Fil Barlow
Encyclopedia
Fil Barlow is an Australia
n artist, cartoonist
, writer, production designer currently based in Los Angeles
. Barlow is the creator of the Zooniverse comic book
published in 1986-87.
. Being mildly dyslexic Barlow was encouraged by his primary school teachers and mother to pursue drawing at an early age. He wrote his first comic strip
, Fudsey, at age of twelve, which was published in a Sunday paper and ran for four weeks.
Barlow began his professional cartooning career with Australian Scout Magazine at the age of sixteen, two years later he became a regular contributor to Melbourne
based Inkspots Magazine. Minotaur Books proprietor, Colin Paraskevas, published Barlow's Zooniverse comic internationally in a joint venture with Eclipse Comics
between 1986 and 1987.
Richard Raynis, then producer at DIC
offered Barlow the character design supervisor position on ALF
, which he worked on from 1987 to 1989. Barlow studied art in Melbourne, creating Rex Vectar, which first appeared in Megazone' magazine in 1991 and ran until 1994, before moving to the Gold Coast
in 1992 to work as a designer in the movie industry, where he also established his own publishing house, Zoonimdedia. In mid 1994 he moved to Brisbane, with two artists associated with Kinetic Comics, Helen Maier and Matt Thompson. In 1996 Barlow returned to Los Angeles
with Maier, establishing an animation production house, Artopia. Through his company Barlow has worked as a character design supervisor and lead character designer at Columbia Tristar
, working on Extreme Ghostbusters
, the animated Godzilla
series, the 3D series Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles
, Max Steel
, Heavy Gear and Adam Sandler
's feature Eight Crazy Nights
.
From 2001 onwards Barlow has worked independently as character and production designer on Tutenstein
, Igor
and the creation of Spectrobes
game for Disney.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n artist, cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, writer, production designer currently based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Barlow is the creator of the Zooniverse comic book
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...
published in 1986-87.
Biography
Barlow was born in 4 August 1963 in Adelaide, South Australia. In 1965 his family moved to North BalwynBalwyn North, Victoria
Balwyn North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
. Being mildly dyslexic Barlow was encouraged by his primary school teachers and mother to pursue drawing at an early age. He wrote his first comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
, Fudsey, at age of twelve, which was published in a Sunday paper and ran for four weeks.
Barlow began his professional cartooning career with Australian Scout Magazine at the age of sixteen, two years later he became a regular contributor to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
based Inkspots Magazine. Minotaur Books proprietor, Colin Paraskevas, published Barlow's Zooniverse comic internationally in a joint venture with Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics
Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market...
between 1986 and 1987.
Richard Raynis, then producer at DIC
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
offered Barlow the character design supervisor position on ALF
Alf: The Animated Series
ALF: The Animated Series was an animated cartoon spin-off based on the live-action Sitcom series ALF. It premiered on September 26, 1987 and ran for 26 episodes.-Synopsis:...
, which he worked on from 1987 to 1989. Barlow studied art in Melbourne, creating Rex Vectar, which first appeared in Megazone' magazine in 1991 and ran until 1994, before moving to the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
in 1992 to work as a designer in the movie industry, where he also established his own publishing house, Zoonimdedia. In mid 1994 he moved to Brisbane, with two artists associated with Kinetic Comics, Helen Maier and Matt Thompson. In 1996 Barlow returned to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Maier, establishing an animation production house, Artopia. Through his company Barlow has worked as a character design supervisor and lead character designer at Columbia Tristar
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
, working on Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters
Extreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
, the animated Godzilla
Godzilla: The Series
Godzilla: The Series is an American/Japanese animated television series which originally aired on Fox in the United States. The show premiered on September 12, 1998, and is a direct sequel to the American Godzilla remake.-Plot:...
series, the 3D series Starship Troopers: Roughneck Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
, Max Steel
Max Steel
Max Steel is a science fiction–action, CGI, animated series which originally aired from February 25, 2000 to January 15, 2002, based on the Mattel action-figure of the same name. Max Steel ran for three seasons, totaling thirty-five episodes with a predicted audience of young males from the ages of...
