Phil Jimenez (born July 12, 1970[1]) is an American comics artist and writer known for his work as writer/artist on Wonder Woman from 2000 to 2003, as one of the five pencilers of the 2005–2006 miniseries Infinite Crisis, his collaborations with writer Grant Morrison on New X-Men and The Invisibles,[2] and his artistry for his 2021 critically acclaimed partnership with writer Kelly Sue DeConnick on Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons.[3]
After graduating from SVA, Jimenez was hired by DC Comics Creative Director Neal Pozner at age 21,[4] with his first published work illustrating four pages in the 1991 miniseries War of the Gods.[7][8] Pozner was HIV-positive when he and Jimenez started dating, and was hesitant about dating someone younger and HIV-negative. Nonetheless, Jimenez became both Pozner's partner and caretaker, saying:
Jimenez with Tim Gunn at Midtown Comics Times Square in Manhattan, for the September 9, 2009 signing of Models, Inc., the first issue of which features Jimenez's illustration of Gunn on the cover, the art for which Gunn is holding in the photo
Neal Pozner was my first editor, and he was probably my greatest mentor at DC Comics. He was an incredibly talented man, with some very strong opinions about the way things should be done. I developed a crush on him the minute I met him, and I wanted to know more about him, and I wanted to be with him all the time. So I'd hang out with him at work, in the offices, far later than I had any reason to. I would buy clothes I couldn't afford to impress him. And eventually, I mustered the nerve to ask him on a date. And he was 15 years older than I was. And he had been my boss. And so, against his better judgement, he said yes. And it actually ended up being a really wonderful relationship.[4]
Following Neal Pozner's death in 1994, Jimenez wrote and illustrated the 1996 DC miniseries, Tempest, based on a character from Pozner's late-1980s Aquaman series.[7] In the last issue, Jimenez dedicated the miniseries to Pozner, and wrote an editorial page in which he came out publicly for the first time. "It got over 150 letters," he says, "including the classic letter from the kid in Iowa: 'I didn't know there was anyone else like me.' That's what counts. It meant a lot to people."[9][10]
Much of Jimenez's work is related to works by George Pérez, whose art strongly influenced Jimenez.[8][11] Jimenez has worked on several Teen Titans-related series (some issues of the ongoing series New Titans and Team Titans, and the miniseries JLA/Titans,[12]The Return of Donna Troy and Tempest),[7] was the main artist of Infinite Crisis, a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths, and did a long run as writer/artist of Wonder Woman beginning with issue #164 (Jan. 2001).[13] Pérez had worked on the series in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Pérez and Jimenez would also co-write a two–part story together in Wonder Woman (vol. 2) issues #168–169 in 2001. Jimenez would leave as series writer/artist with issue #188 in March 2003. Jimenez and Pérez also have worked together in 2005–2006 in the miniseries Infinite Crisis[14] (where Jimenez was the main penciller, and Pérez drew some sequences and covers for the series) and DC Special: The Return of Donna Troy (written by Jimenez and inked by Pérez).[7]
Jimenez is also known for his work on various titles for DC Entertainment's "mature readers" imprint, Vertigo, including Swamp Thing, The Invisibles with writer Grant Morrison, and his own creator-owned series, the sci-fi/fantasy mashup Otherworld. In 2003, Jimenez drew several story arcs of Morrison's New X-Men run.[7]
Jimenez supervising a June 12, 2011 figure drawing class at the LGBT Center in Manhattan
It was announced at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con that Jimenez had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. He was one of the four artists working on Marvel's flagship title, The Amazing Spider-Man, the company's sole Spider-Man title, in which Marvel upped its frequency of publication to three issues monthly, and inaugurated the series with the "back to basics" story arc "Brand New Day" at the beginning of 2008. His first work on Spider-Man was in the Free Comic Book Day 2007: Spider-Man #1 (June 2007) comic book, with writer Dan Slott, which served as a prelude to "Brand New Day".[15][16] Jimenez and writer Bob Gale co-created the Freak in The Amazing Spider-Man #552 (March 2008).[17]Ana Kravinoff, the daughter of Kraven the Hunter, was introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #565 (September 2008) by Jimenez and Marc Guggenheim.[18] During his run, Jimenez drew the cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #583, featuring Barack Obama.[19][20]
Jimenez appeared in a panel discussion on diversity in sci-fi/fantasy fandom in the March 19, 2015 episode of the Comedy Central humor and commentary program The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, along with Marvel Comics' director of content and character Sana Amanat, hip-hop artist Jean Grae and comedian Mike Lawrence. During the discussion, Jimenez commented, "It feels strange to me that we would partition race, gender and nerd as if they were distinct things...All human beings are this combination of experiences and ideologies...Everybody's get some nerd in them. But the idea that, somehow, being a nerd is separate from one’s religious or moral or political beliefs is strange to me. We all bring everything to our decision-making on a daily basis."[25]
