Brian Bolland: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:25, 10 January 2023

Revision as of 01:52, 11 January 2023

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| caption = Bolland at the [[New York Comic Con]] in Manhattan, 9 October 2010

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|3|26}}

| birth_place = [[Butterwick, Lincolnshire|Butterwick]], [[Lincolnshire]], England

| death_date =

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| notable works = ''[[Judge Dredd]] vs. [[Judge Death]]''<br>''[[Batman: The Killing Joke]]''<br>''[[Camelot 3000]]''

| awards =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|3|26}}

}}

'''Brian Bolland''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɒ|l|ə|n|d}}; born 26 March 1951)<ref name="Art11">Salisbury, Mark, ''Artists on Comic Art'' ([[Titan Books]], 2000) {{ISBN|1-84023-186-6}}, p. 11</ref> is a British [[comics artist]]. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the [[Judge Dredd]] artists for British comics anthology ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'', he spearheaded the '[[British Invasion (comics)|British Invasion]]' of the American comics industry, and in 1982 produced the artwork on ''[[Camelot 3000]]'' (with author [[Mike W. Barr]]), which was [[DC Comics]]' first 12-issue comicbook [[maxiseries]]<ref name="Art17">Salisbury, p. 17</ref> created for the [[direct market]].<ref name="Art10">Salisbury, p. 10</ref>

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Brian Bolland was born in [[Butterwick, Lincolnshire]], England,<ref name="Art11"/> to Albert "A.J." John, a fenland farmer, and Lillie Bolland.<ref name="ABBOSE">Bolland, Brian, "On Sale Everywhere" in [[Joe Pruett]] (ed.) ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', ([[Image Comics]], 2006), {{ISBN|1-58240-603-0}}, pp. 10–15</ref> He grew up in a small village near [[Boston, Lincolnshire]] until he was 18 years old. but has "no memory of comics" much before the age of ten.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> When American comics began to be imported into England, c.1959, Bolland hadn't read any comics before the age of ten, but by 1960 he was intrigued by [[Dell Comics]]' ''Dinosaurus!'', which developed into a childhood interest in dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> Comics including ''[[Turok]], Son of Stone'' and DC Comics' ''[[Tomahawk (comics)|Tomahawk]]'' soon followed, and it was this burgeoning comics collection that would help inspire Bolland to draw his own comics<ref name="Art11"/> around the age of ten with ideas such as "Insect League."<ref name="ABB22">Bolland, "The 1960s – Insect League" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 22–23</ref> He recalls that "[s]uperheroes crept into my life by stealth," as he actively sought out covers featuring "any big creature that looked vaguely dinosaur-like, trampling puny humans."<ref name="ABBOSE"/> These adolescent criteria led from ''Dinosaurus!'' and ''Turok'' via ''[[House of Mystery]]'' to "[[Batman]] and [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] [who] were [often] being harassed by big weird things, as were [[Superman]], [[Aquaman]], [[Wonder Woman]] [etc]," Bolland recalled.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> Soon, family outings to [[Skegness]] became an excuse for the future artist to "trawl... round some of the more remote backstreet newsagents" for comics to store on an overflowing wooden bookcase he'd built in school.<ref name="ABBOSE"/>

As early as 1962, aged 11, Bolland remembers thinking that "[[Carmine Infantino]]'s work on the ''[[The Flash (comic book)|Flash]]'' and [[Gil Kane]]'s on ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' and the ''[[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Atom]]'' had a sophistication about it that I hadn't [previously] seen."<ref name="ABBOSE"/> He would later cite Kane and [[Alex Toth]] as "pinnacle[s] of excellence,"<ref name="Art11"/> alongside [[Curt Swan]], [[Murphy Anderson]], [[Sid Greene]], [[Joe Kubert]], [[Ross Andru]], [[Mike Esposito (comics)|Mike Esposito]], [[Nick Cardy]], and [[Bruno Premiani]], whose influences showed in his "early crude stabs at drawing comics."<ref name="ABBOSE"/> The young Bolland did not rate [[Marvel Comics]] as highly as DC, feeling the covers cluttered and the paper quality crude.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> His appreciation of the artwork of [[Jack Kirby]], he says, only materialised much later.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> He did however enjoy UK comics, including newspaper strips such as ''[[Jeff Hawke]]'' by [[Syd Jordan]] and ''[[Carol Day]]'' by [[David Wright (artist)|David Wright]],<ref name="ABB17">Bolland, "Influences – Carol Day by David Wright" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 17</ref> and ''[[Valiant (comic)|Valiant]]'' which featured ''[[Mytek the Mighty]]'' by [[Eric Bradbury]] and ''[[Steel Claw]]'' by [[Jesus Blasco]].<ref name="ABB19">Bolland, "Influences – The Steel Claw by Jesus Blasco" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 19</ref> <ref name="ABBOSE"/> Despite such a variety of inspirations, Bolland credits his eventual pursuance of art as a hobby and then vocation to a primary school art teacher.<ref name="Art10"/>

Growing up as an only child with parents that had no interest in art, literature, or music, he embraced the late 1960s [[popular culture|pop culture]] explosion of [[pirate radio]] stations, [[experimental music]], recreational drugs, [[psychedelia]], ''[[Oz (magazine)|Oz Magazine]]'', "[[Turn on, tune in, drop out|dropping out]]" and other aspects of hippy culture epitomised by [[underground comix]] such as [[Robert Crumb]]'s ''[[Zap Comix]]''.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> Having taken both [[O-Level]] and [[A-Level]] examinations in art, Bolland spent five years at art school (startingbeginning in 1969,<ref name="ABBOSE"/>) learning [[graphic design]] and [[art history]].<ref name="Art10"/> Learning to draw comics, however, was an art he self-taught, with Bolland eventually writing a 15,000-word dissertation in 1973 on [[Neal Adams]] – an "artist [his teachers] had never heard of."<ref name="Art11"/><ref name="Art10"/> He would later recall:

