Jackson Guice

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Jackson "Butch" Guice (born June 27, 1961)^[2] is an American comics artist who has worked in the comics industry since the 1980s.

Guice was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.^[3] Growing up in the 1960s, Guice was fond of "the legendary stop-motion animator and filmmaker" Ray Harryhausen, whose influence can be seen in some of Guice's work, most notably the Humanoids project Olympus.^[4]

Guice began his career with fanzine work and "designing patches and emblems for a small company in North Carolina."^[5] His first credited comics work was penciling and inking the independently published The Crusaders #1 (November 1982), although he had previously ghosted for Pat Broderick on Rom Annual #1 (1982).^[6] On the strength of his fanzine work, (and, Guice believes, at the behest of Rom writer Bill Mantlo) Marvel editor Al Milgrom offered him a tryout on the toy-spin-off title Micronauts. Referring to Rom Annual #1 and Micronauts #48 (Dec. 1982), he remarked that "[b]oth were breaking points for me getting into comics".^[5]

Guice continued penciling Micronauts until #58 (May 1984).^[7] In July 1983, "The Butch Guice Portfolio" appeared in the pages of Marvel Fanfare #9, and Guice contributed to The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Chris Claremont and Bill Mantlo's X-Men and the Micronauts four-issue miniseries as well as occasional issues of a number of different titles. In 1984, he drew the Marvel Comics adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and inked Dazzler. In 1986, he penciled X-Factor,^[8] while concurrently contributing pencils to The New Mutants. In mid-1987, he was credited with inks to "Brian Guice" 's pencils for five issues of Adventure Publications' Adventurers, which was written and edited by Scott Behnke. That same year, Guice collaborated on several different titles with writer Mike Baron, including issues of First Comics' Badger, Nexus and The Chronicles of Corum.^[6] Guice worked with Baron on projects for DC Comics. He penciled Teen Titans Spotlight #7 and #8, before gaining more popularity among DC readers with his work on the relaunched, post-Crisis on Infinite Earths The Flash #1.^[9] This third Flash series featured Wally West after the demise of Barry Allen in the Crisis on Infinite Earths series. Guice drew ten of the first eleven issues.

In 1988–89, Guice produced a series of covers for the Quality Comics/Fleetway 2000 AD reprint-title 2000AD Showcase, while penciling the Iron Man title for Marvel. In 1989 he became the artist on Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.

Guice's cover for Doctor Strange #15 (March 1990) used Christian music singer Amy Grant's likeness without her permission,^[10] leading to her management filing a complaint against Marvel Comics, saying the cover gave the appearance she was associating with witchcraft. A US District Court sealed an out-of-court settlement between Grant and Marvel in early 1991, with a consent decree that Marvel did not admit to any liability or wrongdoing.^[11][12][13]

Guice and writer Walt Simonson co-created the Ahab character in Fantastic Four Annual #23 (1990).^[14] In 1991, Guice took over penciling Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., before moving back to DC. Guice drew Action Comics #676–711 (April 1992–July 1995) and worked with writers Roger Stern and David Michelinie. During this run, Guice and Stern (along with editor Mike Carlin, Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson and others) were the architects of "The Death of Superman" storyline, in which Superman died and was resurrected. Stern and Guice incorporated the Eradicator character into the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc beginning in The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993).^[15] Spinning out of that event, Stern and Guice collaborated on a Supergirl miniseries.^[6]

While drawing Action Comics, he also worked with writer James Robinson on Dark Horse Comics' The Terminator: Endgame miniseries (September–October 1992), and with Chris Claremont on the first four issues of the Aliens/Predator: The Deadliest of the Species (July 1993–January 1994).

