Bryan Hitch
Bryan Hitch | |
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Born | National Comics Award for Best Artist in Comics Now (2003)[3] | 22 April 1970
Bryan Hitch (born 22 April 1970) is a British
Hitch's artwork and designs have appeared in
Early life
Bryan Hitch was born 22 April 1970
Hitch spent much time as a child drawing, which included and copying the art from comics. Although he had envisioned drawing them as a career, he would eventually find himself in seminary, studying to be a priest. When he realized he needed to leave that institution, relating during an interview at the 2008 New York Comic Con, "Apart from wanting to do comics, I also have a fundamental lack of belief in God."[5]
Career
1980s — 1990s
Hitch entered the comics industry after submitting "Teeth Like Flint", an Action Force sample story he wrote and drew to Marvel UK, using a style that was fashionable at the time,[4] which resembled that of another Marvel UK artist, Alan Davis.[5] Marvel UK gave him his first professional commission in May or June 1987, approximately a month and a half after his 17th birthday,[4] which was for that very title. Deriding his skills from his early career, Hitch remarked in 2008, "Why they hired me, I have no idea. I assume they were drunk."[5]
Hitch worked with
Hitch had resolved to leave comics in order to pursue film and commercial work, and when he accepted the assignment of drawing
This led to a year on JLA with Mark Waid which included the JLA: Heaven's Ladder tabloid format one-shot.[7] The run was marred by fill-in artists, and in Hitch's view, by the fact that he and writer Mark Waid did not enjoy the same compatibility as he and Ellis did.[5]
2000s
Amid his disappointment with his Justice League work, Hitch was offered work by
By this time Hitch had developed a reputation for slow work and lateness,[5][15][16] which began with his work on Ultimates,[5][15] and continued with his Justice League work. Although Millar and Quesada said that the book's tardiness was due to the high level of detail in Hitch's art, Hitch, who acknowledged in a 2008 interview that he was working to repair his reputation in this regard, explained that the long delays in between issues of The Ultimates, was due to the birth of his child, two house moves, and an office move,[15] though Hitch also conceded that the page count of his art exceeded what was indicated in Millar's scripts, saying, "Mark would write a twenty two page comic and I would take it to thirty eight pages." So burnt out did Hitch feel after the "hard slog" of The Ultimates that it took a considerable effort on Millar's part to convince him to return for the sequel.[5] In the case of Heaven's Ladder, however, DC Comics, which was less supportive of his tardiness than Marvel, scheduled the book according to the day he signed the contract for it, and began advertising it when he still had four or five more issues of The Authority to do. Hitch related:[15]
"I pointed this out, and they said, 'Oh, don’t worry, we'll correct it in-house and adjust the later delivery dates and the ship dates’, but they didn’t do that! So suddenly this book was five months late when I started it, and they’d already started advertising the book and soliciting it. And this was only half of the bad experience. It was 72 pages of artwork which was 50% more work than normal since you drew the pages bigger – which inevitably DC didn’t pay us for: they paid us normal rates. Paul and I lost money doing it; we practically went bankrupt, because we were trying to do this good job and use the space on the pages better since they could be done larger. Otherwise, we could have just done a normal comic book: What was the point of the extra format?"[15]
Hitch found his work drawing Millar's run on Fantastic Four, to be a better experience. He made a point of drawing on illustration board roughly twice the size of the Marvel standard, which allowed him to complete the artwork faster.
Hitch's cover to
2010s — present
By the end of 2011, Hitch's exclusivity contract with Marvel expired.
