| Phil Jimenez | |
|---|---|
 Jimenez at the 2023WonderCon | |
| Born | Philip Jimenez (1970-07-12)July 12, 1970 (age 55) |
| Area | Writer,Penciller,Inker |
Notable works | Astonishing X-Men Infinite Crisis The Invisibles New X-Men Wonder Woman Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons |
Phil Jimenez (born July 12, 1970[1]) is an Americancomics artist and writer known for his work as writer/artist onWonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005–2006 miniseriesInfinite Crisis, his collaborations with writerGrant Morrison onNew X-Men andThe Invisibles,[2] and his artistry for his 2021 critically acclaimed partnership with writerKelly Sue DeConnick onWonder Woman Historia: The Amazons.[3]
Phil Jimenez was born and raised southernCalifornia. He attended theSchool of Visual Arts inManhattan, New York,[4][5] where he majored in cartooning. He graduated with aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1991.[6]
After graduating from SVA, Jimenez was hired byDC Comics Creative DirectorNeal Pozner at age 21,[4] with his first published work illustrating four pages in the 1991 miniseriesWar of the Gods.[7][8] Pozner was HIV-positive when he and Jimenez started dating, and was hesitant about dating someone younger and HIV-negative. Nonetheless, Jimenez became both Pozner's partner and caretaker, saying:
Neal Pozner was my first editor, and he was probably my greatest mentor at DC Comics. He was an incredibly talented man, with some very strong opinions about the way things should be done. I developed a crush on him the minute I met him, and I wanted to know more about him, and I wanted to be with him all the time. So I'd hang out with him at work, in the offices, far later than I had any reason to. I would buy clothes I couldn't afford to impress him. And eventually, I mustered the nerve to ask him on a date. And he was 15 years older than I was. And he had been my boss. And so, against his better judgement, he said yes. And it actually ended up being a really wonderful relationship.[4]
Following Neal Pozner's death in 1994, Jimenez wrote and illustrated the 1996 DC miniseries,Tempest, based on a character from Pozner's late-1980sAquaman series.[7] In the last issue, Jimenez dedicated the miniseries to Pozner, and wrote an editorial page in which he came out publicly for the first time. "It got over 150 letters," he says, "including the classic letter from the kid in Iowa: 'I didn't know there was anyone else like me.' That's what counts. It meant a lot to people."[9][10]
Much of Jimenez's work is related to works byGeorge Pérez, whose art strongly influenced Jimenez.[8][11] Jimenez has worked on severalTeen Titans-related series (some issues of the ongoing seriesNew Titans andTeam Titans, and the miniseriesJLA/Titans,[12]The Return of Donna Troy andTempest),[7] was the main artist ofInfinite Crisis, a sequel toCrisis on Infinite Earths, and did a long run as writer/artist ofWonder Woman beginning with issue #164 (Jan. 2001).[13] Pérez had worked on the series in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Pérez and Jimenez would also co-write a two–part story together inWonder Woman (vol. 2) issues #168–169 in 2001. Jimenez would leave as series writer/artist with issue #188 in March 2003. Jimenez and Pérez also have worked together in 2005–2006 in the miniseriesInfinite Crisis[14] (where Jimenez was the main penciller, and Pérez drew some sequences and covers for the series) andDC Special: The Return of Donna Troy (written by Jimenez and inked by Pérez).[7]
Jimenez is also known for his work on various titles for DC Entertainment's "mature readers" imprint,Vertigo, includingSwamp Thing,The Invisibles with writerGrant Morrison, and his own creator-owned series, the sci-fi/fantasy mashupOtherworld. In 2003, Jimenez drew several story arcs of Morrison'sNew X-Men run.[7]
It was announced at the 2007San Diego Comic-Con that Jimenez had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. He was one of the four artists working on Marvel's flagship title,The Amazing Spider-Man, the company's sole Spider-Man title, in which Marvel upped its frequency of publication to three issues monthly, and inaugurated the series with the "back to basics" story arc "Brand New Day" at the beginning of 2008. His first work on Spider-Man was in theFree Comic Book Day 2007: Spider-Man #1 (June 2007) comic book, with writerDan Slott, which served as a prelude to "Brand New Day".[15][16] Jimenez and writerBob Gale co-created theFreak inThe Amazing Spider-Man #552 (March 2008).[17]Ana Kravinoff, the daughter ofKraven the Hunter, was introduced inThe Amazing Spider-Man #565 (September 2008) by Jimenez andMarc Guggenheim.[18] During his run, Jimenez drew the cover forThe Amazing Spider-Man #583, featuringBarack Obama.[19][20]