{{bquote|It was during this time that I discovered the sheer range of comics and their history. All the British stuff I'd missed was there to be discovered. I found the American greats, [[Hal Foster|Foster]], [[George Herriman|Herriman]], [[Alex Raymond]] and [[Winsor McCay]]... [[Noel Sickles]], [[Milton Caniff|Milt Caniff]], [[Roy Crane]], had all, I discovered, put down the basic building blocks of our "Art form". And there were the Europeans... [[Jean Giraud|Moebius]], [[Milo Manara|Manara]], [[Alberto Breccia|Breccia]]. Later the Filipinos—[[Alex Niño]], [[Nestor Redondo]], [[Alfredo Alcala]], all were inspirational. None of this stuff was to be found in the art schools. During my five years in three art schools I never learnt a single thing about comics from any of my tutors.<ref name="ABBOSE"/>}}

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===''2000 AD'', ''Judge Death'' and ''Walter the Wobot''===

In 1972, Bolland attended the [[British Comic Art Convention]] at the Waverley Hotel in London, and met several influential figures in the current British comics scene, including [[Dez Skinn]], [[Nick Landau]], [[Richard Burton (comics)|Richard Burton]], [[Angus McKie]] and – crucially – [[Dave Gibbons]].<ref name="ABB37">Bolland, "1970s – Powerman" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 37</ref> Bolland and Gibbons became firm friends. After finishing his college course, Bolland was hit with "the stark reality of unemployment"<ref name="ABB37"/> and on the advice of Gibbons<ref name="Art13">Salisbury, p. 13</ref> joined art agency Bardon Press Features. He soon found work doing a number of two-page strips for [[D. C. Thomson & Co.|D.C. Thomson]] resulted, but Bolland would refer to this period as his "lowest time."<ref name="ABB37"/> Bardon did however produce a client called Pikin which was "planning a bi-weekly comic about an African superhero," [[Powerman (comic book series)|Powerman]], which was to be sold in [[Nigeria]].<ref name="Art11"/><ref name="ABB37"/> Gibbons and Bolland were to draw alternate issues, with (Bolland's first issue wasdrawing ''Powerman'' No. 2.<ref name="Art11"/>), and Bolland recalls that "soon Dave had drawn his entire story and I had produced just a few pages."<ref name="ABB37"/> This knowledge – "that Dave could produce a page a day... and that I was going to have to do the same" – was a shock, but proved to be "the very best kind of training ground."<ref name="ABB37"/> With comics purportedly being new to Nigeria,<ref name="ABB37"/> Bolland recalls this work being created specifically to be "really simple; six panels on a page and [all] the panels had to be numbered."<ref name="Art12"/> Not only was this work "[t]he best way to learn the simple rules of comic book storytelling," but "better still, it was going someplace where nobody I knew could see it."<ref name="ABB37"/> He "drew around 300 pages of that very straightforward, simple-to-follow work, and I guess the storytelling flowed naturally from that."<ref name="ABB37"/><ref name="Art12">Salisbury, p. 12</ref> Even so, he "was always struggling to get the last eight or ten pages finished," and was occasionally helped by friends, both from his "Norwich School of Art days," Gibbons and future-''2000 AD'' and ''[[League of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' artist [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]].<ref name="ABB42">Bolland, "The 1970s – Help from Friends" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 42</ref>

Bolland writes that starting with ''Powerman'' he "found regular employment drawing comics, one of which, ''[[Judge Dredd]]'', in 1977–80, turned out to be quite a hit..."<ref name="ABBOSE"/>

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{{bquote|You'll be surprised to hear that even though ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' had been in ''2000AD'' since Prog 2 the editors weren't sure which of the interior characters would sell the comic best if that character was on the cover. Artists like me just came up with cover ideas and, if they liked them, we'd draw the cover and they would write a one-page text story based on it to go inside. These early covers of mine fall into that category.<ref name="ABB57"/>}}

