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, for which magazine he drew the main comic strip from issue #1 until #69, missing only four issues during that time.
The Doctor Who Storybook 2007
(released Christmas 2006) features a story called "Untitled" which includes the name Gibbons
in a list of great artists of Earth history.
The 1980s (DC)
Gibbons was one of the British comic talents identified by Len WeinLen Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
in 1982 and was hired primarily to draw "Green Lantern CorpsThe Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
" backup stories within the pages of Green LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
for DC. Gibbons' first DC work was on the Green Lantern Corps story in Green Lantern
#161 (February 1983), with writer Todd KleinTodd Klein is an American comic book letterer, logo designer, and occasional writer, primarily for DC Comics.- Early career:Todd Klein broke into comics in the summer of 1977, hired by DC Comics as a staff production worker...
, as well as the concurrently released "Creeper" two-part backup story in 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 ....
#318-319. With Green Lantern #172 (Jan. 1984), Gibbons joined new writer
Len WeinLen Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
on the main feature while continuing to illustrate the backup features. Ceding the "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" backup features to various other individuals from #181, and with a handful of fill-in issues (primarily by
Gil KaneEli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
), Gibbons last issue with Len Wein was issue #186 (March 1985). However, Gibbons returned to pencil the backup Tale "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" with
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
in issue #188.
While
Marvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
reprinted some of Gibbons' Marvel UK
Doctor WhoDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
work, Eclipse ComicsEclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
reprinted some of his Warrior
work and Eagle reprinted various Judge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
tales, Gibbons continued to produce new work almost exclusively for DC throughout the 1980sThis article lists major events in the field of comics during the 1980s.Publications: 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989-1982:*Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo debuts in Young Magazine.- March :...
. For the 1985 Superman
Annual #11, Gibbons drew the main story "For the Man Who Has Everything"For the Man Who Has Everything" is a comic book story by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, first published in Superman Annual #11 and later adapted into a Justice League Unlimited episode in 2004.-Plot:...
," again written by Alan Moore.
During 1985 and 1986, Gibbons' artwork graced the pages of several issues of both DC's Who's Who in the DC Universe
guidebook and Marvel's The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition
. In December 1986, he contributed to Harrier ComicsHarrier Comics was a British comic book publisher active in the mid-to-late 1980s. Harrier was notable for putting out black-and-white comics in a mold more similar to American comics than typical British fare...
' Brickman
#1 alongside Kevin O'NeillKevin O'Neill is an English comic book illustrator best known as the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .-Early career:...
(who had also illustrated several "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps"), Lew Stringer-Biography:Stringer began his career from the late 1970s with a series of fanzines, many featuring his popular Brickman character; these were read by several pro creators who encouraged Stringer to try comics as a profession and Stringer recalls that "Alan Moore actually introduced me to one of...
and others. Between May and August 1988, he contributed covers with Joe OrlandoJoseph Orlando was a prolific illustrator, writer, editor and cartoonist during a lengthy career spanning six decades...
to Peter DavidPeter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
and Orlando's four-issue 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 media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
miniseries, and in May 1988 he both inked Kevin Maguire's pencilled contribution to the landmark Action ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#600, and produced the cover to Action Comics
#601.
Watchmen
He is best known in the US for collaborating with Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
on the 12-issue limited seriesA limited series is a comic book 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....
WatchmenWatchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
, now one of the best-selling graphic novels of all time, and the only one to feature on Times "Top 100 Novels" list. Gibbons' artwork in
Watchmen is notable both for its stark utilisation of the formulaic comicbook nine-panel grid layout, as well as for its intense narrative and symbolic density (with some symbolic background elements suggested by Moore, others by Gibbons).
Initially pitched by Moore to utilize the
Charlton ComicsCharlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut...
characters which had been purchased by DC Comics,
Watchmen was re-tooled to feature new - analog - characters when it became clear that the story would have significant and lasting ramifications on its main players. Gibbons believes that his own involvement likely came about after the idea was already in its early initial stages. He recalls that he had:
To complement the story, Gibbons remembers working on rough character designs (which ultimately changed little in their final appearance) from "the descriptions that Alan had provided," trying to come up with "a classic superhero feel but be a little bit stranger ... a sort of operatic look ... an Egyptian kind of a look."
