Sean Michael Wilson is a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...

writer from

Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

. He has written more than 30 books with a variety of US, UK and Japanese publishers and has been nominated for both the Eisner and Harvey book awards, and won a medal in the Japanese government's 'International Manga Award', 2016 (the first British person to receive that award).

Biography

Growing up in Edinburgh, Wilson was deeply inspired to create comic books at an early age by the comic '' 2000 AD''. He largely focused on writing poetry and short stories while studying Sociology and Psychology at

Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Caledonian University ( gd, Oilthigh Chailleannach Ghlaschu, ), informally GCU, Caledonian or Caley, is a public university in Glasgow, Scotland. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded in 1875) and G ...

and a postgraduate in Anthropology at

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI i ...

. He later graduated as a lecturer in those subjects from the University of London (UCL). He mixed teaching with working on documentary films for British television until deciding to return to focus on his first love, comic books. In 2014 he was listed among the 'Ten Great Scottish Graphic Novel Creators' by the Scottish Book Trust. Wilson's first published comics story came out in 1998 in a book and display of an exhibition of comic art in London. Although around half of his books are 'western' style graphic novels, he often works with Japanese and Chinese artists on manga style books, being ideally placed to do so as he now lives in Japan. He is influenced by the

Gekiga , literally "dramatic pictures", is a style of Japanese comics aimed at adult audiences and marked by a more cinematic art style and more mature themes. ''Gekiga'' was the predominant style of adult comics in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. It is ...

movement writers,

Yoshihiro Tatsumi was a Japanese manga artist whose work was first published in his teens, and continued through the rest of his life. He is widely credited with starting the gekiga style of alternative manga in Japan, having allegedly coined the term in 1957. Hi ...

Yoshiharu Tsuge is a Japanese cartoonist and essayist. He was active in comics between 1955 and 1987. His works range from tales of ordinary life to dream-like surrealism, and often show his interest in traveling about Japan. He has garnered the most attent ...

Matsumoto Masahiko was a Japanese manga artist. He is considered a pioneer of alternative manga through his incorporation of cinematic techniques into manga from the mid-1950s onward. His style known as '' komaga'', together with the manga of Yoshihiro Tatsumi and ...

. His first Japanese language work came out in Summer 2008 on the Japanese keitai manga network (comics on cell/mobile phone). Making him perhaps the first British comic book writer to have his work available on Japanese mobile phones. He is also the only British comic book writer, so far, to have a multi-book deal with the Kodansha publishing group in Japan. He edited the groundbreaking collection of indie style manga, 'AX: alternative manga', for Top Shelf Publications - which was highly praised by critics ('Top ten books of 2010' of Publishers Weekly, nominated for a prestigious Harvey Award) and noted as the most important such collection of manga yet published. But his main influences remain British and American comics, such as creators

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including ''Watchmen'', '' V for Vendetta'', ''The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and ''From Hell ...

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for the ...

Eddie Campbell Eddie Campbell (born 10 August 1955) is a British comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Chicago. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of ''From Hell'' (written by Alan Moore), Campbell is also the creator of the semi-au ...

and

Harvey Pekar Harvey Lawrence Pekar (; October 8, 1939 – July 12, 2010) was an American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality, best known for his autobiographical '' American Splendor'' comic series. In 2003, the series inspired a ...

. Wilson's work is equally split between original stories and adaptations of existing work into comic book form. Several of his books have been adaptations for the UK publisher

Classical Comics Classical Comics is a British publisher of graphic novel adaptations of the great works of literature, including Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë and Dickens. Overview All of the volumes will be published as graphic novels. Art is being prov ...

