'Robin' #149.
Freddie E. Williams is an American comic artist, based in Lees Summit, Missouri. He is best known for his work for DC Comics, most notably 'Seven Soldiers: Mister Miracle', 'Robin', 'The Movement' and several crossover comics.
Early life and career
Freddie E. Williams was born in 1977 in Little Rock, Arkansas, but spent most of his youth in Kansas City, Kansas. Williams had an early love for DC Comics' 'Superman', but was motivated to become a comic artist himself after reading 'Uncanny X-Men' issue # 272, drawn by Jim Lee. Later influences on his artwork have been Travis Charest, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller and Alex Ross. By 1999, Williams received illustration assignments from Palladium Books, and became one of the primary illustrators for the company's RPG (roleplaying games) books. Between 2000 and 2007 he also provided display artwork for Hallmark Cards. Williams began drawing comics in the early 2000s, starting with mini-series like 'Vendetta: the Road to Vengeance' (three issues, 2001) for independent companies like Sundragon Comics. He then drew 'Wargod' (2003) for Speakeasy Comics and Chimaera Studio books like 'Lonebow' (one issue, 2005) and 'Project EON' (2006). His indie work eventually got him assignments from bigger companies, starting with contributions to 'Noble Causes' for Image Comics.
'Mister Miracle' #4.
Seven Soldiers and other work for DC Comics
In 2005 Williams visited the San Diego Comic-Con International where he submitted his portfolio for a talent search organized by DC Comics. This landed him a job as illustrator of Grant Morrison's 'Seven Soldiers' (2005-2006) mini-series starring 'Mister Miracle'. He drew three of the four issues, after succeeding Pasqual Ferry, the artist of the first issue. He won an Eisner Award for this specific assignment. By 2006 he received an exclusive contract with DC Comics, which lasted until 2012. After a fill-in issue on 'Aquaman' (#39, 2006), Williams began a three-year run on the monthly 'Batman' spin-off title 'Robin' (2006-2009), subsequently working with writers Adam Beechen, Chuck Dixon and Fabian Nicieza. Between 2007 and 2009 he was also one of the artists on DC's 'The Flash', mostly with writer Tom Peyer.
'Final Crisis Aftermath: Run!' #1.
With writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir Williams made the one-shot crossover comic book 'Nightwing/Boomerang' (2007) in DC's 'Outsiders: Five of a Kind' series. In 2009 he provided the artwork to the six issues of 'Final Crisis Aftermath: Run!' by Matthew (Lilah) Sturges, which was part of a series of "what if" comic books about when evil wins. He did the full 18-issue run on 'JSA: All-Stars' (2010-2011) with writer Lilah Sturges, which introduced a new team after the split of the Golden Age superheroes 'Justice Society of America'. Williams then drew 12 issues of 'Captain Atom' (2011-2012) with J.T. Krul, and several issues of 'Green Arrow' (2012-2013). Williams has also drawn single issues of 'Firestorm: The Nuclear Man' (#31, 2006) and 'JSA: Classified' (#34, 2008).
'JSA All-Stars' #1.
While Williams was no longer working for DC exclusively after 2012, he has continued to work for the company since then. He most notably made the 12-issue series 'The Movement' (2013-2014) with writer Gail Simone. It was part of DC's revamp of its entire line of superhero comic books called 'The New 52'. 'The Movement' was one of the two politically driven new titles, which explored the role of money and corruption in a world of superheroes. The other title was 'The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires' by Art Baltazar, Franco Aureliani and Ig Guara. He also drew the promotional two-page ad feature 'Channel 52' (2013-2014), which appeared in the back of DC's comic books and teased upcoming releases.
'The Movement' #2.
Dark Horse Comics
For Dark Horse Comics, Williams has made the three-part 'Brain Boy' story with writer Fred Van Lente for Dark Horse Presents (2013), as well as the 'Conan the Barbarian' story 'Den of the Pleasure Goddess' (2014) with writer James T. Mitchel for 'Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword'. He also serves as a cover artist for IDW's 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe'. In 2016-2017 he drew two limited crossover comic series for DC Comics, one with Batman (DC) and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles (IDW), the other with He-Man and Thundercats, two 1980s toyline properties of Mattel.
'Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #1.
Lecture circuit
Williams also enjoys fame as a comics spokesman. He posted tutorials online about the technical aspects of his profession, available on his personal YouTube account. He is the author of 'The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics' (Watson-Guptill, 2009). He is a frequent guest on podcasts such as 'Comic Geek Speak', 'Half Hour Wasted', 'Raging Bullets' and 'Fanboy Radio'.
'He-Man/Thundercats' #2.
RedLetterMedia guest appearances
Williams has also been a regular guest on the comedy website RedLetterMedia. He was first interviewed in 2011 for the hosts' series 'Half in the Bag', when they visited the annual Chicago Comic Con. In 2014, 2017 and 2019 he reappeared three times on the site, though in a different series, 'Best of the Worst', where the hosts watch three bad VHS videos in a row and review them to find out which of the trio stood out? Williams also had a cameo as the Solitaire Man in RedLetterMedia's own low-budget comedy film 'Space Cop' (2017). The same year he had a guest appearance in another series of the same site named 'Re:View', where older movies the team likes are discussed. On this occasion they had allegedly found an obscure video named 'Horse Ninja', based on the equally obscure comic by Peter Eastman and Kevin Laird, the nephews of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. They discussed this extremely rare picture in great lengths and even showed images of the original comic on which it was based. The date of broadcast was, however, 1 April, and it afterwards became clear that this film was entirely non-existent and just invented to look like a bad early 1990s direct-to-video release. Williams just drew a few comic panels to make the comic book appear more authentic. The artist returned to the 'Re:View' series in 2019 and 2022, but this time to discuss two real movies, 'Return of the Living Dead' and the 1990 picture 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. In 2022, he was also a guest reviewer in their 'Wheel of the Worst' series (episode #24).
Freddie E. Williams II (on the right) discussing 'Horse Ninja' on 'Re:View'. On the left Rich Evans and Mike Stoklasa.