Dave Mckean: The Arcane The Image

To look into the art of Dave Mckean is to look into places of unlimited intrigue, depth and range. The works are window openings into a mysterious and arcane psyche. The portals are many and vast as a journey outward into the stars or equally inward to the micro biotic multi-verses. 





                                            Mckean seduces and captures with the creations of his unbridled talent and imagination. His worlds are mystical, magical potions of the best alchemy. Mirror Mask, The Sandman, Wolves in the Wall, Coraline are among the stories, novels and films of Dave Mckean. They are all collaborations in part with his colleague/friend; the much admired writer Neil Gaiman.

The work can be dark, foreboding and something strange as that of a counter-culture artist. Mckean’s art is not repellant like many other counter-culturists but inviting and dreamlike without being the stuff of nightmares.    

In 1993 DC Comics would introduce their now legendary line of graphic novels; Vertigo. Editor Karen Berger would enlist writer Neil Gaiman for the initial series of books; “Sandman.” The entire line of books including Gaiman’s “Sandman” were targeted for mature readers and are among the most popular and celebrated of the Horror/Fantasy genre. Dave Mckean would join “Sandman” as official cover artist mid-way through it’s run and his work would become the art most associated with “Sandman.” They are also among Mckean’s most recognizable and original creations. “Sandman would be described as:

“A comic strip for Intellectuals.”

Norman Mailer

Another author from the Vertigo Line; Grant Morrison had earlier (1989) penned the then radical hard-cover novel, “Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.” His was a Dark Knight Tale remarkably conceived and illustrated with Mckean’s extraordinary graphics and evocative paintings. It remains a land-mark achievement and is in every sense a classical marriage of prose and image.

As a film maker; Mckean’s seminal work to date is “Mirror Mask.” It is yet another brilliant collaboration with Neil Gaiman and The Jim Henson Company. The plot is a variation of Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.” The look is visually stunning with the definitive style of Mckean’s best product. It is memorable as a cult film with a distinct “indie” flavor. 

The reflective study of the works of Dave Mckean is a perfect start for a breezy October evening and then on; into the night.

The Arrival

These are easily some of the most fascinating and beautiful illustrations you are going to see at any time; at any place. Shaun Tan’s handsome set piece; this graphic novel, his master work of art is of a singular charm and truth of imagination.

Tan used photographs and paintings from the early twentieth century of immigration and immigrants as inspiration along with accounts and stories to inform his book. Tan encompasses family, ideology, freedom, alienation as well as acceptance and the journey of the human spirit in this epic tale. The effect is that of a silent film as the work is totally without narration, text or dialogue. Tan is in a very small fraternity with this work devoid of language that speaks eloquently with is content of image. 

The arrival is by definition a picture book. It is one best suited for adults and young readers just past the age that regular picture books begin to lose their charm. It is a work certainly sophisticated that very young readers still can enjoy; but will need some guidance with the themes; in-depth precision and spirit that the novel exhibits.

Tan has written and illustrated at least two other books of his own; The Red Tree and The Lost Thing. His self- developed animation short of The Lost Thing was impressive enough to win an Oscar for Tan in 2011. His books have won numerous awards and he has been an educator as well as a much sought after artist and illustrator by other writers and publishers. He brings a special part of himself to all of his efforts.

The Arrival is a book to be read through it’s pictures, as all images are to be read. Every picture does tell a unique story. I would also suggest playing instrumental music; something with a sound-track diversity of themes and nuance as an accompanying background. The “extra something” music brings adds to the pleasure and allure of the book. It makes for a thing uncanny and creates an even greater cinematic experience. Your understanding of the journey of this tale’s nameless protagonist as universal immigrant will ultimately be a personal reflection of insight and joy. Tan’s “Arrival” gives us something to treasure and revisit from time to time as we journey and arrive ourselves.

Frank Miller: 300, Sin City & Moore

Frank Miller was writing and penciling Daredevil when I started reading him. It was a cross-over issue featuring the appearance of The Incredible Hulk. I had heard a lot of good things about this Miller guy and the appearance of the Hulk would guarantee a higher price later on the collector’s market if the book was actually a dud.

Miller was rumored and heralded to be a writer of a rare skill and talent. It was said his writing was gritty, dark and misanthropic. Miller’s perception of society was one of disheveled anarchy. He was constantly opening doors previously unknown; taking the risky dark alley to get to that undiscovered yet coveted pay off. He was an original but he loved and respected the medium as he expanded the mythology. He was neither a deconstructionist nor post-modernist. Miller; as it turned out was indeed the “Real Deal.” The rumors were darkly; gloriously true.

