Russell, P. Craig 1951-

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RUSSELL, P. Craig 1951-

PERSONAL: Born October 30, 1951, in Wellsville, OH; son of Dwight Shontz (a clothing store owner) and Jean (a homemaker and secretary; maiden name, Bushong) Russell. Education: University of Cincinnati, B.F.A., 1974. Politics: Libertarian. Hobbies and other interests: Piano (classical and salon).

ADDRESSES: Home—417 East College, Kent, OH 44240. Agent—Mike Friedrich, Star Reach Productions, 2991 Shattuck Ave., Suite 202, Berkeley, CA 94705.

CAREER: Freelance graphic-story artist, 1972—. Kent State University, Kent, OH, instructor in illustration, 1981, 1983.

AWARDS, HONORS: Shazam Award, best new talent, 1974; Eisner Award, for adaptation of The Ring of the Nibelung; Eisner Award nomination, for adaptation of The Magic Flute; Harvey Award, best graphic album, 1993, for Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Volume 1.

WRITINGS:

GRAPHIC FICTION; AND ILLUSTRATOR

The Chimera, Earthart Graphics (San Francisco, CA), 1976.

Night Music 1, Eclipse Enterprises (Forestville, CA), 1979.

(With Don McGregor) Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1983.

(Adaptor) Ariane and Bluebeard (based on the opera by Maurice Maeterlinck and Paul Dukas), Eclipse Books (Forestville, CA), 1989.

(Adaptor) The Scarlet Letter (based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne), Berkley Publishing (New York, NY), 1990.

(Adaptor) The Magic Flute (based on the opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart), Eclipse Books (Forestville, CA), 1991, reprinted, Nantier Beall Minoustchine (New York, NY), 2003.

(Adaptor) Opera (based on works by Gustav Mahler, Richard Wagner, Strauss, and Claude Debussy), Eclipse Books (Forestville, CA), 1990.

(Adaptor) Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, Nantier Beall Minoustchine (New York, NY), Volume 1, 1992, Volume 2, 1994.

ILLUSTRATOR

Roy Thomas, Elric—The Dreaming City, Marvel Comics (New York, NY), 1982.

Roy Thomas, Elric of Melnibone, Graphitti Designs, 1986.

Achmed Abdullah, The Thief of Baghdad, Donning (Norfolk, VA), 1987.

Adaptor and illustrator of The Ring of the Nibelung (based on the opera by Richard Wagner). Contributor to graphic-fiction anthologies, including Tapping the Vein—Book One, by Clive Barker, Eclipse Books (Forestville, CA), 1989; Within Our Reach, Star*Reach Productions (Hayward, CA), 1991; and Ray Bradbury Chronicles—Volume 1, Bantam Spectra (New York, NY), 1992. Also contributor of graphic stories to comic books, including Voyage to the Moon, War of the Worlds, Killraven, and Epic Illustrated, all Marvel Comics (New York, NY); Heavy Metal; Imagine; Night Music, Eclipse Comics (Forestville, CA); and Robin 3000, DC Comics (New York, NY). Contributor to magazines, including National Lampoon.

Contributor of illustrations to graphic-fiction anthologies, including Elric: Weird of the White Wolf, First Comics, 1986. Also contributor of illustrations to comic books, including Batman and Sandman, both DC Comics (New York, NY), and Epic Illustrated.

SIDELIGHTS: "So many stories, so many pictures, so few hours in the day," P. Craig Russell once told CA. "I believe the graphic-story art form to be one of the best kept secrets of the day."

"I particularly like doing adaptations. The challenge, like that of the screenplay (from novel to film), is to deconstruct a piece and then to reconstruct it in another form, exploiting the possibilities and meeting the demands of that new form, while remaining true to the spirit of the original.

"It takes a jigsaw puzzle mind combined with a love of imagery to make it work. I can't imagine being in any other field."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, July, 2003, review of The Magic Flute, p. 70.*

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