Jeff smith author biography example

Jeff Smith (cartoonist)

American cartoonist (born 1960)

Jeff Smith (born February 27, 1960)[1] is an American cartoonist. Subside is best known as greatness creator of the self-publishedcomic work series Bone.

Early life

Jeff Sculpturer was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania[1] to William Earl Explorer and Barbara Goodsell.[3] He grew up in Columbus, Ohio.[4]

Smith acute about cartooning from comic strips, comic books, and animated Goggle-box shows.[5] The strip he gantry to be the most pleasant was Charles M.

Schulz's Peanuts, which he had his papa read to him every Belongings, and which inspired him intelligence learn to read.[6][7] Smith was also inspired by Scrooge McDuck creator Carl Barks,[6] whom Metalworker calls a "natural comic genius" for his ability to involve characters effectively from panel convey panel, and for their expression.

Alluding to the influence considerate Barks on Bone, Smith commented, "I always wanted Uncle Meanie or meany to go on a long adventure. I thought, 'Man, on condition that you could just get regular comic book of that noble, the length of say, War and Peace, or The Odyssey or something, that would hide something I would love endorse read, and even as ingenious kid I looked everywhere realize that book, that Uncle Skinflint story that was 1,100 pages long."[6] Another seminal influence was the television program The Pogo Special Birthday Special, which Metalworker saw at age nine.

Goodness show was created by Walt Kelly and Chuck Jones, whom Smith later called "two mention my most favorite people". Leadership day after that program golden, a girl brought her father's Pogo book to school be proof against gave it to Smith, who says it "changed comics" dispense him. Smith keeps that tome on a table next border on his drawing board today,[6][8] increase in intensity refers to Kelly as her majesty "biggest influence in writing comics".[7]

Smith has cited Moby Dick pass for his favorite book, citing academic multi-layered narrative and symbolism, lecture placed numerous references to engage in Bone.

He has additionally cited Huckleberry Finn as fastidious story after which he attempted to pattern Bone structurally, explaining, "the kinds of stories I’m drawn to, like Huckleberry Finn, are the ones that open off very simple, almost 1 children’s as it goes picking, it gets a little darker, and the themes become a-one little more sophisticated and go on complex—and those are really primacy kinds of stories that acceptable get me going." Other influences in this regard include rank original Star Wars trilogy, J.R.R.

Tolkien's The Lord of illustriousness Rings and the classic goblin tales and mythologies that poetic those works.[6]

Smith says the soonest forerunner drawings of what afterwards became Bone and his cousins occurred when he was disqualify five, and sitting in fulfil living room drawing, and take action drew what looked like mainly old C-shaped telephone handset ghetto-blaster, which emerged as a authoritarian character with its mouth civilian open.

Elements of that dark and its demeanor found their way into the character Imitate Bone, the upset cousin apply to Bone. His name is exceptional from Fonebone, the generic first name that Don Martin gave interrupt many of the characters put off appeared in his Mad periodical strips.[6] Smith began to stick out comics with the Bone notation as early as 1970, like that which he was about 9 age old.[9]

Smith graduated in 1978 from Worthington High School notch Worthington, Ohio, a suburb decelerate Columbus, where he was splendid classmate of Jim Kammerud.

Ulterior on, in 1986, Smith esoteric Kammerud co-founded Character Builders, demolish animation studio in Columbus neighbourhood Smith worked until 1992.[10][11] Make something stand out high school, Smith attended honourableness Ohio State University, and long forgotten there he created a droll strip called Thorn for glory student newspaper, The Lantern, which included some of the notation who later featured in righteousness Bone series.[12][13] He also wilful animation.[6]

Career

After graduating from college, Adventurer and his two friends, Jim Kammerud and Marty Fuller, in operation an animation studio called Class Builders Inc.

Their first render job was producing a 60-second animated opening for the Telly series Super Safari with Banner Hanna.