Other covers followingfollowed for (nearly a third of the first 30) progs, as well as stand-alone pages and some inking duties on Gibbons' ''[[Dan Dare]]''. Already familiar with Nick Landau (acting editor), when another artist dropped out, Bolland was called directly to complete a ''[[Judge Dredd]]'' story in Prog 41 (3 Dec 77) and soon was established as a regular artist on the series.<ref name="ABB60">Bolland, "The 1970s – My First Dredd Nov 1977" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 42</ref> "From that point on," writes Bolland, "either he [Landau] or his successor [[Steve MacManus]] called me direct whenever they wanted me to do a ''Dredd'' story."<ref name="ABB60"/> Dredd stories started as traditional UK comic stories, i.e. "six-page one-offs... [Writers] [[Pat Mills]] and [[John Wagner]] seem[ing] to spurn the American comic idea of continuing stories or, worse, the idea of a ''2000 AD'' continuity between characters," Bolland seeing this as a "strength... hav[ing] one great new idea each week."<ref name="ABB72">Bolland, "The 1970s – Dredd Stories and 2000AD covers" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 72</ref> Soon, though, the writers began to craft serials, and Bolland's distinct abilities with subtle facial expressions, dramatic lighting and the dynamic composition of page layout made him the perfect choice to draw the ongoing sagas, starting with "[[The Lunar Olympics]]".<ref name="ABB72"/> Bolland contributed artwork to such ''Judge Dredd'' story-arcs as "[[Luna Period]]", "[[The Cursed Earth (Judge Dredd story)|The Cursed Earth]]", "[[The Day the Law Died]]", "[[Judge Child|The Judge Child Quest]]" and "[[Block Mania]]". As the Dredd stories rose in popularity, they "were moved so they started on the middle pages" with a colour double-page spread, which Bolland "always struggled with"<ref name="ABB76">Bolland, "The 1970s – The Muties Mountain Double Page Spread" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 76</ref> finding it "very difficult... [trying] to fill that space most effectively."<ref name="Art13"/> Ultimately the weekly deadlines meant that Bolland was unable to produce all episodes of the epic storylines himself, and the art chores on ''The Cursed Earth'' were split between Bolland and [[Mike McMahon (comics)|Mike McMahon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/exclusive-brian-bollands-cover-for-judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-uncensored/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: Brian Bolland's Cover for "Judge Dredd: The Cursed Earth Uncensored" |last=Ching |first=Albert |date=2 April 2016 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |access-date=3 October 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003163701/https://www.cbr.com/exclusive-brian-bollands-cover-for-judge-dredd-the-cursed-earth-uncensored/ |archive-date=3 October 2016}}</ref>

Bolland's early work on ''Judge Dredd'' was much influenced by McMahon, a talented newcomer whose idiosyncratic style was fuelling the interest in the new character. Bolland thought McMahon was "terrific, the real ideas man on Dredd," but noted that McMahon's approach was "very [[impressionist]]ic," while the "average comics reader, certainly at the time, does tend to prefer realism."<ref name="Art13"/><ref name="Art12"/> Bolland therefore states that he "aped Mike's genius... and then reinterpreted [Dredd] in a style which actually borrowed a lot from the work of the American artists,"<ref name="Art13"/> retaining McMahon's "granite-jawed" look but bringing a level of realism and fine detail to the character, which Mark Salisbury says "finally cemented the iconic image."<ref name="Art12"/>

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When Nick Landau began (in 1981) [[Titan Books]]' reprints of Judge Dredd material, he "used this story non-chronologically" to begin the series.<ref name="ABB114"/> Landau spent time paginating the book at Bolland's flat, and discovered that "[s]ome stories started or ended on the wrong page thereby leaving blank pages," as it was set to be "in effect, the first book exclusively of my work" the artist "gladly offered to add three full page pictures for the ''Cursed Earth'' volume and a new back cover for the first ''Judge Dredd'' volume.<ref name="ABB124">Bolland, "The 1980s – Titan Books" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 124</ref>

Walter the Wobot was an android with a [[speech impediment]] who served as Judge Dredd's personal servant robot. Created for light[[Comic relief|comedic relief]], Bolland notes that "[t]he great thing about the ''Judge Dredd'' strip was it's [sic] ability to slide seamlessly between gritty sci fi adventure, nasty [[gothic horror]], [[parody|spoof]]ery, all the way to daft comedy."<ref name="ABB68">Bolland, "The 1970s – Walter the Wobot" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 68</ref> Walter's solo adventures – "Walter the Wobot, Fwiend of Dwedd" – were the latter style.<ref name="ABB68"/> Bolland drew all bar a couple of Walter's adventures, which appeared between Progs #50–61; #67–68 and #84–85 (with [[Ian Gibson (artist)|Ian Gibson]] drawing the first two episodes and [[Brendan McCarthy]] the last two), and says that he "was usually able to complete one in a day."<ref name="ABB68"/> He namechecks "the great [[Don Martin (cartoonist)|Don Martin]]" as an artist he "shamelessly ripped off" for the human supporting characters, drawing most of the pages in [[Chiswick]], 1978.<ref name="ABB68"/>

===Other UK work===

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From the 1970s to the present, Bolland has also produced one-off pieces of artwork for use as record (including one for ''[[The Drifters]]'' in 1975<ref name="ABB44">Bolland, "The 1970s – The Drifters" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 44–45</ref>), paperback book (including the UK [[Titan Books|Titan]] editions of [[George R. R. Martin]]'s ''[[Wild Cards]]'' anthologies<ref name="ABB209">Bolland, "The 1980s – Wild Cards" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 209</ref>) and magazine covers (including ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]''<ref name="ABB142"/> and every major comics publication). He continued to produce work for fanzines, including for Nick Landau's ''[[Comic Media News]]'',<ref name="ABB47">Bolland, "The 1970s – Comic Media News" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 47</ref> and ''Arkensword'' and even "drew the hazard cards" for a [[board game]] called ''Maneater''.<ref name="ABB46">Bolland, "The 1970s – Maneater" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 46</ref> He later "got to know the [[Games Workshop]] guys, [[Steve Jackson (UK game designer)|Steve Jackson]]<ref>Not the US game designer [[Steve Jackson (US game designer)|of the same name]], despite the section heading in ''The Art of Brian Bolland''.</ref> and [[Ian Livingstone]]," and produced various "games related drawings" including a cover or two for ''[[Fighting Fantasy]]'' Adventure Game Books,<ref name="ABB167">Bolland, "The 1980s – Steve Jackson Games" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 167</ref> and RPG scenario pamphlets.<ref name="ABB169">Bolland, "The 1980s – Steve Jackson Games" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 169</ref> His cover work for Games Workshop includes the role-playing game ''[[Golden Heroes]]'' and its only adventure ''[[Legacy of Eagles]]'',<ref name="HW">{{cite book|last=Schick |first=Lawrence|authorlink=Lawrence Schick|title=Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games|publisher=Prometheus Books |year=1991|isbn=0-87975-653-5}}</ref>{{rp|50}} and the ''Fighting Fantasy'' book ''[[Appointment with F.E.A.R.]]''{{rp|367}}

