Vincent Patrick Deighan(born 1968),[2]better known by thepen nameFrank Quitely,is aScottishcomic book artist.He is best known for his frequent collaborations withGrant Morrisonon titles such asNew X-Men,We3,All-Star Superman,andBatman and Robin,as well as his work withMark MillaronThe AuthorityandJupiter's Legacy.

Frank Quitely
Quitely smiling
Quitely at theNew York Comic Con,
14 October 2011
BornVincent Patrick Deighan[1]
1968 (age 55–56)
Rutherglen,Scotland, United Kingdom
NationalityScottish
Area(s)Penciller,Inker
Notable works
All-Star Superman
The Authority
Flex Mentallo
New X-Men
We3
AwardsNational Comics Award(2002)
Eisner Award(2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)
Harvey Award(2007, 2008, 2009)

Early life

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Deighan was raised inRutherglen,although attendedSt. Bride's High SchoolinEast Kilbride(as his father worked there as aPEteacher).[3][4]He studied drawing at theGlasgow School of Art.[5][6][7]

Career

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Deighan worked up the Scottish underground comics titleElectric Soupin 1990, writing and drawingThe Greens,a parody ofThe Broonsstrip published byD. C. Thomson.It was in working on this book that he adopted the pseudonym of "Frank Quitely" (aspoonerismof "quite frankly" ), as he did not want his family to know it was his work, worried that they may have found it upsetting.[8]

InitiallyElectric Soupwas only distributed locally in Glasgow, then it was picked up byJohn Brown Publishingfor widespread national UK distribution. This brought Quitely's work to the attention ofJudge Dredd MegazineeditorDavid Bishop.He was given work onShimura,written byRobbie Morrison,andMissionary Man,byGordon Rennie,quickly rising to prominence. He drew various stories inParadox Press' series ofThe Big Book Ofgraphic novels, as well as work inDark Horse PresentsforDark Horse Comics.[9]

His first major work in American comics wasFlex Mentalloin 1996, aDoom Patrolspin-off written by fellow GlaswegianGrant MorrisonforDC Comics'Vertigoimprint. Initially he worked on strips foranthologytitles such asWeird War Tales,and drew three issues ofJamie Delano's2020 Visions,as well as various covers for DC. He later drew his first full length graphic novel,Batman: The Scottish Connection,with writerAlan Grant[9]in which The Greens make a cameo appearance. Quitely and Grant worked on a one-shot titledLobo: The Hand-to-Hand Joblater retitled asIt's a Man's World.Although Quitely did all the pencils, the story was not released.[10]

2000 saw Quitely and Morrison collaborate again, onJLA: Earth 2.[11]The graphic novel was met with positive critical response, and later that year Quitely took over fromBryan Hitchas artist onThe Authority,withMark Millaras writer.[9]

New X-Menpromo art by Quitely, displaying his ornate line work and expressive faces

Quitely leftThe Authorityto drawNew X-Men.[12]Quitely illustrated aDestinystory forNeil Gaiman'sThe Sandman: Endless Nightshardcover graphic novel in 2003.[13]After leavingNew X-Men,Quitely drew the mini-seriesWe3in 2004, again in collaboration with Morrison.[14]He shared the 2005 Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker TeamEisner Awardin a tie with artistJohn Cassadayfor his work on the book. That same year, he and Morrison were nominated for Best Limited Series for that book, and Quitely additionally was nominated for the Best Cover Artist Eisner for bothWe3andBite Club.[15]He wrote and drew new instalments ofThe Greensfor the Scottish underground comicNorthern Lightz,[16]and in 2005 Morrison and Quitely designed a series oftarotcards forIntensive Care,an album by popstarRobbie Williams.

In December 2004, Quitely signed to a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics, where he illustratedAll-Star Superman.[17]The twelve issue series, yet another collaboration with Morrison, began publication in November 2005. Quitely and Morrison's work on the series won them the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2006, with Quitely collecting another nomination for Best Penciller/Inker.[18]The series won Best Continuing Series in 2007 and 2009.[19]In 2008 Quitely illustrated the cover for the debut issue of Scottish underground comicWasted.

In early 2009, Frank Quitely collaborated with the Scottish rock bandThe Phantom Bandin designing artwork for a limited edition 7 "single for their song" The Howling ", which plays on Quitely's interest in occultism and esoterica. This was released as a limited run collector's pressing by Glasgow'sChemikal Underground Records.[20]That same year, Quitely again teamed with Morrison, illustrated the first three issues ofBatman and Robintitle,[21]which debuted in June 2009 after the "Battle for the Cowl"storyline.[22]He provided covers through issue No. 16. Quitely was one of the artists ofBatmanNo. 700 (Aug. 2010).[23]

