Ashley Wood
Encyclopedia
Ashley Wood is an Australian comic book artist
and illustrator
who is well known for his cover art, concept design and his work as an art director.
Wood generally works in mixed media
, often combining oil painting
with digital art
making. His style contains elements of Expressionism
.
and international comic book worlds (working on characters such as the British icon Judge Dredd
), before breaking into the U.S. market where he worked for such companies as Marvel
and DC
. Wood later worked for Image
creating graphic novels and cover art for the various Spawn
properties of Todd McFarlane
. More recently, he has been pursuing projects with IDW Publishing
.
Wood has also many forms of entertainment media, having contributed to both movie and TV projects. He has also worked solidly in the field of advertising and is an exhibited fine artist.
Working in conjunction with Konami
Japan and Japanese producer/director Hideo Kojima
to produce Metal Gear Solid comics. Wood assisted in creating one of the world's first digital comics for Sony's PlayStation Portable
platform, the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel. Following this, he also supplied art for the cinema scenes in the 2006 PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
and for the comic book adaptation of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which is receiving the same digital treatment as its predecessor.
Ashley Wood is the creator of the Popbot series of graphic novels which are currently in film production with Resolution Independent. His latest high profile project is illustrating a new series of the cult comic Tank Girl
with writer Alan Martin
and Rufus Dayglo
. He also created the artwork for British rock band Reuben
's third album, In Nothing We Trust
.
In 2004, Ashley Wood and TP Louise formed 7174 PTY LTD., an Australian-based entertainment company.
Operating from Australia on a global scale, 7174 is active in creating entertainment properties for the comic, film, toy, and video game industry among others.
Using an international network of development partners, coupled with the vast experience 7174 has, the company acts as an "umbrella" organisation which allows Ashley to create, own, and distribute his creations through a variety of media outlets.
Already, 7174 has produced the hit comics Popbot and Lore with IDW Publishing, and is currently active in Hollywood.
In 2008, Ashley Wood and ThreeZero's founder Kim created threeA, a Hong Kong based production house for designing, developing and manufacturing toys, posters, prints and clothing based on characters created by Ashley Wood.
and Communications Arts Award winner, and an Eisner Award
nominee. His unique style has spawned many imitators. He currently resides in Perth, Western Australia
with author wife T.P Louise and three children. In 2006 Wood accepted an invitation to join the American Illustrators Society.
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
who is well known for his cover art, concept design and his work as an art director.
Wood generally works in mixed media
Mixed media
Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.There is an important distinction between "mixed-media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct...
, often combining oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
with digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
making. His style contains elements of Expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
.
Career
Wood is an award winning illustrator who worked for many years in both the U.K.United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and international comic book worlds (working on characters such as the British icon Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
), before breaking into the U.S. market where he worked for such companies as Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. Wood later worked for Image
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...
creating graphic novels and cover art for the various Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
properties of Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
. More recently, he has been pursuing projects with IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
.
Wood has also many forms of entertainment media, having contributed to both movie and TV projects. He has also worked solidly in the field of advertising and is an exhibited fine artist.
Working in conjunction with Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
Japan and Japanese producer/director Hideo Kojima
Hideo Kojima
is a Japanese game director originally employed at Konami. He is currently the director of Kojima Productions and was promoted to Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment in early 2011...
to produce Metal Gear Solid comics. Wood assisted in creating one of the world's first digital comics for Sony's PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
platform, the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel. Following this, he also supplied art for the cinema scenes in the 2006 PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
is a stealth game directed by Masahiro Yamamoto and written by Gakuto Mikumo, with series creator Hideo Kojima acting as a producer. Portable Ops was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third Metal Gear title for the PSP and the...
and for the comic book adaptation of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which is receiving the same digital treatment as its predecessor.
Ashley Wood is the creator of the Popbot series of graphic novels which are currently in film production with Resolution Independent. His latest high profile project is illustrating a new series of the cult comic Tank Girl
Tank Girl
Tank Girl is a British comic created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin. Originally drawn by Jamie Hewlett, it has also been drawn by Rufus Dayglo, Ashley Wood, and Mike McMahon.The eponymous character Tank Girl drives a tank, which is also her home...
with writer Alan Martin
Alan Martin (writer)
Alan Martin is a British comics writer best known as author of the comic strip Tank Girl.- Hewlett and Martin :Martin and Hewlett first met in the mid-1980s in Worthing, when Martin was in a band with Philip Bond called the University Smalls...
and Rufus Dayglo
Rufus Dayglo
Rufus Dayglo is a London-based comics artist working for 2000 AD and Titan Books in the United Kingdom, and IDW Publishing and Image Comics in the United States...