. This has involved working with a range of well-known artists adapting 19th-century novels into comic books that stay close to the original in plot and historical accuracy. Including 'A Christmas Carol' (with Judge Dredd, Wonder Woman and Dr Who artist Mike Collins, and with sales so far of more than 20,000 copies), 'Sweeney Todd', Oscar Wilde's 'A Canterville Ghost' and 'Wuthering Heights' (with esteemed artist John M Burns of 2000AD, Look and Learn, etc.). Wilson has attempted to do comic books that are different from the normal superhero/fantasy brands, working with a variety of 'non-comic book' organisations in the process, such as a British museum, the UK arts council, the Global Institute for Tomorrow, Bristol University, Asia Literary Review, the Norwegian People's Alliance, the British and American Humanist Associations, Basic Income groups and the activist charity War on Want. His book with War on Want, 'Iraq:Operation Corporate Takeover' was reported on by a variety of mainstream agencies across the world, such as Reuters, CCTV in China, Austrian Radio and several middle eastern magazines. His book 'Parecomic' has an introduction by Noam Chomsky, who is also in the book several times - Chomsky's first official connection with a graphic novel. His book contrasting science and religion, Goodbye God?, was made with the participation of English philosopher Stephen Law of the University of London and an introduction by Prof. Lawrence Krauss. In May 2019 his book 'The Many Not the Few' with artists Robert Brown (published by New Internationalist and the British Union GFTU) was launched in the UK parliament building, the House of Commons. This is the first time a comic book has had a launched event in the House of Commons. Shadow chancellor, John McDonell, and Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, attended - who both hold well received speeches in support of the book. In 2020 he received the Scottish Samurai Award from an association promoting connections between Japan and Scotland. His work has been translated into Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Korean, Croatian, Indonesian, Czech, Turkish, Swedish and Italian. Wilson is a regular guest at comic book festivals, schools and colleges where he gives talks and workshops about comics and alternative manga. He also occasionally writes newspaper articles for places such as The Japan Times, the London Economic, the Herald and his own article website 'Radical Fun'.2008 New York Comic con Guests at nycomiccon.com

Awards and recognition

* 2008 Wilson's version of A Christmas Carol, with artists Mike Collins and David Roach, in The Sunday Times 'Ten Best Books of the Year' * 2010 AX: alternative manga, edited by Wilson, nominated for the prestigious Harvey Award. * 2012 Wilson's version of Wuthering Heights, with John M Burns, nominated for the 'Stan Lee Excelsior Awards' in 2012, by over 170 schools in the UK. * 2012 Wilson's version of A Christmas Carol, with Mike Collins and David Roach, won gold medal in the 2012 'Language Learner Literature Awards'. * 2013 Wilson's version of 'Sweeney Todd', with Declan Shalvey, wins the JABICA award of the 'Stan Lee Excelsior Awards'. * 2014 Wilson listed among the 'Ten Great Scottish Graphic Novel Creators' by the Scottish Book Trust. * 2015 The anthology of stories about WW1 Wilson was part of, 'To End All Wars', was nominated for 'Best Anthology' in the 2015 Eisner awards. * 2015 Cold Mountain, with Akiko Shimojima, won an award in the national 'China Animation and Comic Competition' (in the category of 'Best Overseas Comic'). * 2016 Lafcadio Hearn’s "The Faceless Ghost", with Michiru Morikawa, on recommended reading list, 'Great Graphic Novels for Teens', of the library association, USA. * 2016 Lafcadio Hearn’s "The Faceless Ghost", with Michiru Morikawa, won a medal in the 2016 'Independent Book Publishers Awards', USA. * 2016 Lafcadio Hearn’s "The Faceless Ghost", with Michiru Morikawa, nominated for an Eisner Award, the top award for comic books in the USA. * 2016 Secrets of the Ninja, with Akiko Shimojima, won a medal in the 'International Manga Awards' of the Japanese Government. * 2018 Portraits of Violence, with Dr Brad Evans, won a medal in the 2018 'Independent Book Publishers Awards', USA. * 2019 his book 'The Many Not the Few' was launched by the Labour Party leader in an event in the Houses of Parliament. * 2020 he received the Scottish Samurai Award from an association promoting connections between Japan and Scotland.

Bibliography (earliest books listed first)

* ''

Angel of the Woods In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inc ...

'' (with

Jorge Heufemann Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

, 84 pages, Boychild Productions, December 2003, ) * "Chimpira" (in ''Manga Mover'', Boychild Productions, September 2004, ) * ''Beautiful things'' (with

Neill Cameron Neill Cameron is a British cartoonist. Biography Cameron started out in British small press comics, most notably drawing ''Bulldog Empire'', which also appeared in the small press section of ''Judge Dredd Megazine'' and was reprinted in the fi ...

and other artists, Boychild Productions, June 2005, ) * ''

The Japanese Drawing Room ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'' (with artist

Sakura Mizuki A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generall ...

, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum May 2006, ) * "Gang of Love" (in ''Yaoi'', Volume 1, Yaoi Press, April 2007, ) * ''

Lafcadio Hearn , born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; el, Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χέρν, Patríkios Lefkádios Chérn, Irish: Pádraig Lafcadio O'hEarain), was an Irish-Greek- Japanese writer, translator, and teacher who introduced the culture an ...

