Jill Thompson
Encyclopedia
Jill Thompson is an American comic book
writer and illustrator
. Probably better known for her work on Neil Gaiman
's The Sandman characters and her own Scary Godmother
series, she has also worked on The Invisibles
, Swamp Thing
, and Wonder Woman
.
(issues 41-49), and the individual Sandman issue "The Parliament of Rooks" (issue 40) in the Fables and Reflections
collection. Within this tale she created the immensely popular characters of Li'l Death
and Li'l Morpheus
, child-like versions of two of the Endless based on classic comic characters Sugar and Spike
; these (together with their siblings, the other five of the "Little Endless") were later given their own book.
She has since written and illustrated several stories featuring the Sandman characters; these include the manga
-style book Death: At Death's Door (one of DC's best selling books of 2003) set during the events of Season of Mists
, and The Little Endless Storybook
, a children’s book using child-like versions of The Endless
.
In 2005 Thompson wrote and illustrated the Dead Boy Detectives
, an original graphic novel based on two minor characters from Season of Mists.
s, including in 2001 for best painter for Scary Godmother, 2004 for "Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)" for her work on The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, and in 2005 for "Best Short Story" for Unfamiliar (from The Dark Horse Book of the Dead) with Evan Dorkin
. In 2011 the National Cartoonist Society named her Best Comic Book Artist for Beasts of Burden
, beating out Stan Sakai
and Chris Samnee.
writer Brian Azzarello
, creator of 100 Bullets
and former writer of Hellblazer
and Batman
.
:
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 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...
. Probably better known for her work on Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's The Sandman characters and her own Scary Godmother
Scary Godmother
Scary Godmother is a series of children's books and comic books created by artist Jill Thompson and published by Sirius Entertainment in 1997.-Main:...
series, she has also worked on The Invisibles
The Invisibles
The Invisibles is a comic book series that was published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication....
, Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
, and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
.
Career
Jill Thompson illustrated The Sandman story arc Brief LivesThe Sandman: Brief Lives
Brief Lives is the seventh collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. Written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Jill Thompson, inked by Vince Locke and Dick Giordano, coloured by Danny Vozzo, and lettered by Todd Klein....
(issues 41-49), and the individual Sandman issue "The Parliament of Rooks" (issue 40) in the Fables and Reflections
The Sandman: Fables and Reflections
Fables & Reflections is the sixth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. It was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, P...
collection. Within this tale she created the immensely popular characters of Li'l Death
Death (DC Comics)
Death is a fictional character from the DC comic book series, The Sandman . The character first appeared in The Sandman vol. 2, #8 , and was created by Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg....
and Li'l Morpheus
Dream (comics)
Dream is the fictional protagonist of DC Comics' Vertigo comic book series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. One of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings older and greater than gods, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality...
, child-like versions of two of the Endless based on classic comic characters Sugar and Spike
Sugar and Spike
Sugar and Spike is the name of a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1956 through 1992, and the names of the main protagonists. Sugar and Spike was created, written and drawn by Sheldon Mayer.-Publication history:...
; these (together with their siblings, the other five of the "Little Endless") were later given their own book.
She has since written and illustrated several stories featuring the Sandman characters; these include the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-style book Death: At Death's Door (one of DC's best selling books of 2003) set during the events of Season of Mists
The Sandman: Season of Mists
Season of Mists is the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman.It was written by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt, and P...
, and The Little Endless Storybook
The Little Endless Storybook
The Little Endless Storybook is a picture book by Jill Thompson published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. It features the popular Endless characters from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic book reimagined as toddlers.-Plot:...
, a children’s book using child-like versions of The Endless
Endless (comics)
The Endless are a group of beings who embody powerful forces or aspects of the universe in the DC comic book series The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. They have existed since the dawn of time and are thought to be among the most powerful beings in the universe...
.
In 2005 Thompson wrote and illustrated the Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives
The Dead Boy Detectives are fictional characters that have appeared in comic books published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. They were created by writer Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III in The Sandman #25 ....