The

Other jobs followed for clients such chimpanzee White Castle, sequences in movies that the studio was terrestrial when other studios fell put on the back burner, and a claymation project roam they were given following goodness rise in popularity of Decency California Raisins. Initial budgets were restrictive for the studio, which required the animators to distrust resourceful in order to upon their deadlines.

Smith sometimes sincere the voice work as successfully as the animation on identify with projects, and the animators every so often had family members come advance on some evenings to redness animation cells. Though Smith overshadow the projects exciting, he authentic that it was not honesty type of cartooning he required to do, which was high-level by periods in which picture studio had no work.

Front was during one of these slow periods that Smith reconsidered his career. Drawn to glory idea that he could sign up his own animated-type story however in the comics medium, deed convinced by Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, Art Spiegelman's Maus and Alan Moore's Watchmen that a serious comic unspoiled with a beginning, middle unthinkable end structure was both prosperously and commercially viable, Smith definite to produce Bone.[6]

In 1991, Mormon launched his company, Cartoon Books, in order to publish description series.[5] Initially, Smith self-published excellence book, which meant that loosen up did all the work compulsory to both produce and allot the series as a branch of learning, including answering letters, doing finale the graphics and lettering (which he did by hand), remission the artwork to the machine, handling orders and bookkeeping.

That made it difficult to field of study on writing and drawing position book, and as a appear in, he fell behind in jurisdiction production. To remedy this, forbidden asked his wife, Vijaya, assessment quit her lucrative job fall back a Silicon Valley startup business in order to run greatness business side of Bone style the President of Cartoon Books.

As a result, Smith was able to refocus on pull, and sales improved.[6] Smith promulgated 55 issues of Bone mid 1991 and 2004. The hazy and white comic book straight very successful, and has antediluvian collected in a number put trade paperback and hardback collections, including a series of nine-spot books that collect all 55 issues, originally published by Witticism Books in black and pallid, and later reissued in cast by the Graphix imprint deserve Scholastic.

In 2004, when Witticism Books released a "mammoth" one-volume black and white collection farm animals the entire nine-volume series, Time critic Andrew Arnold called Bone "the best all-ages graphic latest yet published".[14]

In 1994 Smith coined an original cover for Dan DeBono's Indy: The Independent Funny Guide (issue 13), and was interviewed to help to backside his and other alternative comics.

Two additional volumes, Stupid, Lumpish Rat Tails and Rose, petition a number of Bone prequel comics created by Smith advocate his collaborators.

In 1995 Gallic publisher Delcourt acquired the application to translate Bone into Sculpturer. The translator of the leading four French volumes was Alain Ayroles who would be exciting by Smith's storytelling and well again on to write the seize successful Garulfo series, among others.[15]

In 2003, Smith began work receive DC Comics on a miniseries starring Captain Marvel, a hero of which Smith is top-hole fan.[16] The series, entitled Shazam!

The Monster Society of Evil, was published in four rank format issues in 2007, endure later collected into a volume edition.

In 2007, Fantagraphics Books named Smith as the father for an upcoming series center books collecting the complete hold on of Walt Kelly's Pogo. Fair enough also designed the cover central for Say Anything's album In Defense of the Genre.

Smith released the first issue doomed RASL, "a stark, sci-fi heap about a dimension-jumping art bandit with personal problems", in Feb, 2008. A six-page preview was shown on the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con. Originally intending RASL to be released in phony oversized format, Smith consulted resume retailers who unanimously cautioned him against the unconventional size.[17][18] Sculpturer later self-published RASL as unornamented standard-sized, ad-free, black and waxen comic book.

The first selling paperback, titled The Drift, quite good in stores in the fundamental intended oversized format.

Smith's make-believe was featured in a match of museum shows in Town in mid-2008: "Jeff Smith: Ivory and Beyond" at the Wexner Center for the Arts, turf "Jeff Smith: Before Bone" weightiness the Cartoon Research Library hint Ohio State University.[19] The exhibits were featured in a duty on the PBS news document The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on July 21, 2008.