Frank Miller is responsible for expanding the world of the super hero and that of the graphic novel as well. Great pieces including hits and classics that remain current: The Dark Knight Returns, Electra Assassin, Daredevil: Love and Money, Ronin, Sin City and 300 are part of the Miller canon.  Miller has changed along with a few other extraordinary talents; including and especially writers Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman  evolved the comic book into it’s contemporary form while expanded the readership beyond all previous boundaries. Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, and Alan Moore’s Watch Men were mini-series released within the same year and were powerful and intricate enough to become best sellers and are currently required reading in literature classes.  Neil Gaiman’s  Sandman released a few years later would be equally transformative.    

The Dark Knight Returns tells the story of a dystopian future in which a retired and embittered Batman returns to battle evil. 

The future dark world the Batman re-enters has grown increasingly violent and devoid of humanity as Batman has grown older, physically weaker and aggressively slower. This sadder, older hero with his skills much in decline possesses a deeper sense of revenge and purpose along with an enhanced arsenal of Bat-Tools. Miller takes many risks with his writing as he questions a world that would accept a costumed vigilante, governmental miss-use of powers and the psychology of mad men both good and evil.

300 is another of Miller’s best known pieces. Well written and concise it is best known for the film adaptation by director Zack Snyder that Miller producer himself.

Miller was inspired to create his 300 from an earlier film 300 Spartans released in the nineteen sixties. The graphic novel is most memorable for the illustrations created by Miller with his then wife Lynn Varley doing a remarkable water-color embellishment. The over-size hard-cover version is a lush pleasure to be studied, relished and absorbed. Democracy, nationalism and the notion of personal sacrifice for the greater good prevail in this work. 

Sin City

Sin City is a series of seven books that Miller wrote and illustrated. The drawings are almost exclusively black and white which add to the drama and starkness of the works.  It exists in a strangely isolated purely imagined city inhabited exclusively by thugs, cops, hookers, serial killers, corrupt authorities and assorted losers. It is probably the darkest of Miller’s works, his most ambitious, original and successful. Miller was definitely influenced by film noir and the pulps but it is film noir on some kind of hyper-drug. Sin City is Frank Miller!

The  Sin City series is another example of  Miller’s work translated to film. Movie makers including Alfred Hitchcock and Ridley Scott have long used story boards as preliminary studies and aids for their photographic telling of stories and as a plotting device. When Robert Rodriguez decided to film Sin City he shot directly from the books images and dialogue. Why do new story boards the books already existed as such? Rodriguez using few re-writes successfully and faithfully recreated Millers graphic masterpiece into a seminal work. The film was extraordinarily faithful to the original piece; a thing to awe. Miller was along as co-director and even appeared in a cameo.

Frank Miller

The sequel to Sin City is scheduled for released in a few months and it looks to be very good. Miller continues to create as he continues to expand his reputation, to entertain and to thrill!

Superman "Man of Steel"

 

 

The “Man of Steel” has been around for many, many extravagant, entertaining and extraordinary years certainly longer than you or I. He was originally conceived by teen agers Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938. Within his unique history he has been envisioned in every possible medium since his comic book birth; radio, theatre, novels, games, toys, music, television and film. He is certainly the stuff of legend both as a character and as a production icon of society. Ask anyone if they remember being introduced to Superman and overwhelmingly people will answer that they can’t recall “The Man of Steel” as a new concept. We learn about Superman as we learn of language itself. With so much history and saturation into the American psyche and hearts it is next to impossible to change or revamp the temperament and tone of the character for our contemporary times. Batman his partner, foil and diametric opposite is much more flexible for rewrites and reworks. Spiderman, Dare Devil, Iron Man and even Hell Boy are crafted for our dystopian modern existence. Superman; the “Grand-Daddy” of them all is in most ways just that; the “Grand-Dadd

                                               

                                          

                       

                                                                  

As Superman is known there are some definite things that he can do such as to leap a tall building in a single bound (it would take the rest of us at least three or four bounds.) He is faster than a speeding bullet (there are benefits to this ability; ask just about anyone.) He is more powerful than a locomotive (this refers to a train; something most Americans under the age of thirty probably have never heard of.)  Now; there are also some things that he cannot do. He cannot and has no right to doubt himself. When you can fly purely as a result of your own will power, bend steel in your bare hands, see through walls etc. you do not have any time or reason for petty insecurities. When using said powers you cannot do anything wrong. This means any selfish thing or anything that hurts anyone else (even the bad guy or gal.) You’re the opposite of the baddie and that‘s what makes you the hero; not your powers.   

