Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American

comic book writer and artist developed specialized terminology. Some several attempts have been made to formalize and define the terminology of comics by authors such as Will Eisner, Scott McCloud, R. C. Harvey and Dylan Horrocks. Much of the terminology in English is un ...

known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''

Marvels ''Marvels'' is a four-issue Limited series (comics), miniseries comic book written by Kurt Busiek, painted by Alex Ross and edited by Marcus McLaurin. It was published by Marvel Comics in 1994. Set in the 1939 to 1974 time period, the series ex ...

'', on which he collaborated with writer

Kurt Busiek Kurt Busiek ( ) (born September 16, 1960) is an American comic book writer. His work includes the '' Marvels'' limited series, his own series titled ''Astro City'', a four-year run on '' The Avengers, Thunderbolts'' and '' Superman.'' Early lif ...

for

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

. He has since done a variety of projects for both Marvel and

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

, such as the 1996 miniseries '' Kingdom Come'', which Ross co-wrote. Since then he has done covers and character designs for Busiek's series ''

Astro City ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' is an American superhero anthology comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Created and written by Kurt Busiek, the series is mostly illustrated by Brent Anderson, with character designs an ...

'', and various projects for

Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded by Nick Barrucci in 2004 at Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It is best known as the owners of '' The Boys'' franchise across several IP medias. Dynamite primarily publishes adaptations ...

. His feature film work includes concept and narrative art for '' Spider-Man'' and ''

Spider-Man 2 ''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Michael Chabon. Based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name, it is the ...

'', and DVD packaging art for the M. Night Shyamalan film ''

Unbreakable Unbreakable may refer to: * '' Unbreakable: My Story, My Way'', a book written by Jenni Rivera * Unbreakable (horse) (1935–1962), a Thoroughbred racehorse and sire Film and television * ''Unbreakable'' (film series), a trilogy directed by M ...

''. He has done covers for ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...

'', promotional artwork for the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, posters and packaging design for video games, and his renditions of superheroes have been merchandised as action figures. Ross's style, which usually employs a combination of

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache ...

and

wash WASH (or Watsan, WaSH) is an acronym that stands for "water, sanitation and hygiene". It is used widely by non-governmental organizations and aid agencies in developing countries. The purposes of providing access to WASH services include achievi ...

, has been said to exhibit "a Norman-Rockwell-meets- George-Pérez vibe", and has been praised for its realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters.Evanier, Mark "Alex Ross' Hollywood press conference". "Point of View" ''

Comics Buyer's Guide ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The publ ...

'' #1474; February 15, 2002 His rendering style, his attention to detail, and the perceived tendency of his characters to be depicted staring off into the distance in cover images has been satirized in '' Mad'' magazine.

Early life

Alex Ross was born in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, and raised in Lubbock, Texas, by his

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...

minister father, Clark, and his mother, Lynette, a commercial artist from whom he would learn many of the trademarks of his artistic style. Ross first began drawing at age three, and was first influenced by superheroes when he discovered Spider-Man on an episode of the children's TV series ''

The Electric Company ''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The ...

''.''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1485. May 3, 2002. Cover He would later be influenced by comics artists such as

John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Sup ...

George Pérez George Pérez (; June 9, 1954 – May 6, 2022) was an American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling ''Fantastic Four'' and '' The Avengers'' for Marvel Comics. In the 198 ...

and

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017), sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson, was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his o ...

, and attempted to imitate Pérez' style when he did superhero work, and Wrightson's when he did what he calls "serious" work. By age 16, Ross discovered the realistic work of illustrators such as

Andrew Loomis William Andrew Loomis (June 15, 1892 – May 25, 1959) was an American illustrator, writer, and art instructor. His commercial work was featured prominently in advertising and magazines; however, Loomis is best known as the writer of a series o ...

and

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

, and envisioned one day seeing such styles applied to comic book art. At age 17, Ross began studying painting at the

American Academy of Art The American Academy of Art College is a private art school in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1923 for the education of fine and commercial arts students. The school's Bill L. Parks Gallery is open to the public and features exhibitions ...

in Chicago,"The Creators," ''Avengers/Invaders Sketchbook'' (Marvel Comics, 2008). where his mother had studied. During his years there, Ross discovered the work of other artists like

J. C. Leyendecker Joseph Christian Leyendecker (March 23, 1874 – July 25, 1951) was a German-American illustrator, considered one of the preeminent American illustrators of the early 20th century. He is best known for his poster, book and advertising illustrati ...

and

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

, whose "hyper-realistic quality", Ross saw, was not that far removed from that of comics. It was during this time that he formed the idea to paint his own comic books. Ross graduated after three years.

Career

1990s

After graduating, Ross took a job at an advertising agency as a

storyboard artist A storyboard artist (sometimes called a story artist or visualizer) creates storyboards for advertising agencies and film productions. Work A storyboard artist visualizes stories and sketches frames of the story. Quick pencil drawings and mark ...

