Geof Darrow
Encyclopedia
Geofrey "Geof" Darrow is a comic artist known for his work on books such as Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
, which was adapted into an animated TV series of the same name
.
cartoon studios after studying at the American Academy of Arts in Chicago. In the early 1980s he worked in character design for the Super Friends
, Richie Rich
, and Pac-Man
television series.
In 1982, he met French
comic book
writer and artist Moebius
who was working on the film Tron
. Two years later, the two collaborated on a portfolio of prints named La Cité Feu, later reprinted for the English speaking market as City of Fire.
Geof has stated in interviews that he considers Hergé, Jack Kirby (who he worked with at Hanna Barbera), Tezuka Osamu and Jean Giraud (Moebius) as his artistic influences.
In 1986, Geof produced "Comics and Stories", a collection of stories starring his own character Bourbon Thret, for French publisher Editions Aedena. It contains several pin ups colored by Moebius, Tanino Liberatore and Francois Boucq.
which led to a friendship and eventually two collaborations. In 1990, Darrow and Miller collaborated on the comic book Hard Boiled, a 3-part mini-series, for which they won the 1991 Eisner Award
for Best Writer/Artist. Loosely based on Philip K. Dick
's short story The Electric Ant
, the book is an exploration of the mind and world of its protagonist, Nixon.
Frank Miller also drew Darrow into Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, as Kevin the cannibal.
In 1993 and 1994, Darrow provided art for the role-playing game line Underground, published by Mayfair Games. Inc.
Darrow and Miller worked together again on Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
in 1996, a far more family-oriented work, in which the protagonists save Tokyo
from destruction by a giant lizard. The story was later developed into a 26 episode animated series of the same name
, produced by Columbia TriStar Television
and Dark Horse Entertainment
, which aired from 1999 to 2001.
movies. His visual style is most prominent in the scene of Neo's awakening from his biomechanical sleep. The insect-like machine that attacks Neo is a classic Darrow mechanoid made up of tubes, viewscreens and riveted joints. He has also contributed to both volumes of The Matrix comics, a series of short Matrix-inspired comic stories.
Darrow has also contributed covers to a number of other comics, including Concrete
, Transmetropolitan
and Andrew Vachss
' Cross, as well as illustrating a part of Vachss' Another Chance To Get It Right (1993).
Darrow started writing and illustrating Shaolin Cowboy
in 2005 (published by Burlyman Entertainment
), featuring Darrow's trademark ultra-violence, irony and meticulous level of detail. , seven volumes had been released. Variety reported in April 2009 that the Wachowski brothers and Circle of Confusion were producing an animated feature of Shaolin Cowboy, written and directed by Darrow, and animated by Madhouse
.
Darrow is also the co-creator of the series Doc Frankenstein
, written by the Wachowski Brothers, with art by Steve Skroce, also published by Burlyman Entertainment.
Geof has also written the forward to other artist works, such as The Art of Blade of the Immortal and Art Adams' Creature Features.
Outside of comic books and film, Darrow has also done some artwork for the Magic: The Gathering
trading card series. As well as various trading card line, such as Witchblade, Star Wars, The Shadow and Mike Allred's Madman.
The Wachowski Brothers also brought Darrow in to be the conceptual designer on Speed Racer
.
Darrow serves on the national advisory board of PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children.
At the 2011 Toronto Comic Con and 2011 San Diego Comic Con, Darrow said the Shaolin Cowboy would continue as a three issue series (action packed) in 2012 on Dark Horse Comics. He also said there is going to be a "pulp style" prose novel Written by Andrew Vachss, with spot illustrations by Darrow, also to be released in June 2012.
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics...
, which was adapted into an animated TV series of the same name
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (TV series)
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot was an American animated TV series based on the comic book of the same name by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow.-Overview:...
.
Character design and Moebius collaborations
Darrow was a student at Hanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon studios after studying at the American Academy of Arts in Chicago. In the early 1980s he worked in character design for the Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...
, Richie Rich
Richie Rich (1980 TV series)
Richie Rich is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1984. Based upon Harvey Comics' popular Richie Rich comic book characters, shared time slots with Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Little Rascals, and Pac-Man over its original broadcast...