On 9 April 2011, Quitely was one of 62 comics creators who appeared at theIGNstage 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 Millarbegan work at 9 AM scripting a 20-page black and whiteSuperiorcomic book, with Quitely and the other artists appearing on stage throughout the day to work on the pencils, inks, and lettering, includingDave Gibbons,John Romita Jr.,Jock,Adi Granov,[24]Doug Braithwaite,Ian Churchill,Olivier Coipel,Duncan Fegredo,Simon Furman,David Lafuente,John McCrea,Sean PhillipsandLiam Sharp,[25]who all drew a panel each, with regularSuperiorartistLeinil Yucreating 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.[24]

That same month, he mentioned during a panel atWonderConthat although he had split his time equally between illustrating covers and interiors, he had recently been devoting more of his time to covers, due to back problems, and the difficulty that presented in meeting his deadlines.[26]

In 2012, Quitely was one of several artists to illustrate a variant cover forRobert Kirkman'sThe Walking DeadNo. 100, which was released on 11 July atSan Diego Comic-Con.[27]

Quitely was the artist onJupiter's Legacy,a ten-issue, creator-owned miniseries published byImage Comicsthat premiered in September 2012. It is written by Mark Millar, who described the project as "hisStar Wars",and a cross betweenThe Lord of the Ringsand a large-scale superhero crossover, albeit one that did not require the in-depth knowledge normally required of such stories, as it features entirely new characters.[28]On July 17, 2018, it was announced thatNetflixhad given a series order for atelevision adaptationofJupiter's Legacy.[29]

Quitely drew the fourth issue of Grant Morrison'sThe Multiversitylimited series which was published in November 2014.[30][31]

In March 2017, an exhibition of his work was displayed atKelvingrove Art Gallery and Museumin Glasgow.[3][4]A few months later, Quitely received anhonorary degreeas aDoctor of Lettersfrom theUniversity of Glasgowin recognition of his achievements.[5]

Personal life

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Quitely married his high school sweetheart, Ann Jane Docherty, in 1994.[1][32][33]They live in Rutherglen[33]with their sons Vincent and Joseph,[32][33]and their daughter, Orla.[33]Quitely's son Vincent is also an artist who created art for localSt Columbkille's RC Church[de]in 2011 while a pupil atTrinity High School.[34]

Quitely used to design his own hats and clothing.[33]For a long time, he eschewed social media, noting that theTwitteraccount @Frank_Quitely is unconnected with him.[35]In 2021, Quitely established official accounts on both Twitter andInstagram.[36][37]

Technique and materials

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In a 2014 BBC News interview, Deighan, having developed a reputation for difficulty in meeting deadlines, stated while he did his drawing digitally, it did not reduce the time it took to complete his art, saying, "I have never been on a project where I've thought 'ach, this is rubbish', and not tried hard," he says, "It's not in my nature. The downside of that is that things take a while."[7]

Awards

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Nominations

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Bibliography

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Interior comic work includes:

Covers only

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^The final issue; the series' third and final volume was numbered in reverse order.