. Ross's first published comic book work was the 1990 five-issue miniseries, '' Terminator: The Burning Earth'', written by Ron Fortier and published by

NOW Comics NOW Comics was a comic book publisher founded in late 1985 by Tony C. Caputo as a sole-proprietorship. During the four years after its founding, NOW grew from a one-man operation to operating in 12 countries, and published almost 1,000 comic boo ...

. Ross created all of the art, from pencils through coloring for the series. He performed similar work on a variety of titles over the next few years. His first work for

was to have been printed in the science-fiction anthology series ''Open Space'' #5 but the title was cancelled with issue #4 (August 1990). Ross's story was printed in 1999 as a special supplement to '' Wizard's'' ''Alex Ross Special''. In 1993, he completed his first painted superhero assignment, the cover of a Superman novel, '' Superman: Doomsday & Beyond''. During this time, Ross met writer

, and the two began submitting proposals for series that would feature paintings as their internal art. Marvel agreed to a project that would tell much of the history of the Marvel Universe from the perspective of an ordinary person. That

limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...

, ''

,'' was released in 1994, and chronicled the life of a photojournalist, as he reacted to living in a world of superheroes and villains. Busiek, Ross, and penciller Brent Anderson created ''

'', first published by Image Comics in 1995 and later by

WildStorm Comics Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wildst ...

. The series features an original superhero world and continues the theme of ''Marvels'', exploring how ordinary people, superheroes and villains react to a world where the fantastic is commonplace. Ross paints the covers and helps set the costumes and the general look and feel for the series, which has been published sporadically in recent years. In 1996, Ross worked with writer Mark Waid on the

limited series '' Kingdom Come,'' which presents a possible future for the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...

, in which Superman and several other classic superheroes return from retirement to tame a generation of brutal

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...

es. The work featured Ross's redesigned versions of many DC characters, as well as a new generation of characters. Ross co-created the original character Magog, patterning his appearance and costume on

Cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

and

Shatterstar Shatterstar (Gaveedra-Seven) is a fictional mutant superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in '' The New Mutants'' #99 (March 19 ...

, two characters created by

Rob Liefeld Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...

. DC Comics writer and executive

Paul Levitz Paul Levitz (; born October 21, 1956) is an American comic book writer, editor and executive. The president of DC Comics from 2002–2009, he worked for the company for over 35 years in a wide variety of roles. Along with publisher Jenette Kahn ...

observed that "Waid's deep knowledge of the heroes' pasts served them well, and Ross' unique painted art style made a powerful statement about the reality of the world they built." Ross followed ''Kingdom Come'' with ''

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...

'', a non-superhero work for DC's

Vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...

line, an experimental work that examined the dark side of

American history The history of the lands that became the United States began with the arrival of Settlement of the Americas, the first people in the Americas around 15,000 BC. Native American cultures in the United States, Numerous indigenous cultures formed ...

. Ross drew the lenticular covers for ''Superman: Forever'' #1 (June 1998) and '' Batman: No Man's Land'' #1 (March 1999). Between 1998 and 2003, writer

Paul Dini Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–19 ...

and Ross produced annual tabloid-sized editions celebrating the 60th anniversaries of DC Comics' Superman ('' Superman: Peace on Earth''), Batman ('' Batman: War on Crime''), Shazam ('' Shazam! Power of Hope''), and

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

('' Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth''), as well as two specials featuring the

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

, ''Secret Origins'' and ''Liberty and Justice''.

2000s

In the early 2000s, with writer Jim Krueger, Ross plotted and designed characters for a trilogy of Marvel limited series, ''

Earth X ''Earth X'' is a 1999 comic book limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. ''Earth X'' was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian version of the Marvel Uni ...

'', '' Universe X'', and ''

Paradise X ''Earth X'' is a 1999 comic book limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. ''Earth X'' was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian version of the Marvel Un ...

'', which combined dozens of Marvel characters from various time periods. When M. Night Shyamalan's film, ''

'' was released to video in 2001, the DVD included an insert with Ross's original art, as well as a commentary by Ross, regarding superheroes, in the movie's special features. In 2001, Ross won acclaim for his work on special comic books benefiting the families of those killed in the September 11, 2001, attacks, including his portraits of paramedics, police and firefighters. He has designed DC merchandise, including posters, dinner plates, and statues. In late 2001, Ross painted four covers to the December 8, 2001, ''

'', which depicted Tom Welling,

Kristin Kreuk Kristin Laura Kreuk (; born December 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress. Debuting on teen drama '' Edgemont'', she became most known for her roles as Lana Lang in the superhero television series ''Smallville'' (2001–2011), also as Catherine Chan ...

and

Michael Rosenbaum Michael Owen Rosenbaum (born July 11, 1972) is an American actor and podcaster. He is known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman television series ''Smallville'', a role that ''TV Guide'' included in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Vill ...

of the TV series '' Smallville'', and Superman. Ross designed a series of costumes for the 2002 film '' Spider-Man'', though they were not used in the film. In the film's video game tie-in, as an

Easter egg Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are eggs that are decorated for the Christian feast of Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tr ...

