Alex Ross
JOKER AND HYPER-REALISM: THE ART OF ALEX ROSS
Being a comic book character, Joker has been depicted in many ways from the caricaturesque to the riddiculously absurb. But…what if Joker was a real person? That’s Alex Ross talent. His realistic paintings and his composition allows the reader (or art enthusiast) to just feel part of the painting (or panel) breathing life to characters that until now might have been flat and undefined.
- Artist: Alex Ross (comic book painter, illustrator and plotter)
- Bio. Borned Nelson Alexander Ross in Portland Oregon in January 22, 1970 he became interested in superheroes at an early age, whatching Spiderman on the children’s series The Electric Company. His first artistic instruction came from his mother, a commercial artist. He went to study illustration at Chicago’s American Academy of Art. His art is characterized by his realistic, human depiction of classic comic book characters which has been praised by fans of all ages.
- Before doing comics, Ross did storyboards.
- His first published work the now rare 1990’s five issue miniseries TERMINATOR: THE BURNING EARTH, by Ron Foster and his fisrt painted superhero assigment was the cover for SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY AND BEYOND
- Along with Kurt Busiek, Ross began subnitting proposal for what will become the first painted work for comics: 1994’s MARVELS, the history of the Marvel Universe from the pointo fo few of an ordinary person.
- After this, he joinde with penciller Brent Anderson and created ASTRO CITY published by Image comics in 1994 and later by Wildstorm.
- In 1996. Alex worked with Mark Wayd for his first DC project: KINGDOM COME limited series. After this successful series, he went to work on UNCLE SAM for Vertigo and in the early 2000’s he joined Jim Krueger to design a trilogy for Marvel (EARTH X, UNIVERSE X, and PARADISE X).
- Ross has lend his talents for other projects like original art for M. Night Shyamalan’s UNBREAKABLE (2001), designs for DC marchandise (from action figures, to posters, dinner plates and statues) and even designed the 2002 promotional poster for the Academy awards.
- In 2004, Ross copiled the book MYTHOLOGY: THE DC ART OF ALEX ROSS . In 2005 a paperback of the book was issued including sketces from his JUSTICE miniseries. In 2004, he designed 15 paintings for opening credits of Spiderman 2. In 2005 he joined forces again with Dough Braithwaitie to produce the 12 issue seres JUSTICE for focusing on the enemies of the Justice League banding in an effort to destroy them.
- Probalby his most famous Joker image is TANGO WITH EVIL depicting Joker and Tango
- During 1998-2003, he produced annual tabloid size edition celebrating the 60 years of SUPERMAN (PEACE ON EARTH), BATMAN ( WAR IN CRIME), SHAZAM (POWER OF HOPE and two specials for JLA (JLA ORIGINS and JUSTICE).
- He has recently worked in projects like SUPERPOWERS and THE PHANTOM series (Dynamite), AVENGERS INVADERS (Marvel, 2008) and in 2011 he started collaborating with Dynamite Entertainment to produce KIRBY: GENESIS. Ross has recently also provided the cover for multiple DC and Marvel projects.
- Awards include 1997 Will Eisner Award for KINGDOM COME and a 1998 Nationa Cartoonist Society Comic Book Award for SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH. Ross has also won the COMIC BUYER’S GUIDE’s CBG Fan Award for Favorite Painter seven years in a row resulting in the publication eliminating the category.
- Take a look of his gallery:
