Garth Ennis

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Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. His work is characterised by extreme violence, black humour and profanity, but also by an interest in male friendship and an amused disdain for organised religion. Frequent artistic collaborators include Steve Dillon, Glenn Fabry and John McCrea.

Ennis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997.

Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Like the two Troubles stories it was collected as a graphic novel in 1990, but religious protests led to it being quickly withdrawn from sale, apparently on the orders of publisher Robert Maxwell. It was later republished in 1997 by Vertigo.

Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years. Ennis's most notable Dredd stories include Muzak Killer (a pastiche of mainstream pop music), Emerald Isle (a tongue-in-cheek story set in Ennis's native Ireland), and the twenty-part epic Judgment Day. Ennis also contributed the surreal Time Flies (with artist Philip Bond), dealing with time travel paradoxes and Nazis.

His first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run. The creative partnership established went on to create Preacher. From 1993 to 1995 Ennis and John McCrea worked on another DC title, The Demon, during which they introduced super-powered contract killer Tommy Monaghan, aka Hitman, whose own series would allow their creative partnership to continue when The Demon ended. Towards the end of the initial Hellblazer run, Ennis and Dillon collaborated on a one-shot called Heartland, exploring one of the secondary characters of their run. Several years after leaving, Ennis briefly returned for the five-part Son of Man story.

Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for a God who has abandoned His creation. Mixing influences from western movies and religious themes, it drew plaudits for Ennis from all sections of the media; the Guardian newspaper voted one of the Preacher collections its book of the week, and film director Kevin Smith described it as "More fun than going to the movies."

While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to goofy humour to a surprisingly tender examination of male friendship under fire.

In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd - this series cannot be considered a success, with Ennis himself saying that there is "not a hope" to return to writing Dredd as he was generally not happy with his run. "I’m too close to Dredd, I like him too much. I can’t tamper with the formula; nor can I take the piss the way I do with superheroes," he said.[1]

Other comics Ennis has worked on include Goddess (with Phil Winslade), Bloody Mary (with Carlos Ezquerra), Unknown Soldier (with Killian Plunkett), Pride and Joy (with John Higgins), and War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Darkness (with Marc Silvestri), and The Pro (2002, with Amanda Conner) for Image Comics; The Punisher (with Dillon), Thor: Vikings (with Glenn Fabry), and Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation for Marvel Comics; The Authority (with Fabry) for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim (with Ezquerra) for Black Bull Press, and 303 (with Jacen Burrows) for Avatar Press.

His work has won him a good deal of recognition in the comics industry, including nominations for the Comics Buyer's Guide Award for Favorite Writer in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.

Ennis currently works on Marvel's Punisher: Max series and a 5 issue mini-series for WildStorm entitled Battler Britton, based on the classic British war character that Ennis grew up reading in IPC publications such as Air Ace Picture Library and Battle Picture Library. This mini-series details the adventures of intrepid WWII RAF air ace, Wing Commander Robert "Battler" Britton. Battler Britton is drawn by Colin Wilson with painted covers by Garry Leach..

In March 2006, Ennis announced a new ongoing series for WildStorm, in association with Darick Robertson, titled The Boys, which he claims will "out-Preacher Preacher." [2]

Other forthcoming work includes: Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist) and the first arc of WildStorm's Midnighter (a spin-off of The Authority) (he may stay on past the first arc; as of now, this is undecided). Ennis is also working with John Woo on a comic book called Seven Brothers for Virgin Comics.

[edit] Bibliography

Comics work includes:

• 303 (with Jacen Burrows, Avatar Press, 6 issues, 2004, tpb coming soon)

• A1 #6A (short story) "And They Never Get Drunk But Stay Sober" (with Steve Dillon, 1992)

• Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (with Carlos Ezquerra, tpb collects both mini-series, 2004: ISBN 1-4012-0353-1):
  • "Adventures in the Rifle Brigade" (Vertigo, 3 issue mini-series, 2000)
  • "Operation Bollock" (Vertigo, 3 issue mini-series, 2001)

• The Authority:
  • The Authority: Kev (with Glenn Fabry, Wildstorm, tpb, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0614-X):
    • "Kev" (one-shot, 2002)
    • "More Kev" (4 issue mini-series, 2004)
  • The Magnificent Kevin (with Carlos Ezquerra, DC/Wildstorm, 5 issues, 2005, tpb, 2006 ISBN 1-4012-0990-4)
  • A Man Called Kev (with Carlos Ezquerra, 2006, forthcoming)
  • The Midnighter (with Chris Sprouse, 2006, forthcoming)

• Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #7: "In Springfield, No-One Can Hear You Scream" (with John McCrea, 2001)

• Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #91-93 (with Will Simpson, DC, 1997)

• Battler Britton #1-5 (with Colin Wilson, Wildstorm, 2006)

• Bloody Mary (with Carlos Ezquerra, Vertigo, tpb, 2005 ISBN 1-4012-0725-1):
  • "Bloody Mary" (DC/Helix, 4 issue mini-series, 1996)
  • "Bloody Mary: Lady Liberty" (DC/Helix, 4 issue mini-series, 1998)

• The Boys #1-4 (with Darick Robertson, Wildstorm, 2006, 2006)

• Chopper:
  • "Earth, Wind and Fire" (with John McCrea, in Judge Dredd Megazine #1.01-1.06, 1990)
  • "Dead Man's Curve" (with Martin Emond, in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.36, 1993)

• Chronicles of Wormwood (with Jacen Burrows, Avatar, 6 issue mini-series, 2006, forthcoming)

• Crisis:
  • #36 "Suburban Hell: The Unusual Obsession of Mrs. Orton" (art by Phillip Swarbrick) (1990)
  • #43 "The Ballad of Andrew Brown" (art by Phil Winslade, 1990)
  • #61 "Light Me" (art by Phil Winslade, 1991)
  • #62 "Charlie Lives With ... Fang and Snuffles" (art by Ian Oldham, 1991)

• The Darkness:
  • Coming of Age (with Marc Silvestri, Image, 1996, tpb collects issues #1-6 + Preview Edition, 1998 ISBN 1-58240-032-6)
  • Painkiller Jane vs. The Darkness: Stripper #1 (with Amanda Conner, 1997)
  • Heart of Darkness (with co-writer: Malachy Coney, art by Marc Silvestri & Joe Benitez, Image, 1998, tpb collects issues #11-14, 2001 ISBN 1-58240-205-1)

• The Demon (John McCrea, DC, issues #40, 42-58, 0, and Annual #2, 1993-1995)

• Dicks:
  • For A Few Troubles More (tpb collects story from Crisis #40-43, 45-46)
  • Dicks (art by John McCrea, 4 issues, tpb, Caliber, ISBN 1-59291-004-1, 1997)
  • Bigger Dicks (art by John McCrea, 4 issues reprinting and expanding previous mini, 2002, tpb from Avatar Press, 2002)
  • Dicks 2 (art by John McCrea, 4 issues, Avatar Press, 2002)
  • Dicks X-Mas Special (art by John McCrea, one-shot, 2003)
  • Dicks Winter Special (art by John McCrea, one-shot, 2005)

• Enemy Ace: War in Heaven (with co-writer Robert Kanigher); Art: Chris Weston, Russ Heath, Christian Alamy and Joe Kubert, DC, 2 issue mini-series, 2001, tpb, 2003 ISBN 1-56389-982-5)

• Flinch #3: "Satanic" (with Kieron Dwyer, 1999)

• Fury:
  • Fury (Marvel MAX, 6 issues, 2001, tpb, 2002 ISBN 0-7851-0878-5)
  • Peacemaker (with Darick Robertson, Marvel Knights, 6 issues, tpb, 2006 forthcoming)

• Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation (Marvel, 6 issues, 2006, tpb, July 2006 ISBN 0-7851-1592-7)

• Goddess (with Phil Winslade, Vertigo, 8 issues, 1992, tpb, 2002 ISBN 1-56389-735-0)

• Hellblazer (with Steve Dillon, #41-50, #52-83, #129-133, Special #1 DC/Vertigo, + Heartland one-shot spin-off, 1992-1994, 1998)
  • Dangerous Habits (tpb collects #41-46, 1994 ISBN 1-56389-150-6)
  • uncollected: 47-50, 52-61 (note that Ennis did not write #51)
  • Fear and Loathing (tpb collects #62-67, 1997 ISBN 1-56389-202-2)
  • Tainted Love (tpb collects #68-71 + Special 1 + Vertigo Jam #1, 1998 ISBN 1-56389-456-4)
  • Damnations Flame (tpb collects #72-77, 1999 ISBN 1-56389-508-0)
  • Rake at the Gates of Hell (tpb collects #78-83 + Heartland, 2003 ISBN 1-4012-0002-8)
  • Son of Man (tpb collects #129-133, 2004 ISBN 1-4012-0202-0)
  • "Winter's Edge" #2 (short story)