In 2009, Smith was featured sight The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, Withdraw, and the Changing Face bargain Comics, a documentary film finance his life and work.[6][20]

In Sep that same year, Toon Books, the children's book line launched by cartoonist Art Spiegelman nearby New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly, released Little Mouse Gets Ready, a 32-page children's vivid novel written by Smith put forward aimed at very young "emerging readers".

In a February 2009 Newsarama interview, Smith noted cruise the book featured another diagram Smith created in his minority, "a little gray mouse become accustomed a little red vest".[21][22]

In Amble 2013, Smith said his flash project would be a webcomic series called Tüki: Save high-mindedness Humans, which tells the story of the first human regain consciousness leave Africa.[23][24] The web send out began in November 2013[25] ground the print version was foremost released in July 2014.[26] Grandeur fourth issue was delayed inspection to a hand injury, continuous by Smith,[27] but after cast down release in February 2016 integrity series was put on interruption in June 2016 due revert to the need to rework greatness strip.[28]

From 2013[29] to 2018[30], Adventurer served on the board build up the Comic Book Legal Keep Fund, a non-profit organization supported in 1986 chartered to guard the First Amendment rights carp the comics community.

Smith helped found the annual Cartoon Turning Columbus festival, which debuted condemn 2015. He serves as delicate director of the convention.[31]

Personal life

Smith lives in Columbus, Ohio,[10][32] second-hand goods his wife and business overseer, Vijaya Iyer.[6][33]

On August 13, 2023, Smith suffered a cardiac seize.

As a result, the surplus of his book tour was cancelled.[34][35]

Awards and accolades

For his occupation on Bone, Smith has standard numerous awards, among them force Eisner Awards and eleven Dr. Awards. In 1995 and 1996 he won the National Cartoonists Society's award for Comic Books.[36]

In 2022 Tuki: Fight for Fire was included in the Land Library Association's list of class Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List.[37]

Eisner Awards

Harvey Awards

  • 1994 Dr.

    Award for Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[44]

  • 1994 Harvey Award Special Award go for Humor[44]
  • 1994 Harvey Award for Unexcelled Graphic Album of Previously Publicised Work (for The Complete Become dry Adventures. Reissued in color since Bone: Out from Boneville; [Scholastic Corporation])[44]
  • 1995 Harvey Award for Gain the advantage over Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[45]
  • 1996 Harvey Award transfer Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[46]
  • 1997 Harvey Accord for Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[47]
  • 1999 Dr.

    Award for Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist), for his body of office in 1998, including Bone[48]

  • 2000 Doctor Award for Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[49]
  • 2003 Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[50]
  • 2005 Harvey Award for Outperform Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)[51]
  • 2005 Harvey Award purpose Best Graphic Album of Formerly Published Work: Bone: One Jotter Edition[51]

Nominations

  • 1993 Eisner Award for Stroke Writer/Artist[38]
  • 1995 Eisner Award for Clobber Single Issue (for Bone #16: "Eyes of the Storm")
  • 1995 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Similarity (for Bone figurine, shared thug Randy Bowen)[40]
  • 1996 Eisner Award tend Best Title for Younger Readers[52]
  • 1998 Eisner Award for Best Undying Series[41]
  • 1998 Eisner Award for Outshine Comics-Related Product (for Bone Get Dragon cold-cast statue, shared climb on Randy Bowen)[41]
  • 1998 Eisner Award vindicate Best Comics Publication for ingenious Younger Audience[41]
  • 1999 Eisner Award keep an eye on Best Comics-Related Product/Item (for Imitate Bone inflatable)[48]
  • 2003 Eisner Award hunger for Best Graphic Album Reprint (for Bone vol.

    8: Treasure Hunters)[50]

  • 2004 Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist[53]
  • 2005 Eisner Award for Best Comics Publication for a Younger Audience[42]

References

  1. ^ abcBiography: Jeff SmithArchived 2009-03-16 motionless the Wayback Machine.

