Black Eye Productions
Encyclopedia
Black Eye Productions was a short-lived but influential Canadian comic book
publishing company founded by Michel Vrana. Under the auspices of Vrana, Black Eye was known as a publisher of artfully designed alternative comics
and graphic novels, most of whose cartoonists have gone on to successful careers with fellow Canadian publisher Drawn and Quarterly
. In fact, Vrana still acts as Drawn and Quarterly's exclusive outside design consultant.
Black Eye acted as a comic book publisher from 1992 to 1998, when Vrana turned the business into a design company.
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...
publishing company founded by Michel Vrana. Under the auspices of Vrana, Black Eye was known as a publisher of artfully designed alternative comics
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
and graphic novels, most of whose cartoonists have gone on to successful careers with fellow Canadian publisher Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company's flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s...
. In fact, Vrana still acts as Drawn and Quarterly's exclusive outside design consultant.
Black Eye acted as a comic book publisher from 1992 to 1998, when Vrana turned the business into a design company.
Ongoing titles and limited series
- Atomic City Tales vol. 1 (Jay Stephens, 1994–1995)
- BerlinBerlin (comics)Berlin is the title of a comic book series created by Jason Lutes and published by Black Eye Productions and then Drawn and Quarterly. Planned as a series of 24 magazines, it describes life in Berlin from 1928 to 1933, during the decline of the Weimar Republic...
(Jason Lutes, 1996–1998) - Dear Julia 4 issues (Brian Biggs, 1996-1997)
- The Land of Nod vol. 1 (Jay Stephens, 1996–1997)
- Pickle (Dylan Horrocks, 1992-1997)
- The Sands (Tom Hart, 1996–1997)
- Sin Comics (Jay Stephens, 1993–1994)
- Sputnik (anthology, 1993–1994)
Graphic novels/trade paperbacks
- Atomic City Tales (Jay Stephens, 1994)
- Black Candy (Matt Madden, 1998) ISBN 978-0969887461
- A Complete Lowlife (Ed Brubaker, 1997)
- Dance Me Outside: The Illustrated Screenplay (Nick Craine, 1994) ISBN 978-0969887409
- HicksvilleHicksville (graphic novel)Hicksville is a graphic novel by Dylan Horrocks originally published by Black Eye Comics in 1998, since republished by Drawn and Quarterly and in 2010 by Victoria University Press.-Plot:...
(Dylan Horrocks, 1998) - Human Remains (Darren Raye & Sean Scoffield, 1994)
- Jar of FoolsJar of FoolsJar of Fools is a once-weekly comic strip by Jason Lutes that was compiled, first into a two-part anthology, and then a graphic novel. The work has received praise from the New York Times book review, Spin Magazine, Wired Magazine, and acclaimed comics creator Chris Ware Jar of Fools is the story...
(Jason Lutes, 1995) - The Land of Nod Treasury (Jay Stephens, 1994)
- The Sands: a Picture Story (Tom Hart, 1998) ISBN 978-0969887485
Cartoonists associated with Black Eye
- Brian BiggsBrian BiggsBrian Biggs is a Children's Book Illustrator. He has been published by HarperCollins and Random House, among others, and has illustrated a Little Golden Book.- Early work :...
- Ed BrubakerEd BrubakerEd Brubaker is an Eisner Award-winning comic book writer and cartoonist. Brubaker first early comics work was primarily in the crime fiction genre with works such as Lowlife, The Fall, Sandman Presents: Dead Boy Detectives and Scene of the Crime...
- Nick Craine
- Tom HartTom Hart (comics)Tom Hart is an American comics creator best known for his Hutch Owen series of comics.-Career:Tom Hart began making mini-comics while living in Seattle in the early 1990s...
- Dylan Horrocks
- Jason LutesJason LutesJason Lutes is an American comics creator. His work is mainly historical fiction, but he also works in traditional fiction...
- Matt MaddenMatt MaddenMatt Madden is a U.S. comic book writer and artist. He is best known for original alternative comics, for his coloring work in traditional comics, and for the experimental work 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style, which is based on the idea of Raymond Queneau's Exercises in Style...
- Darren Raye
- Sean Scoffield
- Jay StephensJay StephensJay Stephens is a Canadian cartoonist. He is best known as the creator of Discovery Kids's animated television series Tutenstein and Cartoon Network's The Secret Saturdays. Stephens has also worked on an animation project Jetcat...
External links
- Black Eye Design website
- Black Eye Productions website on archive.org
- Black Eye at the Grand Comics Database