, it is possible to unlock a playable version of Ross's Spider-Man design. When using this, the

Green Goblin The Green Goblin is the alias of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and best-known incarnation Norman Osborn, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, is generally regarded as one of the a ...

will feature one of Ross's unused character outfits. Ross's design was featured as an unlockable costume and available in a white version in the PlayStation game '' Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro''. In early 2002, Ross designed the promotional poster for the 2002 Academy Awards, which depicted Oscar perched atop the

First National Building The First National Building is a skyscraper and class-A office center in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, within the Detroit Financial District. The building is located across the streets from Cadillac Tower and One Detroit Center, and stands next to ...

. The Academy loaned Ross an actual Oscar statuette for a week for him to use as reference for the painting. Ross stated that he photographed members of his family as if they were receiving it. That same year, he was one of four artists who depicted Spider-Man on one of the covers to the April 27, 2002, issue of ''TV Guide'' as a promotional tie-in to the feature film ''Spider-Man''. Ross illustrated the cover art on the Anthrax albums ''

We've Come for You All ''We've Come for You All'' is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released on May 6, 2003 through Nuclear Blast in Europe and Sanctuary Records in North America. This was the first Anthrax record to feature Rob C ...

'' (2003), '' Music of Mass Destruction'' (2004), ''

Worship Music Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are f ...

'' (2011), and '' For All Kings'' (2016). In 2003, Pantheon Books published the

coffee table book A coffee table book, also known as a cocktail table book, is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire convers ...

''Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross'', written and designed by

Chip Kidd Charles Kidd (born 1964) is an American graphic designer known for book covers. Early childhood Born in Shillington in Berks County, Pennsylvania, Kidd grew up being fascinated and heavily inspired by American popular culture. Comic books ...

, and featuring a foreword written by M. Night Shyamalan. In late 2005, a paperback version of the book was published to include new artwork by Ross, including sketches for his ''Justice'' mini-series. Also in 2004, Ross designed 15 paintings for the opening credits of the film ''

''. The paintings presented key elements from the first film. Ross later donated the paintings to be auctioned off on

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became ...

to benefit the United Cancer Front. In 2005, Ross designed the DVD illustration covers for the re-release of ''

Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...

'' by ADV Films. He appeared in a featurette discussing his involvement of Gatchaman in his career. In August 2005, Ross worked again with writer Jim Krueger and penciller

Doug Braithwaite Doug Braithwaite is a British comic book artist. Career Braithwaite started out working on British comics, like '' 2000 AD'' and '' A1'', but is best known for his Marvel Comics work on the ''Earth X'' sequels, ''Universe X'' and ''Paradise X ...

on 12-issue, bi-monthly limited series ''

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

'' for DC Comics. The series focuses on the enemies of the Justice League of America banding together to in an effort to defeat them. The cover of the "Savior of the Universe Edition" DVD of the 1980 film '' Flash Gordon'', released on August 7, 2007, features a cover painted by Ross. An avid fan of the film, he starred in a featurette on the DVD where he discussed the movie, which he names as his favorite movie of all time. In 2008, Ross embarked on projects focusing on

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...

characters: ''

Project Superpowers ''Project Superpowers'' is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klaub ...

'' with Jim Krueger for

. That same year, Ross wrote and illustrated '' Avengers/Invaders''. It features Marvel characters but was published by Dynamite Entertainment. The story pits

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

versions of Captain America,

Namor Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc ...

, and other classic war characters against the modern Avengers groups. Late 2008 saw the release of two Ross prints that were made into T-shirts: one, "Bush Sucking Democracy Dry", featuring

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

as a vampire sucking the blood from Lady Liberty, and the other, "Time for a Change", featuring

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

as a superhero. The latter was made into a T-shirt, with which Obama was seen posing at a public event. Ross painted the "Kollectors Edition" cover for the console game ''

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe ''Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'' is a 2008 fighting video game, developed and published by Midway Games. The last entry in the franchise before the company went bankrupt in 2009 and sold the franchise to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment ...

''. The artwork was released on October 9, 2008, as was a video chronicling Ross's process of painting it. Ross is featured in his own segment on the Blu-ray/DVD included in the package.

announced that Ross would illustrate covers for the ''

Fighting American Fighting American is a superhero created in 1954 by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Published by the Crestwood Publications imprint Prize Comics, it was, contrary to standard industry practices of the time, creator-owned. Harv ...

'' series.

2010s

Other Ross projects for Dynamite include acting as the creative director on ''

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

'' comic book series. and teaming with Kurt Busiek on ''

Kirby Kirby may refer to: Buildings * Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States * Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England * Kirby House (disambiguation), various houses in England and the Unit ...

: Genesis'', an eight-issue miniseries which debuted in 2011. The series was their first full collaboration since ''Marvels'' 17 years previous, and features a large group of Jack Kirby's creator-owned characters, the rights to which were acquired by Dynamite, such as Silver Star, Captain Victory, Galaxy Green, Tiger 21 and the Ninth Men. Ross handled the series' co-plotting, designs, and covers, apart from overseeing the book overall with Busiek, who was the writer. Since 2011, Ross has been painting covers for several Dynamite titles such as ''The Green Hornet'', ''Silver Star'', ''Captain Victory'', '' The Bionic Man'', '' Lord of the Jungle'', ''

The Spider The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s. The character was created by editor Harry Steeger and written by a variety of authors for 118 monthly issues of '' The Spider'' from 1933 to 1943. A 119th Spider novel manuscr ...

'', among others. In 2012 Ross drew promotional artwork of Ratonhnhaké:ton, the main character of the video game ''

Assassin's Creed III ''Assassin's Creed III'' is a 2012 action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Microsoft Windows. It is the fifth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' serie ...

'', used on the cover of the April 2012 issue of ''

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...

'' and the collectible steelbook case provided with certain editions of the game. that same year, Ross returned to interior painted art with ''Masks'', a story in which

the Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...

, the Spider, the Green Hornet,

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...

and others join forces to combat a mutual threat. In 2013 Ross created an exclusive GameStop pre-order poster for the video game ''

Watch Dogs ''Watch Dogs'' (stylized as ''WATCH_DOGS'') is an action-adventure video game franchise published by Ubisoft, and developed primarily by its Montreal and Toronto studios using the Disrupt game engine. The series' eponymous first title was rel ...

'', which was scheduled for debut November 19 of that year, but was delayed to 2014. The game is set in Ross's home city, Chicago, which Ross emphasized in the image by placing the

Willis Tower The Willis Tower (originally the Sears Tower) is a 108- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM ...

and the

elevated train An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks ...

tracks in the background. With Marvel's "

All-New, All-Different Marvel All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline " Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched w ...

" relaunch, Ross did a variety of covers for the main comics in the relaunch such as the cover for ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and ''Squadron Supreme''. In 2015, following the conclusion of that year's "

Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with ...

" storyline, Ross designed the high-tech variation of Spider-Man's costume that the character wore during

Dan Slott Dan Slott (born July 3, 1967) is an American comic book writer, known for his work on Marvel Comics books such as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', as well as ''She-Hulk'', ''Silver Surfer'', '' The Superior Spider-Man'', '' Tony Stark: Iron Man'', ''Th ...

and

Giuseppe Camuncoli Giuseppe Camuncoli (born March 2, 1975) is an Italian comic book artist best known for his work on the Marvel Comics titles ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and '' The Superior Spider-Man'' and the DC Comics/Vertigo series ''Hellblazer'' as well as hi ...

's run on ''The Amazing-Spider-Man''.

2020s

In 2020, Ross provided the main cover for the Marvel Comics book ''The Rise of Ultraman'' #1. In April 2022, Ross was reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to

Operation USA Operation USA (also known as OpUSA, Operation California, or OpCal) is a non profit humanitarian organization supporting health, education and relief programs at home and abroad in order to help children and families recover and thrive in the wak ...

's benefit anthology book, ''Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds'', a project spearheaded by editor

Scott Dunbier Scott Dunbier is an American comic book editor, best known as the Special Projects Editor at IDW Publishing. Career Dunbier rose to prominence in the comic book industry as executive editor of the Wildstorm comic book line. After several years a ...

, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

. Ross provided the cover to the hardcover edition of the book. In September of 2022, Ross released '' Fantastic Four: Full Circle'', a 64 page graphic novel in which the Fantastic Four venture through the

Negative Zone The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The location is depicted in various publications from Marvel, most frequently in ''Fantastic Four'' and '' Captain Mar ...

, on which Ross served as both writer and artist.

Personal life

As of December 2018, Ross lives in the suburbs of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Toys

DC Direct, the collectibles division of DC Comics, has produced three sets of action figures from the comic book '' Kingdom Come'' based on Alex Ross's artwork. The first set of figures included Superman,

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...

, and Hawkman. The second set included Batman,

Red Robin Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised ...

, Captain Marvel, and

Kid Flash Kid Flash is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero The Flash. The first version of the c ...

. The last set included Magog,

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid F ...

, Armored Wonder Woman, and Deadman. An exclusive figure of Red Arrow was released through

ToyFare ''ToyFare'' was a monthly magazine published by Wizard Entertainment that focused on collectible action figures, busts, statues, and maquettes. It previewed new and upcoming lines and figures each month, as well as providing a price guide for ...

magazine. DC Direct also released several other Ross-designed characters through their Elseworlds toylines. These figures included the

Spectre Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...

, Norman McCay, Jade, Nightstar,

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

, and

Blue Beetle Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes who appear in a number of American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939. The most recent of the companies to own rights to Blue Beetle is DC Comics, which bought the ri ...

. Ross designed the costume the current incarnation of Batwoman wears; this character has been released in action-figure form by DC Direct as part of its "52" line of toys. DC Direct has released a line of action figures for the comic book ''

'' based on Alex Ross's artwork: *Series 1:

Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain/anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958 ...

, Sinestro,

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

, Superman, Superman (variant) *Series 2:

, Batman, Black Canary,

Black Manta Black Manta is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy, and first appeared in ''Aquaman'' #35 in September 1967. He has since endured as the archenemy of the s ...

Parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

*Series 3:

the Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...

Plastic Man Plastic Man (Patrick "Eel" O'Brian) is a superhero first appearing in ''Police Comics'' #1, originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by cartoonist Jack Cole (artist), Jack Cole, Plastic Man was one of the fi ...

, Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman *Series 4:

Black Adam Black Adam, real name Teth/Theo-Adam, is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck, and first appeared in the debut issue of Fawcett Comics' ''The Marvel Family'' comi ...

, Hawkman, Shazam!, Solomon Grundy,

Zatanna Zatanna Zatara () is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson, and first appeared in ''Hawkman (comic book), Hawkman'' #4 (November 1964). Zatanna is a st ...

*Series 5: Brainiac, Green Arrow,

Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (cover dated: April ...

Martian Manhunter The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...

, Martian Manhunter (Translucent),

Red Tornado Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

. *Series 6: Batman Armored, Green Lantern Armored,

Hawkgirl Hawkgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Hawkgirl, Shiera Sanders Hall, was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, and first appeared in ''Flash Comics' ...

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...

. *Series 7: Aquaman Armored,

Gorilla Grodd Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. The character was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in ''The F ...

, Green Lantern John Stewart, Superman Armored *Series 8: Batgirl,

Captain Cold Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Rogues, a loose criminal association, as well as the older brother of Golden Glider. An adversary of the various su ...

Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...

Toyman The Toyman is the name of three supervillains and one adolescent superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, mostly as an adversary for Superman. The most well-known incarnation of the Toyman is Winslow Percival Schott, a criminal w ...

In 2019,

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of K ...

released several figures based on Alex Ross's art as part of the

Marvel Legends Marvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale. The line initially began as a spin-off of ...

line. The toys were released to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Marvel Comics, and included Ross-designed versions of Iron Man,

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

and Captain America.Dietsch, T.J. (February 19, 2019)
"Toy Fair 2019: See Tons of New Marvel Legends Figures"
Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved February 26, 2019.

Awards

* National Cartoonists Society Comic Book "Reuben" Awards **1998 National Cartoonists Society Comic Book "Reuben" Award for ''Superman: Peace on Earth''. * Eisner Awards **1994 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Nominee – Best Cover Artist: (for ''Marvels'' arvel **1994 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: (''Marvels'' (Marvel)) **1996 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Cover Artist: (for ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' ukebox Productions/Image **1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Cover Artist: (for ''Kingdom Come'' Cand Kurt Busiek\'s Astro City ukebox Productions/Homage **1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: (''Kingdom Come'' (DC Comics)) **1998 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Cover Artist: (for ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' ukebox Productions/Imageand Uncle Sam C/Vertigo **1998 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: (''Uncle Sam'' C Comics/Vertigo **1999 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: (''Superman: Peace on Earth'' C Comics **2000 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Cover Artist: (for ''Batman: No Man's Land'', ''Batman: Harley Quinn'', and ''Batman: War on Crime'' C and ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' omage/DC/Wildstorm and ''America's Best Comics'' alternate #1 ildstorm/DC **2000 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Best Painter/Multimedia Artist: (''Batman: War on Crime'' (DC Comics)) **2003 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Winner – Bob Clampett Humanitarian **2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards – Nominee – Best Cover Artist: (''Astro City: The Dark Age'' (DC Comics/WildStorm); ''Project Superpowers'' (Dynamite)) * Harvey Awards **1994 Harvey Awards Best Artist or Penciller Alex Ross, for ''Marvels'' (Marvel Comics) **1997 Harvey Awards Best Artist or Penciller Alex Ross for ''Kingdom Come'' (DC) **1996 Harvey Awards Best Cover Artist Alex Ross, for ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' #1 (Image) **1997 Harvey Awards Best Cover Artist Alex Ross, for ''Kingdom Come'' #1 (DC) **1998 Harvey Awards Best Cover Artist Alex Ross, for ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' (Image/Homage), ''Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' #100 (DC), ''Squadron Supreme'' (Marvel Comics) **1999 Harvey Awards Best Cover Artist Alex Ross, for ''Kurt Busiek's Astro City'' (Image/Homage), ''Superman Forever'' (DC), ''Superman: Peace on Earth'' (DC) **1994 Harvey Awards Best Continuing or Limited Series ''Marvels'', by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross; edited by Marcus McLaurin (Marvel Comics) **1995 Harvey Awards Best Single Issue or Story ''Marvels'' #4, by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross; edited by Marcus McLaurin (Marvel Comics) **2000 Harvey Awards Best Graphic Album of Original Work ''Batman: War on Crime'' by Paul Dini and Alex Ross, edited by Charles Kochman and Joey Cavalieri (DC) **1995 Harvey Awards Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work ''Marvels'' by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross; edited by Marcus McLaurin (Graphitti Graphics) **1994 Harvey Awards Special Award for Excellence in Presentation ''Marvels'', by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross; edited by Marcus McLaurin; design by Joe Kaufman and Comicraft (Marvel Comics) Ross won the ''

s CBG Fan Award for Favorite Painter seven years in a row, resulting in that publication's retirement of that category. ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' Senior Editor

Maggie Thompson Maggie Thompson (born Margaret Curtis; November 29, 1942), is an American longtime editor of the now-defunct comic book industry news magazine ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', science fiction fan, and collector of comics. Early life Margaret (nicknam ...

commented in regard to this in 2010, "Ross may simply be the field's Favorite Painter, period. That's despite the fact that many outstanding painters are at work in today's comic books."

Thompson, Maggie Maggie Thompson (born Margaret Curtis; November 29, 1942), is an American longtime editor of the now-defunct comic book industry news magazine ''Comics Buyer's Guide'', science fiction fan, and collector of comics. Early life Margaret (nicknam ...

. "Super-power to the people!" ''Comics Buyer's Guide''. #1663 (March 2010), Page 16. Ross was also named Best Cover Artist by the CBG Awards 11 years in a row, from 1995 to 2005.

Bibliography

Interior work

DC Comics

*'' Sandman Mystery Theatre Annual'' #1 (eight pages, among other artists) (1994) *'' Kingdom Come'', miniseries, #1–4 (1996) *'' U.S. (a.k.a. ''Uncle Sam'')'', miniseries, #1–2 (1997) *'' Superman and Batman: World's Funnest'' (three pages, among other artists) (2000) *''

Batman Black and White ''Batman Black and White'' refers to the comic book limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black and white Batman stories. Volumes 1, 4 and 5 of the series feature all-new stories (published in 1996, 2013–14, and 2020–21, res ...

'' Vol. 2, "Case Study" (eight pages, among other artists) (2002) *''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...

'' #800 (one page, among other artists) (2003) *'' The World's Greatest Super-Heroes'', collected anthology (2005) **'' Superman: Peace on Earth'' (1998) **'' Batman: War on Crime'' (1999) **'' Shazam!: Power of Hope'' (2000) **'' Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth'' (2001) **'' JLA: Secret Origins'' (2002) **'' JLA: Liberty and Justice'' (2003) *''

'', limited series, #1–12 (painting over

pencils, 2005–2007) *''JSA Kingdom Come Special: Superman'' (pencil art, colors by Alex Sinclair) (2009)

Dynamite Entertainment

*'' Avengers/ Invaders'', limited series, #1–12 (2008–2009) (Marvel/Dynamite) *''

'' #1–8; vol. 2 #1–13 (2008–2010) *''Kirby Genesis'' #0–8 (with Jack Herbert) (2011-2012) *''Masks'' #1 (2012)

Eclipse Comics

*'' Miracleman: Apocrypha'' #3 (nine page story) (1992)

Image Comics

*''

Battle of the Planets ''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series '' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fr ...

'' #0.5 (pencils only, among other artists) (2002)

Marvel Comics

*''

Clive Barker's Hellraiser ''Hellraiser'' is an English/American horror media franchise that consists of eleven films, as well as various comic books, and additional merchandise and media. Based on the novella by English author Clive Barker titled ''The Hellbound Heart'', ...

'' #17–18 (1992) *''

'', miniseries, #0–4 (1994) *''

'', miniseries, #1–12 (backup text stories) (1999–2000) *'' The Torch'', miniseries, #1–8 (script) (2009–2010) *'' Captain America'' #600 (two pages, among other artists) (2009) *''Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art of Alex Ross'' (ten pages) (2019) *'' Fantastic Four: Full Circle'' (writer and artist) (2022)

Now Comics

*'' Terminator: The Burning Earth'' #1–5 (1990)

Cover work

DC Comics

*''

'' #871 (2009) *''

'': **''Astra Special'' #1–2 (2009) **''Astro City'' vol. 3 #1–46 (2013–2017) **''A Visitors Guide'' (2004) **''Beauty'' (2008) **''Dark Age, Book One'' #1–4 (2005) **''Dark Age, Book Two'' #1–4 (2007) **''Dark Age, Book Three'' #1–4 (2009) **''Dark Age, Book Four'' #1–4 (2010) **''Dark Age 1: Brothers and Other Strangers'' (2008) **''Local Heroes'' #1–5 (2003–04) **''Samaritan'' (2006) **''Silver Agent'' (2010) **''Special'' #1 (2004) *'' Batman'' #676–686 (2008–2009) *''Batman:

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and debuted in i ...

'' #1 (1999) *'' Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight'' #100 (1997) *'' Batman: No Man's Land'' #1 (1999) *''

: The Dark Age'', miniseries, #1 (2007) *''

Captain Atom Captain Atom is a superhero appearing in American comic books, first in the 1960s by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics. Captain Atom has existed in three basic incarnations. Publication history Captain Atom was crea ...

: Armageddon'' (2005) *''

Countdown to Infinite Crisis ''DC Countdown'', commonly referred to as ''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'', is a one-shot publication and the official start of the "Infinite Crisis" storyline. It was released 30 March 2005, sold out, and quickly went to a second printing. When t ...

'' #1 (painting over

Jim Lee Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...

pencils) (2005) *''Crisis on Multiple Earths'' #1, 3–4 (2002–2006) *''

DC Comics Presents ''DC Comics Presents'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 which ran for 97 issues and four ''Annual''s. It featured team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters in the DC Universe. A recurring bac ...

'' (

Julius Schwartz Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various ...

tribute): **'' The Flash'' (2004) **''

Mystery in Space ''Mystery in Space'' is the name of two science fiction American comic book series published by DC Comics, and of a standalone Vertigo anthology released in 2012. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 to 1966, with a further seven issues ...

'' (2004) *'' Detective Comics'' #860 (2010) *''

'' vol. 4 #1 (variant cover) *''The Greatest Stories Ever Told'': **'' Batman'' #1–2 (2005–2007) **''Flash'' (2007) **''

'' (2006) **'' JLA'' (2006) **'' Joker'' (2008) **'' Shazam!'' (2008) **'' Superman'' #1–2 (2004–2006) **''

Superman/Batman ''Superman/Batman'' is a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular superheroes: Superman and Batman. ''Superman/Batman'' premiered in August 2003, an update of the previous series, ''World's ...

'' (2007) **''

'' (2007) *''

History of the DC Universe ''History of the DC Universe'' is a two-issue comic book limited series created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez which was published by DC Comics following the end of ''Crisis on Infinite Earths''. Publication history ''History o ...

'' (2002) *''Justice League of America'' vol. 2 #12; ''The Lightning Saga'' (2007–2008) *'' JSA'' #68–69, 72–81; ''Annual'' #1 (2005–2008) *''JSA Kingdom Come Special: Magog'' (2009) *''JSA Kingdom Come Special: The Kingdom'' (2009) *''Justice Society of America'' vol. 3 #1–26 (2007–2009) *'' 9-11: The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember'' #2 (2002) *''

Space Ghost Space Ghost (Tad Ghostal) is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the 1960s for TV network CBS. He was designed by Alex Toth. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Ja ...

'', miniseries, #1–6 (2005) *''

'' vol. 3 #22 (1994) *''

'' vol. 4 #35 *'' Superman'' #675–683 (2008) *''Superman: Forever'' #1 (1998) *''Superman: Strength'', miniseries, #1–3 (2005) *''Superman/Fantastic Four'' (1999) *''Superman vs. the Flash'' (2003)

=America's Best Comics

= *''

America's Best Comics America's Best Comics (ABC) is a comic book publishing brand. It was set up by Alan Moore in 1999 as an imprint of WildStorm, an idea proposed to Moore by WildStorm founder Jim Lee when it was still under Image Comics. History ''America's Best ...

Special'' #1 (2001) *''

Promethea ''Promethea'' is a comic book series created by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III and Mick Gray, published by America's Best Comics/WildStorm. It tells the story of Sophie Bangs, a college student from an alternate futuristic New York City in 1999 ...

'' #1 (1999) *'' Tomorrow Stories'' #1 (1999) *''

Tom Strong ''Tom Strong'' is a comic book created by writer Alan Moore and artist Chris Sprouse, initially published bi-monthly by America's Best Comics, an imprint of DC Comics' Wildstorm division. Tom Strong, the title character, is a "science hero", wi ...

'' #1 (1999) *'' Top 10'' #1 (1999)

Dynamite Entertainment

*''

A Game of Thrones ''A Game of Thrones'' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both ...

'' #1–2 (2011) *'' Avengers/ Invaders'', limited series, #1–12; Giant-Size #1 (2008–2009) (Marvel/Dynamite) *'' Bionic Man'' #1–5 (2011) *''

Black Terror The Black Terror is a fictional comic book superhero who originally appeared in ''Exciting Comics'' #9, published by Nedor Comics in January 1941. The character was popular, and on the strength of the Black Terror's sales, Nedor made ''Exciting C ...

'' #1–10 (2008–2009) *''

Buck Rogers Buck Rogers is a science fiction adventure hero and feature comic strip created by Philip Francis Nowlan first appearing in daily US newspapers on January 7, 1929, and subsequently appearing in Sunday newspapers, international newspapers, books ...