In 1977, Bolland was approached by [[Syd Jordan]] to [[ghost write|ghost]] some episodes of Jordan's [[comic strip|newspaper strip]] ''[[Jeff Hawke]]'',<ref name="ABB52">Bolland, "The 1970s – Jeff Hawke" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 52–55</ref> after fellow fandom-pro artist [[Paul Neary]] had already done a fair number of them.<ref name="ABB52"/> Bolland drew 13 episodes, and "Syd touched up some of the faces, a few details here and there, to make them look a bit more like him."<ref name="ABB52"/> By this point, "although the ''Express'' owned the rights to the strip, they were not printing it," but since it had a strong European following, these new episodes (Bolland believes) "got collected in anthologies in French and Spanish," but not in the UK except briefly in "the fanzine ''Eureka''."<ref name="ABB52"/> In 1985, as a known fan, Bolland was approached by Nick Landau to select stories and draw covers for two Titan collections of the strip, with a third design going unpublished.<ref>Bolland, "The 1980s – Jeff Hawke Titan Collections" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 174</ref><ref>Bolland, "The 1980s – Jeff Hawke Volume 3 Prelim" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 174</ref> Bolland also contributed "A Miracle of [[Elisha]]" to [[Knockabout Comics]]' ''[[Old Bailey]] [[Oz trial|OZ Trial]] Special'', written because [[Old Testament]] history had piqued the interest of Bolland when living near the [[British Museum]].<ref name="ABB156">Bolland, "The 1980s – A Miracle of Elisha" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 156</ref> This page was later reprinted in the ''Outrageous Tales From the Old Testament'' volume, which included works from [[Alan Moore|Moore]], [[Hunt Emerson]], [[Neil Gaiman|Gaiman]], [[Dave Gibbons|Gibbons]], and [[Dave McKean]], although Bolland's name was left off the cover.<ref name="ABB156b">Bolland, "The 1980s – Outrageous Tales From the Old Testament" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 156</ref>

InBolland 1977produced a considerable amount of advertising work, Bollandinitially wasbecause approachedhis byagent [[Syd"Barry Jordan]]Coker tokept [[ghostputting write|ghost]]advertising somejobs episodesmy way," including a number of Jordan'sads for "[[comic strip|newspaper stripPalitoy]]'s ''[[JeffStar HawkeWars]]'' toys."<ref name="ABB52ABB99">Bolland, "The 1970s – JeffStar Wars HawkeAds" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', ppp. 52–5599</ref> (FellowHe fandom-proalso artistdrew [[Paulsome Neary]]of hadthe "alreadyearliest donepieces quiteof aadvertising few."<refartwork name="ABB52"/>)for Bollandthe drewscience 13 episodes,fiction and "Sydcomic touchedshop up[[Dark someThey ofWere, theand faces,Golden-Eyed a(bookshop)|Dark fewThey details hereWere, and thereGolden-Eyed]], towhich makeran themin lookvarious a[[Comics bitfanzine|fanzines]], moreconvention likeprogrammes, him."<refand name="ABB52"/>magazines Bysuch this point, "although theas ''ExpressTime Out'' ownedand thewas rightscommissioned toby thefuture-[[Titan strip,Distribution]] theyand were[[Forbidden notPlanet printing(bookstore)|Forbidden it,"Planet]] butco-founder sinceMike itLake had(who awas strong"working Europeanthere following,at thesethe newtime") episodesc. (1976.<ref name="ABB48">Bolland believes), "gotThe collected1970s in– anthologiesDark inThey FrenchWere and Spanish,Golden Eyed" but not in the''The UKArt exceptof briefly in "the fanzineBrian Bolland''Eureka'', p." 48</ref name="ABB52"/> InAs 1985,well as athe knownDTWAGE fanadverts, Bolland wasand approachedmost byof Nickhis Landaupeers toalso selectcontributed storiesartwork andto drawadvertise, coversand/or forfeature twoin Titanprogramme collectionsbooklets offor the strip,[[British withComic aArt thirdConvention|UK designComicon]], goingstarting unpublishedc.1976.<ref name="ABB46b">Bolland, "The 1980s1970s – JeffComicon Hawke Titan Collections1976" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 17446</ref><ref>Bolland In 1978, Nick Landau, Mike Lake and Mike Luckman "Thetook 1980stheir –comic Jeffdistribution Hawkebusiness Volumeinto 3the Prelimhighstreet," inopening ''Thethe Artfirst of[[Forbidden BrianPlanet Bolland''(bookstore)|Forbidden Planet]] comics shop, p.for 174</ref>which Lake asked Bolland alsoto contributedproduce the now-famous "APeople Miraclelike of''us'' [[Elisha]]"shop toat... [[KnockaboutFORBIDDEN Comics]]'PLANET" adverts. Bolland''[[Olds Bailey]]artwork [[Ozwould trial|OZalso Trial]]feature Special'on the shop's plastic bags, writtenas becausewell [[Oldas Testament]]T-Shirts historyand had"covers piquedfor thetheir interestSF, ofcomic Bollandand whenTV living& nearfilm thecatalogues," [[Britishamong Museum]]other places.<ref name="ABB156ABB96">Bolland, "The 1980s1970s – A Miracle ofForbidden ElishaPlanet" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 15696</ref> ThisLater, pagewhen wasa laterbranch reprintedof inForbidden thePlanet star-studdedwas ([[Alanopened Moore|Moore]],in [[HuntNew Emerson]]York, [[Neiland Gaiman|Gaiman]],at [[Davea Gibbons|Gibbons]],second [[Dave___location McKean]],in etc.) ''Outrageous Tales From the Old Testament'' volumeLondon, although Bolland's name"did wasads leftfor offboth theof coverthem."<ref name="ABB156bABB96b">Bolland, "The 1980s1970s – Outrageous Tales From theForbidden OldPlanet TestamentExpansion" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 15696</ref>