, an original graphic novel based on two minor characters from Season of Mists.
Awards and recognition
She has won multiple Eisner AwardEisner 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, including in 2001 for best painter for Scary Godmother, 2004 for "Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)" for her work on The Dark Horse Book of Hauntings, and in 2005 for "Best Short Story" for Unfamiliar (from The Dark Horse Book of the Dead) with Evan Dorkin
Evan Dorkin
Evan Dorkin is an American comics artist and writer. His best known works are the comic books Milk and Cheese and Dork...
. In 2011 the National Cartoonist Society named her Best Comic Book Artist for Beasts of Burden
Beasts of Burden (comics)
Beasts of Burden is a Dark Horse Comics team of animals, created by writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson, that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill...
, beating out Stan Sakai
Stan Sakai
is a third-generation Japanese American Cartoonist comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series Usagi Yojimbo. -Biography:...
and Chris Samnee.
Personal life
Thompson is married to fellow comic bookComic 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 Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
, creator of 100 Bullets
100 Bullets
100 Bullets is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It was published in the USA by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint and initially ran for one hundred issues...
and former writer of Hellblazer
Hellblazer
Hellblazer is a contemporary horror comic book series, originally published by DC Comics, and subsequently by the Vertigo imprint since March 1993, the month the imprint was introduced, where it remains to this day...
and Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
.
Comico
- The Elementals (artist 1987)
- Fathom (artist 1987)
First Comics
- Classics IllustratedClassics IllustratedClassics Illustrated is a comic book series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1971, producing 169 issues. Following the series' demise, various companies...
: The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an...
(artist 1989) - The Chronicles of Corum (artist 1989)
DC Comics
- Wonder Woman (artist 1990-91)
- SandmanSandman (Vertigo)The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. Beginning with issue #47, it was placed under the imprint Vertigo. It chronicles the adventures of Dream , who rules over the world of dreams. It ran for 75 issues from January 1989 until March 1996...
(artist with Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, 1991–93):- "The Parliament of Rooks" in Fables and ReflectionsThe Sandman: Fables and ReflectionsFables & Reflections is the sixth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. It was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, P...
- Brief LivesThe Sandman: Brief LivesBrief Lives is the seventh collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman. Written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Jill Thompson, inked by Vince Locke and Dick Giordano, coloured by Danny Vozzo, and lettered by Todd Klein....
- "The Parliament of Rooks" in Fables and Reflections
- Black OrchidBlack OrchidBlack Orchid is the name of three fictional superheroines published by DC Comics. The original version of the character first appeared in Adventure Comics #428 .-Susan Linden-Thorne:...
(artist 1993) - The InvisiblesThe InvisiblesThe Invisibles is a comic book series that was published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication....
(artist 1993, 1995,1997) - Swamp ThingSwamp ThingSwamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
(artist 1994) - Books of Magic (artist 1996)
- Seekers into the Mystery (artist 1996)
- Finals (creator/artist 1999)
- The Little Endless StorybookThe Little Endless StorybookThe Little Endless Storybook is a picture book by Jill Thompson published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics. It features the popular Endless characters from Neil Gaiman's The Sandman comic book reimagined as toddlers.-Plot:...
(writer/artist 2001) - Death: At Death’s Door (writer/artist 2002-2003)
- Dead Boy DetectivesDead Boy DetectivesThe Dead Boy Detectives are fictional characters that have appeared in comic books published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. They were created by writer Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III in The Sandman #25 ....
(writer /artist 2005) - FablesFables (comics)Fables is a comic book series created by writer Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint beginning in 2002. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The...
: 1001 Nights of Snowfall1001 Nights of SnowfallFables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a graphic novel prequel to the comic book series Fables written by series creator Bill Willingham with a variety of artists. It was released on October 18, 2006 by Vertigo....
