Zoe Thorogood

{{Infobox person

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|06|07}}

| birth_place = Bradford, England, United Kingdom

| alma_mater =

| occupation = Comics artist

| years_active = 2019-present

| notable_works =

}}

Zoe Thorogood is a British comic book author and artist. She is the author of The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott and It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, as well as a run of Hack/Slash through 2022-to-2023, in which series creator Tim Seeley resumed writing. In addition to her work on independent comics, she also co-created the character of Spider-UK (Zarina Zahari) together with Ramzee for Marvel Comics and wrote multiple stories in anthologies published by DC Comics.

Early life and education

Thorogood was born on 7 June 1998 in Bradford, England.{{Cite web |last=Colin |date=2023-07-17 |title=Throgood, Zoe |url=https://www.notjusthockney.info/thorogood-zoe/ |access-date=2024-01-24 |website=Not Just Hockney |language=en-GB}} She studied video game art at De Montfort University in Leicester, which led her to an internship in 2017 creating design concepts at Splash Damage. She continued her studies at Teesside University between 2018 and 2019.

Career

In 2019, Thorogood began working in comics as a freelance artist. She attended a convention organised in London by Image Comics, where the publisher was impressed by the artist's portfolio, and introduced her to including Kieron Gillen, approved her for "the future of comics".{{Cite journal |last=Barnett |first=David |date=2023-07-16 |title='The real deal': young UK graphic artist nominated for five 'comic book Oscars' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/16/the-real-deal-young-graphic-artist-zoe-thorogood-nominated-for-five-eisners |journal=The Observer |language=en-GB |issn=0029-7712 |access-date=2024-01-24}}{{Cite web |last=Hetzler |first=Alex |date=2023-10-30 |title=Zoe Thorogood is the future of comics |url=http://www.michigandaily.com/arts/its-all-we-know-to-survive-zoe-thorogood-art-and-mental-health/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=The Michigan Daily |language=en-US}}

Her first graphic novel, The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott, was published in 2020. While she has suffered from sight problems since the age of 3, in 2017 she learned that her retina was slowly being detached, and that she could eventually go blind.{{cite web |access-date=2024-01-24 |date=2022-12-21 |language=fr-FR |last=Mccoylily |title=ITW – Zoe Thorogood: Dans les yeux de billie scott |url=https://lecabinetdemccoy.wordpress.com/2022/12/21/itw-zoe-thorogood-dans-les-yeux-de-billie-scott/ |website=Le cabinet de mccoy}} Although inspired by her personal story, the character of Billie Scott is not an incarnation of Thorogood, as she would later explain in her second graphic novel.{{Cite book |last=Zoe Thorogood |title=It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth |publisher=Hi Comics |year=2024 |isbn=978-2-37887-114-7 |pages=200 |language=fr}}

Thorogood's second graphic novel, It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, was published in 2022.{{cite web |access-date=2024-01-24 |title=It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth de Zoe Thorogood (Billie Scott) arrive début 2024 chez HiComics ! |url=https://www.comicsblog.fr/46420-its_Lonely_at_the_Centre_of_the_earth_de_Zoe_Thorogood_Billie_Scott_arrive_deebut_2024_chez_HiComics |website=www.comicsblog.fr}} It's Lonely... is an autobiography, focusing on Zoe's life through the last six months of 2021. It was not originally intended for publication; it was written during a depressive period. Finally, she decided to share a few illustrations on the Internet. She received messages from readers who identified with her work and her experience and felt that her work deserved to become a full-fledged book.{{cite web |access-date=2024-01-29 |date=2024-01-29 |language=fr |title=Que vaut la BD "It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth" ? |url=https://leclaireur.fnac.com/article/424335-que-vaut-la-bd-its-lonely-at-the-centre-of-the-earth/ |website=L'Éclaireur Fnac}}