In 2009, Marvel Editor-in-ChiefJoe Quesada announced that Jimenez would become the artist ofAstonishing X-Men beginning with issue #31.[21] Jimenez co-wrote the bookThe Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia with John Wells forDel Rey Books in 2010[22] and updated through Random House in 2015.[23] He later returned to DC Comics, illustrating a brief stint onAdventure Comics featuring theLegion of Super-Heroes, andFairest, a spin-off ofBill Willingham's seriesFables.[7]
He appeared at the White House for theNational Design Awards to present original art toFirst LadyMichelle Obama.[24]
Jimenez appeared in a panel discussion on diversity in sci-fi/fantasy fandom in the March 19, 2015 episode of theComedy Central humor and commentary programThe Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, along with Marvel Comics' director of content and characterSana Amanat, hip-hop artistJean Grae and comedianMike Lawrence. During the discussion, Jimenez commented, "It feels strange to me that we would partition race, gender and nerd as if they were distinct things...All human beings are this combination of experiences and ideologies...Everybody's get some nerd in them. But the idea that, somehow, being a nerd is separate from one’s religious or moral or political beliefs is strange to me. We all bring everything to our decision-making on a daily basis."[25]
As part of theDC Rebirth relaunch of DC's titles, Jimenez was the writer and artist of theSuperwoman series from 2016 to 2017.[26] He got involved with Rebirth when he was originally assigned to be the artist ofSuperman but after DC changed their publishing plan, he was asked to work onSuperwoman. Jimenez uses his own experiences and emotions and projects them onto the characters in his work. He uses the anxiety he experienced with his mother's death to relate to how Lana Lang deals with her losses.[27] In addition, Jimenez wanted to create a female villain who was not sexually charged, and was motivated by something other than baby-making.[27][28]
In November 2021, Jimenez illustrated the first issue ofWonder Woman Historia: the Amazons.[29] Written byKelly Sue DeConnick, the three-issue limited series takes place before the birth ofDiana and tells of the creation of theAmazons and howHippolyta became their queen. The secondWonder Woman Historia: the Amazons issue was illustrated byGene Ha and the third byNicola Scott; an omnibus edition of the comics miniseries was released in June 2023.[30] He returned to the Titans once again writing and drawingTitans Annual #1 (2025), which was released on July 30. The Annual focuses on Donna Troy, the first Wonder Girl, as she meets her estranged father for the first time.[31][32]
A diorama enthusiast, Jimenez teaches alife drawing course as part of the undergraduate cartooning program at theSchool of Visual Arts inManhattan, where he himself once studied.[6][33] He has held figure drawing classes outside of SVA, at places such as the LGBT Center in the West Village.[34]
Jimenez provided sketches seen in the 2002superhero filmSpider-Man. In scenes in whichPeter Parker, played byTobey Maguire, is seen creating sketches of his costume, the close-ups of his hands are actually those of Jimenez.[10][35]
Jimenez created art for the first permanent AIDS awareness exhibit at theMuseum of Science and Industry in Chicago.[5][36] His art has appeared on album covers and in editorial magazines.[37] His artwork has been featured in mainstream publications such asTV Guide,[38][39] and he himself has been profiled or recognized inEntertainment Weekly,[5]The Advocate,[10]Instinct magazine[37] andOut magazine.[5][35]
Jimenezcame out as gay in 1992, and his first public relationship was withNeal Pozner, who hired him at DC that same year.[9][43]
As artist unless otherwise noted.
Interior art
Covers only
Interior art
Covers only
Born and raised in southern California, and trained at NYC's School of Visual Arts, Phil Jimenez has worked in comics since 1991.
George Pérez is and will always remain my biggest comic-book influence, no doubt about it. I owe my career to his influence. It seems we also share very similar sensibilities; I was drawn to George's work the moment I saw it.
Writer Devin Grayson and artist/co-plotter Phil Jimenez revived another stalled DC property in theJLA/Titans miniseries.
Written by Dan Slott and drawn by Phil Jimenez, [it] was given away to promote the start of the web-slinger's new era.
Less than a week before his inauguration, the President-elect will meet Marvel's most popular superhero.
Come sketch some spandex-clad super heroes with comics industry superstar Phil Jimenez...at the LGBT Center in NYC!
| Preceded by | Team Titans writer 1993–1994 (withJeff Jensen) | Succeeded by n/a |
| Preceded by | Wonder Woman writer 2001–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by n/a | Superwoman writer 2016–2017 | Succeeded by |