Bolland produced a considerable amount of advertising work, initially because his agent "Barry Coker kept putting advertising jobs my way," including a number of ads for "[[Palitoy]]'s ''[[Star Wars]]'' toys."<ref name="ABB99">Bolland, "The 1970s – Star Wars Ads" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 99</ref> He also drew some of the earliest pieces of advertising artwork for the science fiction and comic shop [[Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed (bookshop)|Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed]], which ran in various [[Comics fanzine|fanzines]], convention programmes, and magazines such as ''Time Out'' and was commissioned by future-[[Titan Distribution]] and [[Forbidden Planet (bookstore)|Forbidden Planet]] co-founder Mike Lake (who was "working there at the time") c. 1976.<ref name="ABB48">Bolland, "The 1970s – Dark They Were and Golden Eyed" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 48</ref> As well as the DTWAGE adverts, Bolland also contributed (alongside most of his peers) artwork to advertise, and/or feature in programme booklets for the [[British Comic Art Convention|UK Comicon]], starting c.1976.<ref name="ABB46b">Bolland, "The 1970s – Comicon 1976" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 46</ref> In 1978, Nick Landau, Mike Lake and Mike Luckman "took their comic distribution business into the highstreet," opening the first [[Forbidden Planet (bookstore)|Forbidden Planet]] comics shop, for which Lake asked Bolland to produce the now-famous "People like ''us'' shop at... FORBIDDEN PLANET" adverts. Bolland's artwork would also feature on the shop's plastic bags, as well as T-Shirts and "covers for their SF, comic and TV & film catalogues," among other places.<ref name="ABB96">Bolland, "The 1970s – Forbidden Planet" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 96</ref> Later, when a branch of Forbidden Planet was opened in New York, and at a second ___location in London, Bolland "did ads for both of them."<ref name="ABB96b">Bolland, "The 1970s – Forbidden Planet Expansion" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 96</ref>

==DC Comics==

Bolland was among the first British comics creators 'discovered' by the American comics industry, spearheading the so-called "[[British Invasion (comics)|British Invasion]]" in 1979/80. Bolland recalls that his big break came when [[Joe Staton]] attended the Summer 1979 Comicon, and, needing somewhere to work (on ''[[Green Lantern]]'') while in the UK, arranged to stay with the Bollands.<ref name="ABB102">Bolland, "The 1970s – Green Lantern" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 102</ref> Staton called his editor [[Jack C. Harris|Jack Harris]] and told him that Bolland, a big ''Green Lantern'' fan, would like to draw a ''Green Lantern'' cover; Harris agreed.<ref name="ABB102"/> He drew several covers for [[DC Comics]], starting with ''Green Lantern'' No. 127 (April 1980),<ref name="ABB102"/> as well as some fill-in stories.<ref name="ABBOSE"/> These stories included, in 1980-1981, "Certified Safe" in ''[[Mystery in Space]]''<ref name="ABB130">Bolland, "The 1980s – ''JLA'' 200 and ''Superman'' Beastman Cover" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 130</ref> and "Falling Down to Heaven" in ''[[Madame Xanadu]]'', DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the "[[direct market]]" of fans and collectors.<ref>{{Cite journal|author-link=Michael Catron|last=Catron|first=Michael|title=DC Taps Fan Market for ''Madame Xanadu''|journal= [[Amazing Heroes]]|number=1 |date=June 1981|page= 25|quote= ''Madame Xanadu'', a 32-page/$1.00 comic that marks DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to fans and collectors, went on sale in early April. The book contains a 25-page tale by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers entitled "Dance for Two Demons" and a seven-page fantasy story by J. Marc DeMatteis and Brian Bolland.}}</ref> For editor [[Julius Schwartz]], Bolland drew covers around which writers would craft stories, which included two [[Starro]] covers for ''[[Justice League|Justice League of America]]'' No. 189 and 190 and ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' No. 422 (Aug. 1986).<ref name="ABB130"/>

Among his earliest interior work for DC was a chapter in ''Justice League of America'' No. 200 (March 1982) alongside artistic heroes [[Joe Kubert]], [[Carmine Infantino]] and, [[Gil Kane]], as well as [[Jim Aparo]], [[George Pérez]], and [[Dick Giordano]]. This gave the artist his "first stab at drawing ''Batman''."<ref name="ABB130"/> Bolland felt that "after my cover [''GL'' #127] worked out the people at DC turned their gaze on London... and particularly on the group of artists at ''2000AD'' who had been weaned on the DC characters."<ref name="ABB103">Bolland, "The 1970s – The European Invasion" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 103</ref> He recalled that, "after I was settled in at DC, scouts from that company came to our "[[Society of Strip Illustration]]" meetings to win over a few more of us,"<ref name="ABBOSE"/> making a "formal invitation" at an SSI meeting, which saw "[[Dave Gibbons]], [[Kevin O'Neill (comics)|Kevin O'Neill]]... [t]hen [[Alan Davis]] and [[Mark Farmer]]," following the artists "[[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] "went across" and, at some point, a [[Alan Moore|certain tall hairy writer from the Midlands]]."<ref name="ABB103"/>

