| Phill Hall | |
| Birth Name: | Phillip Hall |
| Birth Place: | United Kingdom |
| Nationality: | British |
| Area: | Writer, editor, publisher |
| Notable Works: | Comics International news editor Borderline editor/publisher Borderline Press publisher |
| Awards: | Best Specialist Magazine or Website National Comics Award (2002) |
Phill Hall (born April 1962) is a British pop culture writer, editor, and publisher. He was a long-time editor and columnist for the British comics magazine Comics International, as well as the creator and editor of the comics magazine Borderline,[1] He ran his own publisher, Borderline Press, from 2013 to 2015. In addition, he has worked for DC Comics, Marvel UK, and a number of small independent publishers in both the UK and US.
From its inception in 1990, Hall was the copy, news, and features editor at Comics International and created a number of iconic comics magazine columns, such as "Movers & Shakers", "Hotshots", and "Networks," for the magazine.
He left CI in 1997, and in 2001 launched the online journal Borderline. Borderline was a cross between The Comics Journal and the NME with a heavy mix of mainstream American/British and international comic books. The magazine spotlighted comic books and creators from countries such as Brazil, Poland, and the Philippines, alongside American and British comic book icons; Borderline was, in part, responsible for a number of previously unknown cartoonists obtaining professional contracts. In the spring of 2002, Borderline became part of the Cool Beans World network of websites.[2] Despite winning the "Best Specialist Magazine or Website" award at the 2002 National Comics Awards,[3] however, Borderline ceased publishing in 2003.
Hall left comics in 2003 to pursue a career in social work, but later returned to write a column for the comics website Comics Village. Hall's book, My Monthly Curse — A Personal Comic Book History, mostly focusing on his time at Comics International and Borderline (culled from entries in his blog, A Life in Comics), was published in digital form in August 2011.
In July 2013, Hall launched Borderline Press Ltd., a registered company dealing with the publishing of new European comics talent. The press had distribution issues, however, which were alleviated when Hall reached a deal with Fanfare in 2015.[4] But continued scheduling issues forced Borderline Press to go on hiatus in May 2015. Borderline Press was sold to Fanfare in August 2016.
Hall currently lives in Northampton, England.