Gibbons also lettered
Watchmen and it was his lettering style that later served as one of two reference sources used by
Vincent ConnareVincent Connare is a former Microsoft in-house font designer. Amongst his creations are the Comic Sans font, and the Trebuchet MS font, both of which ship as standard on current releases of Microsoft Windows and Mac OS...
when creating the controversial font
Comic SansComic Sans MS is a casual script typeface modeled on fonts used in American comic books for several decades. Sans is short for sans-serif. The modern Comic Sans was designed by Vincent Connare and released in 1994 by Microsoft Corporation...
in 1994. Gibbons has commented that "It's just a shame they couldn't have used just the original font, because it's a real mess. I think it's a particularly ugly letter form."
Gibbons returned to
Watchmen in 2008, producing the behind-the-scenes book
Watching the Watchmen to tie into the release of the 2009
filmWatchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
.
Watching the Watchmen is his take on the creation of the seminal work, and features a number of rarely seen pieces of artwork including sketches and character designs, as well as "stuff," he says "that I just don't know why I kept but I'm really pleased I did."
1990s work
From the start of the 1990s, Gibbons began to focus as much on writing and inking as on drawing, contributing to a number of different titles and issues from a variety of companies. Particular highlights included, in 1990, Gibbons writing the three-issue
World's Finest miniseries for artist
Steve Rude-Career:In 1981, Rude became widely known in the comics world when he and writer Mike Baron created Nexus, an independent science fiction comic book with a large supporting cast. For the series, Rude designed a dozen or so distinctive alien races, including the Thunes, the Amphibs, the Quattros,...
and DC, while drawing
Give Me LibertyGive Me Liberty is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. It was created and written by Frank Miller and drawn by Dave Gibbons...
for writer
Frank MillerFrank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
and
Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. He penned the first
Batman Vs. Predator crossover for artists
AndyAndrew "Andy" Kubert is an American comic book artist, son of Joe Kubert, and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists...
and
Adam KubertAdam Kubert is an American comic book artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and DC Comics, including work on Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Superman and Ghost Rider.Kubert has established himself as one...
(Dec 1991 - Feb 1992), and inked
Rick VeitchRichard "Rick" Veitch is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics.-Early career:...
and
Stephen R. BissetteStephen R. Bissette is an American comics artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is best known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC comic Swamp Thing in the 1980s....
for half of Alan Moore's
1963 Image ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by 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. It was immediately successful, and remains...
series (1993).
Rejoining Frank Miller in mid-1994 on
Martha Washington Goes to War, the following year Gibbons wrote the
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...
title
Superman: Kal for
José Luis García-LópezJosé Luis García-López is a Spanish comic book artist who works in the United States of America, mostly for DC Comics. He has most recently penciled an arc in Batman Confidential, the Metal Men storyline in the 2009 Wednesday Comics weekly anthology, and, in 2011, one of the stories in The Spirit...
, melding Arthurian legends to the Superman mythos in an "out-of-continuity" tale set in an alternate DC Universe. In Marvel Edge's
Savage Hulk #1 (Jan 1996), Gibbons wrote, penciled, inked, colored and lettered "Old Friends," a version of the events of
Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero 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...
#110 from the point of view of the
HulkThe Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. In 1996 and 1997, Gibbons collaborated with
Mark WaidMark Waid is an American comic book writer. He is well 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...
(and
Jimmy PalmiottiJames "Jimmy" Palmiotti is an American writer and inker of comic books, who also does writing for games, television and film.-Early life:Palmiotti is a graduate of the High School of Art and Design in New York City.-Career:...
) on two issues of the
Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
character "Super-Soldier," a character born from the merging of the DC and Marvel Universes after the events of the 1996
intercompany crossoverIn comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
DC vs. Marvel/Marvel vs. DC.
Among many other covers, one-shots and minor works, Gibbons worked with Alan Moore again briefly on the latter's Awesome Entertainment
Judgment DayJudgment Day was a limited series published by Awesome Comics from June to October 1997 written by acclaimed comic book writer Alan Moore. This story delved into the Awesome Comics universe of characters created by Rob Liefeld, including Supreme, Youngblood and Glory.-Publication history:The...
miniseries, providing (variant) covers to all three issues, on the first issue of
Kitchen Sink PressKitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen owned and operated Kitchen Sink Press until 1999. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in...
