Eric Shanower

• Born — 23 October 1963 • Birthplace — Key West, Florida • Nationality — American • Awards — Russ Manning Award 1987 Eisner Award 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2015 Gran Guinigi, 2006

Eric Shanower was born on October 23, 1963. Upon his graduation from Novato High School in 1981, he attended The Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey, graduating in 1984.

Shanower's first major published works were the Oz graphic novels, which are The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz released by First Comics and Dark Horse Comics between 1986 and 1992. They are collected in a single large volume titled Adventures in Oz, published by IDW. He has also written and illustrated a full-length Oz novel, The Giant Garden of Oz, and a collection of short Oz stories, The Salt Sorcerer of Oz. As an illustrator, he has worked on books by Oz historians, including The Wicked Witch of Oz by Rachel Cosgrove Payes, The Rundelstone of Oz by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, The Runaway in Oz by John R. Neill, and The Third Book of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Other Oz projects include his illustrations for Paradox in Oz and The Living House of Oz by Edward Einhorn. He wrote adaptations of L. Frank Baum's first six original Oz novels for Marvel Comics, illustrated by artist Skottie Young. The first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was released in a hardcover collection on September 2, 2009. The follow-up, The Marvelous Land of Oz began in November 2009 as an 8 issue monthly comic series, while the third mini i.e. Ozma of Oz, began in November 2010. The fourth and fifth books, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and The Road to Oz, were also subsequently adapted by Shanower and Young for Marvel Illustrated. The collaboration concluded with their adaptation of the sixth book, The Emerald City of Oz. In 2020, the six Oz graphic novels were rereleased in three collected volumes. Shanower also wrote the comic series Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland for IDW. The first issue was released August 20, 2014.

In February 1991, Shanower "conceived the idea to tell the story of the Trojan War in the comics medium," aiming to combine "the myriad versions of the Greek myth with the archaeological record" to showcase the tale in "authentic historical detail." This aim has been manifested in the ongoing comic book Age of Bronze, debuting in late 1998 from Image Comics. As of 2018, the series has been collected in four (of a projected seven) volumes: • A Thousand Ships • Sacrifice • Betrayal Part One • Betrayal Part Two The seven volumes in their entirety will cover the complete story of the war. The books contain extensive bibliographies, for the story, the setting and historical Troy, drawing on the excavation work Heinrich Schliemann (et al.) and the publication Studia Troica. The book does not depict the gods or any mythical beings, with Chiron portrayed as a human rather than a centaur. Similarly, the Nymphs are portrayed as human priestesses rather than as supernatural beings.

Shanower has also drawn a number of one shot comics, such as Ed Brubaker's Prez "Smells Like Teen President" (for DC Comics) and An Accidental Death (also written by Brubaker) published by Fantagraphics in 1993. For Marvel's Epic line, he illustrated The Elsewhere Prince (1990), based on characters created by the French cartoonist Moebius. His work has appeared in magazines throughout the USA and Europe as well as in books and on TV.

Shanower lives in San Diego with his partner David Maxine, who runs Hungry Tiger Press, a publisher of Oz books, Oz-related comics and compact discs, which the two started in 1994.