Brian Bolland: Joker Artist Supreme

This is one of the Best Joker Artists out there.  His detailed style has created a large fandom that wants to meet the man behind the legend.  And here he is:

• Artist:  Brian Bolland
• Bio:  Born in March 26,1951 in Butterwick Lincolnshire, UK. It wasn’t until 1959 that American Comics started to be sold in England, and Bolland states that even then, “it took a while for me to discover them.” In 1960, his interest in comics sparked with Dell Comics’ DINOSAURS! followed later by other titles like TUROK: SON OF STONE and DC’s TOMAHAWK.

In the 1960s, affter he passed his O-level and A-level examinations in art, Bolland started art school and graduated five years later with a degree in Graphic design and Art History.  He had to learn drawing comics on its own, though his favorites Neal Adams, Alex Nino, and Moebius among others.His early work while he was in school, was mainly in underground fanzies like FRIENDZ and INTERNATIONAL TIMES.  TIME OUT–an underground magazine gave him his first paid job for an illustration of jazz basist Buddy Guy. After he graduated in 1972 he found himself in a rut, until he landed a job for a Nigerian Comic titled POWERMAN that helped him polish his storytelling. In 1977, after Star Wars succeess in the silver screen, he landed a job to illustrate the the UK 2000AD and JUDGE DREDD (creating Judge Death and Judge Anderson for the series).

In 1979-80 he became part of the ‘British invasion’ of comic creators discovered by American comic industries. His first American work was the cover of GREEN LANTERN #127 (April 1980). Among his earliest interior work is the story in JUSTICE LEAGUE #200 (1982). After working in series like CAMELOT 3000,  DC Editor Dick Giordano asked Bolland what he wanted to do next and he answered:  Batman and Joker…becoming the dream project of THE KILLING JOKE with Alan Moore writing the story. Unfortunately this resulted more in a disappointment for Bolland after Alan Moore’s criticism of the book and the disappointing color scheme selected for the graphic novel.

After the KILLING JOKE, Bolland went to draw only self written stories, where he would have control of content and composition. Unfortunately as there was not much to do, he landed covers for several series like ANIMAL MAN, GOTHAM KNIGHTS, and WONDER WOMAN.

Brian Bolland has been awarded the ‘Best Newcomer’ awardby the Society of Strip Illustration in 1977. In 1982 he received the Inkpot Award and in 1983 he was named ‘Favourite Artist’ at the Eagle Awards. In 1989 the KILLING JOKE received the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album and Bolland got the Best Artist/Penciller/Inker award for the same album. That same year he won 3 Harvey Awards (Best artist, Best Graphic Album and Best Single Issue) for KILLING JOKE. In 1992-94, Bolland won the Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist and then again in 1999 and 2001.  In 2007 he landed another Eisner for “Best Comic Related Book” with his own THE ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND.

Now enjoy his gallery:

bollandjorigin1

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Biographical source:  Wikipedia

• You can visit the Artist’s official website  at THE ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND
• Bolland’s art has been collected in THE ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND HC (2007) and in the upcoming THE DC ART OF BRIAN BOLLAND (September, 2011. See preview HERE)