'
The SpiritThe Spirit is a crime-fighting fictional character created by writer-artist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million...
: The New Adventures revival and within the pages of the
Alan Moore Songbook. In 1999 he penciled and inked
Darko MacanDarko Macan is a Croatian author and illustrator who has created and collaborated on comics, essays and science fiction and fantasy...
's 4-issue
Star Wars: Vader's QuestVader's Quest is a four issue comic book miniseries set in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, written by Darko Macan and drawn by Dave Gibbons and Angus McKie...
miniseries.
2000s work
In December 2001 Gibbons helped
Stan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
re-imagine
Green LanternThe Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
in the pages of
Just Imagine... Stan Lee creating Green Lantern.
In 2002, Gibbons followed
Chuck AustenChuck Austen is an American comic book writer/artist, TV writer and animator. In the comics industry, he is known for his work on War Machine, Elektra, Action Comics, and the X-Men franchise, and in television, he is known for co-creating the aniamted TV series Tripping the Rift.-Early life:Austen...
as writer on the
Marvel KnightsMarvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Worldwide, Inc. that contains material taking place within the mainstream Marvel Universe .-Production:...
Captain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero 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...
series, penning issues #17-20 (Nov '03 - Jan '04) for - primarily - artist
Lee WeeksLee Weeks is an American comic book artist, known for his work on such books as Daredevil.-Career:Weeks made his professional comics debut in the 1980s, penciling, inking, and lettering a short story in Tales of Terror #5, a horror anthology published by Eclipse Comics...
. In 2005, he produced a handful of covers for
Geoff JohnsGeoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
'
JSA, as well as producing the complete original graphic novel
The OriginalsThe Originals is a graphic novel by Dave Gibbons, published in 2004 by Vertigo Comics.The story deals with members of youth subcultures resembling the Mods and Rockers of 1960s England...
, a black and white graphic novel which he scripted and drew. Published by Vertigo, the work is set in the near future, but draws heavily on the imagery of the Mods and
RockersRockers, leather boys or ton-up boys are a biker subculture that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1950s. It was mainly centered around British cafe racer motorcycles and rock and roll music....
of the 1960s.
He wrote the DC Comics six-issue
limited seriesA limited series is a comic book 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....
The Rann/Thanagar WarRann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2005. Written by Dave Gibbons, and illustrated by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps,...
(one of four lead-ins to the company-wide "
Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
" storyline) and returned to the Green Lantern Corps with the five-issue
Green Lantern Corps: RechargeThe Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
(Nov. 2005 - March 2006), co-written with
Geoff JohnsGeoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
, which spun off into an ongoing, Gibbons-written series in August 2006.
Gibbons was involved in two series released by DC/
WildStormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
when DC acquired American rights to the IPC stable of characters. He provided cover artwork for the flagship title,
AlbionAlbion is a six-issue comic book limited series plotted by Alan Moore, written by his daughter Leah Moore and her husband John Reppion, with covers by Dave Gibbons and art by Shane Oakley and George Freeman. As a result of a deal forged by Vice President Bob Wayne of DC Comics and Publishing...
, the six-issue limited series written by
Leah MooreLeah Moore is an English comic book writer. She is the daughter of Alan Moore and Phyllis Moore, and is married to John Reppion. She has worked with both Alan and John on the comic Albion. She has also written for other comics and publications including Tom Strong and The End Is Nigh...
and her husband,
John ReppionJohn Mark Reppion is a British writer. He is married to Leah Moore, the daughter of Alan Moore, and he has worked with both on the comic Albion.-Biography:...
(and co-plotted by her father,
Alan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
). Gibbons also wrote the
Albion spin-off
Thunderbolt JaxonThunderbolt Jaxon is a superhero comic-book character who first appeared in an Australian comic in 1949. His first appearance in the UK was in Comet #76 in 1949...
(April-Sept. 2006), with art by
John HigginsJohn Higgins is an English comic book artist and writer. He did significant work for 2000 AD, and he has frequently worked with writer Alan Moore, most notably as colourist for Watchmen.-Biography:...