References

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  1. ^abStatutory registers - Marriages - Search results,ScotlandsPeople.Retrieved 30 September 2022
  2. ^"Frank Quitely".Lambiek Comiclopedia.2014.Archivedfrom the original on 25 May 2014.
  3. ^abGeddes, Jonathan (2 May 2016)."From Rutherglen to Gotham City: How a Cathkin comic book artist draws the world's biggest superheroes".Daily Record/Rutherglen Reformer.Archivedfrom the original on 5 July 2018.Retrieved29 March2018.
  4. ^abPollock, David (31 March 2017)."'We don't coast along and knock off at five o'clock, we know you only get better by doing the best you can' – Frank Quitely talks comics ".The List.Archivedfrom the original on 6 July 2018.Retrieved29 March2018.
  5. ^ab"A new degree of success: Comic book artist Frank Quitely honoured by Glasgow University".Evening Times.12 June 2017.Retrieved29 March2018.
  6. ^Millar, Mark (w), Sprouse, Chris; Wong, Walden (a).Jupiter's Circle,vol. 2, no. 5 (April 2016).Image Comics.
  7. ^abStewart, Helen (17 March 2014)."Frank Quitely: Comic book artist at work".BBC.Archivedfrom the original on 5 April 2017.Retrieved29 March2018.
  8. ^Morgan, Brian Damien (29 April 2008)."Quite Frankly, Frank Quitely..."Downthetubes.net. Archived fromthe originalon 2 June 2008.
  9. ^abcFrank Quitelyat theGrand Comics Database
  10. ^Diggle, Andy(1997)."She Will Be There When She's Needed".Fusion. Archived fromthe originalon 18 December 2003.
  11. ^Cowsill, Alan (2010). "2000s".DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 295.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely brought the Crime Syndicate of America back to DC continuity inJLA: Earth 2.
  12. ^Manning, Matthew K. (2008). "2000s".Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 306.ISBN978-0756641238.X-Mencomics...seemed to lack the innovation and creative direction that had given the team such staying power. That all changed when respected writer Grant Morrison and talented artist Frank Quitely took center stage.
  13. ^Gaiman, Neil(2003).The Sandman: Endless Nights.Vertigo.ISBN978-1840235357.
  14. ^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 314: "Writer Grant Morrison and longtime artistic collaborator Frank Quitely presented one of the year's most touching and original stories inWE3."
  15. ^abcd"2005 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 22 September 2013.
  16. ^"The Den of Geek interview: Frank Quitely".The Den of Geek. 25 September 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 25 May 2014.
  17. ^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 324: "Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely unveiled one of the most original and well-received Superman series for years as they combined high-concept science-fiction elements with classic Silver Age concepts in theirAll Star Supermanseries. "
  18. ^abc"2006 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2013.
  19. ^ab"2007 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 16 October 2014.
  20. ^"The Phantom Band ~The Howling(CHEM117) ".Chemikal.co.uk. 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 2 June 2014.
  21. ^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 338: "Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely teamed up once again to unleash a new Dynamic Duo on Gotham City."
  22. ^George, Richard (11 March 2009)."Morrison discussesBatman & Robin".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 20 October 2013.
  23. ^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 342: "Written by Grant Morrison with art by Tony S. Daniel, Andy Kubert, Frank Quitely, [David] Finch, and Richard Friend, this milestone issue ofBatmanfeatured an all-star roster of talent. "
  24. ^abButler, Tom (14 April 2011)."Kapow! '11: Comic History Rewritten on the IGN Stage".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 19 January 2014.
  25. ^"Guinness World Records at Kapow! Comic Con".Guinness World Records.9 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2011.
  26. ^"WC11: The Art of the Cover".CBR.23 April 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 24 March 2017.Retrieved27 April2022.
  27. ^Logan, Michael (4 June 2012)."Exclusive First Look:The Walking DeadComic Hits 100 ".TV Guide.Archivedfrom the original on 24 December 2013.
  28. ^Phegley, Kiel (12 January 2012)."Millarworld Exclusive: Millar & Quitely CreateJupiter's Children".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on 15 December 2013.Archive requires scrolldown
  29. ^Goldberg, Lesley; Kit, Borys (17 July 2018)."'Jupiter's Legacy' Series, 'Empress' Film Among Mark Millar's First Netflix Slate ".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved5 May2019.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^Rogers, Vaneta (20 November 2014)."Frank Quitely on 'Pax Americana': 'Subsequent Readings Will Reward You'".Newsarama.Archivedfrom the original on 22 November 2014.
  31. ^Uzumeri, David (10 December 2014)."The MultiversityAnnotations, Part 4: Pax Americana – 'Not The Peace of the Grave or the Security of the Slave'".ComicsAlliance.Archived fromthe originalon 14 August 2015.The fourth issue of the series, 'Pax Americana' with art by Frank Quitely, colors by Nathan Fairbairn and letters by Rob Leigh, is probably the most widely anticipated of the series, and certainly the most-hyped.
  32. ^abBrissenden, Rachelle (Editor) (May 2000). "Voice of Authority",The Authority#13, p 23.WildStorm/DC Comics(La Jolla, California).
  33. ^abcdeMorrison, Grant;Quitely, Frank (2004).We3.Vertigo. p. Inside back jacket flap.ISBN1-4012-0495-3.
  34. ^"Pupil who painted the sky with stars".Scottish Catholic Observer.23 December 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2012.Retrieved29 March2018.
  35. ^Forsythe, Dana (14 August 2018)."Comics Artist Frank Quitely, in a Rare Interview, Looks Back on His Iconic Career".Syfy.Syfy Wire.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2018.Retrieved19 January2018.
  36. ^"@frankquitely1".Twitter.
  37. ^"@frankquitelyofficial".Instagram.
  38. ^"National Comics Awards Results 2003".Down The Tubes.Archived fromthe originalon 15 June 2006.Retrieved15 April2003.
  39. ^"2007 Harvey Awards".Harvey Awards.2013. Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2013.
  40. ^"2008 Harvey Awards".Harvey Awards. 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2013.
  41. ^Doran, Michael (25 July 2009)."SDCC 09: 2009 Eisner Awards Winners".Newsarama.Archivedfrom the original on 4 November 2013.
  42. ^"2009 Harvey Awards".Harvey Awards. 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2013.
  43. ^ab"2001 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees and Winners".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2013.
  44. ^"2002 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 28 April 2014.
  45. ^Sutherland, Kev F. "NATIONAL COMICS AWARDS 2002: THE 5TH NATIONAL COMICS AWARDS RESULTS," 2000ADonline.org.Archived at the Wayback Machine.Retrieved Nov. 30, 2020.
  46. ^"2004 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards".Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2013.
  47. ^"2010 Harvey Awards".Harvey Awards. 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2013.
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Interviews

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