Paul Grist
Encyclopedia
Paul Grist is a British
comic book creator
, noted for his hard-boiled police
series Kane
and his unorthodox superhero
series Jack Staff
.
, England
. His first work was published in the 1980s by DC Thomson
and Fleetway
. His early work also includes St. Swithin's Day
(written by Grant Morrison
and published by Trident Comics
), Grendel
: Devil in Our Midst (written by Steven T. Seagle
and published by Dark Horse Comics
), and a Judge Dredd
adventure, Kinky Boots authored by Robbie Morrison
.
He later founded his own publishing company, Dancing Elephant Press, under which Kane and Jack Staff were first published, but both titles later moved to Image Comics
. He also published Burglar Bill under the Dancing Elephant umbrella (though it had partly appeared in an earlier form published by Trident Comics).
Grist's art is notable for its spare - sometimes stiff - style, heavy use of shadow, and inventive layouts. His writing is marked by a penchant for sudden cuts between events occurring in different time periods, without the gradual transitions common to the comic book medium. Following the structure of Grist's stories can be a challenge, but he provides subtle visual clues to aid the alert reader.
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...
comic book creator
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
, noted for his hard-boiled police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
series Kane
Kane (comics)
Kane is a comic book series created, written and drawn by Paul Grist. Grist also self published it through his company, Dancing Elephant Press. It concerns a police detective who works in the 39th precinct of the fictional American city of New Eden, which seems to be located on the west coast...
and his unorthodox superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
series Jack Staff
Jack Staff
Jack Staff is a British superhero created by comic book writer/artist Paul Grist. Billed as "Britain's Greatest Hero", it is known for being in the style of an anthology title and for its multi-linear plotlines....
.
Biography
Grist was born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, 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...
. His first work was published in the 1980s by DC Thomson
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd
D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd, is a publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland, best known for producing The Dundee Courier, The Evening Telegraph, The Sunday Post, Oor Wullie, The Broons, The Beano, The Dandy and Commando comics...
and Fleetway
Fleetway
Fleetway, also known as Fleetway Publications and Fleetway Editions, was a UK publishing company which mainly produced comic magazines. For a time owned by IPC Media, they are now a division of Egmont Publishing....
. His early work also includes St. Swithin's Day
St. Swithin's Day (comics)
St. Swithin's Day is a story written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Paul Grist in 1989 for Trident Comics.The story is said by Morrison to be based upon his diaries and is also said to be partly autobiographical.-Publication history:...
(written by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
and published by Trident Comics
Trident Comics
Trident Comics was a comic book publishing company based in Leicester, UK, specializing in black and white comics created by new British talent...
), Grendel
Grendel (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...
: Devil in Our Midst (written by Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle
Steven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation, industries....
and published by Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark 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...
), and a 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...
adventure, Kinky Boots authored by Robbie Morrison
Robbie Morrison
Robbie Morrison is a British comics writer most known for his work in 2000 AD and as the co-creator of popular character Nikolai Dante .-Biography:...
.
He later founded his own publishing company, Dancing Elephant Press, under which Kane and Jack Staff were first published, but both titles later moved to Image Comics
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...
. He also published Burglar Bill under the Dancing Elephant umbrella (though it had partly appeared in an earlier form published by Trident Comics).
Grist's art is notable for its spare - sometimes stiff - style, heavy use of shadow, and inventive layouts. His writing is marked by a penchant for sudden cuts between events occurring in different time periods, without the gradual transitions common to the comic book medium. Following the structure of Grist's stories can be a challenge, but he provides subtle visual clues to aid the alert reader.