• Hitman (with John McCrea, 60 issues, DC, specials: Annual #1, issue #1,000,000, and Hitman/Lobo: That Stupid Bastich!, 1996-2001)
  • Hitman (tpb collects #1-3 + The Demon Annual #2 + Batman Chronicles #4, 1997 ISBN 1-56389-314-2)
  • 10,000 Bullets (tpb collects #4-8, 1998 ISBN 1-56389-404-1)
  • Local Heroes (tpb collects #9-14 + Annual #1, 1999 ISBN 1-56389-509-9)
  • Ace of Killers (tpb collects #15-22, 2000 ISBN 1-56389-614-1)
  • Who Dares Wins (tpb collects #23-28, 2001 ISBN 1-56389-718-0)

• Hulk Smash! (with John McCrea, Marvel, 2 issues, 2001)

• Judge Dredd:
  • Trade paperback collections:
    • Death Aid (with Carlos Ezquerra, 2001) collects:
      • "Death Aid" (in 2000 AD #711-715 & #719-720, 1990-1991)
      • "Return of the King" (in 2000 AD #733-735, 1991)
      • "Christmas With Attitude" (in 2000 AD #815, 1992)
    • Emerald Isle (2001) collects:
      • "Emerald Isle" (with Steve Dillon & Will Simpson, in 2000 AD #727-732, 1991)
      • "Almighty Dredd" (with Ian Gibson, in 2000 AD #780-782, 1992)
      • "The Magic Mellow Out" (with Anthony Williams, in 2000 AD #808-809, 1992)
    • Muzak Killer (2002) collects:
      • "Muzak Killer" (with Dermot Power, in 2000 AD #746-748, 1991)
      • "Teddy Choppermitz" (with Dermot Power, in 2000 AD #760, 1991)
      • "Raider" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #810-814, 1992)
      • "Muzak Killer: Live!" (with Dermot Power, in 2000 AD #837-839, 1993)
    • Justice One (2002) collects:
      • "Talkback" (with Glenn Fabry, in 2000 AD #740, 1991)
      • "Twilight's Last Gleaming" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #754-756, 1991)
      • "Justice One" (with Peter Doherty, in 2000 AD #766-771, 1992)
      • "Ex-Men" (with John Higgins, in 2000 AD #818, 1993)
      • "A Man Called Greener" (with Anthony Williams, in 2000 AD #828, 1993)
    • Judgement Day (with co-writer: John Wagner; art by Peter Doherty & Carlos Ezquerra tpb, 1999, collects Judgement Day in 2000 AD #786-799 and Judge Dredd Megazine #2.4-9, 1992)
    • Innocents Abroad (2002) or Babes in Arms (1995) both (with Greg Staples) collect:
      • "Rough Guide to Suicide" (in 2000 AD #761, 1991)
      • "Babes in Arms" (in 2000 AD #776-779, 1992)
      • "Innocents Abroad" (in 2000 AD #804-807, 1992)
      • "Blind Mate" (in 2000 AD #825, 1993)
    • Goodnight Kiss (2001) collects:
      • "The Marshall" (with Sean Phillips, in 2000 AD #800-803, 1992)
      • "Enter: Jonni Kiss" (with Greg Staples, in 2000 AD #830, 1993)
      • "Goodnight Kiss" (with Nick Percival, in 2000 AD #940-948, 1995)
    • Helter Skelter (with Carlos Ezquerra & Henry Flint, tpb 2002, collects Helter Skelter. in 2000 AD #1250-1261, 2001)
  • Other uncollected Dredd stories
    • "Firepower" (with Colin MacNeil. in 2000 AD #736, 1991)
    • "Teddy Bear's Firefight" (with Brian Williamson, in 2000 AD #737, 1991)
    • "Garbage Disposal" (with John Burns, in 2000 AD #738, 1991)
    • "Twin Blocks" (with Gary Erskine & Gina Hart, in 2000 AD #741, 1991)
    • "School Bully" (with Simon Coleby & Gina Hart, in 2000 AD #742, 1991)
    • "A Clockwork Pineapple" (with Simon Coleby, in 2000 AD #743-745, 1991)
    • "The Vidders" (with Chris Weston, in 2000 AD #749, 1991)
    • "One Better" (with Jose Casanovas, in 2000 AD #757, 1991)
    • "The Flabfighters" (with Simon Coleby, in 2000 AD #758-759, 1991)
    • "Koole Killers" (with Simon Coleby & Gina Hart, in 2000 AD #772-774, 1992)
    • "First of the Many" (with Cliff Robinson & Gina Hart, in 2000 AD #775, 1992)
    • "A Magic Place" (with Steve Dillon, Simon Coleby & Gina Hart, in 2000 AD #783-785, 1992)
    • "The Taking of Sector One-Two-Three" (with Carlos Ezquerra, in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.10-2.11, 1992)
    • "Judge Joyce: When Irish Pies Are Smiling" (with Steve Dillon in, Judge Dredd Yearbook 1993, 1992)
    • "The Kinda Dead Man" (with Anthony Williams, in 2000 AD #816, 1993)
    • "The Craftsman" (with John McCrea, in 2000 AD #817, 1993)
    • "Snowstorm" (with Colin MacNeil, in 2000 AD #819, 1993)
    • "PJ and the Mock-Choc Factory" (with Anthony Williams, in 2000 AD #820-822, 1993)
    • "Last Night Out" (with Brett Ewins, in 2000 AD #823, 1993)
    • "A B or C Warrior" (with Ron Smith, in 2000 AD #824, 1993)
    • "Unwelcome Guests" (with Jeff Anderson, in 2000 AD #826, 1993)
    • "Barfur" (with Jan Haward, in 2000 AD #827, 1993)
    • "The Judge Who Lived Downstairs" (with Brett Ewins, in 2000 AD #831, 1993)
    • "The Chieftan" (with Mick Austin, in 2000 AD #832-834, 1993)
    • "The Corps: Fireteam One" (with Paul Marshall/Colin MacNeil, in 2000 AD #918-923, 1994)
    • "Monkey on My Back" (with John Higgins, in Judge Dredd Megazine #204-206, 2003)