Her next comic was Hack/Slash: Back to School, set in the universe created by Tim Seeley.{{Cite web |title=Image Comics' Hack/Slash Recruits Eisner Nominee Zoe Thorogood for New Series |url=https://comicbook.com/comics/news/image-comics-hackslash-recruits-eisner-nominee-zoe-thorogood-for-new-series/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Comicbook.com |language=en}} She is also the writer of the comic Life Is Strange: Forget-Me-Not, adapted from the video game Life Is Strange: True Colors, with art by Claudia Leonard and Andrea Izzo, published by Titan Comics.{{Cite web |last=Comments |first=Rich Johnston {{!}} |date=2023-07-24 |title=Zoe Thorogood To Write Titan Comics' Life Is Strange |url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/zoe-thorogood-to-write-titan-comics-life-is-strange/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=bleedingcool.com |language=en}}

Works

= As writer and artist =

The impending blindness of Billie Scott, Avery Hill Publishing, 2020
It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, Image Comics, 2022
Creepshow Vol.2 #3 (OF 5), Image Comics, 2023
Hack Slash: Back To School, Image Comics, 2023–2024
"Harley Quinn and the Seven Sidekicks" in Harley Quinn: Black+White+Redder #4, DC Comics, 2023
"For James" in Ice Cream Man #43, Image Comics, 2025{{Cite web |last=Johnston |first=Rich |date=2024-10-10 |title=Ice Cream Man #43 Adds Jeff Lemire, Geoff Johns, Zoe Thorogood|url=https://bleedingcool.com/comics/ice-cream-man-43-adds-jeff-lemire-geoff-johns-zoe-thorogood/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Bleeding Cool |language=en-us}}

= Writing =

Life Is Strange: Forget-Me-Not (art by Claudia Leonary, colours by Andrea Izzo), Titan Comics, 2023–2024

= Art =

Poppy's Inferno (written by Poppy and Ryan Cady, art by Amilcar Pinna & Zoe Thorogood), Z2 Comics, 2020
HAHA #2 (written by W. Maxwell Prince), Image Comics, 2021
Rain (adapted by David M. Booher from a novella by Joe Hill), Image Comics, 2022
"The Hunt" in DC Pride 2022 #1 (written by Dani Fernandez), DC Comics, 2023

= Cover art =

Eve #5 Variant Cover (written by Victor Lavalle, art by Jo Mi-Gyeong), Boom! Studios

Overwatch: Tracer-London Calling #3 Variant Cover (written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Babs Tarr), Dark Horse Comics, 2021

Crowded #11 Cover B (written by Christopher Sebela, art by Triona Farrell, Ro Stein & Ted Brandt), Image Comics, 2020
The Department Of Truth #9 (written by James Tynion IV, art by Martin Simmonds), Image Comics, 2021
Home Sick Pilots #7 Cover B (written by Dan Watters, art by Caspar Wijngaard), Image Comics, 2021
Ice Cream Man #25 Cover B (written by W. Maxwell Prince, art by Chris O'Halloran & Martín Morazzo), Image Comics, 2021
What's The Furthest Place From Here? Cover B (written by Matthew Rosenberg, art by Tyler Boss), Image Comics, 2023
Lilith #1 (written by Corin Howell, art by Corin Howell, Warnia Sahadewa, Jim Campbell & Tim Daniel), Vault Comics, 2024{{Cite web |last=Brooke |first=David |date=2024-05-20 |title='Lilith' #1 kicking off Vault Comics' new mature label Threshold |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2024/05/20/lilith-vault-comics-threshold |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=AIPT |language=en-us}}

= Others =

Created the character Spider-UK (Zarina Zahari) together with Ramzee, first appearance in Edge of Spider-Verse Vol. 2 #1, Marvel Comics, 2022

Awards

Nominated for 2023 Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist for It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth{{Cite web |last=MacDonald |first=Heidi |date=2023-05-17 |title=2023 Eisner Awards Nominations announced |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/2023-eisner-awards-nominations-announced/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=The Beat |language=en-US}}
Nominated for 2023 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Memoir for It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth
Nominated for 2023 Eisner Award for Best Adaptation From Another Medium for Rain
Nominated for 2023 Eisner Award for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist for Rain
Nominated for 2023 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist for Rain
Awarded the 2023 Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award.