As part of the DC Rebirth relaunch of DC's titles, Jimenez was the writer and artist of the Superwoman series from 2016 to 2017.[26] He got involved with Rebirth when he was originally assigned to be the artist of Superman but after DC changed their publishing plan, he was asked to work on Superwoman. Jimenez uses his own experiences and emotions and projects them onto the characters in his work. He uses the anxiety he experienced with his mother's death to relate to how Lana Lang deals with her losses.[27] In addition, Jimenez wanted to create a female villain who was not sexually charged, and was motivated by something other than baby-making.[27][28]
In November 2021, Jimenez illustrated the first issue of Wonder Woman Historia: the Amazons.[29] Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, the three-issue limited series takes place before the birth of Diana and tells of the creation of the Amazons and how Hippolyta became their queen. The second Wonder Woman Historia: the Amazons issue was illustrated by Gene Ha and the third by Nicola Scott; an omnibus edition of the comics miniseries was released in June 2023.[30]
Other work
A diorama enthusiast, Jimenez teaches a life drawing course as part of the undergraduate cartooning program at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where he himself once studied.[6][31] He has held figure drawing classes outside of SVA, at places such as the LGBT Center in the West Village.[32]
Jimenez provided sketches seen in the 2002 superhero filmSpider-Man. In scenes in which Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, is seen creating sketches of his costume, the close-ups of his hands are actually those of Jimenez.[10][33]
^ abcde"Phil Jimenez". Prism Comics. November 12, 2005. Archived from the original on August 14, 2007. Born and raised in southern California, and trained at NYC's School of Visual Arts, Phil Jimenez has worked in comics since 1991.
^ abBussmann, Christopher. "What's in Store" Visual Arts Journal: School of Visual Arts Magazine vol. 18, no. 2; Fall 2010; Page 11
^ abMangels, Andy (August 2006). "Phil Jimenez Chats About the Many Lives of Donna Troy". Back Issue! (17). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 67–69.
^Simmons, Scott (February 1997). "Phil Jimenez Talks About The Invisibles". Heroesanddragons.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2009. George Pérez is and will always remain my biggest comic-book influence, no doubt about it. I owe my career to his influence. It seems we also share very similar sensibilities; I was drawn to George's work the moment I saw it.
^Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1990s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 285. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. Writer Devin Grayson and artist/co-plotter Phil Jimenez revived another stalled DC property in the JLA/Titans miniseries.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Cowsill, Alan "2000s" in Dolan, p. 298: "The 'Gods of Gotham' storyline marked the start of Phil Jimenez's run on the series as artist and writer (with J. M. DeMatteis on board as co-scripter for the first arc)."
^Cowsill "2000s" in Dolan, p. 323: "A hugely successful, seven-part miniseries, Infinite Crisis was a sequel to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths. Written by Geoff Johns with art by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Jerry Ordway, Ivan Reis, and Andy Laning, Infinite Crisis was an epic crossover that revamped the DC Universe."
^Cowsill, Alan; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "2000s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 304. ISBN978-0756692360. Written by Dan Slott and drawn by Phil Jimenez, [it] was given away to promote the start of the web-slinger's new era.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Cowsill "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 311: "Writer Bob Gale and artist Phil Jimenez introduced another super villain to the Spiderverse – Freak"
^Cowsill "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 313: "This issue introduced the latest member of the Kravinoffs – Kraven the Hunter's psychotic teenage daughter Ana."
^ abCowsill "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 319: "The variant edition sold out immediately and proved to be one of the best-selling Spider-Man issues of the year."
^ abGeorge, Richard (January 7, 2009). "Barack Obama Meets Spider-Man". IGN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Less than a week before his inauguration, the President-elect will meet Marvel's most popular superhero.
^"DRAW! With Phil Jimenez!". Geeks OUT. 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Come sketch some spandex-clad super heroes with comics industry superstar Phil Jimenez...at the LGBT Center in NYC!