. He also created the artwork for British rock band Reuben
Reuben (band)
Reuben were an English three-piece musical group from Camberley, Surrey. Their music was a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004...
's third album, In Nothing We Trust
In Nothing We Trust
In Nothing We Trust is Reuben's third studio album, released on 25 June 2007. It was mastered in February 2007 by Howie Weinberg in New York. The album was recorded, produced and mixed at Livingstone Studios in London and Soul Valley Studios in Wimbledon by Sean Genockey...
.
In 2004, Ashley Wood and TP Louise formed 7174 PTY LTD., an Australian-based entertainment company.
Operating from Australia on a global scale, 7174 is active in creating entertainment properties for the comic, film, toy, and video game industry among others.
Using an international network of development partners, coupled with the vast experience 7174 has, the company acts as an "umbrella" organisation which allows Ashley to create, own, and distribute his creations through a variety of media outlets.
Already, 7174 has produced the hit comics Popbot and Lore with IDW Publishing, and is currently active in Hollywood.
In 2008, Ashley Wood and ThreeZero's founder Kim created threeA, a Hong Kong based production house for designing, developing and manufacturing toys, posters, prints and clothing based on characters created by Ashley Wood.
Awards
Wood is a SpectrumSpectrum Award
The Spectrum Awards are given annually to the best works of contemporary fantastic art. The winners of every year are compiled in a book. The editors are Cathy and Arnie Fenner.-External links:* * , Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America...
and Communications Arts Award winner, and an Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
nominee. His unique style has spawned many imitators. He currently resides in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
with author wife T.P Louise and three children. In 2006 Wood accepted an invitation to join the American Illustrators Society.
- 2002:
- Gold Award for Advertising, Spectrum 2002
- Gold Award for Comics, Spectrum 2002
- Award of Excellence for Illustration, Communication Arts 2002
- 20062006 in comics-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
:- Nominated for "Best Short Story" Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
- Nominated for "Favourite Comics Artist: Fully-Painted Artwork" Eagle Award
- Nominated for "Best Short Story" Eisner Award
- 20072007 in comics-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
:- Nominated for "Award for Favourite Artist: Fully-Painted Artwork" Eagle Award
- Nominated for "Award for Favourite Comics-Related Book" Eagle Award, for Uno Tarino: The Latest Art of Ashley Wood
- 2011:
- Winner "Artist of the Year" Designer Toy Awards 2011
Comics and trade paperbacks
- Zombies Vs Robots
- Zombies vs Robots vs Amazons
- Popbot 1 - 8
- Popbot Reader
- Popbot Collection 1 (Collects Issues 1-3)
- Popbot Collection 2 (Collects Issues 4-6)
- Popbot Complete (Collects Issues 1-7)
- Popbot Big Beautiful Book (Collects Issues 1-8)
- Duo Stars (Issue 1)
- Automatic KafkaAutomatic KafkaAutomatic Kafka is a nine-issue comic book limited series written by Joe Casey with art by Ashley Wood. It was published in 2002 by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint....
(Issues 1 - 9) - Lore
- Metal Gear Solid
- Metal Gear Solid Sons Of Liberty
- D'Airain Aventure (Issues 1, 2)
- Hellspawn
- 30 Days of Night30 Days of Night30 Days of Night is a three-issue horror comic book mini-series written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Ben Templesmith, and published by IDW Publishing in 2002. All three parties co-own the property....
(Original series covers) - SpawnSpawn (comics)Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
- Doomed
- Ghost Rider 2099Ghost Rider 2099Ghost Rider 2099 is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics, under the Marvel 2099 imprint, from 1994 to 1996.The series is set in the year 2099, in a dystopian possible future of the Marvel Universe, and features Kenshiro "Zero" Cochrane, a hacker who was killed but resurrected as...
- Doom 2099Doom 2099Doom is a Marvel Comics anti-hero featured in the Marvel 2099 comic book series Doom 2099. The character is based on Doctor Doom, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
- Tank GirlTank GirlTank Girl is a British comic created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin. Originally drawn by Jamie Hewlett, it has also been drawn by Rufus Dayglo, Ashley Wood, and Mike McMahon.The eponymous character Tank Girl drives a tank, which is also her home...