, and Pac-Man
Pac-Man (TV series)
Pac-Man is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera based on the video game Pac-Man by Namco, which premiered on ABC and ran from 1982 to 1983. During the first airing of the show, the large number of advertisers sponsoring it caused commercial breaks to be double their normal length...
television series.
In 1982, he met French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
writer and artist Moebius
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
who was working on the film Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
. Two years later, the two collaborated on a portfolio of prints named La Cité Feu, later reprinted for the English speaking market as City of Fire.
Geof has stated in interviews that he considers Hergé, Jack Kirby (who he worked with at Hanna Barbera), Tezuka Osamu and Jean Giraud (Moebius) as his artistic influences.
In 1986, Geof produced "Comics and Stories", a collection of stories starring his own character Bourbon Thret, for French publisher Editions Aedena. It contains several pin ups colored by Moebius, Tanino Liberatore and Francois Boucq.
Frank Miller collaborations
Moebius introduced Darrow to Frank MillerFrank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
which led to a friendship and eventually two collaborations. In 1990, Darrow and Miller collaborated on the comic book Hard Boiled, a 3-part mini-series, for which they won the 1991 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...
for Best Writer/Artist. Loosely based on Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
's short story The Electric Ant
The Electric Ant
The Electric Ant is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. First published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine in October 1969....
, the book is an exploration of the mind and world of its protagonist, Nixon.
Frank Miller also drew Darrow into Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, as Kevin the cannibal.
In 1993 and 1994, Darrow provided art for the role-playing game line Underground, published by Mayfair Games. Inc.
Darrow and Miller worked together again on Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics...
in 1996, a far more family-oriented work, in which the protagonists save Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
from destruction by a giant lizard. The story was later developed into a 26 episode animated series of the same name
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (TV series)
The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot was an American animated TV series based on the comic book of the same name by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow.-Overview:...
, produced by Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
and Dark Horse Entertainment
Dark Horse Entertainment
Dark Horse Entertainment is a motion picture and television production arm of American comic book publishing company Dark Horse Comics.They also have a sub-label, Dark Horse Indie.-Productions:*30 Days of Night*B&B*Barb Wire...
, which aired from 1999 to 2001.
The Wachowski Brothers and Shaolin Cowboy
The Wachowski Brothers saw his work on Hard Boiled, and approached Darrow to do some conceptual work for The Matrix. was credited as 'Conceptual Designer' on all three MatrixThe Matrix series
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
movies. His visual style is most prominent in the scene of Neo's awakening from his biomechanical sleep. The insect-like machine that attacks Neo is a classic Darrow mechanoid made up of tubes, viewscreens and riveted joints. He has also contributed to both volumes of The Matrix comics, a series of short Matrix-inspired comic stories.
Darrow has also contributed covers to a number of other comics, including Concrete
Concrete (comics)
Concrete is a comic book series created and written by Paul Chadwick and published by Dark Horse Comics. His first appearance is Dark Horse Presents #1...
, Transmetropolitan
Transmetropolitan
Transmetropolitan is a cyberpunk comic book series written by Warren Ellis with art by Darick Robertson and published by DC Comics. The series was originally part of the short-lived DC Comics imprint Helix, but upon the end of the book's first year the series was moved to the Vertigo imprint as DC...
and Andrew Vachss
Andrew Vachss
Andrew Henry Vachss is an American crime fiction author, child protection consultant, and attorney exclusively representing children and youths...
' Cross, as well as illustrating a part of Vachss' Another Chance To Get It Right (1993).
Darrow started writing and illustrating Shaolin Cowboy
Shaolin Cowboy
Shaolin Cowboy is an American comic book series created, co-written , and drawn by artist Geof Darrow...
in 2005 (published by Burlyman Entertainment
Burlyman Entertainment
BurlyMan Entertainment is a comic book company created by Andy and Larry Wachowski, best known as the writer/director duo behind the Matrix Trilogy.-History:...
), featuring Darrow's trademark ultra-violence, irony and meticulous level of detail. , seven volumes had been released. Variety reported in April 2009 that the Wachowski brothers and Circle of Confusion were producing an animated feature of Shaolin Cowboy, written and directed by Darrow, and animated by Madhouse
Madhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
.