He illustrated six issues of the ten-issue miniseries Age of Ultron, which debuted in 2013.[22] The following year Hitch and writer Brad Meltzer collaborated on a retelling of Batman's first appearance for Detective Comics vol. 2 #27.[23]
March 2014 saw the debut of Hitch's creator-owned series, Real Heroes, which he wrote and illustrated. Hitch described the concept as "the cast of Avengers does Galaxy Quest."[24]
In 2015, Hitch returned DC to write and draw
Beginning in 2019, he partnered with Warren Ellis for a twelve-issue DC limited series The Batman's Grave.[30] Hitch commented, "I've wanted to do a proper Batman book since childhood so all the tropes from Batmobile, Batcave, to Wayne Manor have been developing in my mind for decades. I've drawn Batman in Justice League which was nice but getting to fully play with his world has been as 'Batmanny' as I could have hoped for."[31]
In 2021, Hitch became the monthly penciler on Marvel's Venom (Vol. 5), teaming him with writers Al Ewing and Ram V.[32] In December 2022 it was reported that Hitch would be replaced as the interior artist by CAFU with issue 17, though he would continue to draw the series' covers up to issue 25.[33]
In April 2023, it was announced that Hitch would be teaming up with Mark Waid for a three issue miniseries for DC Black Label called Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor. The first issue was released in July 2023.[34]
On October 12, 2023, Hitch and a group of colleagues announced at the
Influence
Film director Josh Trank has described himself as a "huge fan" of Hitch's artwork, and was inspired by Hitch's depiction of Reed Richards working in his garage in The Ultimates to approach focus on Richards as a young man in the 2015 Fantastic Four film.[41]
Technique and materials
Hitch does not consider himself an artist or comic artist, but a storyteller, explaining that illustration for him is simply a medium to tell a story.[4]
Hitch is particular about his studio workspace, which does not contain a TV or sofa, stating that such things belong in the lounge for relaxation. In addition to a large drawing board and extra desk space for his computer equipment and
Hitch begins with multiple rough sketches employing different camera angles on paper with a
Regarding inking, Hitch says, "Inking isn't about tracing, or taking someone else's pencil drawing and making it your own. It's about being aware of and respectful about the original artist's intentions. It's also about making your own artistic judgements based on your interpretation of the piece. The skill is then honing your technique to be able to actually deliver a strong, inked piece that is just how the artist wanted it to be." For feathering, Hitch uses a size 0
Personal life
As of September 2003, Hitch, his fiancé Joanne, and their five children lived in England. At the time he stated in an interview that he and Joanne planned to marry when the time was right.[2] As of 2014, the biographical blurb on his Twitter page indicated that he was married.[42]
Bibliography
Interior work
DC Comics
- Adventures of SupermanAnnual #3 (1991)
- The Batman's Grave #1-current (2019–present)
- Detective Comics vol. 2 #27 (2014)
- Exciting X-Patrol (Amalgam Comics) (1997)
- Green Lantern vol. 3 #1,000,000 (1998)
- Hawkman vol. 5 #1–12 (2018–2019)
- Hawkman: Found #1 (2018)
- JLA #47–50, 52–55, 57–58 (2000–2001)
- JLA: Heaven's Ladder (2000)
- Justice League vol. 3 #1–11, 14–21, 25–31 (writer; also artist on #14, 20–21; 2016–2017)
- Justice League: Rebirth #1 (writer/artist; 2016)
- Justice League of America, vol. 4, #1–4, 6–9 (writer/artist), #10 (writer only; 2015–2016)
- Martian Manhunter vol. 2 #11 (1999)
- Showcase '93 #4–5 (Geo-Force) (1993)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Killing Shadows #1 (inker) (2000)
- Team Titans #21 (1994)
- Transmetropolitan #31 (2000)
- Young Monsters in Love #1 (Solomon Grundy) (2018)
Image Comics
- America's Got Powers #1–6 (2012–2013)
- Real Heroes #1 (2014)
WildStorm
- The Authority #1–12 (1999–2000)
- Gen-Active #1 (2000)
- Stormwatch (Vol 2) #3–8, 10–11 (1997)
- Wildcats #5 (1999)
Impact Books
- Bryan Hitch's Ultimate Comics Studio (2010)
Marvel Comics
- Age of Ultron #1–5, 10 (2013)
- Alpha Flight vol. 2 #6 (1998)
- Avengers vol. 4 #12.1 (2011)
- Captain America: Reborn #1–6 (2009–2010)
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers #11–12 (1992)
- ClanDestine #11 (1995)
- Colossus#1 (1997)
- Excalibur #104–105 (1997)
- Fantastic Four #554–568 (2008–2009)
- Free Comic Book Day 2021: Spider-Man/Venom #1 (Venom's story) (2021)
