Alex Ross was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Lubbock, Texas. He made his artistic debut at three when, according to his mother, he grabbed a piece of paper and drew the contents of a television commercial he’d seen just moments earlier.

Comic book illustrators George Perez and Berni Wrightson are listed as inspirations for Alex, when, at an early age, he began to draw his own comics. At 17, Alex went to Chicago’s American Academy of Art. There, he studied classic surrealists such as Salvador Dali who would later become influential toward Alex’s comic book style. Having been called the photorealist of comic books, Alex also studied Norman Rockwell and J.C. Leyendecker.

After graduating the American Academy of Art, Alex, in 1993, collaborated with Marvel Comics editor Kurt Busiek to create Marvels, a graphic novel, which examined the Marvel superheroes from the perspective of ordinary men. The book’s critical success demonstrated Alex’s affection for the characters through both detail and believability. Marvels in addition to Alex’s Kingdom Come and Uncle Sam – have been collected into a single volume that remains in print today.

In 1998, Warner Bros. Studio Stores Galleries began promoting Alex’s work with fine art prints on paper and canvas. On the 60th anniversaries of Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, Alex completed fully painted, tabloid-sized books that celebrated the birthday for each superhero. Alex’s talents have also allowed him other projects, namely the creation of a limited-edition promotional poster for the 2002 Academy Awards. The demand for Alex’s work has grown steadily. Without a doubt, he is one of the most gifted talents in comic fine art today.


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