. Due to scheduling difficulties, the August 2005-launched
Albion actually finished two months after
Thunderbolt Jaxon (Nov. 2006).
Gibbons provided covers for three issues of writers
Kurt BusiekKurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and
Fabian NiciezaFabian Nicieza is an American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable and Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, for all of which he helped create numerous characters.-Early life:The son of Omar and Irma Riguetti Nicieza, Fabian...
's run on
Action ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
(issues #841–843) and co-penciled (with
Ethan van SciverEthan Daniel Van Sciver is an American comic book artist, best known for illustrating a number of titles including Green Lantern, Superman/Batman, New X-Men, and The Flash: Rebirth...
) the
Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps issue as part of the
Sinestro CorpsThe Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.-Before the Corps:...
story arc, inspired by a Green Lantern story written by Moore in the 1980s. He contributed to the ongoing
Green Lantern Corps title on issues #18-20 (May–July 2007). In the late 2000s, he provided new, alternative covers to
IDW PublishingIDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
's reprints of his Marvel UK
Doctor Who comics. He also designed the logo for
Oni PressOni Press is an American independent comic book publisher based in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1997 by Bob Schreck and Joe Nozemack with the goal of publishing the kinds of comics and graphic novels they themselves would want to read...
, the publishers of
Scott PilgrimScott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
.
On April 9, 2011 Gibbons was one of 62 comics creators who appeared at the
IGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
stage at the Kapow! convention in London to set two
Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
, the Fastest Production of a Comic Book, and Most Contributors to a Comic Book. With Guinness officials on hand to monitor their progress, writer
Mark MillarMark Millar is a Scottish comic book writer, known for his work on books such as The Authority, The Ultimates, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Civil War, Wanted, and Kick-Ass, the latter two of which have been adapted into feature films...
began work at 9am scripting a 20-page black and white
Superior comic book, with various artists appearing on stage throughout the day to work on the pencils, inks, and lettering. The artists included Gibbons,
Frank QuitelyVincent Deighan, better known by the pen name Frank Quitely, is a Scottish comic book artist. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with Grant Morrison on titles such as New X-Men, We3, All-Star Superman, and Batman and Robin, as well as his work with Mark Millar on The...
, John Romita Jr.,
JockMark Simpson, known by the pen name Jock, is a British comics artist, best known for his work in 2000 AD and on The Losers.-Career:...
,
Adi GranovAdi Granov is a Bosnian-British comic book artist and conceptual designer.-Career:Granov teamed with comic book writer Warren Ellis for the post-Avengers Disassembled relaunch of Iron Man...
,
Doug Braithwaite-Career:Braithwaite started out working on British comics, like 2000 AD and A1, but is best known for his Marvel Comics work on the Earth X sequels, Universe X and Paradise X , as well as for The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe and Punisher: MAX #13-18, with Garth Ennis...
,
Ian ChurchillIan Churchill is a British comic book artist, who has mostly worked in the American comic book industry.-Career:Churchill's early work included stints on Supergirl, Uncanny X-Men as well as the Deadpool: Sins of the Past limited series, in addition to a lengthy stay on Cable, the latter gaining him...
,
Olivier CoipelOlivier Coipel is a French comic book artist, known for his work on books such as House of M, Legion of Super-Heroes andThor.-Career:...
,
Duncan FegredoDuncan Fegredo is a British comic book artist born in Leicester in 1964.-Career:Fegredo first managed to get into comics after showing his portfolio around UKCAC in 1987 and meeting Dave Thorpe. Together they worked on a strip for a short lived British magazine called Heartbreak Hotel...
,
Simon FurmanSimon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...
,
David LafuenteDavid Lafuente is a Spanish-born comic book artist. As of 2009 he works for Marvel Comics as the artist for Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man. He currently resides in London.-Career:Lafuente was discovered by Marvel Editor C.B...
,
John McCreaJohn McCrea is a comic book artist best known for his collaborations with writer Garth Ennis.-Career:...
,
Sean PhillipsSean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...
and
Liam SharpLiam Roger Sharp is a British comic book artist, writer and publisher.-Early life:Liam Sharp was born in Derby at St. Mary's Hospital to parents Roger and Linda Sharp. He has a younger sister, Kerry, and younger brother, Rien. He went to School at Brackensdale Junior then infants school, before...
