Liam Sharp was born inDerby. He went to school at Brackensdale Junior then infants school, before moving to Allestree Lawn Junior school because of his parents' work. At the suggestion of his teachers he was advised to meet with the Gifted Children's Society, who in turn advised St. Andrew's Prep School in Meads, Eastbourne, to take Sharp on and establish their first Art Scholarship. He then went on to win the first Art Scholarship to Eastbourne College, where he stayed until his A Levels.
Sharp has also worked on more mature themed books forVerotik, doing GOTH, Jaguar God andFrank Frazetta's "The Death Dealer". He briefly worked on a strip originated byStan Winston called 'Realm of the Claw'. Later he co-created theWildstorm seriesThe Possessed with writerGeoff Johns,[2] and a strip forHeavy Metal magazine, entitled "A-crazy-A" featuringPlayboy modelTiffany Taylor – for which he provided the art and script. He was also the complete author of the short story "Winter Rose" in theVampirella magazine.
In 2004 Sharp set up his own publishing company,Mam Tor Publishing, with his wife Christina McCormack, to publish the artbookSharpenings: the Art of Liam Sharp.[3]
Mam Tor and the advertising agency Mother produced a free sixteen page comic given away withTime Out for which Sharp was the art director, as well as providing the art for a story in the first two issues as well as the cover for the first issue.[10][11]
In September 2008 he signed an exclusive deal with DC.[12]
Sharp is involved with a UK Midland-based art movementBeardism, certain elements of which are similar toDadaism. The practitioners are required to wear beards, though this can be interpreted as symbolic. A recent exhibition was held in the Crompton Arms, a Derby public house and alternative art gallery, featuring the work of Sharp, Ali Pow3rs, Adam Dutton and Chris Tree.
On 9 April 2011 Sharp was one of 62 comics creators who appeared at theIGN stage at the Kapow! convention in London to set twoGuinness World Records, the Fastest Production of a Comic Book, and Most Contributors to a Comic Book. With Guinness officials on hand to monitor their progress, writerMark Millar began work at 9am scripting a 20-page black and whiteSuperior comic book, with Sharp and the other artists appearing on stage throughout the day to work on the pencils, inks, and lettering, includingDave Gibbons,Frank Quitely,John Romita Jr.,Jock,[14]Doug Braithwaite,Ian Churchill,Duncan Fegredo,Simon Furman,David Lafuente,John McCrea,Sean Phillips and Liam Sharp,[15] who all drew a panel each, with regularSuperior artistLeinil Yu creating the book's front cover. The book was completed in 11 hours, 19 minutes, and 38 seconds, and was published through Icon on 23 November 2011, with all royalties being donated to Yorkhill Children's Foundation.[14]
October 2011, Sharp co-founded Madefire with Ben Wolstenholme and Eugene Walden, in Berkeley, CA, and is the company's CCO. Madefire has been hailed as a revolutionary new digital reading experience, and is backed by True Ventures and associated with deviantART.
In 2017 Derby Museum hosted a ten week long retrospective of Liam's work, spanning his career from 2000ad to Wonder Woman.
Liam was awarded a wrought-Iron and mosaic star in the city's #MadeInDerby2 campaign, which can be found outside the Standing Order pub, near the front door of the house whereJoseph Wright lived in Derby's cathedral quarter. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Derby University in 2022.
Liam continues to live in Derby, and plays an active part in the community as well as serving on the University Court in an advisory capacity.
Spider-Man: The Lost Years No. 0 (withJ. M. DeMatteis, Marvel Comics, 1996, reprinting the four-part supplemental story originally in Web of Spider-Man #117, The Amazing Spider-Man #394, Spider-Man #51, and The Spectacular Spider-Man #217)
Diet Coke advert for Mother (London) Advertising Ltd. Super woman art with Duffy and two other models superimposed used on billboards in European campaign.
Project managed and contributed to design of Rubberduckzilla, plus provided ATL art for 96 sheet poster campaign for Oasis drink, cover art for comic in ad, plus art for animation in BG on TV:http://rubberduckzilla.com/
