Bill Sienkiewicz

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Bill Sienkiewicz

Birth name Boleslav William Felix Robert Sienkiewicz
Born May 3, 1958 (1958-05-03) (age 50)
Blakely, Pennsylvania, United States
Nationality American
Area(s) artist, writer
Notable works Stray Toasters
Elektra: Assassin
New Mutants
Awards full list

Boleslav (William) Felix Robert Sienkiewicz (IPA: [sɪn 'kɛvɪʧ]; Polish [ɕɛn 'kjeviʧ]; born May 3, 1958, Blakely, Pennsylvania, United States), usually referred to as Bill Sienkiewicz, is a visual artist best known for his comic books, primarily Marvel Comics' Elektra: Assassin. Sienkiewicz often utilizes oil painting, collage, mimeograph and other forms generally uncommon in comic books.

He holds the Polish noble class surname of Nobel Prize-winning Polish novelist, Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and career

Bill Sienkiewicz moved with his family from Blakely, Pennsylvania to Hainesville, New Jersey when he was five years old.[1] There he attended elementary and secondary school. He later attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts in Newark, New Jersey.

Sienkiewicz began drawing "when I was about four or five", and continued doing and learning about art throughout his childhood.[1] His early comic-book influences include artist Curt Swan Superman comics, and artist Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four.[1] After art school, Sienkiewicz brought a portfolio of his work to DC Comics' art director Vince Colletta. The artist recalled in 1985,

“ They didn't have any work for me, but that didn't bother me. I just figured that if comics didn't work out I'd done advertising or illustration. Vinnie called [renowned comics and advertising artist] Neal Adams, who put me in touch with [Marvel Comics editor-in-chief] Jim Shooter. Soon after that I was drawing Moon Knight (in The Hulk [black-and-white comics] magazine".[1] ”

[edit] Later career

Stray Toasters #3. Front and back covers by Sienkiewicz.
Stray Toasters #3. Front and back covers by Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz continued as artist of the Moon Knight color-comics series, in 1981. Two years later, he began working on the X-Men-related series New Mutants with writer Chris Claremont, where his distinctive cover paintings and character design gained much attention for the series.[citation needed] His own first writing credit was for the painted story "Slow Dancer" in Epic Illustrated magazine in 1986.

Sienkiewicz produced covers for a range of Marvel titles, including Rom, Dazzler, The Mighty Thor, Return of the Jedi and The Transformers, and drew the comic adaptation of Dune.

He illustrated the 1986 eight-issue miniseries Elektra: Assassin written by Frank Miller. That same year, he contributed to the Brought to Light graphic novel with writer Alan Moore. Sienkiewicz both wrote and illustrated the acclaimed[citation needed] miniseries, Stray Toasters, an idiosyncratic work about a criminal psychologist investigating a series of murders. In 1988, Sienkiewicz and Moore published the first two issues of the uncompleted series Big Numbers Two years later, Sienkiewicz painted the Classics Illustrated adaptation of the novel Moby-Dick.

[edit] Other work

In addition to his work in comics, Sienkiewicz has also worked in numerous other media. In 1995, he illustrated the biography of Jimi Hendrix, Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix. The following year he provided the artwork for the Bruce Cockburn album Charity Of Night, and went on to provide album covers for RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo (1998) and EPMD's Business As Usual (1990).

He has also published a children's book, Santa: My Life & Times (An Illustrated Autobiography) (1998). His artwork has been published in magazines including Entertainment Weekly and Spin Magazine.

In 2004, development began on a script for a Stray Toasters movie co-written by Sienkiewicz with Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson.[citation needed] Also that year, Sienkiewicz contributed to card art for VS System, a collectible card game published by Upper Deck Entertainment.

In 2006, Sienkiewicz designed the layout and art for The Venture Bros. Season One DVD set.

In 2007, he pencilled 30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow.

[edit] Works for DC

  • Aquaman #52
  • Batman #400 #533 #534
  • Batman: Black and White #3
  • Batman: GCPD #1-4
  • Nightwing Huntress #1-4
  • Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins
  • Dark Knight Dynasty Trade Paperback
  • DC 1st (One-Shot) Batgirl/The Joker
  • Detective Comics #709
  • Dreams Nightmares #1 Pin-Up
  • Endless Gallery Pin-Up
  • Green Arrow #109
  • Green Lantern: The Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan
  • Heroes Against Hunger Pin Up
  • Rogues Gallery Pin-Up
  • Sandman: Endless Nights Trade Paperback
  • The Shadow #1-6
  • Superman #400 Pin-Up
  • Superman Vol 2 #173
  • Superman: Day of Doom #1-4
  • The Superman Gallery (One-Shot) Superman #400 Stuff

[edit] Cover only

  • Question #1-19 #21-23, Annual #1.
  • Teen Titans Spotlight #10
  • Detective Comics #741, #772, #773, #775
  • All-Flash #1 (variant cover)

[edit] Works for Marvel

[edit] Cover only

[edit] Other works

  • The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist #2, published by Dark Horse
  • Big Numbers #1-2, and several pages of number 3 (not published)
  • Brought to Light
  • Santa My Life & Times: An Illustrated Autobiography
  • Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix, limited edition with exclusive CD
  • Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix limited signed edition with exclusive CD and page outtakes
  • Bill Sienkiewicz Sketchbook (Fantagraphics)
  • Classics Illustrated #4 - Moby-Dick (Berkley Publishing)
  • Trading Cards Big Budget Circus(Eclipse Enterprises)
  • Trading Cards Friendly Dictators (by Eclipse Enterprises)
  • Trading Cards Coup D’Etat (Eclipse Enterprises)
  • Trading Cards Rock Bottom Awards (Eclipse Enterprises)
  • Total Eclipse #1-5 (cover only)
  • The Venture Bros. Season 1 DVD Set, published by Warner Home Video
  • Vampire: The Masquerade's Revised Edition Guide to Camarilla & Guide to Sabbat covers

[edit] Awards

The New Mutants #20 (Oct. 1984). Cover art by Sienkiewicz.
The New Mutants #20 (Oct. 1984). Cover art by Sienkiewicz.

Sienkiewicz was twice nominated for an Emmy Award, in 1995 and 1996, for his production and character design on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?.

[edit] Foonotes

  1. ^ a b c d Marvel Age' #53 (July 1985): "The Marvel Age Interview: Bill Sienkiewicz", pp. 20-22
  2. ^ a b c d e f g wordsandpictures.org. Bill Sienkiewicz-Awards, Exhibits.
  3. ^ a b Immagine-Centro Studi Iconografici. 17° SALONE, 1986 (Italian).

[edit] References

Preceded by
John Byrne		 Fantastic Four artist
1980–1981		 Succeeded by
John Byrne