- Gambit Giant-Size #1 (1998)
- Generation X #28 (1997)
- Marvel Comics Presents #76 (1991)
- New Avengers #50 (among other artists) (2009)
- New Avengers Finale (among other artists) (2010)
- Sensational She-Hulk #9–11, 13–20, 24–26 (1989–1991)
- Thing/She-Hulk: The Long Night one-shot (with Ivan Reis) (2002)
- Ultimate Fallout #2 (Thor) (2011)
- Ultimate Invasion #1–4 (2023)
- The Ultimates #1–13 (2002–2004)
- The Ultimates 2 #1–13 (2004–2007)
- Uncanny X-Men #323, 331 (1995–1996)
- Uncanny X-Men '95 #1 (1995)
- Venom (Vol. 5) #1-16 (2021-2023)
- What If? #59 (Wolverine) (1994)
- X-Factor #105, 118 (1994–1996)
- X-Men Prime #1 (among other artists) (1995)
- X-Men vs. Brood: Day of Wrath #1–2 (1997)
Marvel UK
- Hell's Angel, miniseries, #1, 3–5 (with Geoff Senior, 1992)
- Death's Head #1–5, 7, 10 (1988–1989)
- Death's Head II #1 (with Liam Sharp, 1992)
- Doctor Who Magazine #139 (1988)
- Dragon's Claws #3 (1988)
- G.I. Joe: European Missions #2, 6 (1988)
- The Incomplete Death's Head #8–9, 11–12 (1993)
- Mys-Tech Wars #1–4 (1993)
- Transformers #151, 172–173 (with Simon Furman, 1988)
Valiant Comics
- Ninjak: Yearbook #1 (1994)
- The Visitor vs. the Valiant Universe, miniseries, #1–2 (1995)
Cover work
- Action Force #47 (Marvel UK, 1988)
- The Transformers #154–155, 160–161, 279 (Marvel UK, 1988–1990)
- The TransformersSpecial #9–10 (Marvel UK, 1988)
- Death's Head #4–5, 8–9 (Marvel UK, 1989)
- Marvel Comics Presents #44 (Marvel, 1990)
- Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.#18–19 (Marvel, 1990–1991)
- Hell's Angel #1, 3 (Marvel UK, 1992)
- Dark Angel #6–7 (Marvel UK, 1992–1993)
- Knights of Pendragon #3, 5, 7–8 (Marvel UK, 1992–1993)
- Codename: Genetix #1–2 (Marvel UK, 1993)
- Die Cut #3 (Marvel UK, 1994)
- Mantra #12–14, 23 (Malibu, 1994–1995)
- Prime #23 (Malibu, 1995)
- X-O Manowar #43 (Malibu, 1995)
- X-Men Adventuresvol. 3 #7 (Marvel, 1995)
- The Phoenix Resurrection: Genesis #1 (Malibu, 1995)
- The Phoenix Resurrection #0 (Malibu, 1996)
- DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 (DC Comics, 1999)
- DCU Villains Secret Files #1 (DC Comics, 1999)
- JLA 80-Page Giant #2 (DC Comics, 1999)
- JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1 (DC Comics, 2000)
- Superman: The Man of Steel #97 (DC Comics, 2000)
- The Titans#14 (DC Comics, 2000)
- Superman: Metropolis Secret Files #1 (DC Comics, 2000)
- Jenny Sparks: The Secret History of the Authority #1 (Wildstorm, 2000)
- Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Killing Shadows #1 (Wildstorm, 2000)
- JLA #51, 56–58 (DC Comics, 2001)
- Ultimate Fantastic Four #1, 3–5 (Marvel, 2004)
- Ultimate Iron Man #1 (Marvel, 2005)
- X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #1 (Marvel, 2005)
- New Avengers #6 (Marvel, 2005)
- Serenity #1 (Dark Horse, 2005)
- The Ultimates 2 Annual #1 (Marvel, 2005)
- The Amazing Spider-Man #529, 546 (Marvel, 2006–2008)
- The Incredible Hulk #92 (Marvel, 2006)
- Fantastic Four #536, 569, 645 (Marvel, 2006–2010)
- Iron Man #7 (Marvel, 2006)
- Wolverine: Origins #2 (Marvel, 2006)
- Annihilation #1 (Marvel, 2006)
- Giant-Size Avengers #1 (Marvel, 2008)
- X-Force #1 (Marvel, 2008)
- Captain Britain and MI13 #1–8 (Marvel, 2008–2009)
- X-Force Special: Ain't No Dog #1 (Marvel, 2008)
- Secret Invasion: Dark Reign #1 (Marvel, 2009)
- Fantastic Force #1–4 (Marvel, 2009)
- Enter the Heroic Age #1 (Marvel, 2010)
- Vengeance of the Moon Knight#8 (Marvel, 2010)
- Captain America: Man Out of Time #1–5 (Marvel, 2011)
- Ultimate Comics: Avengers vs. New Ultimates #1, 6 (Marvel, 2011)
- Ultimate Comics: Doom #1–4 (Marvel, 2011)
- Wolverine: The Best There Is #1–12 (Marvel, 2011–2012)
- Tomb of Dracula Presents: Throne of Blood #1 (Marvel, 2011)
- Moon Knight #1 (Marvel, 2011)
- Ultimate Comics: Fallout #6 (Marvel, 2011)
- Punisher #1–6, 9, 11 (Marvel, 2011–2012)
- Daredevil #4 (Marvel, 2011)
- Kick-Ass 2 #5 (Icon, 2012)
- Avengers: X-Sanction#1 (Marvel, 2012)
- Age of Apocalypse #1 (Marvel, 2012)
- Supercrooks #2 (Icon, 2012)
- The Secret Service#1 (Icon, 2012)
- The Walking Dead#100 (Image, 2012)
- Secret Origins vol. 3 #7–11 (DC Comics, 2014–2015)
- Wonder Woman vol. 5 #31–37 (cover art) (DC Comics, 2017)
References
- ^ a b "Bryan Hitch". Lambiek Comiclopedia. 5 September 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d Ness, Alexander (15 September 2003). "City Of Heroes: A Conversation With Bryan Hitch". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "National Comics Awards Results 2003". Down The Tubes. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2003.
