Eric Shanower
Encyclopedia
Eric James Shanower is an American
comics
artist
and writer
, best known for his Oz novels and comics and the on-going retelling of the Trojan War
as Age of Bronze
.
in 1981, he attended The Kubert School. He has been a professional cartoonist since his graduation from the Kubert School in 1984
.
He lives in San Diego, California
with his partner David Maxine, who runs Hungry Tiger Press
, a publisher of Oz books, Oz-related comics and compact discs, which the two started in 1994.
, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz released by First Comics
and Dark Horse Comics
between 1986
and 1992
. They are collected in a single large volume titled Adventures in Oz, published by IDW.
He has also written and illustrated a full-length Oz novel
, The Giant Garden of Oz
, and a collection of short Oz stories, The Salt Sorcerer of Oz. As an illustrator, he has worked on books by Oz historians, including The Wicked Witch of Oz
by Rachel Cosgrove Payes
, The Rundelstone of Oz
by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, The Runaway in Oz
by John R. Neill
, and The Third Book of Oz by L. Frank Baum
. Other Oz projects include his illustrations for Paradox in Oz
and The Living House of Oz by Edward Einhorn
.
He is currently writing adaptations of L. Frank Baum's original Oz novels for Marvel Comics
, illustrated by artist Skottie Young
. The first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
was released in a hardcover collection on September 2, 2009. The follow-up, The Marvelous Land of Oz
began in November 2009 as an 8 issue monthly comic series, while the third mini i.e. Ozma of Oz
began in November 2010.
, Shanower "conceived the idea to tell the story of the Trojan War
in the comics medium," aiming to combine "the myriad versions of the Greek myth with the archaeological record" to showcase the tale in "authentic historical detail." This aim has been manifested in the ongoing comic book Age of Bronze
, debuting in late 1998
from Image Comics
. As of 2011, the series has been collected in three (of a projected seven) volumes:
The seven volumes in their entirety will cover the complete story of the war. The books contain extensive bibliographies, for the story, the setting and historical Troy
, drawing on the excavation work Heinrich Schliemann
(et al.) and the publication Studia Troica. The book does not depict the gods or any mythical beings, with Chiron
portrayed as a relatively normal human being rather than a centaur.
, such as Ed Brubaker
's Prez
"Smells Like Teen President" and An Accidental Death (also written by Brubaker) published by Fantagraphics in 1993. For Marvel's Epic line, he illustrated The Elsewhere Prince (1990), based on characters created by the French cartoonist Moebius
. His work has appeared in magazines throughout the USA and Europe as well as in books and on TV.
for Outstanding Artist in 1999 for his work on Age of Bronze.
His short story, "Happily Ever After," was part of How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity, an anthology
of LGBTQ
short stories
for young adults published in 2009. The book is a Lambda Literary Award
finalist for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for his Oz novels and comics and the on-going retelling of the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
as Age of Bronze
Age of Bronze (comics)
Age of Bronze is an American comics series by writer/artist Eric Shanower retelling the legend of the Trojan War. It began in 1998 and is published by Image Comics.-Overview:...
.
Biography
Eric Shanower was born on October 23, 1963 and upon his graduation from Novato High SchoolNovato High School
Novato High School is a high school located in Novato, California, in Marin County.-History:Built in 1955 and founded in 1957, it is one of two comprehensive high schools in the , the other being San Marin High School.-Demographics:...
in 1981, he attended The Kubert School. He has been a professional cartoonist since his graduation from the Kubert School in 1984
1984 in comics
-Year overall:* The independent publishing boom continues, as Antarctic Press, Continuity Comics, Deluxe Comics, Matrix Graphic Series, and Renegade Press all enter the arena...
.
He lives in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his partner David Maxine, who runs Hungry Tiger Press
Hungry Tiger Press
Hungry Tiger Press is an American specialty publisher of books, compact discs, comic books and graphic novels, focused on the works of L. Frank Baum, other authors of Oz books, and related Americana. Perhaps most notably, the Press has published rare, early, long-neglected dramatic and musical...
, a publisher of Oz books, Oz-related comics and compact discs, which the two started in 1994.
Career
Shanower first major published works were the Oz graphic novels, which are The Enchanted Apples of OzThe Enchanted Apples of Oz
The Enchanted Apples of Oz is the first of the modern graphic novels based on American author L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz world, written by Eric Shanower...
, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz released by First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
and Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
between 1986
1986 in comics
-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
and 1992
1992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
. They are collected in a single large volume titled Adventures in Oz, published by IDW.
He has also written and illustrated a full-length Oz novel
The Oz books
The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , and that relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books, all of which are in the public domain in the United States...
, The Giant Garden of Oz
The Giant Garden of Oz
The Giant Garden of Oz is a novel written and illustrated by Eric Shanower, first published in 1993 by Emerald City Press, a division of Books of Wonder. As its title indicates, the novel is a volume in the ever-growing literature on the Land of Oz, written by L...