Towards the end of 1995, Guice moved to Valiant Comics, becoming the regular penciller of Eternal Warrior. Guice penciled part of the Sliders: Narcotica comic book, based on the TV series Sliders and written by the show's star Jerry O'Connell. Having Guice draw the series was:

"a personal treat for Jerry [O'Connell] as "Butch" Guice (as he used to be called during his successful run at Marvel Comics) was a favorite of his during his comic-reading years."^[16]

Guice illustrated the four-issue DC/Marvel: All Access mini-series^[17] (December 1996–February 1997) follow-up to the cross-company DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC event. He was one of many artists to contribute to the landmark marriage of Superman and Lois Lane in Superman: The Wedding Album (December 1996). In May 1997, Guice launched Resurrection Man with writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning,^[18] pencilling all 27 issues and inking most of them including the special #1,000,000 issue for the DC One Million event. The series was cancelled in August 1999.

In March 2000, Guice became the artist on Birds of Prey for issues #15 to #34. In addition, Guice drew a "Robin and Oracle" story in Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins and the Universe X Spidey one-shot, from Marvel. After his run on Birds of Prey, Guice left DC Comics and moved to Tampa, Florida to work for CrossGen. He was brought in to launch Ruse with writer Mark Waid, in November 2001. Effectively a Victorian steampunk detective story, although set on an analogue of Earth in the far-distant future, and part of CrossGen's 'Sigilverse'. Guice continued as the penciller of Ruse until its cancellation with #26 (January 2004). Guice resigned from CrossGen "just prior to the layoffs" and before the remaining staff were released from "exclusivity status".^[4]

Writer Geoff Johns, "one of Humanoids' biggest supporters from the very beginning of [their] US publishing program," pitched a story with Kris Grimminger featuring "every great monster from Greek mythology, from Medusa to the Stymphalian Birds."^[4] Humanoids editor Paul Benjamin began the search "throughout the world for a great artist who would appeal to both an American and a European audience. Butch was always on our mind for the book, but he was busy drawing Ruse for CrossGen. We began talking to Butch once he became available and Olympus was a perfect fit."^[4]

Guice said of Humanoids and Olympus:

"I've been interested in working with Paul Benjamin and Humanoids for several years now... [their] approach to their material, both in quality and design of product as well as the extensive worldwide market they've cultivated with a variety of genres, held enormous interest for me. After my resignation from the CrossGen staff, I contacted Paul and we started talking about possibilities. Once I read the two scripts for Olympus, I knew it was exactly the type of thing I would enjoy drawing. Having it be written by Geoff and Kris was a very pleasurable bonus."^[4]

Although intended as two volumes, to date, only the first has seen print. This is likely due to the lapsing of Humanoids US-distribution deal with DC,^[19] as Guice said in December 2003, while working on Volume One that that book "wraps in March [2004]", which him then "scheduled to start work on volume two almost immediately".^[4]

After leaving CrossGen, Guice worked with writer Warren Ellis on a six-issue story-arc entitled "New Maps of Hell" for DC's JLA: Classified title and then worked on the "One Year Later" revamp of Aquaman, in Kurt Busiek's Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis, debuting with #40 of the previous Aquaman title.^[6] Guice stayed for eight issues, and Busiek said of his artist colleague:

"Aside from being a terrific artist and strong storyteller, Butch can really make you believe in the exotic fantasy worlds of the Atlantic oceanscape. And he draws a great King Shark -- and a creepy Dweller, to boot. And cool warriors, gorgeous women, strange creatures and more. He's the perfect guy for this book, and I've wanted to work with him for years."^[20]

In 2007, Guice provided rotating art duties for The Invincible Iron Man, with issue #19–20's World War Hulk tie-in issue and became inker on Captain America for #32–34, and then taking over full duties as of #35. Guice penciled a miniseries taking place in the Ultimate Universe, entitled Ultimate Origins written by Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis wrote of Guice "I've been a fan of his for years and years, and when I saw what he was doing in Iron Man [with Gage]... I had to have him."^[21] Guice was the penciler on the Wildstorm mini-series Storming Paradise, written by Chuck Dixon.

Guice and his wife Julie have a daughter, Elizabeth Diane, born in 1988.^[22]

Comics work (interior art) includes:

• DC/Marvel All Access #1–4 (1996–1997)

• Jackson Guice at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
• Jackson Guice at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
• Jackson Guice at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
• The Art of Ruse- Art & Interview