, who all drew a panel each, with regular
Superior artist Leinil Yu creating the book's front cover. The book was completed in 11 hours, 19 minutes, and 38 seconds, and was published through Icon on November 23, 2011, with all royalties being donated to Yorkhill Children's Foundation.
Work in other media
Works other than comics include providing the background art for the 1994 computer game
Beneath a Steel SkyBeneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 science-fiction point-and-click adventure game in the cyberpunk genre. Like many point-and-click adventure games, it features comedy elements, and was developed by Revolution Software, a British developer, and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It was...
and the cover to
K, the 1996 debut album by psychedelic rock band
Kula ShakerKula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by outspoken frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a number of Top 10 hits on the UK Singles...
. In 2007, he served as a consultant on the film
WatchmenWatchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons...
, which was adapted from the book, and released in March 2009.
2009's
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the TemplarsBroken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars is a point-and-click adventure game released to the PC on November 5, 1996. It was released on the PlayStation in December that same year and on the Game Boy Advance March 19, 2002. It has also been ported to the Mobile phone, and re-released to the Wii, PC,...
Director's Cut for the
Nintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and
WiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
platforms featured hand drawn art by Dave Gibbons.
Wins
- 1987 Jack Kirby Award for Best New Series for Watchmen with Alan Moore
- 1987 Jack Kirby Award for Best Writer/Artist (Single or Team) for Watchmen with Alan Moore
Nominations
- 1986 Jack Kirby Best Single Issue nomination for Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
Annual #11 (1985) with Alan Moore
- 1987 Jack Kirby Best Single Issue nomination for Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
#1 with Alan Moore
- 1987 Jack Kirby Best Single Issue nomination for Watchmen #2 with Alan Moore
Amalgam
- Super-Soldier, one-shot (1996)
- Super Soldier: Man of War, one-shot (1997)
Dark Horse
- Give Me Liberty
Give Me Liberty is a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics in 1990. It was created and written by Frank Miller and drawn by Dave Gibbons...
, mini-series, #1-4 (1990)
- Martha Washington
Martha Washington is a fictional character created by Frank Miller, first appearing in the four-issue comic book series Give Me Liberty, published in 1990 by Dark Horse Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
Goes to War, miniseries, #1-5 (1994)
- Happy Birthday, Martha Washington", one-shot (1995)
- Martha Washington Stranded in Space", one-shot (1995)
- Martha Washington Saves the World, miniseries, #1-3 (1997)
- Martha Washington Dies, one-shot (2007)
DC
- DC Universe: Legacies
DC Universe: Legacies are a 2010-2011 ten-issue comic book limited series written by Len Wein and published by DC Comics. It details the person an admirer of Golden Age of Comic Books-era, Silver Age of Comic Books-era, Bronze Age of Comic Books-era, and Modern Age of Comic Books-era superheroes in...
#3-4 (2010)
- Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
, vol. 1, #160, 162, 165–167, 173–176, 178–183, 185–186, 188 (1983–85)
- Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, vol. 2, #1-6, 10-17 (writer); #4-6, 10 (artist) (2006–07)
- Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
: Recharge, miniseries, #1-5 (writer, 2006)
- The Originals
The Originals is a graphic novel by Dave Gibbons, published in 2004 by Vertigo Comics.The story deals with members of youth subcultures resembling the Mods and Rockers of 1960s England...
, graphic novel (writer/artist, 2004)
- Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2005. Written by Dave Gibbons, and illustrated by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps,...
, miniseries, #1-6 (writer, 2005)
- Superman
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
Annual #11 (1985)
- Unexpected #1 (among other artists) (2011)
- Watchmen
Watchmen is a twelve-issue comic book limited series created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colourist John Higgins. The series was published by DC Comics during 1986 and 1987, and has been subsequently reprinted in collected form...
, limited series, #1-12 (1986–87)
- Wednesday Comics
Wednesday Comics was a weekly anthology comic book launched by DC Comics on July 8, 2009. The twelve issues of the title were published in 14" x 20" broadsheet format, deliberately similar to Sunday newspaper comics sections...
(KamandiKamandi is an American comic book character, created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, which ran from 1972 to 1978....
