Ray Zone (1947–2012) was an American film historian, author, artist, and pioneer in methods of converting flat images (in particular,
comic books) into
stereoscopic images.
''
Starlog
''Starlog'' was a monthly science fiction magazine that was created in 1976 and focused primarily on '' Star Trek'' at its inception. Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs were its creators and it was published by Starlog Group, Inc. in August 1976. ...
'' called him the "King of 3-D Comics", and Artsy Planet called him the "3D King of Hollywood".
Biography
Zone attributed his interest in 3D to having read ''
Mighty Mouse''
comic books in 3D at the age of 6, in 1953. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and began converting flat art to 3D images. He began working in comic books in 1983, and his early collaborations with
Jack C. Harris
Jack C. Harris (born August 30, 1947) is an American comic book writer and editor known mainly for his work in the 1970s and 1980s at DC Comics.
Biography
Early life and career
Jack C. Harris attended the Philadelphia College of Art and gradu ...
and
Steve Ditko drew the attention of
Archie Goodwin, who recruited him to work with
John Byrne on the 1990 ''Batman 3-D'', a full-length 3D
graphic novella.
Zone produced 3D adaptations of art for over 150 comic books, for clients such as Disney, Warner Bros and the Simpsons, and including stories by
Alan Moore and
Grant Morrison which were specifically written to accommodate stereoscopy.
An internationally recognized expert in all things 3-D, Zone had a special interest in stereoscopic cinema and Large Format 3-D (15/70) filmmaking. He created stereo conversions and stereoscopic images for a wide variety of clients in publishing, education, advertising, television and motion pictures. In 2006 Zone was the 3D Artist on the
Tool album ''
10,000 Days'', which won that year's
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package. He received numerous awards for his 3-D work, among them a 1987
Inkpot Award from the
San Diego Comic-Con for "Outstanding Achievement in Comic Arts", and
He was the author of "3D Filmmakers, Conversations with Creators of Stereoscopic Motion Pictures" (Scarecrow Press: 2005), "Stereoscopic Cinema and the Origins of 3-D Film, 1838 - 1952" (University Press of Kentucky: 2007), "3-DIY: Stereoscopic Moviemaking on an Indie Budget" (Focal Press: 2012), and "3-D Revolution: The History of Modern Stereoscopic Cinema" (University Press of Kentucky: 2012).
In 2008 Zone worked as 3D Supervisor on ''
Dark Country
''Dark Country'' is a 2009 American mystery thriller film directed by and starring Thomas Jane in his directorial debut. It also stars Lauren German and Ron Perlman.
Plot
Newly weds Dick and Gina decide to head across the Nevada desert for the ...
'' with director/star
Thomas Jane, and in 2010 as 3D Producer on "
Guardians of the Lost Code", the first animated 3D feature film made in Mexico.
Bibliography
Work includes:
*''Batman 3D'' (with
John Byrne,
Arthur Adams, 80 pages,
Titan Books, )
*''3D Filmmakers, Conversations with Creators of Stereoscopic Motion Pictures'',
Scarecrow Press
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
*''Stereoscopic Cinema and the Origins of 3-D Film, 1838 - 1952'',
University Press of Kentucky
*''3-DIY: Stereoscopic Moviemaking on an Indie Budget'',
Focal Press
Focal Press is a publisher of creative and applied media books and it is an imprint of Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
Company history
The firm was founded in London in 1938 by Andor Kraszna-Krausz, a Hungarian photographer who migrated to England ...
*''3-D Revolution: The History of Modern Stereoscopic Cinema'', University Press of Kentucky
References
External links
Official site(via
archive.is)
*
*
*
Checklist of comic books featuring Ray Zone work ''
Cnet
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
'', January 9, 2010
The History of 3D Comics Exhibition & Opening Reception Comixlist, July 19, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zone, Ray
1947 births
2012 deaths
American film historians
American male non-fiction writers
Inkpot Award winners
Stereoscopy