Nick Abadzis: Bio

Nick Abadzis was born in Sweden to Greek and English parents and was brought up in Switzerland and England. He is a writer and artist who likes comics (which means these days he seems to be known as a “graphic novelist”). His work for both adults and children has been published in many countries across the world.

He also works as an editorial consultant and has helped set up several best-selling and innovative children’s magazines, including most recently, The DFC for David Fickling Books, the first British children’s comic to feature original characters in nearly a quarter of a century. His storytelling contribution, Cora’s Breakfast, was featured in The Guardian. His work has also appeared in The Times, The Independent on Sunday, TimeOut, Radio Times and various other BBC publications and websites. Other clients have included Eaglemoss Publications, HarperCollins, Harcourt Education, Scholastic, Orchard Books, DC Comics, Marvel Comics and 2000AD. He lives in London with his wife and daughter.

List of selected published work:

Graphic Novels and Mini-Series

The Trial of The Sober Dog The Times (serialised) 2008
Laika First Second 2007
Millennium Fever (with Duncan Fegredo) Vertigo/DC Comics, 1995
Children Of The Voyager (with Paul Johnson) Marvel, 1993
Hugo Tate – O, America Atomeka Press, 1993

Short strips and stories

You Can’t Always Get What You Want - Adhouse Books 2005
Landscape of Possibilities – (self-published) 2004
Listening, Not Hearing – (self-published) 2004
A Different View of Canal Street – 911/Alternative Comics 2002
Fire Warning – Kodansha, 1994
Shapes – World War Three 1992

Children’s Books, graphic novels and comics

Cora’s Breakfast TheDFC/The Guardian  (serialised) 2008
Blottvoomer’s Volcano Behemoth Books 2002
The Dog From Outer Space Heinemann/Rigby 2002
The Pyramid Of Doom Heinemann/Harcourt 2001
The Dangerous Planet Heinemann/ Harcourt 2000
Comme Un Poisson Dans L’Eau Mary Glasgow/Scholastic 2000
Oscar Y Oso Mary Glasgow/Scholastic 1999 –2000
Angels FC 1- 15 (with Michael Coleman) Orchard Books 1998 – 2004
Voyage To Planet Voon Orchard Books 1999
The Magic Skateboard Orchard Books 1998
The Freaky Beastie Of Hill Road School Orchard Books 1997
The Amazing Mr Pleebus Orchard Books 1996

Contributions to books, magazines, newspapers and e-mediahave included client work for: BBCi (development work on various websites), BBC Worldwide (Radio Times as featured illustrator and Smart Magazine as featured comic strip artist), Eaglemoss Publications (as editorial consultant and writer/artist), 2000AD (writer of various comic strips), Punch (featured cartoonist), The Sunday Correspondent (weekly national newspaper comic strip) TimeOut (illustrator) and Deadline Magazine (featured comic strip author).

Awards and Honours

2008
Eisner Awards:
Winner for Laika (Best Teen Graphic Novel)
Also nominated for Best Reality-based Work.
Nominated for a National Cartoonists’ Society Division Award (Best comic book) for Laika
Nominated for a Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Album (Laika).

2007
(For Laika – "A luminous masterpiece filled with pathos and poignancy." –
Kirkus Review):
A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Review Best Young Adult Book of the Year
YALSA Top Ten Graphic Novel 2007
YALSA Great Graphic Novel
NYPL Book for the Teen Age
Nominated for a Cybil award for best YA graphic novel.

1999
Royal Television Society Awards:
Best website (Dynamo’s Den)

1994
UK Comic Art Awards
Best Book Collection: Hugo Tate – O, America

Selected reviews, interviews and Radio Spots

Reviews:
The Boston Globe
Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and other trade journals
The Observer
The Space Review
School Library Journal
Boing Boing
Aint It Cool (Scroll down)
Silver Bullet
Undress Me Robot
Read About Comics

Interviews:
Publisher’s Weekly
Air & Space Magazine
Comic Book Resources
Washington Post Express
BBC’s The World
Chasing Ray
The Comics Reporter

Radio Spots and Podcasts:
To The Best of Our Knowledge
BBC’s The World magazine on Laika by Clark Boyd featuring Nick Abadzis (originally broadcast on The World radio program).
Inkstuds