Dave Cooper
Encyclopedia
David Charles Cooper is a cartoonist
, commercial illustrator
and a graphic designer
who lives in Ottawa
, Canada
. In addition to comics
, Cooper has worked extensively as a designer
, producer
, and creator in the field of animation
. Several of his designs were used on Futurama
, notably various areas of the Planet Express office.
Cooper became a published cartoonist in his teens, creating science fiction comics stories for Barry Blair
's Aircel Comics
. After gradually giving up working for Aircel, Cooper spent a few years in a band before eventually returning to comics. In his 20s he created books such as Puke and Explode and Cynthia Petal's Really Fantastic Alien Sex Frenzy, lavishly illustrated stories that featured dark subject matter with incongruous "cute" touches such as letter i's dotted with little circles. (Puke and Explode has a cameo in the 1995 film Crumb
, when R. Crumb briefly examines the cover in a comics store and then rather disdainfully passes it by.) Cooper also contributed to Fantagraphics' Duplex Planet Illustrated.
With Suckle, his graphic novel
published in 1997, Cooper broke through to a new level of critical acclaim with the story of an innocent, childlike fellow, Basil, who is confronted by strange, sexualized horrors in a futuristic world. It was nominated for the Harvey Award
. He followed this up with the even darker book Crumple (first serialized in the pages of Zero Zero), about a square-headed little man in a world ultimately overrun by militant feminists
, and the multi-issue series Weasel, which featured the ongoing story Ripple, about a frustrated illustrator who enters an obsessive relationship with one of his models. With each book, Cooper's work grew darker in subject matter, while more accomplished visually. During this time, Cooper also contributed to Nickelodeon
's children's magazine along with other anthologies. He also created a line of deluxe toys with the firm Critterbox Toys.
In September 2007, Cooper released his debut in the children's book world under the pseudonym Hector Mumbly. The book is titled Bagel's Lucky Hat. (ISBN 0-81184-875-2)
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, commercial illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and a graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
who lives in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In addition to comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
, Cooper has worked extensively as a designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, and creator in the field of animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
. Several of his designs were used on Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, notably various areas of the Planet Express office.
Cooper became a published cartoonist in his teens, creating science fiction comics stories for Barry Blair
Barry Blair
Barry Blair was a Canadian comics publisher, artist and writer, known for launching Aircel Comics in the 1980s...
's Aircel Comics
Aircel Comics
Aircel Comics was a Canadian comic book publisher founded by Barry Blair, based in Ottawa and active between 1985 and 1994. In 1988, it merged with American publisher Eternity Comics, itself an imprint of Malibu Comics, and in the late 1980s was taken over by Malibu before ceasing publication...
. After gradually giving up working for Aircel, Cooper spent a few years in a band before eventually returning to comics. In his 20s he created books such as Puke and Explode and Cynthia Petal's Really Fantastic Alien Sex Frenzy, lavishly illustrated stories that featured dark subject matter with incongruous "cute" touches such as letter i's dotted with little circles. (Puke and Explode has a cameo in the 1995 film Crumb
Crumb (film)
Crumb is a 1994 documentary film about the noted underground comic artist Robert Crumb and his family. Directed by Terry Zwigoff and produced by Lynn O'Donnell and David Lynch, it won widespread acclaim, including both the Grand Jury Prize and best cinematography prize at the Sundance Film Festival...
, when R. Crumb briefly examines the cover in a comics store and then rather disdainfully passes it by.) Cooper also contributed to Fantagraphics' Duplex Planet Illustrated.
With Suckle, his 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...
published in 1997, Cooper broke through to a new level of critical acclaim with the story of an innocent, childlike fellow, Basil, who is confronted by strange, sexualized horrors in a futuristic world. It was nominated 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...
. He followed this up with the even darker book Crumple (first serialized in the pages of Zero Zero), about a square-headed little man in a world ultimately overrun by militant feminists
Radical feminism
Radical feminism is a current theoretical perspective within feminism that focuses on the theory of patriarchy as a system of power that organizes society into a complex of relationships based on an assumption that "male supremacy" oppresses women...
, and the multi-issue series Weasel, which featured the ongoing story Ripple, about a frustrated illustrator who enters an obsessive relationship with one of his models. With each book, Cooper's work grew darker in subject matter, while more accomplished visually. During this time, Cooper also contributed to Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's children's magazine along with other anthologies. He also created a line of deluxe toys with the firm Critterbox Toys.
In September 2007, Cooper released his debut in the children's book world under the pseudonym Hector Mumbly. The book is titled Bagel's Lucky Hat. (ISBN 0-81184-875-2)
Works
- Weasel (1-6)
- Underbelly ISBN 1-56097-615-2
- Ripple (2003) ISBN 1-56097-543-1
- Crumple (2000) ISBN 1-56097-321-8
- Suckle (1997) ISBN 1-56097-301-3
- Dan and Larry ISBN 1-56097-433-8
- Overbite ISBN 1-56097-550-4
- Bagel's Lucky Hat (as Hector Mumbly, 2007) ISBN 0-81184-875-2
Awards
- Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe 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...
, Best New Series, 2000 — Weasel - Ignatz Award, Outstanding Artist, 2000 — Weasel