Brian Lewis (illustrator)

Brian Moncrieff Lewis (3 June 1929 – 4 December 1978)[1] was a British science fiction illustrator, comics artist and animator.

Brian Lewis
BornBrian Moncrieff Lewis
(1929-06-03)3 June 1929
Died4 December 1978(1978-12-04) (aged 49)
NationalityBritish
Area(s)Artist

Lewis served in the RAF, and became involved in science fiction fandom in the early 1950s. His first professional illustration was for the Radio Times, and he began contributing to New Worlds in 1954, painting forty covers for the magazine. He also painted 21 covers for Science Fantasy, 19 for Science Fiction Adventures and a few for Digit Books between 1957 and 1962.[1] His work was characterised by strong colours laid on thickly, and was influenced by surrealists Paul Klee and Max Ernst and illustrator Richard Powers.[2]

"Jet Ace Logan", from Tiger, 1961

His first work in comics was the strip "Magna Carta" for Lone Star in 1959.[1][3] In the early 1960s he drew adventure strips "Jet Ace Logan", "The Suicide Six", "Paddy Ryan", "Memorable Moments in Sport" and "The Destroyer from the Depths" for Tiger, "Captain Condor" for Lion, "John Brody"[1] and "Brett Million"[3] for Boys' World, "Planet Z" for Hurricane, and "The Guinea Pig"[1] and "Mann of Battle"[3] for Eagle. He also used a more cartoony style to draw "Pest of the West" and "Georgie's Germs" in Wham!,[1] and "Space Jinx" and "Charlie's Choice" for Smash.[4]

Around 1966 he moved into animation, working on films such as Yellow Submarine.[1] In the late 1960s and 70s he drew TV adaptations for TV21, Countdown[3] and TV Action,[4] and horror adaptations for Dez Skinn's House of Hammer, which led to work for Warren Publishing's Vampirella in the USA.[3] He also continued his cartoonier work with "Tomboy" in Cor!! and Buster and "Les Dawson is Superflop" in Look-in. In 1978 he had a brief stint on "Dan Dare" in 2000 AD, drew a strip in a Van Der Valk annual, and produced some technical illustrations for Harry Harrison's book Mechanismo: An Illustrated Manual of Science Fiction Hardware. He died on 4 December 1978. His final published work appeared in The Wall of Years by Andrew M. Stephenson in 1979.[1]

References
  1. Steve Holland, Brian Lewis, Bear Alley, 3 June 2008
  2. Jon Gustafson and Peter Nicholls, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
  3. Fco. Javier Alcázar Guijo, Brian Lewis, el Británnico Olvidado, Tebeosfera (in Spanish)
  4. Alan Clark, Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors, The British Library, 1998, p. 93
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