- Adam Grose
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Adam Grose Born Adam R. Grose
26 February 1971
Truro, Cornwall, UKNationality British Area(s) Artist, Lecturer, Writer, Publisher, Musician. Pseudonym(s) DJ'EL, Starboy Notable works Cosmogenesis
The Prison and Other Tales
Phoenix: A Warrior's Tale
HMP TemeraireAwards Phillips Semi-Conductors Best Student Proposal Official website Adam R. Grose (born 26 February 1971) is an English writer, artist, lecturer and publisher (Clown Press) known mainly for his independent graphic novels and oil paintings including his sci-fi epic adventure, Cosmogenesis: The Chronicles of Quongo, with illustrator Tony Suleri and the BBC Mock Turner Painting What Do You See?
Contents
Biography
Adam was born in Cornwall and grew up in Somerset. He began writing and drawing from an early age and contributed to a variety of magazines during his school and college years, creating a mini-comic called Judge Life which was distributed at Buckler's Mead School, Yeovil (1982–86). He created and wrote a variety of stories for a magazine called 'underGROUND' and 'Stories to Scare' from 1987 to 1992 with his friend Tony Suleri whilst attending Yeovil College, where they both studied Vocational Art and Photography (1987).
After a few years working for British Telecom, he left in 1991 to pursue an art course at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in Taunton, moving on to study a Fine Art Degree at Southampton Institute, which is now known as Southampton Solent University. In 1996 he won Best Student Proposal for a competition run by Phillips Semiconductors Research Centre in Southampton, based on how they create the drawings for their Semiconductors. He has exhibited his paintings in a variety of galleries, cafes and shops. He continues to create paintings exploring the relationship between the image and the viewer. His current work is focusing on a variety of abstractions and the figurative, exploring themes associated with politics, war and religious iconography (Book of Job), from a Humanist point of view.[citation needed]
He divides his time between writing, drawing, painting, soundscape construction, editing and teaching.
Graphic novels
Cosmogenesis: The Chronicles of Quongo
He began writing the 550 page graphic novel Cosmogenesis: The Chronicles of Quongo in 1998. The first issue, The Skull of Muluc, was published in May 2001, followed each year by the next five books in the series; Bloodlines (2002), The Sword of Xian (2003), Armageddon (2004), The Shadow Falls (2004) and Rebirth (written in three acts) (2005/6). The series was collected together as a trade paperback in December 2007 and released to rave reviews. It has been compared to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien (Redeye Magazine),[1] Franz Kafka and Joseph Campbell (Down the Tubes),[2] in its scale and depth of this epic mythological tale. "Upon finally finishing this comic I felt I had just read a complete, successful and highly enjoyable piece of comic storytelling... Unlike any other sci-fi fantasy epic since Tolkien." Redeye Magazine
"...embracing and developing many ideas and concepts dear to the creators' hearts, and, is a far cry from many of the simpler comic tales you may enjoy on a regular basis. But if you're looking for thought provoking, mind-boggling storytelling then give this a try." John Freeman
"It has become too blurred for them to see clearly..." Quongo - The Sword of Xian.
A new series of Graphic Novellas are currently in development, the first being released in the Autumn (2010). These will follow one of the supporting characters from the original Cosmogenesis epic adventure.
The Prison and Other tales
In May 2008 Adam released the 52 page graphic novella The Prison and Other Tales, a collection of short stories, poems and tales based on his observations of the world, involving Politics (Generation X, Y and Z, The Prison), Love (Early One Evening: The Trainspotter, Shamanic Healing) and Fantasy (The Witch, Candlelight).
"‘The Witch’– a tale about a lady who makes herbal remedies to heal backache and gets burnt as a witch – proves effective at highlighting mankind’s ignorance through more conventional story telling means." Dave Hailwood
"BRILLIANT! I was thoroughly impressed by both the depth of content and the artwork. My particular favourites are Truth, Justice and Understanding and The Love of a Train-spotter." Preston Beaton[3]
Other publishers
He has contributed work to Insomnia Publications creating Time Wave Zero for their publication Layer Zero: Choices which in part looks at a theory by Terence McKenna on the 'concrescence of space and time'[4] through our consciousness being attracted toward a future self. A further examination can be found by reading McKenna's novelty theory. He has also completed HMP Temeraire: Childhood Survival for The Sleepless Phoenix Survival Anthology released in Oct 2010 and also was the lettering editor.
"Veils" written by Adam and Illustrated by Tony Suleri for Cold Blooded Chillers[5][6] 2012 special.
Music
Adam creates 'soundscape' albums, experimenting with a variety of sounds, weaving improvised landscapes of sound. He has released Between Heaven and Earth (2004), Stars (2006) under the name of DJ'El and Sol (2008) under the name of Starboy.
Bibliography
- underGROUND #1 - 9, 1987 - 1990(Writer/ Artist - Various with Tony Suleri)
- The Man Who Hated Tuesdays, 1988. (Writer/ Artist with Tony Suleri)
- The Devil's Day is Tuesday, 1989. (Writer/ Artist)
- Tuesday is a Good Day, 1990. (Writer/ Artist)
- The Difference, 1988 - 1990 (Art by Tony Suleri [7]) (Writer/ Artist)
- Stories to Scare #1 - 3, 1990 - 1992. (Writer/ Artist) - Published by Tony Suleri under Clown Press.