, Heavy Gear and Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's feature Eight Crazy Nights
Eight Crazy Nights
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights is a 2002 animated musical comedy film co-written by and starring Adam Sandler. Unlike most mainstream holiday films, it centers on Jewish characters during the Hanukkah season, as opposed to religious or secular celebration of Christmas...
.
From 2001 onwards Barlow has worked independently as character and production designer on Tutenstein
Tutenstein
Tutenstein is an animated television series, produced by Porchlight Entertainment for Discovery Kids based on the comic by Jay Stephens which was published in Oni Press' JetCat Clubhouse. This cartoon also airs on Jetix in Europe and Maxi TV in Turkey. It began broadcasting on November 1, 2003...
, Igor
Igor (film)
Igor is a 2008 computer animated family comedy film about the stock character Igor. The plot revolves around the grotesque title figure Igor and his dreams of winning first place at the Evil Science Fair. The movie was released on September 19, 2008...
and the creation of Spectrobes
Spectrobes
, is a science fiction video game that was developed by Kyoto-based game developer Jupiter, known for being the developer of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS...
game for Disney.
Credits
- SpectrobesSpectrobes, is a science fiction video game that was developed by Kyoto-based game developer Jupiter, known for being the developer of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS...
(2006) (creator) - IgorIgor (film)Igor is a 2008 computer animated family comedy film about the stock character Igor. The plot revolves around the grotesque title figure Igor and his dreams of winning first place at the Evil Science Fair. The movie was released on September 19, 2008...
(2003) (character/production designer) - TutensteinTutensteinTutenstein is an animated television series, produced by Porchlight Entertainment for Discovery Kids based on the comic by Jay Stephens which was published in Oni Press' JetCat Clubhouse. This cartoon also airs on Jetix in Europe and Maxi TV in Turkey. It began broadcasting on November 1, 2003...
(2001) (character/production designer) - Eight Crazy NightsEight Crazy NightsAdam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights is a 2002 animated musical comedy film co-written by and starring Adam Sandler. Unlike most mainstream holiday films, it centers on Jewish characters during the Hanukkah season, as opposed to religious or secular celebration of Christmas...
(2000) (character designer) - Max SteelMax SteelMax Steel is a science fiction–action, CGI, animated series which originally aired from February 25, 2000 to January 15, 2002, based on the Mattel action-figure of the same name. Max Steel ran for three seasons, totaling thirty-five episodes with a predicted audience of young males from the ages of...
(1999) (creature & character designer) - Starship Troopers: Roughneck ChroniclesRoughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesRoughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles was a CGI animated television series based on both the novel by Robert A. Heinlein and the 1997 film adaptation directed by Paul Verhoeven...
(1998) (creature & character designer) - Godzilla: The SeriesGodzilla: The SeriesGodzilla: The Series is an American/Japanese animated television series which originally aired on Fox in the United States. The show premiered on September 12, 1998, and is a direct sequel to the American Godzilla remake.-Plot:...
(1997) (creature & character designer) - Extreme GhostbustersExtreme GhostbustersExtreme Ghostbusters is an animated television series and a follow-up to the animated series Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. It is a part of the film/TV Ghostbusters franchise...
(1996) (creature & character designer) - C.O.P.SC.O.P.S. (animated TV series)C.O.P.S. is an American animated television series released by DIC Entertainment and Celebrity Home Entertainment...
(1988) (character designer) - ALFAlf: The Animated SeriesALF: The Animated Series was an animated cartoon spin-off based on the live-action Sitcom series ALF. It premiered on September 26, 1987 and ran for 26 episodes.-Synopsis:...
(1987-89) (production designer) - Zooniverse (1986-87) (artist, writer, creator)