In 1982, DC editor [[Len Wein]] chose Bolland to be the artist on DC's ''[[Camelot 3000]]'' 12-issue [[maxi-series]], with writer [[Mike W. Barr]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Manning|first= Matthew K.|last2editor-last=Dolan|first2editor-first=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1980s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|___location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 199 |quote = Writer Mike W. Barr and artist Brian Bolland pushed the limits of the conventional comic book with ''Camelot 3000''. DC Comics' first foray into the realm of the maxiseries, ''Camelot 3000'' was a twelve-issue story printed on vibrant Baxter paper that showcased Bolland's realistic artwork.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last = Boyanski|first = Brian|title = Brian Bolland: The Gentleman Masochist|journal= Comicology|issue = 4|publisher = [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date = Summer 2001|___location= Raleigh, North Carolina|url = http://www.twomorrows.com/comicology/articles/04bolland.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20041207125926/http://www.twomorrows.com/comicology/articles/04bolland.html|archive-date= 7 December 2004|url-status= dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The story, dealing with the return of [[King Arthur]] to save England from an [[alien invasion]] in the year 3000, not only "represents the single biggest body of work" by Bolland – and his only attempt to draw a monthly title – but was also the "first example of a DC (or otherwise) maxi-series."<ref name="Art17"/> Bolland was not familiar with the Arthurian legends, and initially conceived Merlin as a comical character.<ref name="ABB133">Bolland, "The 1980s – Camelot 3000" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 133</ref><ref name="Back27">{{cite journal|last= Ash|first= Roger|date= April 2008|title= Mike W. Barr and Brian Bolland Return to Camelot|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 27|pages= 45–56|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|___location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> The series was graced with considerable media hype, and Bolland found himself "whisked off to [[San Diego Comic-Con International|San Diego]] and places and made a fuss of."<ref name="ABB133"/> Bolland was allowed to pick between two inkers, but opted to ink his covers himself.<ref name="ABB133"/> Bolland was uncomfortable with having a third party ink his pencils, and later admitted that he put a high level of detail into his art for the series to leave as little room as possible for the inker to creatively reinterpret his work.<ref name="Back27"/> However, "by the end I was quite pleased with the results."<ref name="ABB133"/> Reacting indignantly to being presented with Ross Andru layouts for the first two ''Camelot 3000'' covers, he

{{quote|chose to ignore [the Andru design] completely and come up with my own unapproved design. Len Wein rejected it and told me to do the Ross Andru one. Grudgingly I drew the number one cover that made it onto the issue – but as a protest I reversed the letter N in my signature as a code to remind myself that my "artistic integrity" had been despoiled. I liked the backwards N enough to keep it from that day on.<ref name="ABB133"/>}}

''Camelot 3000'' had lengthy delays between its final issues. Bolland recalled that he and DC "talked quite a bit about how long it would take me to do the series," and because the series was inked by other artists, he started off "churning the pages out with great enthusiasm."<ref name="Art17"/><ref name="Art16">Salisbury, p. 16</ref> As the series continued, however, Bolland became increasingly meticulous, "trying to make the pages look better and better".<ref name="Art17"/> The added details he introduced into his artwork caused significant delays in the final issues of the limited series,<ref name="Back27"/> causing issues #8–11 to be released on a quarterly rather than monthly status, and the final issue to be [[cover date]]d nine months later than the penultimate issue.<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search=Brian+Bolland|title=Brian Bolland}}</ref>

Bolland drew a pinup for ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' No. 400 (Oct. 1984)<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/39168/ ''Superman'' #400] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> and its companion portfolio.<ref>[[Dick Giordano|Giordano, Dick]] "Meanwhile" column, ''Jemm, Son of Saturn'' No. 2 (Oct. 1984) "We have another goodie for you! Also on this year's October schedule is the ''Superman'' No. 400 portfolio&nbsp;... The portfolio will have a full-color painted cover by Howard Chaykin and will contain 15 black-and-white plates by Terry Austin, Brian Bolland, John Byrne, Jack Davis, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Mike Grell, Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Moebius, Jerry Robinson, Bill Sienkiewicz, Walter Simonson, Steranko, and Berni Wrightson. Look for it around June 26th. On good stock, it'll be available for $10.00 in the USA and $16.00 in Canada."</ref> In 1986, Bolland was one of several artists who contributed pages to the anniversary issue ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' No. 400 (Oct. 1986),<ref>Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 221: "Batman celebrated the 400th issue of his self-titled comic with a blockbuster featuring dozens of famous comic book creators and nearly as many infamous villains. Written by Doug Moench, with an introduction by novelist Stephen King...[it was] drawn by George Pérez, Bill Sienkiewicz, Arthur Adams, Joe Kubert, Brian Bolland, and others."</ref> his offering featuring villains [[Ra's al Ghul]] and [[Catwoman]].<ref name="Art18">Salisbury, p. 19</ref> Around this time, Titan Books were trying to launch a line of comics written by [[Alan Moore]], including a ''Batman Meets Judge Dredd'' one-off by Moore and Bolland.<ref name="ABB195">Bolland, "The 1980s – The Killing Joke" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 195–197</ref>

