Phil Elliott
Encyclopedia
Phil Elliott is a British comic book creator
who was published in Escape Magazine
. He was part of the British small press comics
scene in the 1980s.
In the early 1980s Elliott became re-acquainted with an old comic collecting friend, Paul Gravett
, who was working on Pssst! magazine. Unable to get his worked published in Pssst!, Elliott decided to return to self-publishing and, with Ian Wieczorek again, released the Fast Fiction comic, which took its name from the Fast Fiction
comics distribution service.
One of the artists Phil chose to publish in Fast Fiction was Eddie Campbell
. Elliott collaborated with Campbell between 1984 and 1986 on various comic strips that ran in the music paper Sounds and drew the first issue of Campbell's Lucifer. Elliott was also responsible for colouring many of the covers of Campbell's comics for Harrier Comics
.
Elliott also formed a strong creative partnership with Glenn Dakin
, which resulted in comics such as Greenhouse Warriors, Mr Night and The Man from Cancer.
Elliott was a regular contributor to the influential UK comic magazine Escape, and in 1985 Escape published his Doc Chaos comic. Doc Chaos was written by Dave Thorpe
and Lawrence Gray
.
In 1985 Elliott began drawing The Suttons for his local newspaper, The Maidstone Star. This comic strip ran for three years.
After handing over the editorship of Fast Fiction to Ed Pinsent, Elliott began editing !GAG! for Harrier Comics. Harrier Comics also published Elliott and Paul Duncan's four-issue Second City comic as well as two collections of Elliott's A Tale from Gimbley stories, Some Tales From Gimbley and More Tales From Gimbley.
Elliott has worked in some capacity for most of the major comic publishers in the US and UK. His comic Blite was published by Fantagraphics. He was an artist on The Real Ghostbusters
comic for Marvel UK
and was the colourist on the first seven issues of Paul Grist
's superhero comic book, Jack Staff
. Other work has appeared in Punch
, Knockabout, Fox Comics and Power Rangers
. Elliott has recently coloured Doctor Who comics for IDW Publishing.
and Absent Friends for Slave Labor Graphics
and Illegal Alien for Dark Horse Comics
.
, Barry Smith
and Jeff Jones
. Elliott was later influenced by the European ligne clair, or Clear Line, artists such as Hergé
and Joost Swarte
. Eddie Campbell, along with Glenn Dakin and Ed Pinsent
have also had a major influence on Elliott's work and outlook.
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
who was published in Escape Magazine
Escape Magazine
Escape magazine was a landmark British comic strip magazine founded and edited by Paul Gravett and Peter Stanbury. Nineteen issues were published between 1983 to 1989...
. He was part of the British small press comics
British small press comics
British small press comics, once known as stripzines, are comic books self-published by amateur cartoonists and comic book creators, usually in short print runs, in the UK. A "small press comic" is essentially a zine composed predominantly of comic strips. The term emerged in the early 1980s to...
scene in the 1980s.
Career
After contributing spot illustrations to comic fanzines such as Bemusing and The Panelologist in the mid 70's, Elliott decided to try his hand at publishing his own fanzine and, with the help of Ian Wieczorek and Paul Chester released Blitzine, followed by Delapsus Resurgam. In 1977 Elliott, with co-editors John Matthews (a fellow comic artist) and Ian Wieczorek, published the comic fanzine, Elipse. Elipse ran for three issues and printed early strips by Kev F Sutherland, Mike Matthews, and Dave Hine as well as Elliott himself. Elipse was a unique fanzine at the time, featuring solely comic strips.In the early 1980s Elliott became re-acquainted with an old comic collecting friend, Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett
Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing and promotion for over 20 years....
, who was working on Pssst! magazine. Unable to get his worked published in Pssst!, Elliott decided to return to self-publishing and, with Ian Wieczorek again, released the Fast Fiction comic, which took its name from the Fast Fiction
Fast Fiction
Fast Fiction was a market stall, magazine, mail order distributor and news sheet that played a key role in the history of British small press comics...
comics distribution service.
One of the artists Phil chose to publish in Fast Fiction was Eddie Campbell
Eddie Campbell
Eddie Campbell is a Scottish comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Australia. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of From Hell , Campbell is also the creator of the semi-autobiographical Alec stories collected in Alec: The Years Have Pants, and Bacchus , a wry adventure...
