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Simon Davis (comics)
Encyclopedia
Simon Davis a British
comics artist
best known for his fully painted art work on Sinister Dexter
, Black Siddha
and Stone Island. However, he is also a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
and has produced prize-winning fine art
.
, Warwickshire
, Davis attended Alcester Grammar School
, before gaining a "Diploma in Technical illustration" from Mid-Warwickshire College
, Leamington Spa
in 1986. He subsequently studied illustration and graphic design
at Swindon College of Art
and after graduating in 1988, he worked as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator of books and magazines for the next five years before moving into comics work in 1993/1994.
Davis lives in Worcestershire
.
strip with writer Gordon Rennie
, and to Sinister Dexter
with Dan Abnett
. He painted the Sinister and Dexter duo's first full-length story, "Gunshark Vacation", described by then-editor David Bishop
as "a big fat hit". He has also been the sole illustrator on a number of recent stories including Black Siddha
and Stone Island. His work has been published around the world, most notably in the UK, US and Germany.
(appointed as an Associate member in 2004, and full member in 2005) and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
(from 2007), exhibiting at a number of British art galleries.
" in 2005, and in October 2006 won "the Coley Tilley Prize for a portrait painting 'The RSC Wig Mistress'." In 2008 he won second place in the BP Portrait Award for his painting of Amanda Smith.
ing music video
s by Muse
and Tori Amos
and TV adverts
for Barclaycard
, Levi's and the BBC
, for whom he has also provided "illustrations for the BBC "Cult" Website."
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...
comics artist
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...
best known for his fully painted art work on Sinister Dexter
Sinister Dexter
Sinister Dexter is a long-running comic series in British comics anthology 2000 AD, created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate.Set in the near future, it features the exploits of gun sharks Finnigan "Finny" Sinister and Ramone "Ray" Dexter in the city of Downlode, sprawled across Central Europe...
, Black Siddha
Black Siddha
Black Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight, Mardaka Black Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight,...
and Stone Island. However, he is also a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England. it is both a registered charity. and a registered company The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an...
and has produced prize-winning fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
.
Biography
Born in 1968 in Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, Davis attended Alcester Grammar School
Alcester Grammar School
Alcester Grammar School is a selective entry state grammar school in England situated in Alcester, Warwickshire.-Admissions:The school is recognised as one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, getting consistently very high GCSE results...
, before gaining a "Diploma in Technical illustration" from Mid-Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
, Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
in 1986. He subsequently studied illustration and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
at Swindon College of Art
Swindon College
Swindon College is a further education college in Swindon, England. Its campus is at North Star, just outside the town centre. The college has HNC/Ds and Foundation Degrees, through to BA courses and a postgraduate programme....
and after graduating in 1988, he worked as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator of books and magazines for the next five years before moving into comics work in 1993/1994.
Davis lives in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
.
Comics
Since starting in comics that time, Davis has largely worked for the UK anthology 2000 AD. For that publication, he has been a major contributor to the Missionary ManMissionary Man (comics)
Missionary Man debuted in the Judge Dredd Megazine in May 1993 with the introductory 7-page story "Salvation At The Last Chance Saloon" illustrated by Frank Quitely. It established that tall Preacher Cain rides the Cursed Earth performing "special sermons" in the radiation-poisoned towns, tutoring...
strip with writer Gordon Rennie
Gordon Rennie
Gordon Rennie is a comics writer, responsible for White Trash: Moronic Inferno, as well as several comic strips for 2000 AD and novels for Warhammer Fantasy....
, and to Sinister Dexter
Sinister Dexter
Sinister Dexter is a long-running comic series in British comics anthology 2000 AD, created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate.Set in the near future, it features the exploits of gun sharks Finnigan "Finny" Sinister and Ramone "Ray" Dexter in the city of Downlode, sprawled across Central Europe...
with Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
. He painted the Sinister and Dexter duo's first full-length story, "Gunshark Vacation", described by then-editor David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
as "a big fat hit". He has also been the sole illustrator on a number of recent stories including Black Siddha
Black Siddha
Black Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight, Mardaka Black Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight,...
and Stone Island. His work has been published around the world, most notably in the UK, US and Germany.
Portraiture
As a painter of "contemporary figurative paintings" and portraits, mainly in oils, he is a member of both the Royal Birmingham Society of ArtistsRoyal Birmingham Society of Artists
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England. it is both a registered charity. and a registered company The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an...
(appointed as an Associate member in 2004, and full member in 2005) and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a British association of portrait painters which holds an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London...
(from 2007), exhibiting at a number of British art galleries.
Awards
Davis "won the Tanner Charitable Trust Prize in August 2004 with his contemporary painting, 'Sarah and Rosie'," at the RBSA, repeating this win two years later. He won "a prize in the RBSA Open Exhibition for a portrait painting of the BBC Midlands presenter Shefali OzaShefali Oza
Shefali Oza is a news presenter on BBC Birmingham's Midlands Today, the regional news programme broadcast in the Midlands of England...
" in 2005, and in October 2006 won "the Coley Tilley Prize for a portrait painting 'The RSC Wig Mistress'." In 2008 he won second place in the BP Portrait Award for his painting of Amanda Smith.
Other work
Davis also works on storyboardStoryboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
ing music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s by Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
and Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
and TV adverts
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Barclaycard
Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a global payment business. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972....
, Levi's and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, for whom he has also provided "illustrations for the BBC "Cult" Website."
Comics
Comics work includes:- Missionary ManMissionary Man (comics)Missionary Man debuted in the Judge Dredd Megazine in May 1993 with the introductory 7-page story "Salvation At The Last Chance Saloon" illustrated by Frank Quitely. It established that tall Preacher Cain rides the Cursed Earth performing "special sermons" in the radiation-poisoned towns, tutoring...
(with Gordon RennieGordon RennieGordon Rennie is a comics writer, responsible for White Trash: Moronic Inferno, as well as several comic strips for 2000 AD and novels for Warhammer Fantasy....
):- "The Undertaker Cometh" (in Judge Dredd Mega-Special #7, 19941994 in comics-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
) - "Treasure of the Sierra Murder" (in Judge Dredd MegazineJudge Dredd MegazineJudge Dredd: The Megazine is a monthly British comic magazine, launched in October 1990. It is a sister publication to 2000 AD. Its name is a play on words, formed from "magazine" and Dredd's locale Mega-City One.-Content:...
#2.63-2.66, 1994) - "Mississippi Burning" (in Judge Dredd Megazine 3.01-3.03, 1995)
- "The Big Sleazy" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.18-3.20, 1996)
- "Missionary Man: Prologue" (in 2000 AD #1091, 1998)
- "The Promised Land" (in 2000 AD #1183-1185, 2000)
- "The Undertaker Cometh" (in Judge Dredd Mega-Special #7, 1994
- Judge DreddJudge DreddJudge 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...
:- "Compassion Fatigue" (with Robbie MorrisonRobbie MorrisonRobbie 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:...
, in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.08, 1995) - "The TrialThe Doomsday ScenarioThe Doomsday Scenario is the collective name of a series of Judge Dredd comic stories published in 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine in 1999...
" (with John WagnerJohn WagnerJohn Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since.He is best known for his work on...
, in 2000 AD #1148-1150, 1999) - "Survivor Type" (with John SmithJohn Smith (comics)John Smith is a British comics writer best known for his work on 2000 AD and Crisis.Smith's work is characterised by intricate, sometimes obscure plots and an interest in taboos and the occult, told in an elliptic, fractured narrative style reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or the cut-up technique of...
, in 2000 AD #1190, April 2000)
- "Compassion Fatigue" (with Robbie Morrison
- Sinister DexterSinister DexterSinister Dexter is a long-running comic series in British comics anthology 2000 AD, created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate.Set in the near future, it features the exploits of gun sharks Finnigan "Finny" Sinister and Ramone "Ray" Dexter in the city of Downlode, sprawled across Central Europe...
(with Dan AbnettDan AbnettDan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
):- "Wish Upon A Czar" (in 2000 AD #992-993, 1996)
- "Gunshark Vacation" (in 2000 AD #1024-1031, 1997, collected in Gunshark Vacation, tpbTrade paperback (comics)In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
, 128 pages, RebellionRebellion DevelopmentsRebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
, September 2004, ISBN 1-904265-16-2, DC ComicsDC ComicsDC 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...
, October 2004, ISBN 1-4012-0391-4) - "Murder 101" (in 2000 AD #1051-1061, 1997, collected in Murder 101, tpb, 160 pages, Rebellion, January 2005, ISBN 1-904265-26-X , DC Comics, ISBN 1-4012-0575-5)
- "Lyrical Bollards" (in 2000 AD #1086, 1998, collected in Slay Per View, tpb, 240 pages, Rebellion, May 2005, ISBN 1-904265-38-3, DC Comics, June 2005, ISBN 1-4012-0587-9))
- Eurocrash (tpb, 160 pages, Rebellion, March 2009, ISBN 1-905437-93-5) collects:
- "Eurocrash" (in 2000 AD #1127-1139, 1998, collected in )
- "Exit Wounds" (in 2000 AD Prog 2000, 1999)
- "Life Behind Bars" (in 2000 AD #1198-1199, 2000)
- Money Shots (tpb, 192 pages, Rebellion, October 2009, ISBN 1-906735-17-4) collects:
- "Feeding Frenzy" (in 2000 AD #1200-1202, 2000)
- "The Man in the Ion Mask" (in 2000 AD #1223-1226, 2000)
- "The Off-Lode Experience" (in 2000 AD #1312, 2002)
- "Get Shirty" (in 2000 AD Prog 2003, 2002)
- "Junk Bond" (in 2000 AD #1356-1361, 2003)
- "Five Go Postal in Downlode" (in 2000 AD Prog 2004, 2003)
- "Dunce Macabre" (in 2000 AD Prog 2005, 2004)
- "Slow Train to Kal Cutter" (in 2000 AD #1443-1449, 2005)
- "...and Death shall have no dumb minions" (in 2000 AD #1459-1468, 2005)
- "Festive Spirits" (in 2000 AD Prog 2006, 2005)
- "The Last Thing I Do" (in 2000 AD #1528-1533, 2007)
- Outlaw: "Deadliest Man Alive" (with Paul NealPaul NealPaul Neal is a British comics writer. He has worked for Fleetway Publishing on Judge Dredd Megazine and the long running science fiction anthology 2000 AD in the late 1990s. Much of his work was created in collaboration with the artist Marc Wigmore....
, in 2000 AD #1001-1002, 1012–1013, 1996) - 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 Ten: Case Closed?" (with David BishopDavid BishopDavid Bishop is a screenwriter and author. Born in New Zealand, he was a UK comics editor during the 1990s, running such titles as the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD, the latter between 1996 and the summer of 2000....
, in 2000 AD #1032, 1997)
- B.L.A.I.R. 1M.A.C.H. 1M.A.C.H. 1 was a comic strip that ran in the British science fiction comic 2000 AD. The strip was created by writer Pat Mills and illustrator Enio...
:- "B.L.A.I.R. 1" (with David Bishop/Steve MacManusSteve MacManusSteve MacManus is a British comic writer and editor, particularly known for his work at 2000 AD.Born in London and educated in Devon, MacManus joined IPC in 1973, aged 20, as a sub-editor on the boys' weekly comic Valiant, until 1975 when he moved to Battle Picture Weekly under editor David Hunt...
, in 2000 AD #1034, 1997) - "Blair Force One" (with Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #1071-1074, 1997)
- "Criminal Record" (with Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #1084, 1998)
- "He Died with his Boots on" (with Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #1097-1098, 1998)
- "B.L.A.I.R. 1" (with David Bishop/Steve MacManus
- "Unearthed Remains" (with Gordon Rennie, in Inferno!INFERNO!Inferno! was a bi-monthly magazine published from 1997 to 2004 by Games Workshop's publishing division, Black Library, which was initially just the name of the team brought together to work on Inferno!....
#9, 1998) - Downlode TalesSinister DexterSinister Dexter is a long-running comic series in British comics anthology 2000 AD, created by Dan Abnett and David Millgate.Set in the near future, it features the exploits of gun sharks Finnigan "Finny" Sinister and Ramone "Ray" Dexter in the city of Downlode, sprawled across Central Europe...
: "Lock and 'Lode" (with Dan Abnett, in 2000 AD #1161-1168, 1999) - Tales of Telguuth: "The Eternal Bliss of Zebba Horath" (with Steve MooreSteve Moore (comics)Steve Moore is a British comics writer.Moore is credited with showing acclaimed writer Alan Moore , then a struggling cartoonist, how to write comic scripts...
, in 2000 AD #1194, 2000) - JLA: Riddle of the Beast (with Alan Grant, ElseworldsElseworldsElseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
DC ComicsDC ComicsDC 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...
, hardcover, 2001, paperback, 2003)
- Black SiddhaBlack SiddhaBlack Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight, Mardaka Black Siddha is a comic series created by Pat Mills and published in Judge Dredd Megazine.The story revolves around a super-powered Deva knight,...
(with Pat MillsPat MillsPat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
):- "Bad Karma" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #202-208, 2003)
- "Kali Yuga" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #218-223, 2004)
- "Return of the Jester" (in Judge Dredd Megazine #245-252, 2006)
- Stone Island (with Ian EdgintonIan EdgintonIan Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, tpb, 112 pages, February 2008, ISBN 1-905437-57-9) collects:- "Stone Island" (in 2000 AD #1500-1507, 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...
) - "The Harrowers" (in 2000 AD #1550-1559, 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....
)
- "Stone Island" (in 2000 AD #1500-1507, 2006
- Ampney Crucis Investigates (with Ian Edginton):
- "Vile Bodies" (in 2000 AD #1611-1616, 2008)
- "The End of the Pier Show" (in 2000 AD Prog 2010 and #1666-1671, 2009–2010)
- "The List of Ten" (in 2000 AD Prog 2011 and #1715-present, 2010–2011)
- Damnation Station (with Al EwingAl EwingAl Ewing is a British comics writer who has mainly worked in the small press and for 2000 AD.-Biography:Al Ewing began his career writing stories in the five-page Future Shocks format for 2000AD...
):- "To The Dark & Empty Skies" (in 2000 AD #1677-1680, 2010)
- "A Bone to be Chewed" (in 2000 AD #1686-1687, 2010)
- "Even Heroes Fail" (in 2000 AD #1690-1692, 2011)
Covers
Cover work includes:- The CrowThe CrowThe Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
#7-10 (Image ComicsImage ComicsImage 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...
, 1999) - Cy-GorCy-GorCy-Gor is a fictional character from the comic book Spawn and featured in his own 6 part mini-series Cy-Gor. He is a part-man, part-gorilla meshed together with cybernetics to create a dangerous killing machine...
#3-6 (Image ComicsImage ComicsImage 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...
, 1999) - 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...
: The Dark Ages #11, 15 (Image ComicsImage ComicsImage 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...
, 2000)
External links
- Q+A with Simon Davis at 2000 AD Review, November 14, 2002