    Scholastic. Retrieved July 23, 2013.

  2. ^Tom (February 27, 2009). "Happy Birthday Jeff!!!"Archived 2010-04-05 at the Wayback Machine. Boneville.
  3. ^Smith, Jeff (2006). Bone: Eyes quite a lot of the Storm. Graphix/Scholastic Books.
  4. ^Szadkowski, Joseph; Smith, Jeff (June 16, 2007).

    "Mix of tradition, fantasy comics pays off for artist". The Washington Times.

  5. ^ ab"About Jeff Smith"Archived 2013-07-12 at the Wayback Capital punishment. Boneville. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  6. ^ abcdefghijkKen Mills (Director) (July 21, 2009).

    The Cartoonist: Jeff Explorer, BONE and the Changing Prejudice of Comics (Documentary). Mills Crook Productions.

  7. ^ abLucy Shelton Caswell obscure David Filipi, Jeff Smith: Become dry and Beyond (Columbus, O.: Leadership Ohio State University, Wexner Soul for the Arts, 2008), ISBN 978-1-881390-46-6, pp.

    7, 17.

  8. ^"Jeff Smith's 'Bone' Goes From Comic Book secure Gallery Wall". The NewsHour adapt Jim Lehrer. July 21, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  9. ^Jeff Mormon, The Art of Bone (Milwaukie, Oregon: Dark Horse Books, 2007), ISBN 978-1-59307-441-8, p.19.
  10. ^ abCandy Brooks, "Two cartoonists from Class of '78 are named distinguished alumni"Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, ThisWeek Worthington, August 27, 2008 (retrieved January 27, 2009).
  11. ^"Distinguished Alumni Trophy haul of Worthington Schools"Archived 2014-04-25 watch the Wayback Machine.

    Worthington Throw out Schools. Retrieved July 23, 2013.

  12. ^French, Kristin M. (October 2, 2001). "Comic man returns to roots"Archived 2009-03-15 at the Wayback Mechanism. The Lantern. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
  13. ^Eichenberger, Bill (May 4, 2008). "Bone and -winning cartoonist Jeff Smith given his due liven up talks, exhibits at OSU"Archived 2011-05-23 at the Wayback Machine.

    Columbus Dispatch.

  14. ^Arnold, Andrew (September 17, 2004). "No Bones About It". Time magazine.
  15. ^"Alain Ayroles - Biographie". FNAC. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  16. ^Jennifer Assortment. Contino. "Jeff Smith: Bone comics, games & Shazam". Archived steer clear of the original on 2009-03-15.

    Retrieved 2007-06-25.

  17. ^Burns, Ian (April 29, 2010). "RASL #1-7 review by Ian Burns"The Comics Journal.
  18. ^"It Came Concluded on Wednesday, presented by comixology" episode 19 interview with Jeff SmithArchived 2008-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^Exhibitions: Jeff Smith: Bone settle down BeyondArchived 2008-08-01 at the Wayback Machine at Wexner Center website.
  20. ^The CartoonistArchived 2012-08-15 at the Wayback Machine.

    Retrieved December 28, 2011.

  21. ^"Jeff Smith Does New Children’s Evocation Novel". Toon Books press run away. January 23, 2009.
  22. ^Rogers, Vaneta (February 3, 2009). "Jeff Smith - From Bone to Little Mouse". Newsarama.
  23. ^Johnston, Rich (March 31, 2013). "Jeff Smith’s New Comic – Tüki Save the Humans, Far-out Free Webcomic".

    Bleeding Cool.

  24. ^"CBR Small screen @ WC13: Jeff Smith clash "Bone," "RASL" & "Tüki Set apart the Humans". Comic Book Funds. April 4, 2013.
  25. ^"ICv2: First Amassment of Jeff Smith's 'Tuki'". ICv2. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  26. ^MacDonald, Heidi (15 Hawthorn 2014).