: The Gifting - Sam and TwitchSam and TwitchSam Burke and Maximilian "Twitch" Williams are two fictional NYPD homicide Detectives, created by Todd McFarlane. Sam and Twitch were originally featured in McFarlane's hit comic series Spawn. Due to their popularity, they were later given their own title in 1999, called Sam and Twitch...
- Silent HillSilent Hill (comics)Silent Hill comics are a series of comic books based on the Silent Hill series.Apart from an unreleased graphic novel and Sinner's Reward, they have all been written by Scott Ciencin, with various artists, and published by IDW Publishing....
- CSICSI (comic book)The CSI comics are comic book tie-ins with the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY television shows. They have been published from 2003 to 2009....
- Dampyr (Covers only)
- Dark Horse Down Under #1-3
- ShadowmanShadowman (comics)Shadowman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by Valiant Comics. The character debuted in Shadowman #1 , and was created by writers Jim Shooter and Steve Englehart, artist David Lapham and inker Bob Layton...
- Shadowplay
- Reptilia (Cover only)
- Transformers: Generations (Variant covers to #1-6)
- 24Seven Vol. 2 (Cover and Pin-Up)
- The Nightmare FactoryThe Nightmare FactoryThe Nightmare Factory is a 2007 comics anthology from Fox Atomic Comics adapting individual short stories by Thomas Ligotti. The second book in the series, The Nightmare Factory – Volume 2, was published in September 2008. It features new short essays by Ligotti.-External links:****, Comic Book...
OGN (Cover only) - Children of the Grave TPB (Cover only)
- The Authority: Scorched Earth (Cover only)
- Uncanny X-MenUncanny X-MenUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#400 (Cover and some interior pages) - Civil Wardrobe
- Kade: Sun of Perdition #4 (Variant cover)
- GrendelGrendel (comics)Grendel is a long-running series of comic books originally created by American author Matt Wagner. First published by Comico, Wagner has now moved his character to Dark Horse. Originally a noir comic in the style of European titles such as Diabolik, it has evolved into, in Wagner's words, a study...
: Red, White and Black - Star Wars Tales #16 (Cover only)
- Event Horizon Vol 1 and 2 Mam Tor PublishingMam Tor PublishingMam Tor Publishing is an English independent comic book publisher founded by Liam Sharp and his wife Christina McCormack. The company's headquarters are in Derby, East Midlands....
(Sheriff 13 short in Vol 1, Closing Pandora short in Vol 2) - Snaked (Covers)
- Miss + Mrs Volume 1
- Adventure Kartel Primer June 2011
- Next Issue ProjectNext Issue ProjectThe Next Issue Project is a series of American comic-book anthology one-shots published by Image Comics beginning in February, 2008. The multi-title project, edited by Erik Larsen, creator of Savage Dragon, features comic book characters that have fallen into the public domain.The premise behind...
: Fantastic ComicsFantastic ComicsFantastic Comics was a comic book superhero anthology title published by Fox Feature Syndicate during the Golden Age of Comic Books. The title is notable for having introduced the characters Banshee, Black Fury , Nagana, Queen of Evil, Samson, and Stardust the Super Wizard.-Publication history:The...