• Just a Pilgrim (with Carlos Ezquerra):
  • Just a Pilgrim (Black Bull, 5 issues, 2001, tpb, 2001 ISBN 1-84023-377-X)
  • Just a Pilgrim: Garden of Eden (Black Bull, 4 issues, 2002, tpb, 2003 ISBN 1-84023-590-X)

• Loaded (with Greg Staples & Les Spink, video game tie-in, 1996)

• Preacher (with Steve Dillon, 66 issues + Saint of Killers mini series, plus 5 one-shots, Vertigo, 1995-2000):
  • Gone To Texas (tpb collects #1-7, 1996 ISBN 1-56389-261-8)
  • Until the End of the World (tpb collects #8-17, 1997 ISBN 1-56389-312-6)
  • Proud Americans (tpb collects #18-26, 1997 ISBN 1-56389-327-4)
  • Ancient History (tpb collects Saint of Killers mini, Good Ol' Boys one-shot, and Story of You-Know Who one-shot, 1998 ISBN 1-56389-405-X)
  • Dixie Fried (tpb collects #27-33 and Cassidy one-shot, 1998 ISBN 1-56389-428-9)
  • War In the Sun (tpb collects #34-40 and Starr one-shot, 1999 ISBN 1-56389-490-4)
  • Salvation (tpb collects #41-50, 1999 ISBN 1-56389-519-6)
  • All Hell's A Comin' (tpb collects #51-58 and Tall in the Saddle one-shot, 2000 ISBN 1-56389-617-6)
  • Alamo (tpb collects #59-66, 2001 ISBN 1-56389-715-6)

• Pride & Joy (with John Higgins, Vertigo, 4 issues, 1997, tpb, 2003 ISBN 1-4012-0190-3)

• The Pro (with Amanda Conner, Image, 2002)