- ^ ISBN 978-1600613272.
- ^ CBR.com. 20 April 2008. Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ a b c Bryan Hitch at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
Artist Bryan Hitch made full use of the book's extra-large format...Written by Mark Waid, Heaven's Ladder dealt with religion and the afterlife.
- ^ Riesman, Abraham (26 April 2017). "Looking Back on The Ultimates, the Most Uncomfortable Superhero Story Ever Told". Vulture. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- ^ "Ultimates". Comic Book Round Up. 2002. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ Ong Pang Kean, Benjamin (12 November 2006). "Hitch: Done with Ultimates 2 #13". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 13 December 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2008.
- ^ "Ultimates 2 #1". Comic Book Round Up. December 2004. Archived from the original on 19 September 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ George, Richard (11 August 2007). "Millar And Hitch Are Fantastic". IGN. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ Boyle, Sean (12 February 2008). "Mark Millar: Tripping the Light Fantastic". Comics Bulletin. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Encarnacion, Jonathan (12 August 2005). "The Concepts Behind Bryan Hitch". Silver Bullet Comics. Archived from the original on 28 November 2005. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
- ^ a b Diaz, Eric (4 June 2016). "Comics Relief: Dc Cancels Bryan Hitch's Justice League Of America". Nerdist. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "Empire's Upcoming Comic Book Movie Issue". Superherohype.com. 27 September 2006. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014.
- ^ Abrams, J. J. (2009). Star Trek (DVD commentary track). Paramount Pictures.
- History Channel. Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2014.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ Logan, Michael (4 June 2012). "Exclusive First Look: The Walking Dead Comic Hits 100". TV Guide. Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
- ^ Rogers, Vaneta (6 January 2014). "Brad Meltzer Honors, Modernizes Batman's First Appearance in Detective Comics #27". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014.
Perhaps the most daunting task was given to Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch, who have created what DC is calling a 'modern-day retelling' of the first Batman story – the one in the original Detective Comics #27.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2014. Archive requires scrolldown
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 7 February 2015.
- ^ Marston, George (30 March 2016). "Tony Daniel: Rebirth Justice League's 1st Arc Has 'Massive Consequences' For the League & the DCU". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016.
Tony Daniel is no stranger to relaunches at DC Comics...Now, with Rebirth, DC has tapped the veteran creator once again, this time pairing him with Bryan Hitch to relaunch Justice League.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (31 July 2017). "Bryan Hitch Leaving DC's Justice League". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017.
Bryan Hitch has confirmed that he is leaving DC's Justice League title in October.
- ^ Betancourt, David (14 March 2018). "Hawkman will return to his own series from DC Comics this summer". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- CBR.com. Archivedfrom the original on 26 June 2018.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (9 October 2019). "The Batman's Grave #1 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 6 July 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ Dandeneau, Jim (13 January 2020). "Why The Batman's Grave Could Become a Modern Classic". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- SyFy. Archivedfrom the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ Doran, Michael (14 December 2022). "Venom ongoing gets a new artist in March". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- GamesRadar. Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "NYCC 2023: Ghost Machine Launches A Cooperative Media Company". Graphic Policy. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- Popverse. Archivedfrom the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Johnston, Rich (12 October 2023). "Johns, Hitch, Frank, Fabok, Tomasi, Meltzer & Manapul's Ghost Machine". Bleeding Cool. Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Dominguez, Noah (13 October 2023). "Ghost Machine: Geoff Johns, Gary Frank and More Launch New Image Comics Imprint". SuperHero Hype. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to Ghost Machine". Ghost Machine Productions. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023 – via YouTube.
- Yahoo! Entertainment. Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2015.
- ^ Hitch, Bryan (December 2009). "Bryan Hitch". Twitter. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
Further reading
- Manning, Matthew K. (2008). "2000s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: ISBN 978-0756641238.
External links
- Bryan Hitch at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Bryan Hitch at IMDb
- Bryan Hitch at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- Bryan Hitch at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators