Ashley Wood

Ashley Wood (born 1971) is Australian comic book artist and award-winning illustrator known for his cover art, concept design and his work as an art director. Wood initially worked in both the UK and international comic book industries, working on characters such as the British character Judge Dredd, before breaking into the US market, where he worked for such companies as Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Wood later worked for Image, creating graphic novels and cover art for the various Spawn properties of Todd McFarlane, and projects with IDW Publishing.
Wood generally works in mixed media, often combining oil painting with digital artmaking.
Career
Wood initially worked in both the UK and international comic book industries, working on characters such as the British character Judge Dredd, before breaking into the US market, where he worked for such companies as Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Wood later worked for Image, creating graphic novels and cover art for the various Spawn properties of Todd McFarlane, and projects with IDW Publishing.
Wood has contributed to both movie and TV projects.
Working in conjunction with Konami and Japanese producer/director Hideo Kojima to produce Metal Gear Solid comics. Wood assisted in creating one of the world's first digital comics for Sony's PlayStation Portable platform, the Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel. Following this, he also supplied art for the cinema scenes in the 2006 PlayStation Portable game Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and for the comic book adaptation of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which is receiving the same digital treatment as its predecessor.
In 2004, Ashley Wood and TP Louise formed 7174 PTY LTD., an Australian-based entertainment company.
Operating from Australia on a global scale, 7174 is active in creating entertainment properties for the comic, film, toy, and video game industry among others. Ashley Wood is the creator of the Popbot and World War Robot series of graphic novels, Popbot is currently in film production with Resolution Independent and World War Robot is currently in pre-production with Disney Studios with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. Previous works include the graphic novel Lore which is currently in pre-production with Warner Brother's studio, with Barry Sonnenfeld directing initially; later, Dave Green was appointed as director, instead. Another Wood collaboration Zombies Vs Robots is currently in pre-production with Sony Pictures, with Michael Bay producing.
Using an international network of development partners, coupled with the vast experience 7174 has, the company acts as an "umbrella" organisation which allows Ashley to create, own, and distribute his creations through a variety of media outlets.
In 2008, Ashley Wood and ThreeZero's founder Kim created threeA, a Hong Kong-based production house for designing, developing and manufacturing toys, posters, prints and clothing based on characters created by Ashley Wood.
In 2020, Wood started another partnership with Chris Ryall setting up a new publishing venture called Syzygy Publishing.
Awards
2002 Spectrum Gold Award for Advertising, for Popbot Blue
2002 Spectrum Gold Award for Comics, for "Luwona Angry"
2002 Award of Excellence for Illustration, Communication Arts
Nominations
2006 Eisner Award for Best Short Story for "Blood Son" (shared with Chris Ryall)
2006 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics Artist for Painted Artwork
2007 Eagle Award for Favourite Artist for Painted Artwork"
2007 Eagle Award for Favourite Comics-Related Book, for Uno Tarino: The Latest Art of Ashley Wood
2011 Designer Toy Award for Artist of the Year
Works
Comics and trade paperbacks
Zombies Vs Robots
Zombies vs Robots vs Amazons
Popbot 1 - 8
Popbot Reader
Popbot Collection 1 (Collects issues 1–3)
Popbot Collection 2 (Collects issues 4–6)
Popbot Complete (Collects issues 1–7)
Popbot Big Beautiful Book (Collects issues 1–8)
Duo Stars (Issue 1)
Automatic Kafka (Issues 1 – 9)
Lore
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid Sons of Liberty
D'Airain Aventure (Issues 1, 2)
Hellspawn
30 Days of Night (Original series covers)
Spawn
Doomed
Ghost Rider 2099
Doom 2099
Tank Girl: The Gifting
Sam and Twitch
Silent Hill
CSI
Dampyr (Covers only)
Dark Horse Down Under #1–3
Shadowman
Shadowplay
Reptilia (Cover only)
Transformers: Generations (Variant covers to #1–6)
24Seven Vol. 2 (Cover and Pin-Up)
The Nightmare Factory OGN (Cover only)
Children of the Grave TPB (Cover only)
The Authority: Scorched Earth (Cover only)
Uncanny X-Men #400 (Cover and some interior pages)
Civil Wardrobe
Kade: Sun of Perdition #4 (Variant cover)
Grendel: Red, White and Black
Star Wars Tales #16 (Cover only)
Event Horizon Vol 1 and 2 Mam Tor Publishing (Sheriff 13 short in Vol 1, Closing Pandora short in Vol 2)
Snaked (Covers)
Miss + Mrs Volume 1
Adventure Kartel Primer June 2011
Next Issue Project: Fantastic Comics No. 24
Books
World War Robot Volume 1 Illustrated