) #1-12 (writer, 2009)
- World’s Finest
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
, miniseries, #1-3 (writer, 1990)
IPC
- 2000 AD (Harlem Heroes
Harlem Heroes is a British comic strip that formed part of the original line-up of 2000 AD. Inspired by the popularity during the 1970s of kung fu films and the Harlem Globetrotters, Harlem Heroes was devised by Pat Mills, employing elements from his Hellball comic strip, and scripted by Tom Tully...
): #1-24;(Dan DareDan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
): #28-60, 65-78, 85, 100.107, 109-126; (Ro-BustersRo-Busters is a British comic story that formed part of the original line-up of Starlord. Similar in premise to that of the Thunderbirds television series, it was created by writer Pat Mills and was drawn by Carlos Pino and Ian Kennedy initially, before Starlord's merger with 2000 AD...
): #86-87, 91, 98-101; (Judge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
): #130 (1979); ABC WarriorsABC Warriors is a long-running 2000 AD comic strip written by Pat Mills, which first appeared in prog 119 in 1979 and continues to run today. Art for the opening episodes was by Kevin O'Neill, Mike McMahon, Brett Ewins, and Brendan McCarthy - who between them designed the original seven members of...
) #130-131; (Ro-Jaws' Robo-Tales): #157, 176, 181, 183-184, 196; (Rogue TrooperRogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
): #228-234, 239-240, 249-250; (Future ShocksFuture Shocks is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970.-Publishing history:...
): #265, 267, 269, 273, 310; (Tharg the MightyThe Mighty Tharg is a recurrent character in science fiction comic 2000 AD, one of only two characters to appear in nearly every issue of the comic...
) #500, 1280; (Rogue TrooperRogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
): #650–653, 667–671, 683–687 (1977–2002)
- 2000 AD Prog 2000 (Rogue Trooper
Rogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
) (1999)
- Star Lord (Ro-Busters
Ro-Busters is a British comic story that formed part of the original line-up of Starlord. Similar in premise to that of the Thunderbirds television series, it was created by writer Pat Mills and was drawn by Carlos Pino and Ian Kennedy initially, before Starlord's merger with 2000 AD...
): #3 (1978)
Marvel
- Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero 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...
, vol. 4, #17-20 (writer, 2003)
- Hulk
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
, vol. 1, #1 (1979)
Other publishers
- Batman vs. Predator
Batman versus Predator is a comic book crossover featuring a duel between Batman and the creature from the Predator film. It was written by Dave Gibbons, with art by Andy Kubert and published by DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics in 1991....
, one-shot (writer, DC/Dark Horse, 1991)
- The Dome: Ground Zero
The Dome: Ground Zero, is a one-shot graphic novel published in 1998 under the short-lived DC Comics imprint, Helix. Written and laid out by Dave Gibbons and illustrated Angus McKie, The Dome was notable for its innovative use of computer-rendered graphics to augment McKie's illustrations...
(writer, HelixHelix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and science fantasy imprint of DC Comics, launched in 1996 and discontinued in 1998. Helix was a short-lived, science fiction and...
, 1998)
- Doctor Who Weekly
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#1-16, 19-43, 46-57, 60-69 (Panini)
External links
- CCI: Spotlight on Dave Gibbons, Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, July 28, 2008
- Dave Gibbons Live at the BICS 2008 Geek Syndicate Panel
- Meet Dave Gibbons by George Khoury
George Khoury is a writer and interviewer in the field of comic books. Khoury's most notable works focus on UK comic book writer Alan Moore. Khoury is based in New Jersey.-Biography:...
, Pop!, Comic Book Resources, October 12, 2008
- Dave Gibbons on 'Watching the Watchmen': Part One, Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, October 22, 2008
- Watching the Watchmen with Dave Gibbons: An Interview, Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
, December 10, 2008
- Dave Gibbons On The Origins Of The Watchmen, The Quietus, January 6, 2009
- 'Through the eyes of the creator - Interview with Dave Gibbons, Liberation Frequency, January, 2009
- Interview with Gibbons about the Watchmen film adaptation
- Computers draw a new chapter in comics, The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, August 12, 2009
- TCJ 300 Conversations: Dave Gibbons & Frank Quitely, The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
, December 15, 2009