Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Hewlett is a British comic artist and designer best known for co-creating the comic book series Tank Girl, illustrating the virtual band Gorillaz and directing the animated segment of the 2012 London Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony—dubbed 'Pandemonium'. After attending the Northbrook College Art and Design in Worthing, England, Hewlett briefly worked as an art director for a magazine and created his first comic book, Subway Door, with his future Tank Girl collaborator, Alan Martin, in 1988. The duo released their first comic book, the cult classic Tank Girl, two years later.
Tank Girl, which spawned three films, two video games and a variety of merchandise, portrays an anarchic female protagonist in post-apocalyptic Australia. The comic combines a distinct punk-inspired aesthetic with pop-culture parodies and attracts fans to this day. Hewlett's art in Tank Girl has been praised by critics, and his visual style has been associated with the 'Brit-Pop' movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 2000, Hewlett teamed up with Blur frontman Damon Albarn to form the virtual band Gorillaz. Like their comic predecessors, the band was an instant success. Blending cartoons with rap and rock, their eponymous debut album was released to rave reviews and sold over seven million copies. While Albarn wrote and performed the music, Hewlett designed the characters and visuals for the band. He directed their music videos as well as the 2011 feature film 'Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre'.
Hewlett is credited with reinvigorating the comic book genre in the early 2000s. His artwork borrows the imagery of the pop art movement, but is equally rooted in the lyrics of Broadway musicals and the bright visuals of art-house films. His style experiments with both classic and modern comic book style conventions. His artwork, often described as witty and sophisticated, is showcased in an extensive array of publications, such as three Tank Girl specials, two Gorillaz animated series and several other comic books and magazines. Among his publications, his 2001 solo project, Tank Girl: The Gifting, has been particularly well-received.
Throughout his career, Hewlett's creations have drawn both critical acclaim and public outcry. His uneven success has also seen him take a few detours into advertising, most notably in a 2005 campaign for Virgin Mobile. He also worked on scenography for Kyiv's Sapiens Palais' multimedia show.
In 2012, he joined forces with Gabrielle Hamilton to create Pandemonium, an ambitious musical and visual performance that brought together thousands of choreographed performers and special effects, greatly enhancing the opening ceremony of the London Summer Olympics. Along with two other projects commemorating the Games, Hewlett's legacy in both comic and scenic art continues to extend.
Jamie Hewlett is an accomplished comic artist and designer who has managed to bring his wild imagination to both simplistic and grand-scale projects. From Tank Girl to Gorillaz to the London 2012 Olympics, Hewlett has created visuals and worlds to remember—a feat of no small accomplishment. By merging classic and modern art genres in his work, Hewlett has forged a truly unique visual identity that transcends genres and borders.
