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Biography

Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson (2012)
Born (1949-10-31) 31 October 1949 (age 74)
Christchurch, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealand
Area(s)Artist
Notable works
Rogue Trooper
Blueberry
Judge Dredd
Star Wars: Invasion
Awards2004: Best Story Prix Saint-Michel
Spouse(s)Janet Gale

Colin Wilson (born 31 October 1949) is a New Zealand comic book artist.

He is known for his detailed artwork which he used in 2000 AD stories like Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd. According to Andy Diggle, the 2000 AD editor who got him back to the title in the late nineties and has worked with him since, "no one ... draws near-future military hardware like him".[1]

Wilson has also had success in the French comics (coined "bande dessinées" – BD – in French) field, working on his own title Dans l'Ombre du Soleil, as well as having a run on the well-established Blueberry series. David Bishop, another 2000 AD editor says that Wilson is "a true rarity, a comics artist whose work has been acclaimed in America, Britain and most especially in Europe."[2]

Biography

Born in Christchurch, Wilson received his formal training as an artist at Christchurch School of Art in 1967–1968. Working as an illustrator, he started his own fanzine, Strips, in 1977. Originally meant as a showcase for Wilson's own comics, Strips soon hosted many New Zealand comics and revived the New Zealand comic scene.

In 1980, he first moved to London and did work for 2000 AD, working on Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper before moving with his fiancée and later wife Janet Gale [fr] on a tourist visa to firstly Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1982, subsequently to Brussels, Belgium in 1984, before settling a year later for a longer haul in the Provence, France. In Belgium, Gale started out her own comics career as colorist, at first only for the creations of her future husband, but at a later point in time for other (European) comics artists as well.[3]

After he became noticed for the debut "Raël" outing of his first BD science fiction series Dans L'Ombre du Soleil for French publisher Glénat, Wilson was selected to continue the art for the western series La Jeunesse de Blueberry (Young Blueberry) by its original creators Jean-Michel Charlier and Jean Giraud in person.[4] In 1997, the Wilson/Gale couple left France and relocated to Melbourne, Australia, and it was from there that he continued his work for Europe and 2000 AD, took on new commissions for the US comics market, as well as eventually making his Francophone BD market comeback.

Upon his departure from France to Australia, he drew a long story for Italian western comics character Tex Willer, written by Claudio Nizzi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore in 2000. His later works for the US comics market included Point Blank, written by Ed Brubaker, and Star Wars: Invasion, written by Tom Taylor.[5] The violent and gritty nature of Point Blanc came at a personal cost for Wilson however, as it heralded the end of both his marriage and his two decades old professional partnership with wife and colorist Janet Gale.[6] In 2008, Wilson made a successful comeback on the Francophone BD market when he was contracted by Casterman to provide the art for the mini-series Du Plomb Dans La Tete (written by Matz), and from 2011 onward by publisher Delcourt to do so likewise for several of their series.

On 14 October 2008, Variety reported that his graphic novel Du Plomb Dans La Tete, also known as Headshot, had been acquired by Warner Brothers.[7] It was adapted into the 2012 film Bullet to the Head.

Bibliography

Wilson's Young Blueberry, which marked his breakthrough on the international comic market

Comics

  • The Adventures of Captain Sunshine (with Peter Farrell, Roy Middleton, Reuben Sandler, Helen Cross, Joe Wylie and Jean-luc Bozzoli, 1979)
  • Judge Dredd:
    • "The Body Sharks" (with John Wagner/Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #209–215, 1981)
    • "The Numbers Racket" (with John Wagner/Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #218–219, 1981)
    • "Diary of a Mad Citizen" (with John Wagner/Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #229–230, 1981)
    • "The Sweet Taste of Justice" (with Alan Grant, in 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1981)
    • The Doomsday Scenario:
      • "War Games" (with John Wagner, in 2000 AD #1158–1159, 1999)
      • "Doomsday" (with John Wagner, in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.56–3.57, 1999)
      • "Volt Face" (with John Wagner/Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #1167, 1999)
      • "Short Circuit" (with John Wagner, in Judge Dredd Megazine #3.61, 2000)
      • "The Cal Legacy" (with John Wagner/Alan Grant, in 2000 AD #1178–1179, 2000)
    • "Relentless" (with Robbie Morrison, in 2000 AD #1237–1239, 2001)
    • "Hellbent" (with Robbie Morrion, in 2000 AD #1242, 2001)
    • "Magic Bullets" (with Al Ewing, in Judge Dredd Megazine #280–281, 2009)
  • Tharg's Future Shocks (with Kelvin Gosnell):
    • "Diversion" (in 2000 AD #222, 1981)
    • "Seeing Is Believing" (in 2000 AD #225, 1981)
  • Rogue Trooper (with Gerry Finley-Day):
    • "Ascent to Buzzard-Three" (in 2000 AD #236–238, 1981, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book One", Titan Books, 64 pages, softcover, September 1985, ISBN 0-9076-1040-4)
    • "Blue Moon" (in 2000 AD #241, 1981, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book One")
    • "Fear of the Machine" (in 2000 AD #246–248, 1982, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book Two", Titan Books, 64 pages, softcover, March 1986, ISBN 0-9076-1055-2)
    • "The Buzzard" (in 2000 AD #251–253, 1982, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book Two")
    • "War of Nerves " (in 2000 AD #258, 1982, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book Two")
    • "All Hell on the Dix-I Front" (in 2000 AD #266–271, 275–277, 1982, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book Three", Titan Books, 64 pages, softcover, April 1986, ISBN 0-9076-1057-9)
    • "Marauder" (with co-artist Cam Kennedy, in 2000 AD #282–289, 1982, graphic novel collection "Rogue Trooper, Book Four", Titan Books, 64 pages, softcover, August 1986, ISBN 0-9076-1062-5)
  • Dans l'Ombre du Soleil (Glénat; In English: Into the Shadow of the Sun, Eclipse Books):
    • 1: "Raël" (script and art, January 1984, ISBN 2-7234-0419-6; English: June 1988, ISBN 0-9130-3584-X)
    • 2; "Mantell" (script and art, July 1986, ISBN 2-7234-0647-4)
    • 3: "Alia" (art, with writer Thierry Smolderen, January 1989, ISBN 2-7234-1014-5)
  • La Jeunesse de Blueberry (Young Blueberry) #4–9 (4–6 with Jean-Michel Charlier and 7–9 with François Corteggiani as writers):
Note: Publisher Catalan Communications had advanced plans to release the Wilson Young Blueberry albums in English as well (the first title having already received an ISBN) in their "ComCat" collection, after they had published the first three original ones by series creators Jean Giraud and Jean-Michel Charlier in 1990 (and where the first two Wilson albums were already announced on the back covers), but Catalan's mid-1991 bankruptcy thwarted the intent.
  • 4: "Les démons du Missouri" (Novedi [fr], September 1985, ISBN 2-8039-0026-2 – Missouri Demons, ComCat comics, January 1991, ISBN 0-8741-6109-6; cancelled)
  • 5: "Terreur sur le Kansas" (Novedi, October 1987, ISBN 2-8039-0046-7 – Terror Over Kansas, ComCat comics, 1991, cancelled)
  • 6: "Le raid infernal" (Novedi, March 1990, ISBN 2-8039-0064-5 – The Train from Hell)
  • 7: "La pousuite impitoyable" (Novedi, January 1992, ISBN 2-8039-0073-4 – The Merciless Pursuit)
  • 8: "Trois hommes pour Atlanta" (Alpen Publishers [fr], June 1993, OCLC 413528824, no first printing ISBN issued – The Three Men from Atlanta)
  • 9: "Le prix du sang" (Dargaud, October 1994, ISBN 2-2050-4282-3 – The Price of Blood)
Note: Not only has this mini-series seen an English translation as Bullet to the Head by Dynamite Entertainment with each of the three French originals split into two US comic books, but it had also been the basis for the 2012 Silvester Stallone film of similar title as already above-mentioned. The February 2013 reprint of the French intégrale edition (ISBN 978-2-203-06073-9) sported a new cover featuring the countenance of Stallone on its cover.
  • Issue #1 (June 2010)
  • Issue #2 (July 2010)
  • Issue #3 (August 2010)
  • Issue #4 (September 2010)
  • Issue #5 (October 2010)
  • Issue #6 (November 2010)
    • "Bullet to the Head" (February 2011, ISBN 978-1-60690-197-7 – tpb collection)

With the exception of Los Angeles, all other work Wilson had created for the Francophone BD market, has been released in multiple other languages in Europe as well, beyond French alone. His UK/US work is usually readily available through internet retailers, such as Amazon.

Other

Apart from his work on comics listed above, Colin Wilson has also done a lot of work as an illustrator, doing covers, illustrations and sketches for many different projects. This also includes work on role-playing games like:

  • Mega-City One in Drokk City Prog 2: Mega-City One: Book 2, written by John Caliber, many different co-artists (2005)
  • Mega-City One in Drokk City Prog 3: The Justice Department, written by John Caliber, many different co-artists (2006)
  • Mega-City One in Drokk City Prog 4: Future Crime, written by John Caliber, many different co-artists (2005)

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Diggle: Bringing Bionic Commando to Webcomics, Newsarama, 18 July 2008
  2. ^ Colin Wilson: Genius at work, by David Bishop, 24 July 2006
  3. ^ Ernst, 1987
  4. ^ See the relevant main article sections for particulars on his beginnings in the Francophone BD industry, as well as his semi-forced retirement from it.
  5. ^ NYCC: Colin Wilson Readies the Troops for "Star Wars: Invasion", Comic Book Resources, 7 February 2009
  6. ^ Molcher, 2015
  7. ^ Warner aims for 'Headshot', Variety, 14 October 2008
  8. ^ "Los Angeles (Vandam/Wilson)". bedetheque.com (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Casterman profile for Du plomb dans la tête". Archived from the original on 7 April 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2008.
  10. ^ "Bionic Command comic page". Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2008.; "Bionic Commando Chain of Command". ViewComicOnline.com.
  11. ^ "Jour J". bedetheque.com (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Wonderball". bedetheque.com (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  13. ^ "XIII Mystery 8: Martha Shoebridge". bedetheque.com (in French). Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Nevada (Duval/Pécau/Wilson)". bedetheque.com (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2021.

References

Sources

  • Ernst, Dominique (January 1987). "Dossier Wilson: Entretien avec Colin Wilson et Janet Gale". Bonté Divine! (in French). No. 8. Thônex: Dominique Ernst. pp. 5–25.
  • Molcher, Michael (November 2015). 2000 AD: The Creator Interviews, Volume Four – Chapter 5: Colin Wilson (eBook ed.). Oxford: Rebellion Publishing Ltd. p. 109. ISBN 9781849979863.

External links

Interviews

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Wilson_(comics)

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