, and a collection of short Oz stories, The Salt Sorcerer of Oz. As an illustrator, he has worked on books by Oz historians, including The Wicked Witch of Oz
The Wicked Witch of Oz
The Wicked Witch of Oz is a novel by Rachel Cosgrove Payes. Written in the early 1950s but not published until four decades later, the book is a volume in the series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his successors....
by Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Rachel Cosgrove Payes
Rachel R. Cosgrove Payes, also known as E.L. Arch and Joanne Kaye was an American genre novelist, and author of books on the Land of Oz...
, The Rundelstone of Oz
The Rundelstone of Oz
The Rundelstone of Oz is a novel by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. It is a volume in the series of fictional works about the Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum and his successors....
by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, The Runaway in Oz
The Runaway in Oz
The Runaway in Oz is an Oz book by long-time Oz illustrator John R. Neill. It was written originally during 1943 and was meant to be the thirty-seventh book in the Oz series. However, Neill died before he could edit or illustrate the book. Oz publisher Reilly & Lee decided not to publish the book...
by John R. Neill
John R. Neill
John Rea Neill was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three of his own. His pen-and-ink drawings have become identified almost exclusively with the Oz series...
, and The Third Book of Oz by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. Other Oz projects include his illustrations for Paradox in Oz
Paradox in Oz
Paradox in Oz is a 1999 novel written by Edward Einhorn. As its title indicates, the book is an entry in the series of books about the Land of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and a host of successors.-The book:...
and The Living House of Oz by Edward Einhorn
Edward Einhorn
Edward Einhorn is an American playwright, theater director, and novelist, noted for the comic absurdism of his drama and the imaginative richness of his literary works....
.
He is currently writing adaptations of L. Frank Baum's original Oz novels for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, illustrated by artist Skottie Young
Skottie Young
Skottie Young is an American comic book artist and illustrator from Chicago, Ill. who works exclusively for Marvel Comics.-Biography:Skottie Young is the artist on several Marvel titles including New Warriors, Human Torch, Spider-Man Legend of the Spider Clan and New X-Men...
. The first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
was released in a hardcover collection on September 2, 2009. The follow-up, The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published on July 5, 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This and the next...
began in November 2009 as an 8 issue monthly comic series, while the third mini i.e. Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L....
began in November 2010.
Age of Bronze
In February 19911991 in comics
-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
, Shanower "conceived the idea to tell the story of the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
in the comics medium," aiming to combine "the myriad versions of the Greek myth with the archaeological record" to showcase the tale in "authentic historical detail." This aim has been manifested in the ongoing comic book Age of Bronze
Age of Bronze (comics)
Age of Bronze is an American comics series by writer/artist Eric Shanower retelling the legend of the Trojan War. It began in 1998 and is published by Image Comics.-Overview:...
, debuting in late 1998
1998 in comics
-Spring:* Gay Comix , with issue #25, publishes its final issue -October:* Toy Biz buys Marvel Comics* Excalibur is canceled by Marvel with issue #125.-November:...
from Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. As of 2011, the series has been collected in three (of a projected seven) volumes:
- A Thousand Ships
- Sacrifice
- Betrayal, Part One
The seven volumes in their entirety will cover the complete story of the war. The books contain extensive bibliographies, for the story, the setting and historical Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, drawing on the excavation work Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann
Heinrich Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, and an advocate of the historical reality of places mentioned in the works of Homer. Schliemann was an archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the Mycenaean sites Mycenae and Tiryns...
(et al.) and the publication Studia Troica. The book does not depict the gods or any mythical beings, with Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
portrayed as a relatively normal human being rather than a centaur.
Other work
Shanower has also drawn a number of one shot comicsOne shot (comic)
A one-shot is a comic book that is a pilot or a stand-alone story created as a single issue, rather than the more typical series format.-United States:...
, such as Ed Brubaker
Ed Brubaker
Ed 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...
's Prez
Prez (DC Comics)
Prez: First Teen President was a four issue comic series by writer Joe Simon and artist Jerry Grandenetti, released by DC Comics in 1973 and 1974...
"Smells Like Teen President" and An Accidental Death (also written by Brubaker) published by Fantagraphics in 1993. For Marvel's Epic line, he illustrated The Elsewhere Prince (1990), based on characters created by the French cartoonist Moebius
Jean Giraud
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
. His work has appeared in magazines throughout the USA and Europe as well as in books and on TV.
Awards
Shanower won Eisner Awards for Best Writer-Artist in 2001 and 2003, won a Gran Guinigi for Best Serialized Comic in 2006, and was nominated for the Ignatz AwardIgnatz Awards
The Ignatz Awards are intended to recognize outstanding achievements in comics and cartooning by small press creators or creator-owned projects published by larger publishers. They have been awarded each year since 1997, but skipped a year in 2001 due to the show's cancellation after the September...
for Outstanding Artist in 1999 for his work on Age of Bronze.
His short story, "Happily Ever After," was part of How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity, an anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of LGBTQ
LGBT literature
Gay literature is a collective term for literature produced by or for the LGBT community, or which involves characters, plot lines or themes portraying male homosexual behavior.-Subgenres:...
short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
for young adults published in 2009. The book is a Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Award
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works which celebrate or explore LGBT themes. Categories include Humor, Romance and Biography. To qualify, a book must have been published in the United States in the year current to the award...
finalist for LGBT Children's/Young Adult literature.