Shawn McManus
Encyclopedia
Shawn McManus is an American
artist
who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics
and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo imprint, including the current Fables
.
field in the early 1980s with work for Heavy Metal
and DC Comics. He gained wider attention when he illustrated two 1980s issues of Swamp Thing
written by Alan Moore
. He received a nomination, with Alan Moore
, for a 1985 Jack Kirby award for "Pog" in Swamp Thing
32. The story, an inventive science fictional reinterpretation of Walt Kelly
's Pogo, was written by Moore specifically for McManus, who rose to the challenge with an appropriate Kellyesque art style.
McManus and Todd Klein
collaborated on Omega Men
, creating Zirral
and other characters for that series. He has also drawn issues Batman
, Doctor Fate
and a pair of limited series
about the witch Thessaly written by Bill Willingham
.
McManus also drew most of A Game of You
for Neil Gaiman
's The Sandman, and his other Sandman credits include The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales, The Sandman Presents: Thessaly, Witch for Hire, The Sandman: Fables & Reflections. Other Vertigo titles by McManus include Winter's Edge 3.
His work on the Tom Strong
series (America's Best Comics) includes Tom Strong's Terrific Tales 2 and Tom Strong 3. His story "Jenny Panic & the Bible of Dreams", scripted by Steve Aylett
, was collected in the hardback Tom Strong Collected Edition, Book Five, edited by Scott Dunbier.
For the June 1983 issue of Heavy Metal he collaborated with Bhob Stewart
and John Coffey on Zenobia. Six months later, McManus and Stewart teamed with Jim McDermott
on "Symbiosis", also in Heavy Metal (December, 1983).
includes Peter Parker Spider-Man Annual '97 (1997) and Daredevil #351. In an interview with Kuljit Mithra, John Rozum
, who scripted that issue of Daredevil, recalled:
McManus has contributed to titles from a variety of other publishers, including Atomeka Press
(A1), Dark Horse
(Cheval Noir), Exhibit A Press (Wolff & Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre
), First Comics
(Grimjack
), Image
(Supreme
), Malibu
(The Man Called A-X) and DC
's Paradox Press (The Big Book of Freaks). He worked on Leah Moore
and John Reppion
's Wild Girl
(Wildstorm
, 2004–2005) with J.H. Williams III, about 13-year-old Rosa Torez who discovers that she can communicate with animals. At least one issue was inked by Andrew Pepoy
, but for some issues McManus did all the penciling and inking. In 2006, for DC, he drew Aquaman
and The Creeper.
. For the TV series Tales from the Crypt
, McManus and Mike Vosburg
illustrated comic book covers designed to look like the original 1950s comics. The McManus Crypt cover is seen in the first episode ("The Man Who Was Death").
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics
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...
and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo imprint, including the current Fables
Fables (comics)
Fables is a comic book series created by writer Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint beginning in 2002. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The...
.
Swamp Thing
McManus entered the comic bookComic 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...
field in the early 1980s with work for Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
and DC Comics. He gained wider attention when he illustrated two 1980s issues of Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
written by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
. He received a nomination, with Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
, for a 1985 Jack Kirby award for "Pog" in Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
32. The story, an inventive science fictional reinterpretation of Walt Kelly
Walt Kelly
Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr. , or Walt Kelly, was an American animator and cartoonist, best known for the comic strip, Pogo. He began his animation career in 1936 at Walt Disney Studios, contributing to Pinocchio and Fantasia. Kelly resigned in 1941 at the age of 28 to work at Post-Hall Syndicate,...
's Pogo, was written by Moore specifically for McManus, who rose to the challenge with an appropriate Kellyesque art style.
McManus and Todd Klein
Todd Klein
Todd Klein is an American comic book letterer, logo designer, and occasional writer, primarily for DC Comics.- Early career:Todd Klein broke into comics in the summer of 1977, hired by DC Comics as a staff production worker...
collaborated on Omega Men
Omega Men
The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
, creating Zirral
Zirral
Zirral is a fictional female DC Comics character created by Todd Klein and Shawn McManus.- History:Zirral was a freedom fighter from the planet Tamaran, and a member of the Omega Men. Her first appearance was in Omega Men #29 in August 1985. It was alluded to that she married to fellow Omega Man,...
and other characters for that series. He has also drawn issues Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
and a pair of limited series
Limited series
A 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....
about the witch Thessaly written by Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Career:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
.
Grains of Sandman
Randy Lander reviewed the debut issue of The Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad:McManus also drew most of A Game of You
The Sandman: A Game of You
A Game of You is the fifth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. Written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, George Pratt, Stan Woch and Dick Giordano, and lettered by Todd Klein....
for Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's The Sandman, and his other Sandman credits include The Sandman Presents: Taller Tales, The Sandman Presents: Thessaly, Witch for Hire, The Sandman: Fables & Reflections. Other Vertigo titles by McManus include Winter's Edge 3.
His work on the Tom Strong
Tom Strong
Tom Strong is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division.-Background:Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero"...
series (America's Best Comics) includes Tom Strong's Terrific Tales 2 and Tom Strong 3. His story "Jenny Panic & the Bible of Dreams", scripted by Steve Aylett
Steve Aylett
Steve Aylett is a satirical science fiction and slipstream author of several bizarro books. He is renowned for his colorful satire attacking the manipulations of authority, and for having reams of amusing epigrams and non-sequiturs only tangentially related to what little linear plot the books...
, was collected in the hardback Tom Strong Collected Edition, Book Five, edited by Scott Dunbier.