World War Robot Volume 2
Complete World War Robot (Collects Volumes 1 & 2)
World War Robot 215.mm Edition
Spawn Book of the Dead
Art books
Gutsie Gator
Legger Boot
Uno Fanta
Dos Fanta
Tres Fanta
Sencilla Fanta (Sketch book)
Sencilla Finale (Sketch book)
Grande Fanta (Collects Uno, Dos and Tres Fanta)
Grande Finale (Collects Uno, Dos and Tres Fanta + 20 extra pages)
Extreme Finales (Collects Sencilla Fanta, Sencilla Finale and Grande Finale)
Swallow (Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Sparrow (Books 0, 1, 7, 14)
48 Nudes
48 More Nudes
96 Nudes (Collects 48 Nudes and 48 More Nudes)
Uno Tarino
Dos Tarino
Tre Tarino
Fat Tarino (Collects Uno, Dos, Tre Tarino)
Snickety Snick series (3 books) + Big Gibbly Annual 2004 (One book collecting them all.) (sketch books)
Chunky Bits
F.I. #1
Fuck It (Books 1, 2, 3, 4)
Raw Fuck It Volume 1
Fuck It Omnipuss (Collects Fuck It 1, 2, 3 Plus Bonus Material)
Ashley Wood's Art of Metal Gear Solid
Zawa-zawa: Treasured Art Works of Ashley Wood(978-4-7562-4656-1) PIE International
Toy books
Apertore #1
Entreat
Toys
G.I. Joe Comic Packs (Hasbro Toys), Issue Covers No. 1, #21, No. 24
Spawn HSI.011 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
Spawn HSI.005 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
Sam and Twitch STI.022 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
Raven HellSpawn 2 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
HellSpawn I.001 (Todd McFarlane Toys)
Raven Spawn (Todd McFarlane Toys)
Bearbrick Ashley Wood Bambalad (Medicom)
WBR Brambleton Hardacre (Hyperchild)
Popbot Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
Popbot Exclusive Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
Lady Sham Polystone Statue (Sideshow)
Les Mort 13 (how2work)
WWR Bertie: Desert Rat, Dirty Deeds, ZvR Warbot (ThreeA)(Bigshottoyworks)
WWR Armstrong: Lunar Defense Camo, Shadow Guard, Suicide Club, White Engineer (ThreeA)
WWRp Armstrong: Suicide Club 0G, Shadow Guard 0G, Lunar Defense Camo 0G, White Engineer 0G, Medic 1G, EMGY 1G, JEA Marine 1G, African defence 1G, Dead Deed 1G, Daywatch 1G, Nightwatch Og, Tokyo Toy con Exclusive (ThreeA)
WWRp Bertie: Daywatch mk2 & mk3, Deep Powder mk2 & mk3, Desert Combat Sandy, Dirty Deeds, DIY, Dutch Merc Zwarte Torens, Hatchery Guard, Kruschev Memorial Guard Sabre MK2, Marine Jea Division mk2, Medic mk2, Nightwatch mk2 & mk3, Warbot (ThreeA)
WWR Bramble: Deep Powder, Euro Div, Nightwatch (ThreeA)
WWRp Bramble: Deep Powder, Desert, DIY, Euro, DIY, Euro(Red), Euro (Blue), Frosty Choad, Winter Defense, Grave Digger RPG, IDW Security X, Kruschev Memorial Guard RPG, Marine JEA, Medic, Dutch Merc, Phobos Defense, Pink Dazzle, 13th Calvary, 13th Calvary Commander, Daywatch, Daywatch Heavy, Nightwach, Nightwatch Heavy, Marine Jea Heavy, Afirican Defense Heavy, PRU Support Heavy (ThreeA)
WWR Drop Cloth: 3AA EMGY, Daywatch, Desert, DIY, Jungler, Medic Zhivago, Monty, Nightwatch, Peaceday, Slim Red, Snowballer, Uncle 2 (ThreeA)
WWR Large Martin: Big Red, Daywatch, Desert, Frosty, Iron Panda,Hatchery Guard, Nightwatch (ThreeA)
WWRp Large Martin: Big Red, Daywatch, Deep Powder, Desert, Frosty, Iron Panda, Jea Marine, Modchip, Nightwatch, Norge Defense (ThreeA)
WWRp Damn Large Martin: Auspublic Region Def, Big Red, Deep Powder, Desert, DIY, Iron Panda, Martian Dam Buster, Shitty Nine Iron Panda (ThreeA)
WWR Squares: Daywatch, Desert, Dirty Deeds, EMGY, Euro, Frosty, Iron Panda, Lunar Camo, Medic, Merc, Nighwatch, Peaceday, Red (ThreeA)
WWRp Squares: Deep Powder, Dirty Deeds, Dutch Merc, Euro, Frosty, Kruschev Memorial Guard, Jea Marine, Jea MiM, Medic, Warbot, ISO, Nightwatch, Daywatch (ThreeA)
WWRp Grunts: Medic, Jea MiM, Jungle, Stealth, DIY, Desert, Deep Powder
WWRp De Plumes: Nom De Plume, Noir De Plume, Gebi De Plume, Blanc De Plume, DIY De Plume, Kuan Ti Plume, Barguest de Plume, Jung De Plume, Von Nom, Spook von nom (ThreeA)
Ma.K., Kow Yokoyama x Ashley Wood: 1/12 Kröte(camo), 1/12 Kröte exclusive(winter) (ThreeA)
Video games
Contra: Shattered Soldier (PlayStation 2, 2002) – cover artwork and promotional illustrations
Contra Advance: The Alien Wars EX (Game Boy Advance, 2002) – cover artwork and promotional illustrations
Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel (PlayStation Portable, 2006) – artwork
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PlayStation Portable, 2006) – artwork
Halo 3 (Xbox 360, 2007) – Poster
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360, 2009) – "Sadie's Story" Artwork
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PlayStation Portable, 2010) – guest artist
Identity V (Mobile Devices and PC, 2018) – guest artist
Home video
Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée (DVD, 2008) – Motion comic adaptation of Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2. Included in Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection.
Notes
References
Ashley Wood at Lambiek
External links
Syzygy Publishing
1971 births
Living people
Australian illustrators
Australian comics artists
Horror artists
Video game artists
Australian art directors