'' #1 (2010) *'' Captain Victory'' #1–4 (2011–2012) *'' Death-Defying' Devil'' #1–4 (2008–2009) *''Dragonsbane'' #1 (2012) *''

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...

'' #1–12 (2010–2011) *''Kirby Genesis'' #1–4 (2011) *'' Lord of the Jungle'' #1 (2012) *''

Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...

'' vol. 2 #1 (2012) *'' Silver Star'' #1–3 (2011) *'' Last Phantom'' #1–10 (2010–2012) *'' Masquerade'' #2–4 (2009) *''

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of '' Cre ...

'' #1 (2010) *''

Voltron ''Voltron'' is an animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant Super Robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe (Executive Producer) and Ted Koplar through his production company World ...

'' #1–2 (2011–2012)

Marvel Comics

*'' All-New, All-Different Avengers'' #1–15 (2015–2016) *'' All-New Captain America'' #1 (2014) *''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...

'' #568, 600, 789–800 (2008–2018), vol. 4 #1–32 (2015–2017) *'' Avengers'' vol. 6 #1–674 (2016–2017) *''Avengers'' vol. 7 #10/700 (2018) *'' Black Panther'' vol. 6 #1 (2016) *'' Captain America'' vol. 5 #34 (2008) *''Captain America'' vol. 8 #695 (2017) *''Captain America'' vol. 9 #1–30 (2018–2021) *'' Captain Marvel'' vol. 3 #1, 3, 17 (2002–2003) *'' Captain Marvel'' vol. 8 #1 (2019) *'' Daredevil'' #500 (2009) *''Daredevil/ Spider-Man'', miniseries, #1–4 (2001) *''

'' #0-12 (1999) *''

Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

'' vol. 2 #1 (2017) *'' Fantastic Four'' vol. 6 #1, 6 *'' Fantastic Four: Full Circle'' (2022) *''4 (Universe X Special)'' #1 (2000) *''

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It may more specifically refer to: Comic book teams * Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), the original 31st-century team fr ...

'' vol. 3 #18 (2014) *''

Guardians 3000 Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

'' #1–6 (2014–2015) * Marvels X #1–6 (2020) *'' The Immortal Hulk'' #1–50 (2018–2021) *''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' #600 (2009) *'' Invaders Now!'', miniseries, #1–5 (2010–2011) *'' The Invincible Iron Man'' vol. 3 #600 (2018) *''The Mighty Captain Marvel'' #1 (2017) *'' Miracleman'', reprint, #5 (variant cover) (2014) *''

'' #0–12 (2002) *''The Rise Of Ultraman'' #1 (2020) *''

Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first and original version is Jessica Drew (later impersonated by Veranke), the second version is Julia Carpenter, and the third vers ...

'', vol. 2 #1 (2009) *'' The Torch'' miniseries #1–8 (2009–2010) *''

Uncanny X-Men ''Uncanny X-Men'', originally published as ''The X-Men'', is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X- ...

'' #500 (2008) *''Savage Hulk'' #1 (2014) *''

'' #1–9 (2015) *''Tony Stark: Iron Man'' #1, 9 (2018–2019) *'' Universe X'' #0–12 (2001)

Other publishers

*''

'' #1–12 (2002–2003) (Image) *''Battle of the Planets/ Thundercats'' (2003) (DC/Image) *''Battle of the Planets/

Witchblade ''Witchblade'' is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owner Marc Silvestri, editor David Wohl, writers ...

'' (2003) (Image) *'' Call of Duty: Black Ops II'' "Origins" Downloadable Content Cover Art (2013) *''

Life with Archie ''Life with Archie'' is a comic book published by Archie comics from 1958 to 1991. It featured Archie Andrews in adventure stories that were more dramatic than the standard Archie tales. In 2010, it was revived as a magazine-sized comic devoted t ...

'' #37 (variant cover) (Archie Comics) *'' Star Wars'' #1–20 (2013–2014) (Dark Horse)

References

External links

* * *
Alex Ross
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Alex 1970 births 20th-century American painters 20th-century American writers 21st-century American painters 21st-century American writers Album-cover and concert-poster artists American comics artists American comics writers American male painters American storyboard artists Artists from Portland, Oregon Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award winners Eisner Award winners for Best Cover Artist Eisner Award winners for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (Interior) Harvey Award winners for Best Artist or Penciller Living people Marvel Comics people People from Lubbock, Texas Writers from Portland, Oregon Writers from Texas

Early life

Career

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Personal life

Toys

Awards

Bibliography

Interior work

DC Comics

Dynamite Entertainment

Eclipse Comics

Image Comics

Marvel Comics

Now Comics

Cover work

DC Comics

=America's Best Comics

Dynamite Entertainment

Marvel Comics

Other publishers

References

Further reading

External links