Comic Creator Spotlight: Comic Artist and Illustrator Dave Santana

By John Freeman on July 3, 2024

Award-winning Brazilian comic artist caricaturist and illustrator Dave Santana has always had a passion for drawing since his youth, his work featuring in books and comics both in his home country – on Disney comics, for example, since 2000, for Editora Abril. He’s also worked for both DC Comics for Titan Comics.

His illustrations for Histórias do Brasil na Poesia de José Paulo Paes (“Stories of Brazil in Poetry by José Paulo Paes”), published by Global Editora, gained him deserved attention back in 2006. In 2011, his work was included in the major exhibition, Linhas de Histórias, featuring some of the very best Brazilian artists.

Alongside his comic work, created in various styles from the humorous to realistic, on titles such as Little Nightmares, for Titan Comics, Justice League Unlimited and Looney Tunes, for DC Comics, various work for Lion Forge Comics, and the risqué Double Impact and Jinkies, for Black Ops Publishing, Dave has devoted much of his time to his own creations.

Little Nightmares #1 Cover L by Dave Santana — Little Nightmares #1 Cover by Dave Santana

Little Nightmares #2 Cover by Dave Santana — Little Nightmares #1 Cover by Dave Santana

Art for DC Comics Looney Tunes title, by Dave Santana — *Art for DC Comics Looney Tunes projects, by Dave Santana*

These include, for example, O Pequeno Crocodilo (“The Little Crocodile”) and Por todos os bichos (“For All The Animals”) and “Where is my Hair?”, all published by Global Editora – books surely crying out for an English language edition!

Dave Santana - O Pequeno Crocodilo — *Dave Santana – O Pequeno Crocodilo*

Art for the book "For all the Animals", by Dave Santana

He’s also illustrated books by great authors such as O Outro Brasil Que Vem Aí (“The Other Brazil”), Histórias Do Brasil (“History of Brazil”) by José Paulo Paes, by Gilberto Freyre; Os Escorpioens Contra o Círculo de Fogo (“The Scorpions Against the Ring of Fire”), by Ignácio de Loyola Brandão; and Sequestro Em Parada de Lucas (“Kidnapping in Parada de Lucas”), by Orígenes Lessa.

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.