FIRST STATE COMIC CON welcomes NEIL VOKES

Neil Vokes has been active in comics since the early 1980’s, and has built an extensive body of work particularly in indie comics where he started.  He’s a long time participant in the comics con scene in the tri-state area, and is a regular guest at Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark every Free Comic Book Day since the event’s inception.  

 

     Vokes will be among the guests at the First State Comic Con this coming Sunday (January 14) at the Mill Creek Fire Hall, 3900 Kirkwood Highway, Marshallton (Wilmington) Delaware.

 

    Fans of classic black and white illustration from the hey-day of indie comics will be very familiar with his work.  Others may recognize him from his mid-1990’s work for DC (Superman Adventures, etc)  and Marvel (Untold Tales of Spider-Man, etc). 

 

    Vokes credits his wife Siri with persuading him to pursue a career in comics art.  His first job was with Comico Comics in 1983 working with inker Rich Rankin on Robotech Masters, based on the popular Japanese television series. 

 

     Vokes and Rankin later founded Crystal Comics, where Voke’s Eagle was the most popular title.  Unfortunately, Crystal came into being at the tail end decline of the black-and-white indie comic boom, and went out of business after 16 issues. Eagle, the adventures of a martial arts detective with supernatural powers, was later collected in a trade paperback by Moonstone Books, and was also recently re-launched at American Mythos Comics. 

 

    A great example of Vokes’ skill and style can be seen in his work on Fright Night for NOW Comics.  His love of vampires and classic horror (Hammer Films especially) led to his later pairing with writer Robert Tinnell on the Flesh And Blood graphic novel series for Monsterverse.  In my opinion, it’s his greatest work. Collectors would be wise to purchase a signed copy during First State Comic Con (if available). 

 

     In addition to NOW, DC, Marvel and Monsterverse, Vokkes has also worked for Image, Topps and First Comics and other small independent publishers.  His 1990’s work (with writer Kurt Busiek) on the video game version of Ninjak for Acclaim Comics was one of the titles that helped my son learn to read.  

 

   While born in 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Neil Vokkes has been a resident of New Jersey ever since his parents moved there a few years after his birth.