Nick Abadzis
Encyclopedia
Nick Abadzis is a British cartoonist
, comic book
writer, and graphic novelist. He currently lives in New York
, having moved from his previous home in London
in 2010.
Of Greek and British parentage and raised in Sweden
, England
and Switzerland
, Abadzis is British by nationality.
UK publishing branch where he was, at that time, the youngest-ever editor.
Abadzis went freelance in 1988 when his career as a cartoonist took off in the pages of legendary UK comics and music magazine Deadline
. Here he created two of his best-known characters, Hugo Tate, a stick-man
lost in a figuratively drawn world, and the shapeshifting
Mr. Pleebus, who later starred in his own series of children’s books. His series Hugo Tate ran in Deadline magazine from 1988 to 1994. Some of this series was collected as Hugo Tate: O, America in 1993, which won in 1994 a UK Comic Art Award for best graphic novel.
As a part of the British Invasion of American comics, he wrote Children of the Voyager for Marvel
in 1993
and Millennium Fever in 1995
for Vertigo.
His graphic novel, Laika
, about the eponymous dog
, the first living creature from Earth
to enter orbit
, was published in 2007
. Laika was well-received, with the New York Press
remarking that "the British comics creator has fashioned a poignant and accurate portrait of the lives Laika touched in the three years leading up to Sputnik 2's
launch. His characters —including the dog— are as real as the story he’s telling: animated with complex personalities, flaws, humor and emotion." Laika won an Eisner award in 2008 for Best Teen graphic novel and a further nomination for Best Reality-based Work. In the same year it was nominated for a Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album. In 2009, the book won ‘Meilleur Scénario (best story) - Festival du livre aéronautique at Le Borget Book Festival in France and at the Napoli Comicon Awards, Italy for Best Foreign Graphic Novel.
Abadzis also worked as a newspaper cartoonist on The Sunday Correspondent (now defunct), and as a freelance illustrator and comics writer and as a development and consultant editor on a range of best-selling children’s magazines for various British publishers. He has also moonlighted as a TV writer for the children’s animated show, Bob the Builder
. He has created Cora's Breakfast for The DFC
, and it has run in the comic section of the weekend Guardian
. The Trial of the Sober Dog, a graphic novella, was serialized in The Times
over a six-month period in 2008.
Beginning in May of 2010, Abadzis' one-off comics have been published weekly in Nib-Lit
Comics journal.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, 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 graphic novelist. He currently lives in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, having moved from his previous home in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2010.
Early life
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Abadzis is British by nationality.
Career
In 1987, he secured a job at Marvel Comics’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...
UK publishing branch where he was, at that time, the youngest-ever editor.
Abadzis went freelance in 1988 when his career as a cartoonist took off in the pages of legendary UK comics and music magazine Deadline
Deadline magazine
Deadline was a British comic magazine published between 1988 and 1995.Created by 2000 AD stalwarts Brett Ewins and Steve Dillon, Deadline featured a mix of comic strips and written articles targeted at older readers...
. Here he created two of his best-known characters, Hugo Tate, a stick-man
Stick figure
A stick figure is a very simple type of drawing made of lines and dots, often of the human form or other animals. In a stick figure, the head is represented by a circle, sometimes embellished with details such as eyes, mouth or crudely scratched-out hair. The arms, legs and torso are all...
lost in a figuratively drawn world, and the shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
Mr. Pleebus, who later starred in his own series of children’s books. His series Hugo Tate ran in Deadline magazine from 1988 to 1994. Some of this series was collected as Hugo Tate: O, America in 1993, which won in 1994 a UK Comic Art Award for best graphic novel.
As a part of the British Invasion of American comics, he wrote Children of the Voyager for 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...
in 1993
1993 in comics
-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
and Millennium Fever in 1995
1995 in comics
-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
for Vertigo.
His graphic novel, Laika
Laika (comic)
Laika is a graphic novel by Nick Abadzis that gives a fictionalized account of the life and death of the eponymous dog, the first living creature launched into outer space....
, about the eponymous dog
Laika
Laika was a Soviet space dog that became the first animal to orbit the Earth – as well as the first animal to die in orbit.As little was known about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, there...
, the first living creature from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
to enter orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
, was published in 2007
2007 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....
. Laika was well-received, with the New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
remarking that "the British comics creator has fashioned a poignant and accurate portrait of the lives Laika touched in the three years leading up to Sputnik 2's
Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2 , or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 ), was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and the first to carry a living animal, a dog named Laika. Sputnik 2 was a 4-meter high cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 meters...
launch. His characters —including the dog— are as real as the story he’s telling: animated with complex personalities, flaws, humor and emotion." Laika won an Eisner award in 2008 for Best Teen graphic novel and a further nomination for Best Reality-based Work. In the same year it was nominated for a Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album. In 2009, the book won ‘Meilleur Scénario (best story) - Festival du livre aéronautique at Le Borget Book Festival in France and at the Napoli Comicon Awards, Italy for Best Foreign Graphic Novel.
Abadzis also worked as a newspaper cartoonist on The Sunday Correspondent (now defunct), and as a freelance illustrator and comics writer and as a development and consultant editor on a range of best-selling children’s magazines for various British publishers. He has also moonlighted as a TV writer for the children’s animated show, Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
. He has created Cora's Breakfast for The DFC
The DFC
The DFC was a weekly British children's anthology comic, published by David Fickling Books . The first issue was published at the end of May 2008...
, and it has run in the comic section of the weekend Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
. The Trial of the Sober Dog, a graphic novella, was serialized in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
over a six-month period in 2008.
Beginning in May of 2010, Abadzis' one-off comics have been published weekly in Nib-Lit
Nib-Lit
Nib-Lit is a weekly comics journal edited by Mykl Sivak and published both independently in an electronic format as well as running as a two-page section in Southern News, the student newspaper of Southern Connecticut State University. The journal features original and syndicated strips by a wide...
Comics journal.
Revolver
- Revolver Horror Special, 1989
- The Head (script, with art by Edmund Perryman)
Hugo Tate
- Hugo Tate: O, America (TundraTundra PublishingTundra Publishing was a Northampton, Massachusetts-based comic book publisher founded by Kevin Eastman in 1990.-Overview:Tundra was meant to provide a venue for high-quality work by talented cartoonists and illustrators. Its publications were noted in the trade for their high production values,...
/AtomekaAtomeka PressAtomeka Press was a British publisher of comic books set up in 1988 by Dave Elliott and Garry Leach. Atomeka ceased publishing in 1997 and was then revived in 2004, but its future seems uncertain, as it has not published any new material since 2005.-History:...
, 1993)
Marvel
- Children of the Voyager (script, with art by Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson (artist)Paul Johnson is a British comic book artist.-Biography:Paul Johnson orbited the peripheries of the British comic book industry in the early Eighties, self-publishing and appearing in influential but short-lived publications such as Psst! and Escape Magazine...
, four-issue mini-seriesLimited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, MarvelMarvel ComicsMarvel 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...
, 19931993 in comics-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
)
DC
- The Big Book of Death: "Six Feet Under" (script and art, Paradox PressParadox PressParadox Press was a division of DC Comics formed in 1993 after editor Mark Nevelow departed from Piranha Press. Under the initial editorship of Andrew Helfer and Bronwyn Carlton the imprint was renamed. It is best known for graphic novels like A History of Violence and Road to Perdition...
, 19931993 in comics-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
) - Millennium Fever (script, with art by Duncan FegredoDuncan FegredoDuncan Fegredo is a British comic book artist born in Leicester in 1964.-Career:Fegredo first managed to get into comics after showing his portfolio around UKCAC in 1987 and meeting Dave Thorpe. Together they worked on a strip for a short lived British magazine called Heartbreak Hotel...
, four-issue mini-seriesLimited seriesA limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, Vertigo, 19951995 in comics-January:*After Xavier: The Age of Apocalypse is launched. All X-titles change to different names for the next four months.* Thor marks his 400th appearance in Marvel Comics with issue #482....
)
2000 AD
- Tharg's Terror TalesFuture ShocksFuture Shocks is the name given to a long running series of short strips in the weekly comic 2000 AD in 1977. The name originates in a book titled Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler, published in 1970.-Publishing history:...
(script, with art by Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson (artist)Paul Johnson is a British comic book artist.-Biography:Paul Johnson orbited the peripheries of the British comic book industry in the early Eighties, self-publishing and appearing in influential but short-lived publications such as Psst! and Escape Magazine...
):- "The Operatives" (in 2000 AD Winter Special, 19941994 in comics-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
) - "The Devil you know" (in 2000 AD2000 AD (comic)2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
#936, 1995)
- "The Operatives" (in 2000 AD Winter Special, 1994
- 2000AD Alternity Winter Special: "The Big Fight"
- Rogue TrooperRogue TrooperRogue Trooper is a science fiction strip in the British comic 2000 AD, created by Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons. It follows the adventures of Rogue, a G.I. and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General...
(FridayFriday (comics)Friday is a 2000 AD character. Like Rogue he is a Genetic Infantryman fighting on Nu-Earth although his connections with Rogue were initially unclear. At one point he also teamed up with Venus Bluegenes.-Publication history:...