 

“Man of Steel” opened this weekend in theatres across the country and world-wide. The reviews are mixed; the consensus at this point is “Man of Steel” is at best a descent effort but nothing special. This is the fourth big screen incarnation for Superman. Christopher Reeves set an impossibly high bar for anyone to reach in the Donner films. They will never be surpassed. Reeves personified Superman on screen and he proved to have an amazing amount of courage and resilience in real life. Reeves was an inspiration. This new film comes to us over blown, dark and repetitive. These days the source materials for the super hero “Block-Busters” are known as Graphic Novels. Originally the book’s genre was classified and considered Comic or Funny Books. There has to be a sense of humor; a joyfulness in the equation for anything relating to a comic book creation like Superman, again he is the original. Superman doesn’t need to imitate the kids. He only needs to be himself.      

                                                 All Images of Superman by the Stellar Alex Ross

What the…Hellboy???

“The World’s Greatest Paranormal Investigator”

I’m sure this won’t be a huge surprise but; he’s the son of a demon and a witch. Fire red, shaved horns, cloven hooves, and tail are his signature look. His right hand (of doom) is a sort of sledge hammer and a key to opening  the Hadean Gates. Hellboy carries a very large gun “The Samaritan” that shoots his own patented fifty caliber “Demon Destroyer” bullets. His attitude; Bad...Capitol “B” Bad. There’s a small bit of a chip on his shoulder; he loves a good fight. Given this he’s actually a hero that fights the forces of evil. He has a soft spot for cats. No; he doesn’t eat them he adores them as pets and will do anything to protect them. Hellboy’s one of the good guys.

Writer/Artist Mike Mignola created Hellboy in 1993 and his creation became a hit as a comic book character almost immediately. Hellboy has been adapted to film, animation, novels and video games. His fan base continues to grow as one of the great incarnations of the imagination. Mignola’s man/creature started with the “look” from a single drawing he did for fun. The editors at Dark Horse Comics loved Mignola’s  work and talents; they urged him to create an original project for publication. Mignola choose to work from his “Hellboy” drawing and he created the themes and supporting cast around the character’s commanding presence. The Hellboy project was something that Mignola could put all of his favorite literary and entertainment influences into and use as devices. Monster films like “The Mummy” and “The Bride of Frankenstein,” gothic horror and ghost stories, pulp fiction, ancient myths legends and lore. It is even hinted at within the context of Hellboy's narrative that his mother was the descendant of Morgana Le Fey and Arthur Pendragon. Could Hellboy be the rightful heir to the British throne?

In the beginning…Professor Trevor Bruttenholm and a group of American soldiers rescued a tiny creature released from an inter-dimensional portal to a mysterious astral region opened by Grigori Rasputin and a group of Nazi’s during the Second World War. Hitler; in reality was very much interested in the occult and believed he could use it powers. The G.I.’s name the small creature with the oversized hand “Hellboy” on the spot and adopted and raised him as a human. Trevor Bruttenholm became Hellboy’s father and “The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense” (B.P.R.D.) was formed around Hellboy. He fights evil under the organizations banner.

“When things go bump in the night; we’re the ones who “bump” back.”
Trevor Bruttenholm

There have many writers and artist to imagine and contribute to the development of Mignola’s Hellboy; John Byrne, Bruce Timm, Christorpher Golden, Guy Davis and Rich Corben are a few but none are more immersed in the legend than film maker Guillermo Del Toro. The Hellboy films are rich tapestries and very faithful to the spirit of the characters and situations.

As with Mignola’s beginning the look of the movies are perfect. When Del Toro makes changes they only embellish and clarify what was previously published. The films are perfectly cast with Ron Pearlman in the lead. Pearlman is magnificent and born for the role of Hellboy. He is no stranger to heavy make up and prosthetics.  He makes it all look effortless and real as no other actor could. Most of Pearlman’s great roles have featured the actor totally immersed and hidden by masks and modifications. Vincent from television’s “Beauty and the Beast” was his first success. He was mesmerizing in that role. Pearlman is the Lon Chaney of our times; Del Toro the James Whale.

“Pan Cakes”

In conjunction with the release of the first Hellboy Movie DVD Mignola wrote a short story about the two year old Hellboy. The folks at the B.P.R.D. try to get a reluctant Hellboy to try a new treat for breakfast. He finally gives in and tastes pan cakes for the first time. He loves them. At the precise moment pandemonium breaks out in the city of Pandemonium (The Capitol City of Hell.) “It is the boy. He has eaten the pan cakes. He will never come back to us now.” A demon laments this to another minion of Hell. Hellboy has discovered what every small child knows. There is nothing so close to heaven as the pancake prepared with and given in love.

 Mignola have been honored with the top awards in the field of graphic novels and story-telling. In 2002 “Hellboy: Conqueror Worm” won the Eisner for “Best Limited series” and “The Art of Hellboy” won the 2004 Eisner for “Best Comics Related book.” The Eisner is the field’s chief award. Mignola holds his own with the all-time best.

There seem to be limitless avenues for Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. to travel. It is our pleasure to tag along for this infinite, immaculate ride.