iFanboy Upstarts: Fiona Staples

Some artists warm up in the independent comics to get in the good graces of the bigger companies and guaranteed money in work-for-hire projects, but others prefer carving out a place on their own with creator-owned. One of the brightest stars coming up and carrying an independent spirit is artist Fiona Staples.

The Canadian-born Staples first popped on the comics scene with a small piece in Devil’s Due 2005 Elsinore #4, and showed her full talents with her first creator-owned series, 2006’s Done To Death with writer Andrew Foley. In the following two years her published work was relegated to coloring for others, but then she got a shot as a quick replacement artist for the miniseries The Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor. That star turn on a work-for-hire book led to a follow-up series with North 40 and she soon blossomed into an in-demand cover artist as well as interior artist. Staples completed two one-shot issues for Jonah Hex and Northlanders while cranking out covers for War Machine, Superman/Batman, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and DV8: Gods & Monsters. In 2010 she gave up the Big Two however for a creator-owned series with Steve Niles at IDW called Mystery Society, and is working on Brian K. Vaughan’s upcoming return to comics with the ongoing Image series Saga.

Staples has garnered nominations from both the Eisners and the Shusters for her work,so catch up on this future superstar with back issues as you get ready for Saga in 2012.

Comments

  1. MY GOD! The last one blew me away! So excited for Saga.

  2. That’s some damn fine artwork.

  3. I LOVE Fiona Staples. I had know idea she was a replacement artist on that Hawksmoor mini that I fell off of. Gotta pick it up!

  4. she’s pretty incredible! that jonah hex cover she did a while back was magnificent!

  5. From the moment I first opened up Mystery Society, Staples instantly became one of my favorite artists. And I’m talking top 2 or 3 type favorite. Her stuff is amazing.

  6. Loved her Mystery Society work. I think I’ll go hunt down that Jonah Hex Issue.

  7. I loved her interiors on Mystery Society, especially that grainy texture she used for the colors. Really though i think her best work is in covers. Her stuff on DV8 was pretty awesome.

  8. Her range is incredible, but I can’t help but love her bright colors. I want to ride on a giant…bear thing…with a panda at my side. Heck yeah.

  9. I was planning on tradewaiting for Saga…..now I’m not sure I’ll be able to.

  10. Some stuff has hints of Phil Noto, and some look very Leinil Yu, but then you can see her style become her own thing, it’s gorgeous. I can’t wait for Saga!

  11. wow, I liked the cover to Saga before, and now everything else is just amazing. thanks.

  12. Mystery Society was so great. I was going to be excited about Saga no matter who was doing the art, but hearing that Staples was on it made me all the more pumped.

  13. So good. Cannot wait for Saga – I’m as excited for her art as I am for BKV’s return.

  14. Awesome…. more, more, more!!!

  15. I didn’t think I could b more excited for Saga, but this work just blew me away! This is going to be THE comic of 2012!

  16. Nice. Her art is clean and slick, very talented.