For the June 1983 issue of Heavy Metal he collaborated with Bhob Stewart
Bhob Stewart
Bhob Stewart is an American writer, editor, artist and film maker who has written for a variety of publications over a span of five decades. His articles and reviews have appeared in TV Guide, Publishers Weekly and other publications, along with online contributions to Allmovie, the Collecting...
and John Coffey on Zenobia. Six months later, McManus and Stewart teamed with Jim McDermott
Jim McDermott (illustrator)
Jim McDermott is a New Hampshire-based artist who has illustrated for animation, magazines and comic books....
on "Symbiosis", also in Heavy Metal (December, 1983).
DC, Marvel and others
McManus' artwork for Marvel ComicsMarvel 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...
includes Peter Parker Spider-Man Annual '97 (1997) and Daredevil #351. In an interview with Kuljit Mithra, John Rozum
John Rozum
John Rozum is an American writer of comic books who is best known for his work for Milestone Comics, where he wrote Xombi and Kobalt. He has also worked for Topps Comics and Marvel Comics...
, who scripted that issue of Daredevil, recalled:
- I thought Shawn McManus's art was great. I'd like to work with him again sometime, though we didn't really work together here. At the time I wrote it, I had no idea who'd be drawing it. Shawn and I have never even met or spoken with each other. I always write full script though, and unlike some other artists, Shawn actually pays attention to the script. I think his artwork was a nice pairing with the story.
McManus has contributed to titles from a variety of other publishers, including Atomeka Press
Atomeka Press
Atomeka 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:...
(A1), Dark Horse
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...
(Cheval Noir), Exhibit A Press (Wolff & Byrd: Counselors of the Macabre
Supernatural Law
Supernatural Law, previously known as Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre, is a comic strip, comic book and web comic series written and illustrated by Batton Lash...
), First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
(Grimjack
GrimJack
Grimjack is the main character of a comic book originally published by First Comics. John Ostrander and Timothy Truman are credited as co-creators of the character, although Ostrander had been developing Grimjack with artist Lenin Delsol before Truman's arrival on the project...
), 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...
(Supreme
Supreme (comics)
Supreme is a fictional superhero created by Rob Liefeld and first published by Image Comics, then Maximum Press, and later by Awesome Entertainment...
), Malibu
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
(The Man Called A-X) 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...
's Paradox Press (The Big Book of Freaks). He worked on Leah Moore
Leah Moore
Leah Moore is an English comic book writer. She is the daughter of Alan Moore and Phyllis Moore, and is married to John Reppion. She has worked with both Alan and John on the comic Albion. She has also written for other comics and publications including Tom Strong and The End Is Nigh...
and John Reppion
John Reppion
John Mark Reppion is a British writer. He is married to Leah Moore, the daughter of Alan Moore, and he has worked with both on the comic Albion.-Biography:...
's Wild Girl
Wild Girl (comics)
Wild Girl is a six issue comic book limited series published in late 2004 and early 2005 by Wildstorm Productions, an imprint of DC Comics. It was written by Leah Moore and John Reppion, with art by Shawn McManus.-Plot:...
(Wildstorm
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
, 2004–2005) with J.H. Williams III, about 13-year-old Rosa Torez who discovers that she can communicate with animals. At least one issue was inked by Andrew Pepoy
Andrew Pepoy
Andrew Pepoy is an American comic book artist writer and artist.-Early life:Andrew Pepoy was born on May 13, 1969 in Holland, Michigan.-Career:Pepoy began working as a professional artist while still in college at Loyola University Chicago....
, but for some issues McManus did all the penciling and inking. In 2006, for DC, he drew Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
and The Creeper.
Children's art
Writer-illustrator and lecturer Mark McKenna, creator of the Banana Tail children's book series, described his long association with McManus that led to their Banana Tail: The Early Years (2009) color print:- I met Shawn McManus in the DC Comics offices back in late 1985. I was up at DC Comics to meet with an editor or show samples, I forget, the old brain is failing me here. But I do recall Shawn sitting in with the editor who I was about to have a meeting with. At the time, Shawn was drawing Swamp Thing, and I was delighted to see his lively, bouncy and very refreshing art style. Little did I know that within a year we would be an art team along with writer J. M. DeMatteisJ. M. DeMatteisJohn Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...
on DC's Doctor Fate series... We worked together for six months on Doctor Fate until the DC editor moved me to another book. I haven't had any creative contact with Shawn since that time in 1987. We really never spoke during the time we worked together. I was still very new to the business and didn't think to call and collaborate with Shawn to get his sensibilities about direction and vision for the book. No contact with Shawn until a few brief comic con "how ya doing's?", and an eventual reconnect through our mutual art rep, Bob Shaw... Bob had this idea that Shawn should work with me and create some ultra cool Banana Tail painting... Seeing Bob Shaw's excitement, Shawn then saw the potential in Banana Tail.
Television
In 1987, McManus worked on the animated series DinosaucersDinosaucers
Dinosaucers Dinosaucers Dinosaucers (known in Japan as: is an animated television series co-produced in the United States, Canada and Japan. It was created by DIC Entertainment and Madhouse which has done the overseas animation and in association with Ellipse Programmé and Nelvana. This animated...
. For the TV series Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
, McManus and Mike Vosburg
Mike Vosburg
Mike Vosburg is an American comic book artist primarily known for his work on the Tales from the Crypt TV series.-Biography:...
illustrated comic book covers designed to look like the original 1950s comics. The McManus Crypt cover is seen in the first episode ("The Man Who Was Death").