Bolland Is His Name. Bloody Brilliant Is His Game.

22 Comics that Offer Some Hints as to How Brian Bolland Came to be Regarded as One of the Best Cover Artists in the Business

As his Wikipedia entry puts it, “Brian Bolland (born 1951) is a British comics artist, known for his meticulous, detailed linework and eye-catching compositions.” No kidding. Over his 30-plus-year career, he has produced some of the most vivid and memorable images captured by comic covers, thanks to his obvious love for intricate details and masterfully rendered facial expressions.

While he has created some memorable interior artwork for such projects as The Killing Joke or Batman Black & White, he’ll be the first to admit his slow working pace means his covers are far more prolific and well-known than his rare forays into strip work.

Not that he seems to mind — in an interview reprinted in Artists on Comic Art, Bolland said that when The Killing Joke made him a fan favourite, DC asked him to do the covers for a new series called Animal Man. “I said fine, expecting it to be maybe 10 or so,” he said. “I ended up doing 63. It became almost habitual, and it did mean that there would at least be something new of mine out there to look at.”

And look we did:

Got your own favourite Bolland covers? Let’s hear about them.