Darrow is also the co-creator of the series Doc Frankenstein
Doc Frankenstein
Doc Frankenstein is an American comic book series created by Geof Darrow and Steve Skroce, written by the Wachowski Brothers , drawn by Steve Skroce, and published by Burlyman Entertainment...
, written by the Wachowski Brothers, with art by Steve Skroce, also published by Burlyman Entertainment.
Geof has also written the forward to other artist works, such as The Art of Blade of the Immortal and Art Adams' Creature Features.
Outside of comic books and film, Darrow has also done some artwork for the Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
trading card series. As well as various trading card line, such as Witchblade, Star Wars, The Shadow and Mike Allred's Madman.
The Wachowski Brothers also brought Darrow in to be the conceptual designer on Speed Racer
Speed Racer (film)
Speed Racer is a 2008 American live action film adaptation of Tatsuo Yoshida's 1960s Japanese anime series of the same name, produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The film is written and directed by the Wachowskis...
.
Darrow serves on the national advisory board of PROTECT: The National Association to Protect Children.
At the 2011 Toronto Comic Con and 2011 San Diego Comic Con, Darrow said the Shaolin Cowboy would continue as a three issue series (action packed) in 2012 on Dark Horse Comics. He also said there is going to be a "pulp style" prose novel Written by Andrew Vachss, with spot illustrations by Darrow, also to be released in June 2012.
Awards
- 1991 Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsNomineeBest Artist
- 1991 Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsWinnerBest Writer/Artist: (with Frank Miller for Hard Boiled - Dark HorseDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
) - 1996 Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsWinnerBest Penciller/Inker: (for Big Guy and Rusty the Boy RobotBig Guy and Rusty the Boy RobotThe Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics...
- Dark HorseDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
/Legend) - 2006 Will Eisner Comic Industry AwardsWinnerBest Writer/Artist: (for Shaolin CowboyShaolin CowboyShaolin Cowboy is an American comic book series created, co-written , and drawn by artist Geof Darrow...
- Burlyman EntertainmentBurlyman EntertainmentBurlyMan Entertainment is a comic book company created by Andy and Larry Wachowski, best known as the writer/director duo behind the Matrix Trilogy.-History:...
)
Television
- Richie Rich (1982) character designer
- Super Friends (1981–1983) character designer
- Pac-Man (1983) character designer
- The Biskitts (1983) character designer
- Super Friends: The Legendary Super Power Show (1984) character designer
- Pink Panther and Sons (1984) character designer
- The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians (1985) character designer
- Garbage Pail Kids (1987) models
- Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot (1999) monster designs
Cinema
- Barb Wire (1996) visual consultant
- The Matrix (1999) conceptual designer
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003) conceptual designer
- The Matrix Revolutions (2003) conceptual designer
- Speed Racer (2008) conceptual designer
- The Spirit (2008) The Spirit butcher diagram
Interior work
- Metal Hurlant #101 (1984) Bourbon Thret: The Parochial Terror, presented in original four page format
- La Cité Feu (1984) with Moebius. Reproduced as City of Fire.
- Heavy Metal: March (1985) Bourbon Thret: The Parochial Terror, a story from the French book, Comics and Stories
- Comics and Stories (1986), originally published in French. Limited edition comes with the "Darrow magazine, 25 pages of "overwhelming testimonies": mostly illustrated private jokes from French comic artists.
- East Meets West (1986) a ten plate portfolio story about the adventures of Bourbon Thret and Clint Eastwood
- Dark Horse Presents #19 (1988): Sead, a 9 page Bourbon Thret story + Cover.
- Strip AIDS U.S.A. (1988): one-page story about aids victims and Ronald Reagan
- The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine (1988): art assist to Dave Stevens
- Cheval Noir #3 (1990): Geof Darrow...The Man
- Cheval Noir #4 (1990): Geof Darrow...The Myth, 1 page "story" about Geof's Career, by Geof.
- Hard Boiled with Frank Miller (1990).