After watching the 1928 film ''[[The Man Who Laughs (1928 film)|The Man Who Laughs]]'', which features a character named Gwynplaine (played by [[Conrad Veidt]]) whose [[rictus grin]] inspired the visual design of the Joker,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/batman-the-killing-joke-movie-comic-trivia-facts/|publisher=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|author=Mithaiwala, Mansoor|title=15 Things You Need To Know About Batman: The Killing Joke|date=July 19, 2016|access-date=August 21, 2022|archivedate=July 20, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720180433/https://screenrant.com/batman-the-killing-joke-movie-comic-trivia-facts/}}</ref> Bolland conceived of the 1988 graphic novel ''[[Batman: The Killing Joke]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brooker|first=Will|date=18 September 2001|title=Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon|___location=London, England|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|pages=268–272|isbn=978-0826413437}}</ref> The book was written by [[Alan Moore]] to great critical acclaim, winning the [[Eisner Award]] for Best Graphic Album, and has been regarded as one of the all-time best Joker stories,<ref>{{cite web|first=Hilary|last=Goldstein|url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/618/618658p1.html|title=''Batman: The Killing Joke'' Review|website=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[j2 Global]]|___location=San Francisco, California|date=May 24, 2005}}</ref><ref>Goldstein, Hilary (June 13, 2005). [http://comics.ign.com/articles/624/624619p1.html "The 25 Greatest Batman Graphic Novels"]. [[IGN]].</ref> and one of the greatest Batman graphic novels ever.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.popsyndicate.com/site/story/batman_the_killing_joke_deluxe_20th_anniversary_edition/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404022717/http://www.popsyndicate.com/site/story/batman_the_killing_joke_deluxe_20th_anniversary_edition/ |archive-date=April 4, 2008 |title=Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe 20th Anniversary Edition |author=James Donnelly |publisher=Pop Syndicate |date=March 21, 2008}}</ref> It would also prove to be highly influential on future Batman and Joker stories,<ref>{{cite book|last = Greenberger|first = Robert|author-link = Robert Greenberger|last2 = Manning| first2 = Matthew K.|title = The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave|publisher = [[Running Press]]|year = 2009|___location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|isbn = 978-0-7624-3663-7|page= 38 |quote = Offering keen insight into both the minds of the Joker and Batman, this special is considered by most Batman fans to be the definitive Joker story of all time.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1last=Manning|first1first= Matthew K.|last2editor-last=Dolan|first2editor-first=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1980s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 233 |quote = Crafted with meticulous detail and brilliantly expressive art, ''Batman: The Killing Joke'' was one of the most powerful and disturbing stories in the history of Gotham City.}}</ref> though it has also been met with criticism for the violence inflicted on the character [[Barbara Gordon]].<ref>{{citation|author=Brian Cronin|title=Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed|publisher=Penguin|year=2009|page=47|isbn=9780452295322}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Sharon Packer|title=Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|page=201|isbn=9780313355363}}</ref><ref>{{citation|author=Jeffrey A. Brown|title=Dangerous Curves: Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|year=2011|page=175|isbn=9781604737141}}</ref>

Speaking circa 2000, Bolland said that since ''The Killing Joke'' he has only drawn comics that he also wrote.<ref name="Art18"/> Six years later he clarified that

Line 88 ⟶ 87:

In 1996, Bolland wrote and drew the story "An Innocent Guy" for the anthology ''[[Batman: Black and White]]'', in which an otherwise normal inhabitant of [[Gotham City]] documents his plan to carry out the ultimate [[perfect crime]] and assassinate the Dark Knight Detective. Drawing inspiration from a cover by [[Alex Toth]], and intended as an homage to the [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] ''Batman'', Bolland wrote in 2006 that "If anyone were to ask me what is the thing I've done in my career that I'm most pleased with, it would be this."<ref name="ABB254">Bolland, "The 1990s – An Innocent Man" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 254</ref>

Approached by Batman-editor [[Mark Chiarello]], Bolland was asked whether he would like to draw Batman covers for a new title, ''[[Batman: Gotham Knights]]''. JumpingExcited atby the chanceopportunity, he remarks that "there was a misunderstanding" resultingresulted in his being unaware of the first issue being scheduled, resulting in "the superb [[Dave Johnson (comics)|Dave Johnson]]" drawing No. 1 instead, and Bolland joining at issue No. 2. Bolland's first two covers were coloured by editor Chiarello, but from issue No. 5 to No. 47 (his last) they were coloured by the artist himself. As his run progressed, "the job of getting a cover on ''Gotham Knights'' passed from Mark to a number of other people," and Bolland "found more and more of [his] first ideas for covers being turned down." Eventually, Bolland was "told [that he'd] be off the book in a few issues time," but after discovering that upcoming covers featured [[Bane (comics)|Bane]] prominently (and not the Joker or Penguin as he had been hoping for some time), Bolland "said I'd go right away."<ref name="ABB266">Bolland, "The New Millennium – Batman Gotham Knights" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 266</ref>

===Covers===

Although his forays into interior artwork are almost universally acclaimed, Bolland is now far more commonly seen as 'just' a cover artist – although he notes that he has never decided to actually "pursue covers exclusively," having merely "branched off a little bit" from strip work.<ref name="Art18"/> He admits that he works slowly, and consequently finds covers easier to supply than whole story artwork. He also noted simply that he began to "concentrate on covers... really just because they were the jobs that I was offered." He adds that for artists like him, "it's common knowledge they're going to say no" to strip work, "so editors get them to do pin-ups instead."<ref name="Art20"/>

Bolland has contributed covers – in many cases to complete runs/arcs – to some of the more famous landmark comics of recent years since the 1990s, with his photo-realistic work leaving an indelible impression on the titles for which he works, as the primary external reference image. His iconic covers are in high demand, although his work predominantly appears on titles published by [[DC Comics]].<ref name="ABB230-231">Bolland, "The 1990's" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', pp. 230–231</ref>

