Paul Sample was born in Leeds on 19 February 1947. He studied at Bradford College of Art and when he turned 18, moved to London to study Graphic Arts at Central St Martins. As a young student he would take his portfolio of work up and down Fleet Street, and found success in early commissions from The Times, The Sunday Times, and the Daily Telegraph. One of his first comic strips ‘The Zodiac Files’ was published in Today, and was subsequently published as a paperback collection in 1993.
While at university, Paul created a cartoon strip that featured a superhero biker called Ogri. This was a result of his love for motorcycles and the Marvel comics that inspired his artwork. The strip was first published in Bike magazine, and ran with great popularity for 35 years, until it was picked up in 2010 by Back Street Heroes, a motorcycle magazine.
Paul has illustrated books for many authors, most notably the novels of Tom Sharpe. The covers are characterised by their busy compositions and provocative caricatures. He has also done advertising work for BBC Radio Two, Ford, British Airways and the Post Office.
While now semi-retired, Paul continues to draw and lives with his family near Whitchurch, in Shropshire.
Further reading: Duncan Foulkes, 'Ample Sample for all', Shropshire Magazine, January 2010 <https://web.archive.org/web/20110112072442/http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/2010/01/ample-sample-for-all/>
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