Zander Cannon
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Zander" Cannon (born November 1, 1972) is an American
comics
writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Top 10
and Smax
.
, Massachusetts
. He graduated from Grinnell College
in 1995 with a B.A. in English.
, from New England Comics
. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he wrote and drew The Replacement God, a fantasy
comic book about a former slave named Knute who is pursued across the fictional land of Mun by a tyrannical king and his beatnik Visigoth Death Horde. The first eight issues were published by Slave Labor Graphics
, a subsequent five issues were published by Image Comics
, and one issue was self-published by Cannon under his Handicraft Guild imprint.
Cannon worked as layout artist on Top 10
, with writer Alan Moore
and finishing artist Gene Ha
, and pencilled its spin-off miniseries Smax
, with Moore and inker Andrew Currie
, for America's Best Comics.
In August 2004 Cannon co-founded Big Time Attic
with former co-publisher Shad Petosky
and fellow Grinnell College
alumnus Kevin Cannon
. With Big Time Attic, he has illustrated a book with Jim Ottaviani
entitled Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Top 10
Top 10 (comic book)
Top 10 is a superhero comic book limited series published by the America's Best Comics imprint of Wildstorm, itself an imprint of DC Comics...
and Smax
Smax
Smax is a fictional character from the comic book series Top 10 written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Gene Ha, and published by the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics / Wildstorm. A Top-10 spin-off mini-series also called Smax focused on the character and provided him with more of a backstory...
.
Early life
Cannon was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He graduated from Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
in 1995 with a B.A. in English.
Career
Cannon's first professional comics work was The Chainsaw Vigilante, a spin-off from The TickThe Tick
The Tick is a fictional character created by cartoonist Ben Edlund in 1986 as a newsletter mascot for the New England Comics chain of Boston area comic stores. He is an absurdist spoof of comic book superheroes. After its creation, the character spun off into an independent comic book series in...
, from New England Comics
New England Comics
New England Comics is a comic book retail chain and publisher headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA. They are known for publishing The Tick comic books. They have locations in Quincy, Allston, Brookline, Brockton, Cambridge, Malden, New Bedford and Norwood....
. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he wrote and drew The Replacement God, a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
comic book about a former slave named Knute who is pursued across the fictional land of Mun by a tyrannical king and his beatnik Visigoth Death Horde. The first eight issues were published by Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
, a subsequent five issues were published by 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...
, and one issue was self-published by Cannon under his Handicraft Guild imprint.
Cannon worked as layout artist on Top 10
Top 10 (comic book)
Top 10 is a superhero comic book limited series published by the America's Best Comics imprint of Wildstorm, itself an imprint of DC Comics...
, with writer Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan 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...
and finishing artist Gene Ha
Gene Ha
Gene Ha is an American comics artist and writer best known for his work on books such as Top 10 and Top 10: The Forty-Niners, with Alan Moore and Zander Cannon, for America's Best Comics, the Batman graphic novel Fortunate Son, with Gerard Jones, and The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix, among...
, and pencilled its spin-off miniseries Smax
Smax
Smax is a fictional character from the comic book series Top 10 written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Gene Ha, and published by the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics / Wildstorm. A Top-10 spin-off mini-series also called Smax focused on the character and provided him with more of a backstory...
, with Moore and inker Andrew Currie
Andrew Currie
Andrew Currie is a Canadian film director and screenwriter.Born in England, Currie grew up in Victoria, British Columbia and studied arts before turning his interests towards film...
, for America's Best Comics.
In August 2004 Cannon co-founded Big Time Attic
Big Time Attic
Big Time Attic is a Limited Liability Corporation. It is the operational name of Twin Cities comic artists Zander Cannon and Kevin Cannon...
with former co-publisher Shad Petosky
Shad Petosky
Shad Petosky is an American comics author, designer, and television animator.-Biography:Petosky was born in Kalispell, Montana. He was a programmer before meeting Zander Cannon and helping Cannon to co-publish The Replacement God. With both Cannon and Kevin Cannon, Petosky formed the comic art...
and fellow Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
alumnus Kevin Cannon
Kevin Cannon
Kevin Cannon is an American cartoonist and illustrator.-Life and career:Cannon first published work was Johnny Cavalier, published by Grinnell College Press, which included 100 pages of weekly strips that originally ran in the Scarlet and Black. While attending Grinnell, Kevin was often asked if he...
. With Big Time Attic, he has illustrated a book with Jim Ottaviani
Jim Ottaviani
Jim Ottaviani is the author of several comic books about the history of science. His best-known work, Two-Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists, features biographical stories about Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Niels Bohr, and several stories about physicist Richard Feynman...
entitled Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards
Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards
Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards: A Tale of Edward Drinker Cope, Othniel Charles Marsh, and the Gilded Age of Paleontology is a graphic novel written by Jim Ottaviani and illustrated by the company Big Time Attic...
.