's Japanese Ghost Stories'' (140 pages, Demented Dragon Books, 2007) * '' Iraq: Operation Corporate Takeover'' (with Lee O'Connor, War on Want/Boychild Productions, June 2007, ) * "The Story of Lee" (with Yishan Li, in the '' Mammoth Book of Best New Manga Volume 2'', October 2007, ) * '' A Christmas Carol'' (adaptation, with pencils by Mike Collins and inks by

David Roach David Roach may refer to: * David Roach (American football) (born 1985), American football safety *David Roach (saxophonist) (born 1955), British classical saxophonist *David Roach (comics), British comics artist *David Roach (athletic director) (b ...

, 132 pages,

, October 2008, Original Text, , Quick Text, ) * ''Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese Ghost Stories'' (120 pages, Keitai/cell phone version in the Japanese language, Tokyo Shoseki Insatsu, 2008) * '' AX'' (as editor, 400 pages,

Top Shelf Productions Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. Now an imprint of IDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based in Marietta, Georgia. Top Shelf pu ...

, July 2010, nominated for the Harvey Award, 2010) * '' Hagakure: the manga edition'' (with art by Chie Kutsuwada, 145 pages, Kodansha, Sept 2010 in Japan, January 2011 elsewhere.) * ''

The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in ''The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fam ...

'' (adaptation, with art by Steve Bryant and Jason Millet, 144 pages,

, October 2010, Original Text, , Quick Text, ) * ''The Story of Lee'' (with art by Chie Kutsuwada, 150 pages,

NBM Publishing Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing Inc. (or NBM Publishing) is an American graphic novel publisher. Founded by Terry Nantier in 1976 as Flying Buttress Publications, NBM is one of the oldest graphic novel publishers in North America. The comp ...

, Dec 2010) * '' Yakuza Moon: the manga edition.'' (art by Michiru Morikawa), 190 pages, Kodansha International, Feb 2011 in Japan, June 2011 elsewhere. * ''Buskers'' (with art by Michiru Morikawa, 130 pages, out spring 2011 in connection a film of the same name) * ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent r ...

'' (adaptation, with art by John M. Burns, 144 pages,

, December 2011, nominated for the Stan Lee Award, 2012. * ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' (adaptation, with art by

Declan Shalvey Declan Shalvey is an Irish comics artist and writer. He has worked for Marvel Comics, drawing titles like ''Moon Knight'', ''Thunderbolts'' and ''Deadpool''. For Image Comics, he has collaborated with writer Warren Ellis on science fiction serie ...

, 176 pages,

, Spring 2012, Original Text, , Quick Text, ,). Nominated for and won a Stan Lee Award, 2013. * '' The Book of Five Rings: a Graphic Novel'' (art by Chie Kutsuwada), 160 pages manga, Shambhala, Nov 2012. * ''

The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

''(art by Michiru Morikawa), 160 pages manga, Shambhala, Spring 2013. * '' Parecomic: The Story of Michael Albert and Participatory Economics'' 220-page graphic novel with Carl Thompson. Seven Stories, May 2013. Intro by Noam Chomsky. * ''

Fight the Power! A Visual History of Protests Among the English Speaking Peoples Combat (French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, ...

'', a history of 200 years of protests, New Internationalist, Oct 2013. Intro by Tariq Ali. * ''

The 47 Ronin ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' A manga version of the classic Japanese tale. Art by Akiko Shimojima. English version: Shambhala, Oct 2013. Japanese version: Kodansha, Oct 2013. * '' Musashi: a graphic novel'' A manga version of the life of Miyamoto Musashi. Art by Michiru Morikawa. Shambhala, Sept 2014. * '' Cold Mountain'', on Chinese mystical poets Han Shan and Shih Te, 130 pages, April 2015, Shambhala Publications. * '' Goodbye God? An illustrated guide to science V religion'' 120 pages, April 2015, New Internationalist. * ''

Secrets of the Ninja Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'', historical manga, 150 pages, July 2015, North Atlantic Books. * ''

Story of Lee volume 2 Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (Briti ...

'', a 150 page long manga with (art: Nami Tamura), November 2015 from NBM Publishing, USA. * ''

Lafcadio Hearn’s The Faceless ghost - and other Macabre Tales As Tall As Lions were an indie rock band from Long Island, New York. History High school friends Dan Nigro (lead vocals & guitars), Saen Fitzgerald (guitar, keyboards, & percussion), Brian Fortune (guitars & keyboards) and Cliff Sarcona (drum ...

