BWS is also a renowned painter of Romantic Fantasy, founder of The Gorblimey Press, co-founder of The Studio, and author of BWS:OPUS, a series of gorgeously produced books collecting his paintings and drawings from over thirty years of inspiration and productivity. The texts of the OPUS series, called Time Rise, are anecdotal, often humorous, memoirs of his lifetime of paranormal experiences.

THE EARLY YEARS (1949-1967)

Barry Windsor-Smith was born Barry Smith, in England, on May 25, 1949 in Forest Gate, a working class area in the East End of London. He displayed an artistic temperament early on, and was fortunate to have his parents’ support in pursuing an education in the Arts, rather than being steered into a more common, practical trade.

He attended art school for three years at East Ham Technical College, earning degrees in Industrial Design and Illustration. The faculty, including the celebrated political cartoonist and illustrator Ralph Steadman, was particularly accomplished.

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH has been creating distinctive comics, art, and stories since his first published works in 1967.

His international acclaim came as the original artist for Marvel Comics’ Conan the Barbarian from 1970 to 1974, where he rapidly evolved a sophisticated and intricate style, introducing elements from diverse artistic influences to graphic storytelling.