. Elliott collaborated with Campbell between 1984 and 1986 on various comic strips that ran in the music paper Sounds and drew the first issue of Campbell's Lucifer. Elliott was also responsible for colouring many of the covers of Campbell's comics for Harrier Comics
Harrier Comics
Harrier Comics was a British comic book publisher active in the mid-to-late 1980s. Harrier was notable for putting out black-and-white comics in a mold more similar to American comics than typical British fare...
.
Elliott also formed a strong creative partnership with Glenn Dakin
Glenn Dakin
Glenn Dakin is a British cartoonist and author of children's books. He was a contributor to a number of British comics magazines including Escape and Deadline and was part of the British small press comics scene in the 1980s...
, which resulted in comics such as Greenhouse Warriors, Mr Night and The Man from Cancer.
Elliott was a regular contributor to the influential UK comic magazine Escape, and in 1985 Escape published his Doc Chaos comic. Doc Chaos was written by Dave Thorpe
Dave Thorpe
Dave Thorpe is a British writer who is best known for his work on Captain Britain.-Biography:Thorpe's career began with Marvel UK's Captain Britain character in the early 1980s. He created many of the characters later used by Alan Moore...
and Lawrence Gray
Lawrence Gray
Lawrence Gray was an American actor of the 1920s and 1930s.During World War I he served in the U. S. Navy and gained a commission...
.
In 1985 Elliott began drawing The Suttons for his local newspaper, The Maidstone Star. This comic strip ran for three years.
After handing over the editorship of Fast Fiction to Ed Pinsent, Elliott began editing !GAG! for Harrier Comics. Harrier Comics also published Elliott and Paul Duncan's four-issue Second City comic as well as two collections of Elliott's A Tale from Gimbley stories, Some Tales From Gimbley and More Tales From Gimbley.
Elliott has worked in some capacity for most of the major comic publishers in the US and UK. His comic Blite was published by Fantagraphics. He was an artist on The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters (comics)
The Real Ghostbusters is a comic series spun off from the animated series of the same name. Versions were published by Marvel UK and NOW Comics. Publication of the series began on March 28, 1988.-NOW Comics:...
comic for Marvel UK
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
and was the colourist on the first seven issues of Paul Grist
Paul Grist
Paul Grist is a British comic book creator, noted for his hard-boiled police series Kane and his unorthodox superhero series Jack Staff.-Biography:...
's superhero comic book, Jack Staff
Jack Staff
Jack Staff is a British superhero created by comic book writer/artist Paul Grist. Billed as "Britain's Greatest Hero", it is known for being in the style of an anthology title and for its multi-linear plotlines....
. Other work has appeared in Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
, Knockabout, Fox Comics and Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
. Elliott has recently coloured Doctor Who comics for IDW Publishing.
Recent work
Elliott's most recent work is a quirky under-18 thriller entitled Contraband written by Thomas John Behe. Released in February 2008, Contraband was a unique illustrated book revealing how privacy-invading camera phone use fuels the multi-billion dollar spy-cam industry. Other graphic novels include TUPELOTupelo
The tupelo , black gum, or pepperidge tree, genus Nyssa , is a small genus of about 9 to 11 species of trees with alternate, simple leaves...
and Absent Friends for Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
and Illegal Alien for 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...
.
Influences
Elliott's early influences were mainly US comic book artists, including Bernie WrightsonBernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
, Barry Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
and Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones (artist)
Jeffrey Catherine Jones was an American artist whose work is best known from the late 1960s through 2000s. Jones provided over 150 covers for many different types of books through 1976, as well as venturing into fine art during and after this time...
. Elliott was later influenced by the European ligne clair, or Clear Line, artists such as Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
and Joost Swarte
Joost Swarte
Joost Swarte is a Dutch comic artist and graphic designer. He is best known for his ligne claire or clear line style of drawing, and in fact coined the term....
. Eddie Campbell, along with Glenn Dakin and Ed Pinsent
Ed Pinsent
Ed Pinsent is a British cartoonist, artist and writer born 1960 in Liverpool.-Biography:Pinsent has written and drawn his own small press comics since 1982, including characters such as Primitif, Henrietta and Windy Wilberforce...
have also had a major influence on Elliott's work and outlook.