Alex Robinson
Encyclopedia
Alex Robinson is an award-winning American comic book
writer and artist.
, and graduated from Yorktown High School in 1987. After a year spent at SUNY Brockport, he went to the School of Visual Arts
in New York City, where he studied under Will Eisner
, Sal Amendola
, Gahan Wilson
, and Carmine Infantino
. He graduated with a BFA in cartooning in 1993.
, originally serialized by Antarctic Press
and then collected into graphic novel form in 2001 by Top Shelf Productions
. Box Office Poison concerns the life and trials of a group of young people in New York City (the central protagonist works in a bookstore, a job Robinson himself held for seven years.)
Robinson's second graphic novel
, Tricked
, also published by Top Shelf, was released in August 2005, and both Box Office Poison and Tricked have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and German.
In October 2007 Alex Robinson's Lower Regions was released, a 56-page comic about "a sexy barbarian fighting monsters." Two sequels are planned for the coming years.
His next graphic novel, Too Cool to Be Forgotten, a time travel/high school story, was published by Top Shelf in July 2008.
His most recent book is called A Kidnapped Santa Claus. It is adapted from a Frank L. Baum story and was released by Harper-Collins in November 2009.
Along with Mike Dawson, Tony Consiglio
, and a few other cartoonists, Robinson is part of a loosely associated comics collective called The Ink Panthers. They also have a podcast
called "The Ink Panthers Show" available on iTunes
.
, Eisner
s, Firecracker, and Ignatz Awards. Although the book itself didn't win, Robinson won the Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. In addition, the French translation of the book (titled De Mal en Pis) won the Prix Du Premier Album at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
in 2005.
Tricked was nominated for an Eisner Award
, and won both the 2006 Harvey Award
for Best Original Graphic Novel and the 2006 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel. Robinson was also nominated in the Best Writer category for the Harvey Award
.
Too Cool to be Forgotten won the 2009 Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album.
Comic 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...
writer and artist.
Early life
Alex Robinson grew up in Yorktown Heights, New YorkYorktown Heights, New York
Yorktown Heights is a census-designated place in the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Yorktown Heights is located at ....
, and graduated from Yorktown High School in 1987. After a year spent at SUNY Brockport, he went to the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
in New York City, where he studied under Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
, Sal Amendola
Sal Amendola
Sal Amendola is an Italian-American comic book artist and teacher primarily known for his association with DC Comics.-Career:...
, Gahan Wilson
Gahan Wilson
Gahan Wilson is an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations...
, and Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino
Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino Carmine Infantino (born May 24, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York is an American comic book artist and editor who was a major force in the Silver Age of Comic Books...
. He graduated with a BFA in cartooning in 1993.
Career
Robinson's first major work was Box Office PoisonBox Office Poison
Box Office Poison is a series of comic books by Alex Robinson. It was published in collected form by Top Shelf Productions in 2001. The story concerns the life and trials of a group of young people in New York City....
, originally serialized by Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press
Antarctic Press is a San Antonio-based comic book publishing company which publishes "American Manga" style comic books.Founded by Ben Dunn in 1984, Antarctic Press has produced over 850 titles with a total circulation of over 5 million...
and then collected into graphic novel form in 2001 by Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, New York....
. Box Office Poison concerns the life and trials of a group of young people in New York City (the central protagonist works in a bookstore, a job Robinson himself held for seven years.)
Robinson's second graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
, Tricked
Tricked (graphic novel)
Tricked is an American graphic novel written by Alex Robinson, published by Top Shelf Productions in 2005.-Overview:"Tricked" was written over a period of four years, beginning after the publication of Robinson's last graphic novel, the award winning Box Office Poison...
, also published by Top Shelf, was released in August 2005, and both Box Office Poison and Tricked have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish and German.
In October 2007 Alex Robinson's Lower Regions was released, a 56-page comic about "a sexy barbarian fighting monsters." Two sequels are planned for the coming years.
His next graphic novel, Too Cool to Be Forgotten, a time travel/high school story, was published by Top Shelf in July 2008.
His most recent book is called A Kidnapped Santa Claus. It is adapted from a Frank L. Baum story and was released by Harper-Collins in November 2009.
Along with Mike Dawson, Tony Consiglio
Tony Consiglio
Antonino Gilligan "Tony" Consiglio is an American cartoonist. He has had two graphic novels, More or Less and 110 Percent, published by Top Shelf Comics.- Education :...
, and a few other cartoonists, Robinson is part of a loosely associated comics collective called The Ink Panthers. They also have a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
called "The Ink Panthers Show" available on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Awards
Box Office Poison was nominated for 2001 HarveyHarvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
, Eisner
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
s, Firecracker, and Ignatz Awards. Although the book itself didn't win, Robinson won the Eisner Award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition. In addition, the French translation of the book (titled De Mal en Pis) won the Prix Du Premier Album at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
Angoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
in 2005.
Tricked was nominated for an Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
, and won both the 2006 Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for Best Original Graphic Novel and the 2006 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel. Robinson was also nominated in the Best Writer category for the Harvey Award
Harvey Award
The Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
.
Too Cool to be Forgotten won the 2009 Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album.
External links
- Guest Comic Strip (Done for Dork TowerDork TowerDork Tower is an online comic created, written and drawn by John Kovalic. It chronicles the lives of a group of geeks living in the fictional town of Mud Bay, Wisconsin. Mud Bay's design is strongly influenced by the author's home town of Madison, Wisconsin. Topics have included role-playing...
2004) - Lee, Humphrey. "ICN Comics Q&@ with Box Office Poisons Alex Robinson!!!", Ain't It Cool NewsAin't It Cool NewsAin't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
, September 29, 2006 - "Talking with Alex Robinson", Comic Geek Speak, Podcast Episode 535 , October 2008