Eric Reynolds (comics)
Encyclopedia
Eric Reynolds is a Seattle-based cartoonist
, critic
and comics
editor
who works full-time for Fantagraphics Books
doing publicity and marketing. His work has appeared in The Stranger
, The Comics Journal
, The New York Times
, The New York Press and other publications. He has edited or co-edited The Complete Crumb Comics
, Angry Youth Comics
, Dirty Stories and MOME
, and has inked
some of Peter Bagge
's comics.
comics he saw when he was young.
Reynolds was moving towards a career in journalism
when he was in university in California
and was managing editor and cartoonist for his university newspaper. In the spring of 1993, he came to the realization that Fantagraphics
published almost all of his favorite comics. He decided to contact them looking for a job. He got a job a month later, and stayed in Seattle for three months before returning to university. After finishing his degree a semester later, he returned to Fantagraphics and has remained there ever since.
Reynolds worked as news editor for The Comics Journal
from 1993, covering such events as the rise of Image Comics
, the Mike Diana
controversies and the general downturn in the comic book industry, before moving to marketing and promotion in 1996.
As a cartoonist, Reynolds counts Chester Brown
and Daniel Clowes
as his strongest formative influences, especially Brown's Ed the Happy Clown
. He also counts friends and Seattle residents Peter Bagge
, Jim Blanchard, Jeremy Eaton, Pat Moriarity, Al Columbia
, Jim Woodring
and others amongst his contemporary influences. His name was given to a character who worked for a comic book publisher in an episode of The Simpsons
in 2000 by writer and producer Dana Gould.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
who works full-time for Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
doing publicity and marketing. His work has appeared in The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
, The Comics Journal
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...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The New York Press and other publications. He has edited or co-edited The Complete Crumb Comics
The Complete Crumb Comics
The Complete Crumb Comics was an award-winning series of collections from Fantagraphics Books which was intended to reproduce the entire body of American cartoonist and comic book artist/writer Robert Crumb's comics work in chronological order, beginning with his fanzine work from as early as...
, Angry Youth Comics
Angry Youth Comics
Angry Youth Comix is an adult humor comic-book written and drawn by Johnny Ryan. It generally features the characters Loady McGee and Sinus O'Gynus, as well as Blecky Yuckerella, Boobs Pooter, and Sherlock McRape...
, Dirty Stories and MOME
MOME (Comics)
Mome was a quarterly full-color comics anthology edited by Eric Reynolds , and published by Fantagraphics Books....
, and has inked
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
some of Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of Buddy Bradley, Hate, Neat Stuff, Martini Baton, and Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd and Other Lives. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to dramatize the reduced expectations of middle-class American youth...
's comics.
Personal history
Reynolds read comics from an early age, and remembers being fascinated by a stack of SupermanSuperman
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...
comics he saw when he was young.
Reynolds was moving towards a career in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
when he was in university in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was managing editor and cartoonist for his university newspaper. In the spring of 1993, he came to the realization that Fantagraphics
Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
published almost all of his favorite comics. He decided to contact them looking for a job. He got a job a month later, and stayed in Seattle for three months before returning to university. After finishing his degree a semester later, he returned to Fantagraphics and has remained there ever since.
Reynolds worked as news editor for The Comics Journal
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...
from 1993, covering such events as the rise of Image Comics
Image Comics
Image 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...
, the Mike Diana
Mike Diana
Michael Christopher "Mike" Diana is an underground cartoonist who became the first artist ever to receive a criminal conviction for obscenity for artwork in the United States.-Early life:...
controversies and the general downturn in the comic book industry, before moving to marketing and promotion in 1996.
As a cartoonist, Reynolds counts Chester Brown
Chester Brown
Chester William David Brown , is an award-winning, best-selling Canadian alternative cartoonist and, since 2008, the Libertarian Party of Canada's candidate for the riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto, Canada....
and Daniel Clowes
Daniel Clowes
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American author, screenwriter and cartoonist of alternative comic books....
as his strongest formative influences, especially Brown's Ed the Happy Clown
Ed the Happy Clown
Ed the Happy Clown is the title character of an award-winning and influential comic book story by the Canadian cartoonist, Chester Brown. It is dark and surreal, and largely improvised, having started from a series of unrelated short comic stories that Brown soon went on to tie together...
. He also counts friends and Seattle residents Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge
Peter Bagge is an American cartoonist. He is the creator of Buddy Bradley, Hate, Neat Stuff, Martini Baton, and Sweatshop, Apocalypse Nerd and Other Lives. His stories often use black humor and exaggerated cartooning to dramatize the reduced expectations of middle-class American youth...
, Jim Blanchard, Jeremy Eaton, Pat Moriarity, Al Columbia
Al Columbia
Al Columbia is an American cartoonist, illustrator, writer, photographer, musician, and filmmaker.-Big Numbers controversy:At the age of 19 Columbia was hired to work as an assistant to Bill Sienkiewicz on Alan Moore's Big Numbers series...
, Jim Woodring
Jim Woodring
Jim Woodring is a Seattle-based cartoonist, comic book author, artist and toy designer. He also produces fine art works in a variety of other media, including painting and charcoal....
and others amongst his contemporary influences. His name was given to a character who worked for a comic book publisher in an episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
in 2000 by writer and producer Dana Gould.
Sources
- Sandall, Simon. "Eric Reynolds from Fantagraphics talks about his favorite books". readersvoice.com (2005-05-07). part 1234
External links
- Eric Reynold's blog at the FantagraphicsFantagraphics BooksFantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint...
website