Shawn Martinbrough

Shawn C. Martinbrough is an American comic book artist. The long-time artist for Robert Kirkman's Thief of Thieves, Martinbrough is known for his film noir-influenced drawing style.[2]

Shawn Martinbrough
Martinbrough in 2018
Bornc. 1972 (age 50–51)[1]
New York City
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Penciller, Artist, Inker
Notable works
Thief of Thieves
Angeltown
Detective Comics
CollaboratorsJohn Paul Leon
Robert Kirkman
Spouse(s)
Ayanna Ross
​
(m. 2017)​
www.shawnmartinbrough.com

Biography

Growing up in the Bronx,[1] Martinbrough's early influences included Alex Toth, Frank Miller, and David Mazzucchelli.[2]

Martinbrough graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in 1989.[3] He then attended the School of Visual Arts.[4] Martinbrough got his first professional work — a painted illustration for Marvel Comics — while still a student at SVA.[2]

Early in his career, Martinbrough worked for minority-led publishing imprint Milestone Media, primarily as an inker. In 1993, he inked over John Paul Leon on early issues of the Milestone property Static. He followed that by inking virtually the entire run of DC/Milestone's Shadow Cabinet, again over Leon's pencils. Martinbrough and Leon teamed up again for DC's 1997 reboot of Challengers of the Unknown, with Martinbrough inking issues 1-9 (and inking covers through issue #17).

Martinbrough was given his first ongoing penciling duties starting with the DC Comics series The Creeper, in 1997–1998.

In 2000–2001, Martinbrough and writer Greg Rucka were the creative team of Detective Comics (starting with issue #742 [March 2000]).[5] During their run, they created the Sasha Bordeaux character in issue #751 (Dec. 2000),[6] as well as the villains Kyle Abbot and Able Crown. Rucka and Martinbrough's run was collected in Batman: New Gotham, Volumes 1 and 2.

Following his stint on Detective Comics, in 2002 Martinbrough signed on with Marvel Comics to illustrate writer Geoff Johns' four-issues limited series Morlocks.

In 2005, Martinbrough and writer Gary Phillips produced Angeltown, a five-issue limited series published by Vertigo Comics. The story is told in the blaxploitation idiom, with nods to the detective stories of Chester Himes and Walter Mosley.[7] In 2011, the series was reprinted by Moonstone Books as Angeltown: The Nate Hollis Investigations.

In 2007, Watson-Guptill Publications and The Nielsen Company published Martinbrough's How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling.

In 2009, Martinbrough teamed with writers Mike Benson and Adam Glass on the four-issue limited series Luke Cage Noir.

Since 2012, Martinbrough has been the artist of the monthly series Thief of Thieves, co-written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics/Skybound Entertainment. Kirkman chose Martinbrough because of his "cinematic flair" and ability to "portray characters realistically."[8]

In 2018, New York's Society of Illustrators held the exhibition "Shawn Martinbrough: Storyteller".[9]

Personal life

Martinbrough and his wife Ayanna Ross were married in April 2017.[1] They live in Alexandria, Virginia.[2]

Awards

2010 Glyph Comics Awards Fan Award for Best Comic for Luke Cage Noir[10]

Bibliography

Comics

As artist unless otherwise noted.

Books
  • How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling (Watson-Guptill Publications / The Nielsen Company, 2007) ISBN 978-0823024063

References

Notes
  1. Strauss, Alix. "VOWS: Still in Love With Comic Books, and Now With Her, Too," New York Times (April 21, 2017).
  2. Younger, Briana. "Washington, DC: Shawn Martinbrough," Visual Arts Journal: School of Visual Arts Magazine (Fall 2017), p. 34.
  3. Alumni Notes (Alumni & Friends of Fiorello H. LaGuardia HS of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Spring 2018), p. 11.
  4. "SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS ALUMNI BLACK PANTHER PANEL," ShawnMartinbrough.com (Sept. 18, 2008).
  5. Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 246: "Greg Rucka was handed the reins of Detective Comics, alongside artist Shawn Martinbrough...To visually distinguish the title from other Batman books, Martinbrough employed a minimal color palette, using shades of only one or two colors per issue."
  6. Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 252: "Greg Rucka and artist Shawn Martinbrough debuted a major new character and love interest into the life of Batman: Sasha Bordeaux."
  7. Irvine, Alex (2008), "Angeltown", in Dougall, Alastair (ed.), The Vertigo Encyclopedia, New York: Dorling Kindersley, p. 25, ISBN 978-0-7566-4122-1, OCLC 213309015
  8. Dietsch, TJ (2012-02-08). "Kirkman on 'Thief of Thieves,' '"Walking Dead' & Writer's Rooms". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  9. "Shawn Martinbrough: Storyteller," Society of Illustrators official website. Accessed Nov. 8, 2018.
  10. The 2010 Glyph Comics Awards Winners  » PopCultureShock[Usurped!]
  11. Ekstrom, Steve (May 22, 2009). "Benson & Glass on 'Luke Cage: Noir'". Newsarama. Retrieved 2009-05-22.

Sources consulted
  • Dougall, Alastair, and Matt Forbeck, editors. (2014). Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN ISBN 978-1465424563
  • Shawn Martinbrough at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
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