One of the standout artists of the past 20 years, British artist Jock’s work has appeared on comic book covers and movie posters, and his concept art has provided the vision behind the look of movies like Dredd, Ex Machina, Battleship, and in the works is next year’s Star Wars: Episode VIII. A new high-quality hardcover from Insight Editions available this month is showcasing some of his best images. The Art of Jock establishes a new standard for photographic reproductions, with some of the very best color and crisp detail found in any recent coffee table edition we’ve reviewed. It features hundreds of illustrations from a creator really only at the early stages of his career.
Born in Scotland as Mark Simpson, Jock broke into comics with the British sci-fi comic book 2000 A.D., and today is an internationally-recognized artist and Eisner Award nominee. We’ve seen his work in DC Comics series like Green Arrow and Batman, in Marvel series like Savage Wolverine and Daredevil, in the Image series Wytches, and in Vertigo series Scalped and Losers. Highlights of early sketches and final versions of his work on these series can be found in this book in large, full color pages. Fans of Jock will love the many original comic book covers and interior art included.
The Art of Jock was written by DC Comics editor Will Dennis, with commentary by Battleship director Peter Berg, and DC Comics’ Jim Lee and Scott Snyder. But the most valuable insight is provided by the artist himself. Jock recounts his process and critiques his own work, comparing his style between phases of his own development.