: "Fair Division" - Delirium's Party: A Little Endless Storybook (writer /artist 2011)
Marvel Comics
- Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
: Shadows and Light - X-Men UnlimitedX-Men Unlimited-Volume 1:The purpose of this title was to run stories that fit between the main X-Men comics. The stories included all characters from the X-titles, and the issues were collections of short stories...
: DazzlerDazzlerDazzler is a Marvel Comics superheroine, associated with the X-Men. She first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #130 ....
- Beyond the Music
Dark Horse Comics
- The BadgerBadger (comics)The Badger is a comic book character and series created by writer Mike Baron in 1983. The series began publication with the short-lived Capital Comics company before First Comics acquired the title and continued publshing it through the 1980s and early 1990s. The series ended when First Comics also...
: Shattered Mirror (artist) - The Dark Horse Book of:
- Hauntings: "Stray"
- Witchcraft: "Unfamiliar Story"
- The Dead: "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"
- Monsters: "A Dog and His Boy"
- Beasts of BurdenBeasts of Burden (comics)Beasts of Burden is a Dark Horse Comics team of animals, created by writer Evan Dorkin and artist Jill Thompson, that investigate different paranormal events that occur in their small neighborhood of Burden Hill...
- 4-issue mini-series, Dark Horse Comics, 2009
Sirius Entertainment
- Scary GodmotherScary GodmotherScary Godmother is a series of children's books and comic books created by artist Jill Thompson and published by Sirius Entertainment in 1997.-Main:...
books (all creator/writer/illustrator):- The Scary Godmother (1997)
- The Revenge of Jimmy (1998)
- The Mystery Date (1999)
- The Boo Flu (2000)
- Scary Godmother comics:
- Scary Godmother: My Bloody Valentine (1998)
- Scary Godmother Holiday Spooktakular (1998)
- Scary Godmother Activity book (2000)
- Scary Godmother: Wild About Harry (2000)
- Scary Godmother: Ghoul’s Out for Summer (2000–2001)
Bongo Comics
- Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror (writer 2000)
- Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror (artist 2002)
Scholastic
- Goosebumps Graphix: Terror Trips - One Day at HorrorLand (as illustrator)
Harper Collins Children's Books
Created by, written and illustrated by Thompson:- Magic Trixie (2008)
- Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (2008)
- Magic Trixie and the Dragon (2009)
- The Curse of the Royal Ruby: A Rinnah Two Feathers Mystery (as illustrator)
- The Secret of Dead Man's Mine: A Rinnah Two Feathers Mystery (as illustrator)
- Mick FoleyMick FoleyMichael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
's Halloween Hijinx (as illustrator) - Tales from Wrescal Lane (as illustrator)
Stageplay
Adaptation/ co-writer, art director, set designer:- Scary Godmother 2001 at the Athanaeum Theatre in Chicago with Runamuck Productions
Scary Godmother Animated Specials
With Mainframe EntertainmentMainframe Entertainment
Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian computer animation and design company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles, California. It produces computer animation TV series and movies. They are best known for producing the first ever CGI animated series ReBoot, as well as the...
:
- Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktacular co-writer, editor, art director,background painter,prop designer, executive creative director
- Scary Godmother: The Revenge Of JimmyScary Godmother: The Revenge Of JimmyScary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy is a 2005 animated film starring Tabitha St. Germain, Britt McKillip, Alexander Ludwig, Brittney Irvin, Gary Chalk, and Dexter Bell...
creative consultation, executive producer, prop and character designer
Interviews
- Greg Upton at Emerald City ComiConEmerald City ComiConThe Emerald City Comicon is an annual comic book convention taking place in Seattle, Washington. Originally taking place at the city's Qwest Field , the venue changed to its current home at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center since 2008...
for The Backroom Comics PodcastBackroom Comics PodcastThe Backroom Comics Podcast is a weekly video podcast and audio podcast focused on comics. It is hosted by Kevin Malcolm, Greg Upton, Pete Greenberg and Jason Doctor. The first episode was released on March 20, 2009...
Emerald city ComiCon 2010 Part 3, March 2010