Bolland now draws on a computer, eschewing pencil and paper. He cites the influence of [[Dave Gibbons]], who "had got into computers himself, and... was really enthusing about them."<ref name="Art24"/> Noting also that some colorists were increasingly using computer effects "seemingly arbitrarily," he decided "that if I didn't take control of the colouring process myself... [those effects] would eventually transform the covers into something not my own."<ref name="Art24"/><ref name="Art26">Salisbury, p. 26</ref> Starting in 1997, Bolland "bought all the gear" and spent ten frustrated months learning the ropes and ultimately finding the liberating "infinite ability to change" his now-solely-onscreen artwork. He states categorically that, in his opinion, "[t]here is absolutely no difference between drawing on my [[Wacom tablet]] and drawing on a pad of paper."<ref name="Art26"/> Having fully embraced the technology, Bolland has also produced a number of lessons/tutorials on his official website demonstrating his complex techniques. He states that, while this leap means that he no longer produces any paper-based artwork (a profitable sideline for many artists who sell on their original work to collectors), "the pen and paper are gone for good."<ref name="Art28">Salisbury, p. 28</ref>

Line 106 ⟶ 105:

{{bquote|[y]ou really have to be constantly thinking of ways that the image on the cover will intrigue and lure in the potential punter. It helps to try and imagine your cover is in a whole bank of thirty or more and you need it to stand out.<ref name="Art20"/>}}

Happy coincidence also plays its partCoincidentally, as when a [[time travel]] story arc saw Bolland's work coincide with the plot in such a way that he was able to produce a recreated cover from an alternate angle to shed new light on an initially inconsequential image.<ref name="Art24"/>

====''The Invisibles''====

Line 123 ⟶ 122:

{{bquote|I usually sit at home optimistically hoping that people love me enough to ring me and offer me work. The end result is that most of the time I'm doing what other people want and not what I want. ''Wonder Woman'' was an exception. I happened to mention to [[Tom Peyer]], my editor on ''Animal Man'', that I'd love to draw ''Wonder Woman'' covers... [a]t the time, despite her long history at DC, her iconic appearance, even her [[Wonder Woman (TV series)|cult TV series]], she wasn't a character that A-list artists were lining up to draw. Well, I wasn't an A-list artist, so I was keen to have a crack at her.<ref name="ABB230">Bolland, "The 1990s – Wonder Woman" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 230</ref>}}

Bolland's first cover saw Diana next to the headline: "The ''Stunning'' return of comics' '''greatest''' heroine!" speaking directly to the reader the words "...&nbsp;Miss me?"<ref name="WW63"/> Bolland's covers over the next 30-plus issues laid the visual groundwork for the character, and saw Bolland illustrate up to and including the centennial issue No. 100.<ref>[http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=57479 ''Wonder Woman'' #100 (DC, August 1995)]. Retrieved 23 February 2009.</ref> To prepare for his work, Bolland "clipped pictures of the most beautiful women of the time – [[Christy Turlington]], [[Stephanie Seymour]], etc." saying that he was predominantly interested in their faces ("The body I generally made up"). Interested particularly in drawing the costume, which he feels "has to be one of the sexiest in comics," he soon found the character removed from her normal costume in the storyline, "defeating, for me, the whole point."<ref name="ABB230"/> For her return to her famous costume, Bolland produced the Britannia-esque pose from ''Wonder Woman'' #72 (Mar 1993).<ref>[http://comics.org/details.lasso?id=52672 ''Wonder Woman'' #72 (DC, March 1993)]. Accessed 13 May 2009</ref> He says that "[i]mages like that... usually arise when you're completely stuck for an idea." The image was so iconic that it was released as a poster and later turned into a statue. Shortly thereafter, Diana underwent another costume change – this time designed by Bolland, and mostly drawn on the interior pages by [[Mike Deodato]]. The black costume was roundly disliked, even by its designer, Bolland, who philosophically says only that "it was what was asked for at the time," and – aside from ''Camelot 3000'' – is "the only occasion" he was asked to design a costume.<ref name="ABB230"/> The new costume – black [[hotpants]], halter top, straight hair (which Bolland ''did'' like) and "WW"-emblazoned jacket – was based, Bolland thinks, "on a [[Versace]] outfit I saw [[Cindy Crawford]] wearing in an issue of ''[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]''."<ref name="ABB233">Bolland, "The 1990s – The New Costume" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 233</ref>

====Other cover work====

Line 158 ⟶ 157:

==Personal life==

Bolland married his girlfriend, illustrator and sometime-collaborator Rachel Birkett in 1981.<ref name="ABB179">Bolland, "The 1980s – Munden's Bar" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 179</ref> She later gave up illustration "to become a cook in a vegetarian restaurant",<ref name="ABB219">Bolland, "The 1990s – Happy Birthday!" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 219</ref> although she has since assisted her husband with his work, acting as colourist, inker, co-artist and ghost. The two have a son, Harry.<ref name="ABB145"/>

==Awards==

===Wins===

Bolland and his work have received considerable recognition in both the British and American comics industry. He was awarded the "Best Newcomer" award by the [[Society of Strip Illustration]] in 1977 (the SSI "was formed in . . . 1977," making this one of their first awards).<ref name="ABB81">Bolland, "The 1970s – SSI Illustration" in ''The Art of Brian Bolland'', p. 81</ref>

In 1982, he received an [[Inkpot Award]],<ref>[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]</ref> and the following year, he was named "Favourite Artist" in the British section of the [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Awards]].{{fact|date=April 2022}}