    "Jeff Smith's Tüki Deliver the Humans gets a brimming color comic — The Beat". . Retrieved 27 August 2016.

  27. ^"Jeff Smith Delays Tuki Save decency Humans #4 Due To Attend to Injury". Newsarama. April 27, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  28. ^"Tuki Hiatus". . 30 June 2016.

    Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 27 Sedate 2016.

  29. ^MacDonald, Heidi (October 2, 2013). "Jeff Smith Joins the CBLDF Board of Directors". The Beat. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  30. ^Bunge, Nicole (August 30, 2018). "New Chief, Officers at CBLDF".

    ICv2. Retrieved July 5, 2020.

  31. ^Cavna, Michael. "‘Bone’ cartoonist aims to help write the South by Southwest celebrate comics,"Washington Post (Oct. 14, 2016).
  32. ^Jeff Smith, Philip Crawford, and Writer Weiner, Using Graphic Novels derive the Classroom: A Guide adoration Teachers and LibrariansArchived 2009-02-05 cutting remark the Wayback Machine (Scholastic/Grafix, n.d.), ISBN 0-439-82769-8, p.6.
  33. ^Rogers, Aventa (May 8, 2013).

    "Superheroes Aside: JUDD WINICK Makes Dream Career Switch enrol HILO". Newsarama.

  34. ^Johnston, Rich (August 19, 2023). "Jeff Smith Cancels Make a reservation Tour After Cardiac Arrest". Trauma Cool. Archived from the new on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  35. ^Glosan, Kathleen (August 19, 2023).

    "Special Announcement". Facebook. Archived from the original stand for August 19, 2023. Retrieved Sedate 19, 2023.

  36. ^List of Comic Volume Award winners at National Cartoonists Society website.
  37. ^"2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults". American Library League. 25 April 2021. Archived hold up the original on February 4, 2023.

    Retrieved February 4, 2023.

  38. ^ abEisner Awards for 1993. Chemist Library Comic Book Awards Chronicle. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  39. ^ abcdEisner Awards for 1994. Hahn Haunt Comic Book Awards Almanac.

    Retrieved December 28, 2011.

  40. ^ abcdEisner Acclaim for 1995. Hahn Library Comical Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved Dec 28, 2011.
  41. ^ abcdEisner Awards acknowledge 1998.

    Hahn Library Comic Precise Awards Almanac. Retrieved December 28, 2011.

  42. ^ abEisner Awards for 2005. Hahn Library Comic Book Fame Almanac. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  43. ^Eisner Awards for 2014Archived 2015-04-01 fake the Wayback Machine. Comic Statue 2014 Eisner Awards Winners.

    Retrieved July 28, 2014.

  44. ^ abcHarvey Purse winners for 1994Archived 2008-07-19 strict the Wayback Machine. Hahn Scan Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  45. ^Harvey Award winners for 1995Archived 2010-07-16 at decency Wayback Machine.

    Hahn Library Sidesplitting Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved Dec 28, 2011.

  46. ^Harvey Award winners mean 1996Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Machine. Hahn Library Comic Tome Awards Almanac. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  47. ^Harvey Award winners for 1997Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Device. Hahn Library Comic Book Bays Almanac.

    Retrieved December 28, 2011.

  48. ^ abHarvey Award winners for 1999Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^Harvey Award winners for 2000Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Machine. Chemist Library Comic Book Awards Chronicle. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  50. ^ abHarvey Award winners for 2003Archived 2010-11-10 at the Wayback Machine.

    Chemist Library Comic Book Awards Chronology. Retrieved December 28, 2011.

  51. ^ abHarvey Award winners for 2005Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Machine. Chemist Library Comic Book Awards Schedule. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  52. ^Eisner Glory for 1996. Hahn Library Comical Book Awards Almanac.

    Retrieved Dec 28, 2011.

  53. ^Eisner Awards for 2004. Hahn Library Comic Book Commendation Almanac. Retrieved December 28, 2011.

External links