): "Mind Bombs" (art, with Steve WhiteSteve White (comics)Steve White is a British comic book writer who has mainly worked with 2000 AD.-Biography:White's career in comics began in the 1980s at Marvel UK in London, where he worked in various roles on titles like The Real Ghostbusters, Transformers, Knights of Pendragon and The Sleaze Brothers...
and Edmund Perryman, in 2000 AD #937-939, 1995)
- Vector 13Vector 13Vector 13 is a 2000 AD comic strip which featured the eponymous agency setup to investigate anomalous phenomena and conspiracy theories. It was influenced by The X-Files and other events like the 1995 release of the alien autopsy film...
:- "Case Three: Circle of Evil" (script, with Kevin Cullen, in 2000 AD #953, 1995)
- "Case Eleven: Imaginary Friend" (script, with Paul JohnsonPaul Johnson (artist)Paul Johnson is a British comic book artist.-Biography:Paul Johnson orbited the peripheries of the British comic book industry in the early Eighties, self-publishing and appearing in influential but short-lived publications such as Psst! and Escape Magazine...
, in 2000 AD #998-999, 1996) - "Case 667: Suburban Hell" (art, with Igor GoldkindIgor GoldkindIgor Goldkind was a marketing consultant who worked for a number of publishers, before moving into writing comics. He currently works in semantic web development and web-based marketing.-Biography:...
, in 2000AD Sci-Fi Special 1996) - "Case Two: It's Good to Talk" (script, with Sean PhillipsSean PhillipsSean Phillips is a British comic book artist.He is best known in the American comic book industry for his work on DC Comics' Sleeper, WildC.A.T.s, Batman and Hellblazer.-Career:...
, in 2000 AD #1025, 1997)
- Darkness Visible (script, with art by John RidgwayJohn Ridgway (comic artist)John Ridgway is a British comics artist.-Career:Ridgway began his career initially as a hobby, drawing D.C.Thompson's Commando War Stories alongside professional work as a design engineer...
, in 2000 AD, #975–980, 1996)
The Pleebus Planet Books
- The Amazing Mr Pleebus (script and art, Orchard Books, 1996, reissued by Rising Trout Press, in 2001)
- The Freaky Beastie of Hill Road School (script and art, Orchard Books, 1997, reissued by Rising Trout Press, in 2001)
- The Magic Skateboard (script and art, Orchard Books, 1998, reissued by Rising Trout Press, in 2001)
- Voyage to Planet Voon (script and art, Orchard Books, 1999)
Other
- The Dangerous Planet (script and art, 48-page graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
. Heinemann, now Harcourt Education, 1999) - The Pyramid of Doom (script and art, 48-page graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
. Heinemann, 2000) - The Dog From Outer Space (script and art, Heinemann, 2001, published in the USA by Rigby)
- "The big voice" (script, with Edmund Perryman, in CrisisCrisis (comics)Crisis, in comics, may refer to:* Crisis , a number of stories in the DC Universe, including:**Crisis on Infinite Earths, a twelve-issue limited series that "rebooted" the continuity...
#63, 1991) - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: "The Betrothal of Sontar" (with co-author John TomlinsonJohn Tomlinson (comics)John Tomlinson is a British comic book writer known for his work on various 2000 AD strips.-Biography:Tomlinson worked at Marvel UK in the early 1990s and helped nurture various talents, including Matthew Bingham and John Freeman. He has co-written strips with Nick Abadzis.He was editor of 2000 AD...
, and art by Mike Collins, in Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#365-367, 2006) - Laika (art and script, First Second Publishing, graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, 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....
) - Cora's Breakfast (The DFCThe DFCThe DFC was a weekly British children's anthology comic, published by David Fickling Books . The first issue was published at the end of May 2008...
, 20082008 in comics-January:*January 9: Teen Titans: The Lost Annual, delayed since 2003, is published.*January 23: Hellblazer #240, marking the 20th anniversary of the series, is released.-February:...
-ongoing) - The Trial of the Sober Dog, graphic novella, serialized in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
over a six-month period in 2008.
External links
- Official Website
- Read Yourself Raw: Nick Abadzis
- Blog
- Review of Laika, Silver Bullet Comic Books
Selected interviews
- Talking with Nick Abadzis about Laika, NewsaramaNewsaramaNewsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews and essays about the American comic book industry.-History:Newsarama began in Summer 1995 as a series of Internet forum postings on the Prodigy comic-book message boards by fan Mike Doran. In these short messages. Doran shared...
, September 19, 2007 - Air & Space Magazine
- Comic Book Resources
- Washington Post Express
- BBC’s The World
- Chasing Gray
- The Comics Reporter
- Jazma Online