#24
Books
- World War Robot Volume 1 Illustrated
- World War Robot Volume 2
- Complete World War Robot (Collects Volumes 1 & 2)
- Spawn Book Of The Dead
Art books
- Gutsie Gator
- Legger Boot
- Uno Fanta
- Dos Fanta
- Tres Fanta
- Sencilla Fanta (Sketch book)
- Sencilla Finale (Sketch book)
- Grande Fanta (Collects Uno, Dos and Tres Fanta)
- Grande Finale (Collects Uno, Dos and Tres Fanta + 20 extra pages)
- Extreme Finales (Collects Sencilla Fanta, Sencilla Finale and Grande Finale)
- Swallow (Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Sparrow (Books 0, 1, 7, 14)
- 48 Nudes
- 48 More Nudes
- 96 Nudes (Collects 48 Nudes and 48 More Nudes)
- Uno Tarino
- Dos Tarino
- Tre Tarino
- Fat Tarino (Collects Uno, Dos, Tre Tarino)
- Snickety Snick series (3 books) + Big Gibbly Annual 2004 (One book collecting them all.) (sketch books)
- Chunky Bits
- F.I. #1
- Fuck It (Books 1, 2, 3)
- Fuck It Omnipuss (Collects Fuck It 1, 2, 3 Plus Bonus Material)
- Art Of Metal Gear Solid
Toys
- G.I. Joe Comic Packs (Hasbro Toys), Issue Covers #1, #21, #24
- Spawn HSI.011 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- Spawn HSI.005 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- Sam and Twitch STI.022 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- Raven HellSpawn 2 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- HellSpawn I.001 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- Raven Spawn (Todd McFarlane Toys)
- Bearbrick Ashley Wood Bambalad (Medicom)
- WBR Brambleton Hardacre (Hyperchild)
- Popbot Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
- Popbot Exclusive Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
- Lady Sham Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
- Les Mort 13 (how2work)
- WWR Armstrong: Lunar Defense Camo, Shadow Guard, Suicide Club, White Engineer (ThreeA)
- WWRp Armstrong: Suicide Club 0G, Shadow Guard 0G, Lunar Defense Camo 0G, White Engineer 0G, Medic 1G, EMGY 1G, JEA Marine 1G, African defense 1G, (ThreeA)
- WWR Bertie: Desert Rat, Dirty Deeds, ZvR Warbot (ThreeA)
- WWRp Bertie: Daywatch, Deep Powder, Deep Powder With Shotgun, Desert Combat Sandy, Dirty Deeds, DIY, Dutch Merc Zwarte Torens, Hatchery Guard, Kruschev Memorial Guard Sabre MK2, Marine Jea Division, Medic, Nightwatch, Warbot (ThreeA)
- WWR Bramble: Deep Powder, Euro Div, Nightwatch (ThreeA)
- WWRp Bramble: Deep Powder RPG, Desert, DIY, Euro (Blue), Frosty Winter Defense, Grave Digger, IDW Security X, Kruschev Memorial Guard RPG, Marine JEA, Medic, Merc, Phobos Defense, Pink Dazzle (ThreeA)
- WWR Drop Cloth: 3AA EMGY, Daywatch, Desert, DIY, Jungler, Medic Zhivago, Monty, Nightwatch, Peaceday, Slim Red, Snowballer, Uncle 2 (ThreeA)
- WWR Large Martin: Big Red, Daywatch, Desert, Frosty, Iron Panda, Nightwatch (ThreeA)
- WWRp Large Martin: Big Red, Daywatch, Deep Powder, Desert, Frosty, Iron Panda, Marine, Modchip, Nightwatch, Norge Defense (ThreeA)
- WWRp Damn Large Martin: Auspublic Region Def, Big Red, Deep Powder, Desert, DIY, Iron Panda, Martian Dam Buster (ThreeA)
- WWR Squares: Daywatch, Desert, Dirty Deeds, EMGY, Euro, Frosty, Iron Panda, Lunar Camo, Medic, Merc, Nighwatch, Peaceday, Red (ThreeA)
- WWRp Squares: Deep Powder, Dirty Deeds, Dutch Merc, Euro, Frosty, Kruschev Memorial Guard, Marine, Medic, Warbot (ThreeA)
Video games
- Contra: Shattered SoldierContra: Shattered SoldierContra: Shattered Soldier, published in Japan as is a video game that is part of the Contra series by Konami. It was developed by Team Kijirushi, a group of staff members within Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002...
(PlayStation 2, 2002) - cover artwork and promotional illustrations - Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX (Game Boy Advance, 2002) - cover artwork and promotional illustrations
- Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (PlayStation Portable, 2006) - artwork
- Metal Gear Solid: Portable OpsMetal Gear Solid: Portable Opsis a stealth game directed by Masahiro Yamamoto and written by Gakuto Mikumo, with series creator Hideo Kojima acting as a producer. Portable Ops was developed by Kojima Productions and published by Konami in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable. It is the third Metal Gear title for the PSP and the...
(PlayStation Portable, 2006) - artwork - Halo 3Halo 3Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...
(Xbox 360, 2007) - Poster - Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360, 2009) - "Sadie's Story" Artwork
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace WalkerMetal Gear Solid: Peace Walkeris a video game produced by Konami and Kojima Productions that was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010. Peace Walker is the fourth Metal Gear title for the PSP, although it is only the second to be considered part of the series' main canon, following Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops...
(PlayStation Portable, 2010) - guest artist
External links
- Artist's website
- An interview with Ashley Wood