''. Art by Michiru Morikawa. 130 pages, Nov 2015, Shambhala Publications. * ''

Cigarette Girl In Europe and the United States, a cigarette girl is a person who sells or provides cigarettes from a tray held by a neck strap. They may also carry cigars and other items like candy, snacks, and chewing gum on their trays. Uniform The most ...

'' (as editor), 250 pages,

, July 2016. * ''

Once Upon a Time in Morningside Once means a one-time occurrence. Once may refer to: Music * ''Once'' (Pearl Jam song), a 1991 song from the album ''Ten'' * ''Once'' (Roy Harper album), a 1990 album by Roy Harper * ''Once'' (The Tyde album), a 2001 debut album by The Tyd ...

''. Art by Hanna Stromberg. 115 pages, June 2016, BigUglyRobot Publishing. * ''

Breaking the 10 volume 1 Breaking or breakin' may refer to: Arts * Breakdancing (also breaking), an athletic style of street dance * '' Breakin, a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film * "Breakin, a twelfth-season episode of the American animated television ...

''. Art by Michiru Morikawa.. 112 pages, July 2016, NBM Publishing, USA. * '' Bushido: the Soul of Japan''. Art by Akiko Shimojima. 125 pages, Aug 2016, Shambhala Publications. * '' Portraits of Violence''. Art by various. 115 pages, Nov 2016, New Internationalist. * ''

Black Ships The Black Ships (in ja, 黒船, translit=kurofune, Edo period term) was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan in the 16th and 19th centuries. In 1543 Portuguese initiated the first contacts, establishing a trade route linking ...

'', historical manga, 115 pages, Spring 2017, North Atlantic Books. * ''

Breaking the 10 volume 2 Breaking or breakin' may refer to: Arts * Breakdancing (also breaking), an athletic style of street dance * ''Breakin, a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film * "Breakin, a twelfth-season episode of the American animated television se ...

''. Art by Michiru Morikawa. 112 pages, Feb 2018, NBM Publishing, USA. * ''

The Satsuma Rebellion ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'', historical manga. Art by Akiko Shimojima.115 pages, Spring 2018, North Atlantic Books. * '' Saigo Takamori and Seinan Senso'' Based on the real story. Art by Akiko Shimojima. Japanese version: Kodansha, May 2018. * '' Tao Te Ching: A Graphic Novel''. Art by Cary Kwok. 180 pages, Dec 2018, Shambhala Publications. * ''

Story of Lee volume 3 Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (Briti ...

'', a 125 page long manga with (art: Piarelle), Feb 2019 from NBM Publishing, USA. * '' The Many Not the Few''. Art by Robert Brown. 128 pages, May 2019, New Internationalist and GFTU. * '' Tokyo Olympics Guide'' Art by Makiko Kodama. Japanese/English bilingual version, Kodansha, Nov 2019. * '' The Garden''. Art by Fumio Obata. 70 pages, May 2020, Liminal 11 publications. * ''

Manga Yokai Stories Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

''. Art by Inko Ai Takita. 125 pages, May 2020, Tuttle. * ''

The Spirit of Japan ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

''. Art by Fumio Obata. 104 pages, June 2021, Liminal 11 publications. * ''

The Minamata Story ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

''. Art by Akiko Shimojima. 112 pages, Summer 2021, Stonebridge Press. * '' The Tale of Genji''. Art by Inko Ai Takita. 175 pages, Winter 2021, Tuttle. * '' Mamiya's Maps: A Samurai Explores Sakhalin''. Art by Akiko Shimojima. 112 pages, Winter 2022, Eostre Publications.

References

5 http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2014/comics-sean-michael-wilson-anarchic-approach/ 6 https://web.archive.org/web/20141024210737/http://23zillion.com/bartering-ideas-with-sean-michael-wilson/ 7 http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/books-poetry/graphic-content-10-reasons-why-comic-books-are-better-than-films.1413190500

External links

Main web site - Sean Michael Wilson

Articles web site - Radical Fun
* https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ASeán+Michael+Wilson&keywords=Seán+Michael+Wilson&ie=UTF8&qid=1313548683&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B003W2PMXI {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Sean Michael Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Scottish comics writers Writers from Edinburgh Scottish expatriates in Japan Alumni of Glasgow Caledonian University Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Scottish graphic novelists