- Comics aren't just for Kids - (Experimental), 1995-96. (Writer/ Artist)
- Cosmogenesis: The Chronicles of Quongo TPB ISBN 978-0-9556054-0-6 (Clown Press. Originally published as a six issue series. 1998-2007) (Writer)
- Clown Press Presents: Previews #1, 2006. (Writer/ Artist)
- The Prison and Other Tales ISBN 978-0-9556054-1-3 (Clown Press, 2008) (Writer/ Artist)
- Insomnia Anthologies: Layer Zero: Choices (2009) ISBN 978-1-905808-16-8[6] (Writer/ Artist)
- underGROUND #1 (Re-released 7 August 2009, free online eBook, Clown Press) (Writer/ Artist)
- The Last Haul (Re-released 24th Sept 2009, free online eBook, Clown Press) (Writer/ Artist)
- Phoenix: A Warrior's Tale - Released 13th Oct 2009. ISBN 978-0-9556054-2-0 (Clown Press, 2009)
- The Difference (Re-released 21 November 2009, free online eBook, Clown Press)(Writer)
- Cover for a novel by BR Stateham based on his Detective series of Detective Turner Hahn and Frank Morales 2009. (Artist)
- Reflections Magazine Issue 3 - Shamanic Healing poem and illustration. Nov 2009. [8] (Exeter) (Writer)
- Reflections Magazine Issue 4 - Front/ back cover and HMP Temeraire 'The Lost Generation' four page sequential strip (1st Printing) appeared in issue four of Reflections magazine, Feb 2010. [9] (Writer/ Artist)
- Reflections Magazine Issue 5 - Front Cover, two illustrations and 'Labyrinthine Lakes' poem. April, 2010. [10] (Artist/ Poet)
- Reflections Magazine Issue 6 - Front Cover and a poem. July, 2010. [11] (Artist/ Poet)
- Reflections Magazine Issue 7 - Front Cover and 'Punch and Judy' on the back cover. Oct, 2010. [12] (Artist)
- The Sleepless Phoenix: Survival Stories - HMP Temeraire: Childhood Survival (Writer/ Artist), Hansel & Grethel Illustration (Artist) and Lettering Editor, Oct 2010. Staff Team: Editor in Chief - Lauren Anne Sharp, Administrator - Michael Moreci, Script and Lettering Editor - Adam R. Grose, Script Editor - Andrew Croskery, Art Editor - Alex Willmore. [13]
- SCI-FI ART NOW - Edited by John Freeman. Contributed a 'Scientific Priest' from the Cosmogenesis Universe. Oct 2010.
Art shows
- Southampton Institute Library with Mark Reed and Nick Grove, Southampton (1995)
- Millias Gallery - Second Year Fine Art Selected Students Exhibition, Southampton (1995)
- Millias Gallery - Phillips Competition Exhibition, Southampton (1996)
- Louder Than Bombs - New Work by Young Contemporaries. The Tannery Gallery, London (August 1996)
- Blu Cafe Gallery, Bournemouth (1998)
- Snaffles Cafe, Yeovil (2000)
- Bowen & Co, Martock (2002–06)
- Portland Arts Centre, Portland, Dorset (2009)
- Freedom and Confinement. An exhibition of artworks by young contemporary artists from Bryanston School and Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution, Portland, Dorset. Weymouth Library, March 8–13. Curated by Adam R. Grose and Dr. Hannah Fearnley. (2010)[14]
Gallery
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Cover to "The Prison and Other Tales".
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Cover of Cosmogenesis by Tony Suleri.
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Page One of "For Democracy...".
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BBC Mock Turner Prize.[1]
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Painting of 911 reflection.
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Connections - oil on Canvas - Sept 2007
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Out of the Depths - Jan/ Mar 2008 - Oil on Canvas
Awards
Phillips Semiconductors Research Centre, Best Student Proposal. The Sculptor tutor John Thompson won the main prize.[7] Southampton, 1996. Shortlisted for the BBC Mock Turner Prize in 2005, coming 7th out of 12 shortlisted.[8]
Notes
- ^ http://www.enginecomics.co.uk
- ^ a b http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2007/12/in-review-cosmogenesis.html
- ^ [2]
- ^ Concrescence means growing together (com/con from Latin for "together", crescence from Latin crescere/cret- grow), the present is given by a consense of subjective forms. We are multiple individuals, but there are also multiple individual agents of consciousness operant in the construction of the given. Marvin Minsky[3] calls this the "society of mind" in his book Society of Mind.
- ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ http://www.thomsonart.co.uk/public_art/the_hive.shtml
- ^ "Foil photo wins Mock Turner award". BBC. 5 December 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4498972.stm. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
References
- Adam R. Grose at the Comic Book DB
External links
- Official website
- [15] Adam's Blog
Interviews
- Engine Comics Interview, 2006.
- Comics Village Interview, 2008.
- Ian Dunt Interviews, 2009.
Categories:- 1971 births
- English comics artists
- English comics writers
- Comic book publishers (people)
- Living people
- People from Truro
- British graphic novelists
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