Brian Wood (comics)


Brian Wood is an American writer, illustrator, and graphic designer, known for his work in comic books, television and video games. His noted comic book work includes the series DMZ, Demo, Northlanders, his web series work includes adaptations of short stories from the comics series The Massive for Geek & Sundry, and his video game work includes co-writing .

Early life

Wood graduated from Parsons School of Design in 1997.

Comics career

Wood's first professional work in comics was the 5-issue miniseries Channel Zero, published by Image Comics from 1997 to 1998, initially created as part of a final project for graduation from Parsons School of Design. Channel Zero is set in a dystopian near-future New York City where the tenets of Mayor Giuliani have grown into a freedom-restricting government initiative called 'The Clean Act'. The protagonist is Jennie 2.5, a DIY media personality. Channel Zero was orphaned shortly after Image Comics sold out of the first print run of the collection, opting not to return to press. AiT/Planet Lar acquired it soon afterwards.
Wood was absent from comics for two years, working at a series of Internet design jobs during the dot-com boom. In early 2000, Warren Ellis offered Wood a co-writing job on Marvel Comics' Generation X, as part of Ellis's Counter-X run. Wood co-wrote issues #63–70 with Ellis, and wrote #71–75 on his own.
Wood returned to creator-owned comics between 2000 and 2003, producing several graphic novels and miniseries, including Couscous Express, The Couriers, and Jennie One for AIT, Pounded for Oni Press, and Fight For Tomorrow for DC's imprint Vertigo. He was employed as AIT's art director for roughly six months, creating not only their logo and branding, but covers for many of the books they published during this time. He worked again with Ellis, creating 14 covers for the Wildstorm series Global Frequency.
In late 2003, Wood quit his staff job at Rockstar Games and teamed with artist Becky Cloonan to create the monthly series Demo. Each of the 12 issues told its own complete story, and included eight pages of "backmatter", bonus material that was intentionally left out of the eventual collected edition. The Demo format proved so successful that Wood went on to replicate it, with minor changes, for his 12-issue series Local at Oni Press, begun in 2005 and drawn by artist Ryan Kelly. Local differs from Demo in that it includes a focal character, Megan McKeenan, whose character arc is gradually traced through the series, although she is not always the protagonist within each issue. This difference has led Local down its own path; Wood refers to it as "transcending its 'done in one' format to really be about Megan's story, her life, that progression over time".
2006 saw the publication of the graphic novel The Tourist from Image Comics, and Supermarket, a four-issue series from IDW co-created and drawn by Kristian Donaldson.
In August 2006, DC Comics announced that Wood was signed to an exclusive contract.
Wood co-created the Vertigo series DMZ, Northlanders, a historical-fiction series set during the Viking Age, The New York Four and The New York Five, a young adult series, and a new Demo miniseries. For DC/Wildstorm, he wrote a DV8 miniseries with Rebekah Isaacs, and a Supernatural miniseries with Grant Bond.
In August 2011, Wood discussed the conclusion of Northlanders, the ending of his exclusive and regular work for DC Comics, and the rumors he was working on a Supergirl series for the New 52.
Shortly after his DC Comics exclusive ended, Wood wrote a series of X-Men comics for Marvel, starting with the ' miniseries. He was then announced as the ongoing writer of the "adjectiveless" X-Men title and penned issues #30–37. He signed on to ' and wrote issues #13–33. When X-Men was rebranded as an all-female title, he continued on as writer for the first 17 issues of that series. In 2014 he wrote Moon Knight #6–12.
Wood returned to Image Comics with an omnibus edition of The Couriers, followed by three new monthly series: Mara with Ming Doyle, Starve with collaborators Danijel Zezelj and Dave Stewart, and Black Road with Garry Brown.
Wood shifted the bulk of his creator owned work to Dark Horse Comics following his time at DC Comics. He created and authored the five-volume The Massive, followed by the prequel series The Massive Ninth Wave, with art by Garry Brown, JP Leon, and Kristian Donaldson, among others.
Rebels, a historical series set during the American Revolution, was co-created in 2014 with artist Andrea Mutti. In 2017, Wood and Andrea Mutti returned for a second Rebels series, entitled These Free and Independent States.
Briggs Land, described as a crime series set within an American secessionist movement, is Wood's newest socio-political series, and secured a television deal with AMC prior to publication of the comic. Currently there are two volumes of Briggs Land in print.
Wood also brought the Channel Zero, Demo, and The New York Four properties to Dark Horse, who collected and printed them in comprehensive omnibus editions. He also did a 25-issue stint on Dark Horse's Conan the Barbarian, a 20-issue run on Star Wars, and a miniseries leading into the release of the ' virtual reality video game.
In 2016, Wood and artist Tristan Jones launched Aliens: Defiance, a new monthly series in the mold of the original 1979 film, in which they introduced the point-of-view character Zula Hendricks, who was later featured in the video game ' and the novel Alien: Prototype.
In September 2018, Dark Horse announced Aliens: Resistance, written by Wood with art by Robert Carey, Dan Jackson, and Tristan Jones. It was followed soon after by Aliens: Rescue.
In June 2018, Wood and Mack Chater launched the monthly series Sword Daughter.

Video game career

Prior to his comics career, Wood held a day job for several years as a staff designer for Rockstar Games, designing for video game franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club, Max Payne, Smuggler's Run, and Manhunt.
Wood is credited with co-writing , created by Navid Khonsari.

Film and television career

Wood is credited as writing two web series in 2012 for Geek & Sundry adapting three The Massive short stories and the first story arc of his and Becky Cloonan's Conan the Barbarian.
In January 2007 Intrepid Pictures acquired the feature film rights to The Couriers, the graphic novel series by Wood and artist Rob G. Javier Grillo-Marxuach is set to pen the screenplay.
In 2014, Warner Horizon were reported to be developing a DMZ television show, based on Wood and Burchielli's comic book, with producer David Heyman and Andre and Maria Jacquemetton for the Syfy network.
In May 2016, Wood's comic book series Briggs Land was reported to be in development for AMC, with A24 as producing partners. Wood is acting as executive producer as well as writing the pilot episode.
In January 2020, a new DMZ deal was announced, this time for HBO Max, with Ava DuVernay directing, Roberto Patino showrunning, and Rosario Dawson in a lead role.

Accusations of sexual misconduct

In November 2013, cartoonist Tess Fowler accused Wood of sexual harassment in offering her his hotel room number at a bar during San Diego Comic-Con in 2003.
In August 2019, Laura Hudson stated that in 2007, before she founded ComicsAlliance, Wood had attempted to kiss her at a bar. Laura Hudson's account brought her to the attention of Ava DuVernay, who hired her as a staff writer on the television pilot of Wood's DMZ.
In 2013, Wood apologized to Fowler, stating in part, "when she declined, that was the conclusion of the matter for me. There was never an exertion of power, no threats, and no revenge..." He went on to state, "I think the larger issues of abuse in the comics industry are genuine and I share everyone's concerns. I don't want our difference of accounts to take attention away from that industry-wide discussion that needs to happen." Fowler acknowledged that she had forgiven Wood years earlier, and responded in part: "Brian Wood has every right to be a part of comics. To make books and make a living unhindered. I believe that. I also believe his behavior is a symptom of a much bigger disease."

''DMZ''

DMZ collected as:
Northlanders collected as:
The Massive #1–30 and The Massive: Ninth Wave #1–6 with Garry Brown collected as: