Art of J Scott Campbell: Fairy Tale Fantasies and More

The World of Comics

Generations of teenagers grow up on a diet of comic books. Superheroes, snarling villains, world-conquering plots and death-defying feats are an addictive mix to their fertile imaginations. Parents may disparage comic book obsessions and video game playing as puerile distractions. But one only has to look at the current crop of Hollywood screenwriting and directing talents to see that such a diet can also be inspirational for future creativity.

Comic book fandom is similar. Several of the current writers and artists who may have made it 'big' in the industry did so because of their childhood obsessions with the format that has become part of American and world culture.

Artistic Merit

The incredible artistic endeavours that go into creating some top comics deserve much wider recognition. These are artists in their own merit, now considered worthy of collectibility and wider public appreciation. The medium may have changed from oils and pastels to digital palettes and rendered colours, but the creativity remains firmly in their wonderful hands.

Jeffrey Scott Campbell is one such artist who has garnered a huge following among comic book fans due to his impressive creative talent—and his ability to draw women!

Scott's superb imagination and great artwork rank with the best efforts of professional designers. And who knows, at 15 years old, Scott may become just that.

— Nintendo Power Magazine, 1989

A Boy With a Dream

J Scott Campbell is currently one of a talented pool of artists creating top-quality comic art. His work is recognised in America and worldwide thanks to the internet and digital comic downloads. While the comic books he has contributed sell well, more importantly, his art and sketches are also much sought after. He is someone who is in tune with the fans and the artistic community and is generous in sharing his craft through his own web pages and social media.

Like many of his generation, he grew up on a diet of comic books and video games and was truly inspired by the art and creativity he saw in his formative years. An early sign of his future greatness came when he submitted an entry to a competition in a video game magazine.

Back in 1989, the magazine Nintendo power asked budding talents to enter a 'invent your own video game' competition. Jeffrey Scott Campbell, then a mere 15-year-old, rose to the challenge and submitted a complete set of ideas for a new game called Lockarm. His submission blew away the judges not only because of the originality of his idea but all the drawings he submitted with his concept – he had designed each character and each level, explaining how the central concept pans out. Needless to say, he won the first prize, and the magazine printed his winning entry with a prediction of his future success in the field of graphic design.

The Big Break

Scott was born in East Tawas, Michigan but moved soon to Denver, Colorado when very young. He grew up in Denver with his two younger siblings - a brother who is a musician and a sister who is a digital architect.

Growing up on a steady diet of comic books, after his initial success with Nintendo Power magazine, Scott replied to a 'talent search' advertisement on the back of a comic published by the image comics – WILDC.A.T.S # 2.

WILDC.A.T.S was the brainchild of artist and image comics founder Jim Lee. The comic creator broke away from his successful run at Marvel to create his own imprint with 5 other artists and publish creator-owned titles. He was also looking for a fresh pool of talent to develop several new lines of comic concepts, notably Gen 13 and Stormwatch, in his stable.

So impressed was Jim with Scott's submissions that he personally phoned to hire this young new artist.

Scott's work first appeared in Stormwatch. I am sure he would've been pretty pleased to see his name on the cover of a comic – especially one published by his own inspiration and influences.

"Gen 13"

"Gen 13" cover by J Scott Campbell

1 / 10

"Gen 13"

Scott's first major co-creation and collaboration was the Gen 13 comic series. Here he worked with some major talents such as Frank Choi, Adam Hughes and Jim Lee. His creativity blossomed, and his confidence grew as he did many a cover and artwork for this series.

Danger Girl covers by J Scott Campbell

1 / 12

"Danger Girl"

Scott's ascent to superstardom came when he created the series Danger Girl with fellow comic book writer Andy Hartnell in 1998. A heady cocktail of James Bond , Charlie's Angels and Indiana Jones Danger Girl was a cult hit.

The heroine Abbey Chase was an adventurer, treasure hunter and member of a worldwide network of female espionage agents called Danger Girls. The fun-filled action storylines borrowed freely from the many cultural influences – spy thrillers, action movies and video games. All presented with Scott's impeccable artwork that brought everything to life.

What was immediately apparent was Scott's ability to draw women. Sassy, sexy and sultry, it was for his rendering of women that Scott's artistry became more and more well-known among the fans.

Danger Girl's immense popularity was sealed with the development of a Playstation game of the same name using the characters created by Scott and Andy.

Wilsiderz by J Scott Campbell

1 / 10

"Wildsiderz"

Wildstorm was sold to DC comics. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell, flush with the success of Danger girl, announced a new 6-part series for Wildstorm called 'Wildsiderz'. Despite much fanfare and some stunning artwork, the series failed to take off, and the run ended with issue 2.