| Chris Sprouse | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Chris Sprouse atGalaxyCon Columbus in 2023 | |
| Born | (1966-07-30)July 30, 1966 (age 59) |
| Area | Penciller |
Notable works | Tom Strong |
Chris Sprouse (born July 30, 1966)[1] is anAmericancomics artist. Sprouse has worked for multiple publishers and has won twoEisner Awards for his work onTom Strong, a series he created with writerAlan Moore.
Chris Sprouse was born in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the age of 3 he moved with his family to New Delhi, India where he first discovered comics as he was unable to play outside due to the dangerous number of snakes in the house yard. When he was 6, his family returned to the United States toDale City, Virginia, where he continued to read and draw comics. Before his debut in comics, Sprouse drew acomic strip entitledBer-Mander for the school newspaper (The Hyphen) while attendingGar-Field Senior High School in Woodbridge. After graduating in 1984, Sprouse attendedJames Madison University where he studied graphic design.[2]
Sprouse launched his career in mainstream comics in 1989, his first credited work being aChemical King story inSecret Origins vol. 2 #47 (Feb. 1990).[3] His next assignments were aTwo-Face story forBatman Annual #14 (1990)[4] and theHammerlockelimited series. He drew insert posters for theWar of the Gods limited series in 1991.[5] Following that, Sprouse drew theLegionnaires series featuring teenaged versions of theLegion of Super-Heroes. He later illustrated a number of one-shots and fill-in issues before illustrating aStar Wars mini-series,Splinter of the Mind's Eye, forDark Horse Comics.
He then worked forExtreme Studios as the regular penciller ofNew Men, and in 1997–1998, Sprouse drew several issues ofSupreme, scripted byAlan Moore for the same publisher. AfterSupreme ended, he and Moore createdTom Strong forAmerica's Best Comics,[6] for which Sprouse won twoEisner Awards in 2000, for Best Single Issue and Best Serialized Story.[7]
Sprouse was the penciller and co-creator on the 2004Ocean mini-series, written byWarren Ellis and published byDC Comics. In 2007,Ocean was optioned for film.[8] In 2006, he began pencilling Wildstorm'sMidnighterongoing series, a spin-off ofThe Authority. He was the artist on the first issue ofBatman: The Return of Bruce Wayne withGrant Morrison as writer.[9]
In 2011, Sprouse worked with writerPeter Hogan on theTom Strong and the Planet of Peril limited series.[10] Sprouse drewAction Comics #14 (Jan. 2013) which featured an "appearance" byNeil deGrasse Tyson.[11] In 2014, Sprouse drew the second issue ofGrant Morrison'sThe Multiversity limited series.[12] Other works includeBatman '66,Fairest: In All the Land,The Flash,Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman,Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., andThors.[3]
In perhaps the greatest Two-Face origin story to date, writer Andrew Helfer and artist Chris Sprouse made Harvey Dent more three-dimensional than ever before.
Three of the four issues in this limited series contained posters of DC characters by the talented Chris Sprouse.
Tyson will appear in the next issue ofAction Comics helping Superman locate where his home planet used to be as part of the back-up strip by Sholly Fisch and Chris Sprouse.
