Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.78: Sean Phillips

No.78: Sean Phillips

Phillips started his professional career drawing for UK girl’s comics like Bunty, Judy and Nikki while he was still at school. He was part of the wave of British comic artists in the 1980s who came to prominence thanks to 2000AD, Crisis, New Statesmen and The Judge Dredd Megazine thanks to his graphic lines and dynamic storytelling. Words: Joel Meadows…

His work there got him noticed. So he shifted to working for DC’s Vertigo imprint, inking Michael Lark on Scene Of The Crime. This series was written by Ed Brubaker, a creator he would return to consistently collaborate with extensively later in his career. He drew a long run on Wildstorm’s Wild.C.A.T.S series before returning to team up with Brubaker on Sleeper.

Phillips also drew a long run on Vertigo’s Hellblazer series with writer Paul Jenkins.

The artist drew two successful Marvel Zombies series in 2006 before co-creating noir series Criminal with writer Brubaker at Marvel’s now-defunct Icon imprint. Phillips has continued to collaborate with Brubaker, with the team now settled at Image. Three original graphic novels have been published by Image from the team and the pair have won a multiple number of Eisner awards.

The artist has also been able to leap from company-owned properties to creator-owned characters with consummate ease.

Phillips has also created DVD and Blu Ray covers for companies like Arrow and Criterion and his understanding of the language of cinema has helped him carve a niche in this field as well.

It is Phillips’ cinematic sense of composition and his eye for classic comic page layouts that has made him one of the most in-demand modern comic illustrators. He is also able to jump between traditional painting and digital art creation with seamless skill that puts him near the top of today’s modern comic art practitioners.

JM

Read the first twenty-two entries so far here too

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.79: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.80: Dan DeCarlo

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.81: Marie Severin

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.82: John Paul Leon

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.83: Jim Lee

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.84: Denys Cowan

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.85: Ross Andru

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.86: Paul Gustavson

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.87: George Evans

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.88: Michael Golden

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.89: Matt Baker

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.90: Todd McFarlane

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.91: Fiona Staples

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.92: Carl Barks

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.93: Carmine Infantino

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.94: Alan Davis

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.95: CC Beck

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.96: Syd Shores

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.97: Bob Fujitani

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.98: Tim Sale

Tripwire’s 101 Greatest Comic Artists Of All Time: No.99: Jim Aparo

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