• The Punisher:
  • The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe (with Dougie Braithwaite, 1995, tpb, 2000 ISBN B0006RK6AQ)
  • The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank (with Steve Dillon, Marvel, 12 issues, 1999, tpb, 2001 ISBN 0-7851-0783-5)
  • The Punisher Meets Painkiller Jane (with Joe Jusko & Dave Ross, 2001)
  • The Punisher (Marvel series) (with Steve Dillon, 2001-2003)
    • Army of One (tpb collects #1-6, 2002 ISBN 0-7851-0839-4)
    • issue #7 (contains a one-page back-up story by Ennis; #8-12 have no Ennis)
    • Business As Usual (tpb collects #13-18, 2003 ISBN 0-7851-1014-3)
    • Full Auto (tpb collects #20-27, 2003 ISBN 0-7851-1149-2)
    • Streets of Laredo (tpb collects #19, 27-32, 2003 ISBN 0-7851-1096-8)
    • Confederacy of Dunces (tpb collects #33-37, 2004 ISBN 0-7851-1344-4)
  • Marvel Knights Double Shot #1: "Roots" (with Joe Quesada, 2002)
  • Born (with Darick Robertson, Marvel, 4 issues, 2003, tpb, ISBN 0-7851-1025-9)
  • The End (with Richard Corben, 2004)
  • The Cell (with Lewis Larosa, 2005 )
  • The Punisher Marvel MAX Series (with Lewis Larosa, 2004-present)
    • In the Beginning (tpb collects #1-6, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1391-6)
    • Kitchen Irish (tpb collects #7-12, 2004, ISBN 0-7851-1539-0)
    • Mother Russia (tpb collects #13-18, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1603-6)
    • Up Is Down, Black Is White (tpb collects #19-24, 2005, ISBN 0-7851-1731-8 )
    • The Slavers (tpb collects #25-30, 2006, ISBN 0-7851-1899-3)
    • Barracuda (tpb collects #31-36, not yet published)
  • The Tyger (with John Severin, 2006)

• Revolver:
  • Horror Special: "Suburban Hell: A Dog and His Bastard" (with Phillip Swarbrick, 1990)
  • Romance Special: "The One I Love" (with Glenn Fabry, 1991)

• Seven Brothers (with Jeevan Kang, based on a concept by John Woo, 5-issue mini-series, Virgin Comics, 2006)

• Shadowman (Volume 2 #1-4, with Ashley Wood, Acclaim, 1997)

• Sleaze 'n' Ryder (with Nick Percival, in Judge Dredd Megazine #2.19-2.26, 1993)

• Star Wars Tales:
  • "Trooper" (with John McCrea & Jimmy Palmiotti, in #10, 2001)
  • "In the Beginning" (with Amanda Connor & Jimmy Palmiotti, in #11, 2002)

• Strontium Dogs:
  • "Monsters" (with Steve Pugh, #750-761, 1991)
  • "Dead Man's Hand" (with Simon Harrison, in 2000 AD Yearbook 1993, 1992)
  • "Return of the Gronk" (with Nigel Dobbyn, in 2000 AD #817-824, 1993)
  • "How The Gronk Got His Heartses" (with Nigel Dobbyn, in 2000 AD #850-851, 1993)
  • "The Darkest Star" (with Nigel Dobbyn, in 2000 AD #855-866, 1993)

• Superman 80-Page Giant: "How To Be A Super-Hero" (with John McCrea, 1999)

• Spider Man's Tangled Web #1-3: "The Coming of the Thousand" (2001, tpb, 2002 ISBN 0-7851-0803-3)

• Thor: Vikings (Marvel, 5 issue mini-series, tpb, 2004 ISBN 0-7851-1175-1)

• Time Flies (with Philip Bond):
  • "Time Flies" (in 2000 AD #700-711, 1990)
  • "Tempus Fugitive" (in 2000 AD #1015-1023, 1996)

• Troubled Souls (with John McCrea, in Crisis #15-27, 40 & 46, 1989-1990)

• True Faith (with Warren Pleece, in Crisis #29-34 & #34-38, 1989-1990)

• Unknown Soldier (with Kelly Plunkett, Vertigo, 4-issue limited series, 1997, tpb, 1998 ISBN 1-56389-422-X)

• War Stories (Vertigo, two 4-issue limited series, each story is a standalone):
  • Volume 1 (with Dave Gibbons, John Higgins, David Lloyd, Chris Weston & Gary Erskine, 2004 ISBN 1-84023-912-3)
  • Volume 2 (with Cam Kennedy, David Lloyd, Carlos Ezquerra & Gary Erskine, 2006 ISBN 1-4012-1039-2)

• Weird War Tales: "Nosh and Barry and Eddie and Joe" (with Jim Lee)

[edit] References

• 2000 AD Profile
• A study of works by Garth Ennis at The Continuity Pages
• Preacher's Divinity a Preacher fan site
• Garth Ennis Chronology
• article on Garth Ennis as Irish writer
• August 2006 interview about Seven Brothers (Virgin Comics).

Preceded by: Jamie Delano	Hellblazer writer 1991-1992	Succeeded by: John Smith
Preceded by: John Smith	Hellblazer writer 1992-1994	Succeeded by: Jamie Delano
Preceded by: Paul Jenkins	Hellblazer writer 1998-1999	Succeeded by: Warren Ellis