Rick Geary

Infobox Comics creator


imagesize = 150
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birthname =
birthdate = February 25 1946
location = Kansas City, Missouri
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nationality = American
area = Penciller, Inker, Writer
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notable works = "A Treasury of Victorian Murder" (graphic novel series)
awards =

Rick Geary (b. 1946) is an American cartoonist and illustrator.

Biography

Rick Geary was born on February 25 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri. Geary was initially introduced to comics readers with his contributions to the "Heavy Metal" and "National Lampoon" magazines. He has also created a number of postcards as well as illustrations for all kinds of publications. Perhaps his most widely circulated illustration is his logo for the audiobook publisher Recorded Books.

Geary's distinctive cartooning style evolved from his early imitations of Edward Gorey. His drawings typically consist of stark clean black lines against a white background, with a total absence of half-tone or shading. Even more distinctive is Geary's method of panel art. Most comics artists will draw several consecutive sequential panels of the same characters in the same setting: Geary, uniquely, almost never devotes two consecutive panels to the same locale or character. This creates a constant impression of jumping from one image to another.

Geary has drawn a variety of solo comic books and graphic novels for various publishers, including an adaptation of "Great Expectations" for the revived Classics Illustrated series and a kid-oriented Flaming Carrot spinoff. His most extensive project is his ongoing non-fiction comic book series, "A Treasury of Victorian Murder". The series chronicles such 19th century criminals as H. H. Holmes, Lizzie Borden, Charles Guiteau and Jack the Ripper. In the series he often uses literary devices characteristic of 19th century popular literature. For example, "The Borden Tragedy" is narrated through excerpts of a period diary, and "The Fatal Bullet" didactically contrasts the lives and morality of Guiteau and his victim, President James Garfield.

The National Cartoonist Society awarded Geary its Magazine and Book Illustration Award in 1994.

Notable works

*"At Home with Rick Geary" (1985) Fantagraphics Books
*"A Treasury of Victorian Murder" (1987) NBM/ComicsLit
*"Housebound with Rick Geary" (1991) Fantagraphics Books
*"Cravan" (2005) Dark Horse Books
*"The Murder of Abraham Lincoln" (2005) NBM/ComicsLit
*"J. Edgar Hoover" (2008) Hill and Wang
*"Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child" (2008) ComicsLit

External links

* [http://www.rickgeary.com Geary's official website]
* [http://www.reuben.org/ncs/awards2.asp NCS Awards]