Guy Davis (born 1966) is an American creature designer, concept artist, production designer, illustrator and storyboard artist who has worked on film, television, comic book and video game projects. He is known for his collaborations with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, including the television series Cabinet of Curiosities (2022), The Strain (2014–17) and the films Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), The Shape of Water (2017) and Pinocchio (2022) along with video game properties including Diablo IV, Gears of War 4 and Alone in the Dark. He has also provided illustration work for the White Wolf role-playing game series and TCM Underground, cover artwork for Criterion, poster art for Mondo and product design for Patrón. He started his art career illustrating comic books in 1985 and was the regular artist for the Hellboy spinoff comic B.P.R.D. (2003–2010), as well as the artist behind his own creator-owned comic The Marquis (1997-2009).
Contents
Biography
Early Comics Career 1985 - 2010
A self-taught illustrator, Guy Davis began his art career in 1985. Soon his independent work attracted the editors of Caliber Press, who published his first creator-owned series — the Harvey Award-nominated Baker Street. It was the success of Baker Street that got Davis work with DC Comics/Vertigo, illustrating Sandman Mystery Theatre. He illustrated Mike Mignola's ongoing B.P.R.D. series, The Zombies That Ate the World for Métal Hurlant, and his creator-owned series The Marquis for Dark Horse Comics. At the 2011 ECCC, Davis announced he would be leaving as the ongoing B.P.R.D. artist and no longer continue working in comics.
Concept Design and Film Work 2011 - present
Since leaving comics, Davis has moved to a career in Conceptual Design and Production Design, providing concept art, character design and storyboards for film, television and video games. He worked on Pacific Rim, designing the Kaiju Otachi and Slattern, along with various props and storyboards. Other conceptual design projects for director Guillermo del Toro include Cabinet of Curiosities where he worked as series creature designer, Nightmare Alley, The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, The Strain TV series, The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIV opening and the Frankenstein film from the director. He was also the award winning Production Designer and Character Designer on Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. Other concept and character design work includes Antlers, The Sea Beast, Lost in Space, MST3k: The Return, Steven Universe, ParaNorman, The Mill at Calder's End, The Haunted Swordsman, Asura, Big City Greens, Monster Hunter and We are Zombies, along with Costume Concept for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and video game projects including Evolve, InSane, Gears of War 4, Diablo IV, State of Decay 3 and Alone in the Dark (2024).
Personal life
Davis currently resides in Michigan.
Filmography / Bibliography
Concept art / Character design:
Frankenstein (Netflix) Concept Designer 2022-2024
Murderbot (Apple TV+) Concept Art 2022
The Shape of Water (Fox/ Searchlight) Concept Designer 2013-2016
Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment) Concept Designer 2017
Antlers (Fox/ Searchlight) Creature Concept Designer 2018
State of Decay 3 (UnDead Labs) Creature Designer 2021
We Are Zombies (RKSS Films) Zombeast Concept Design 2022
Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) Series Creature Designer 2022
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon) Costume Concept Design 2019
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Netflix) Production Design / Character Design 2019
Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (Disney) Concept Design 2022
The Sea Beast (Netflix) Character/Creature Design 2018
Nightmare Alley (Fox/Searchlight) Concept Designer 2019
Asura Concept Designer 2015
Fantastic Voyage (Fox/Searchlight) Concept Designer 2017
Awards
2023 Annie Award Winner: Pinocchio/ Best Production Design
2023 Art Director Guild Winner: Pinocchio / Best Production Design
2023 BAFTA Nomination: Pinocchio / Best Production Design
2021 FilmQuest Cthulhu Winner: The Haunted Swordsman / Best Production Design/Art Design-Short
2021 New York Cinematography Award Winner: The Haunted Swordsman / Best Production Design
He won the Eisner Award in
2004: Won "Best Limited Series," for Fantastic Four: Unstable Molecules with James Sturm
2009: Won "Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team," for BPRD