- Big Guy and Rusty the Boy RobotBig Guy and Rusty the Boy RobotThe Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot is a 1995 comic book written by Frank Miller, drawn by Geof Darrow and published by Dark Horse Comics...
(1996) - The Art of the Matrix (2000): contains conceptual designs and story boards created by Darrow for use in the films, as well as his commentary on creating them.
- Hard Looks TPB (2002) Stories Half Breed and Head Case
- Matrix Comics TPB #1 (2003): Bits & Pieces of Information
- Another Chance To Get It Right TPB (2005): 18-page story
- Shaolin CowboyShaolin CowboyShaolin Cowboy is an American comic book series created, co-written , and drawn by artist Geof Darrow...
(2005) - Geof Darrow Sketchbook (2010) limited run by square1 press
- Dark Horse Presents #9 (2012) Andrew Vachss prose story
Covers
- Pilote & Charlie #27 (1988)
- Dark Horse Presents #19 (1988)
- Daredevil and the Punisher: Child's Play TPB (1988)
- Cheval Noir #2 (1989)
- Comic's Greatest World: King Tiger (1993)
- Ray Winninger's Underground (1993)
- Ammo Armageddon (1993)
- Showcase '94 #11 (1994)
- Dark Horse Presents #100 cover 3 (1995)
- Andrew Vachss' Cross #0-6 (1995)
- Concrete: Think Like a Mountain #1-6 (1996)
- Oblivion #3 (1996)
- Warrior of Waverly Street #1-2 (1996)
- Here the Big People Come #1 variant (1997)
- Transmetropolitan #1-3,22-24 (1997),(1999)
- Dark Horse Presents #135 (1998)
- Shattered Europe (PSI Order Asculapian & Europe Sourcebook) (1998)
- RODEO n°582 (2000) - included in square1 sketchbook
- Tin Can Man #1 variant (2000)
- Hard Looks: Adapted Stories TPB (2002)
- Another Chance to Get It Right TPB (2003)
- Matrix Comics TPB #1 (2003)
- Doc Frankenstein #1 2nd Print (2004)
- Last Christmas #1 (2006)
- The War That Time Forgot #11 (2009)
- Daredevil #500 variant (2009)
- Fantastic Four #579 variant (2010)
- Marvel Zombies 5 #4 (2010)
- Fallout: All Roads HC -Original graphic novel included in the collector's edition of the video game Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
- G.I. Combat #1 (2010)
- First Wave #4 variant (2010)
- Conan the Cimmerian #25 (2010)
- Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #1 (2011)
- Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #4 (2011)
- Jurassic Park: Dangerous Games #1 (2011)
- Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #5 (2011)
- Dark Horse Presents #4 variant (2011)
- Wolverine #300 variant (2012)
Pin-ups
- L'Univers de Gir (1986) - included in square1 sketchbook
- Godzilla Portfolio one plate, reprinted in Comics and Stories (1988)
- Cheval Noir #9 (1990)
- Superman Special (1992)
- Spawn #11 (1993)
- Ash #3 (1994)
- The Shadow: In The Coils Of Leviathan TPB (1994)
- Death Gallery #1 (1994)
- Dream Team #1 (1995)
- Shi: Senryaku #1 (1995)
- The Vertigo Gallery: Dreams & Nightmares (1995)
- Hellboy: Christmas Special (1997)
- Bart Simpson's Treehouse Of Horror #4 (1998)
- Hell and Back, A Sin City Love Story #3 (1999)
- Fall of Stardust Portfolio one plate (1999) - included in square1 sketchbook
- Madman Picture Exhibition #3 (2002)
- Art of Usagi Yojimbo TPB (2006)
- Halo Graphic Novel (2006)
- Mouse Guard Winter: 1152 #1 (2007) - included in square1 sketchbook
- Daredevil #500 (2009)
- The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis (2010)
- Rocketeer Adventures #2 (2011)
- Monsters & Dames (2011) - art book exclusive to Emerald City Comic Con
- Dark Horse Presents #1-5 (2011)
Music album covers
- The Gas Giants - From Beyond The Back Burner
- Dynamite Ham - I Believe In You
External links
- Burlyman Entertainment, publishers of Shaolin Cowboy and the Matrix comics
- Unofficial fan site