#ArtOfTheDay: 'Death Of The Endless' by Dave McKean

'Death Of The Endless' by Dave McKean.

Cover art for 'A Death Gallery' comic one shot, published January 2004 by Vertigo / DC Comics.

Book Review: 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman

Cover art by Dave McKean

I watched the movie, directed by Henry Selick, a long while before picking up the original source material. And I ended up loving the book as much as I love the movie.

When Coraline and her mother and father move into a new flat, aside from the 'eccentric' neighbours Coraline encounters when she goes exploring the grounds, she discovers an evil hidden away, an evil that Coraline has to face and defeat in order to not only save herself and her family, but also rescue the souls of children captured by the evil.

It's a book filled with the fantastical as well as infused with suitably creepy chills. A dark tale that has a wonderful lead in Coraline, who is smart, curious and brave, and yet still very childlike at times, as we follow the story through her eyes, and a delicious villain that tries to outwit Coraline. It reads like an eerie fairy-tale, and is beautifully written by Neil Gaiman, who works his magic once again!

 

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#CoolArt: '80 Years Of Batman' Print Release (Part Two) by Mondo

Mondo are releasing the second batch of remaining prints from their recent '80 Years Of Batman' art exhibition featuring 'Batman' comic cover art.

On sale Tuesday June 4 at a random time from the Mondo website.

'The Dark Knight Returns' by Frank Miller

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Jim Henson's Labyrinth' by Dave McKean

Variant cover art by Dave McKean for 'Jim Henson's Labyrinth' #1, published August 2016 by Archaia / Boom! Studios.

#CoolArt: Spectrum 24 Award Winners Announced

Winners of the 'Spectrum 24: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art Awards' were announced at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live in Kansas, Missouri Saturday April 22.

The Gold and Silver Award Winners in each of the categories - Advertising, Book, Comic, Concept Art, Dimensional, Editorial, Institutional and Unpublished - plus the Rising Star Award and the Grand Master Honouree are below.

Cover art by Iain McCaig

#CoolArt: 'Black Dog' by Dave McKean

'Black Dog' by Dave McKean, a limited edition print release from Gosh!, in celebration of the release of 'Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash' by Dave McKean.

28.8 cm x 39.86 cm 3 colour screenprint on 270 gsm mohawk superfine acid-free & archival paper in a signed, numbered and stamped limited edition of 120 for £30.

Go here to buy.

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Dave McKean

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Dave McKean.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'John Constantine: Hellblazer' #1 by Dave McKean

Cover art by Dave McKean for the original comics series 'John Constantine: Hellblazer' #1, published by DC Comics.

Cool Art: 'Terror And Wonder' by Dave McKean

'Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination' opens in October at the British Library, and explores all aspects of the Gothic world. 

Iconic works, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the sinister fairy tales of Angela Carter and the modern horrors of Clive Barker, highlight the ways in which contemporary fears have been addressed by successive generations of Gothic writers. Other rare and fascinating exhibits, including overlooked manuscripts and even a real-life vampire-slaying kit, highlight how contemporary fears have been addressed by generation after generation.

The artwork for the poster is by Dave McKean, best known for his work on Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman'.

'Terror And Wonder: The Gothic Imagination' opens on 3 October 2014 and is on until 20 January 2015.

Cool Art: 'The Sandman: Overture' #1 Variant Cover by Dave McKean

Vertigo Comics has unveiled the variant cover by Dave McKean, the only artist to create covers for the original series' full 75-issue run, and the first page of interior art from Neil Gaiman's 'The Sandman: Overture' by artist JH Williams III.

Neil Gaiman, JH Williams III, Dave McKean plus original 'Sandman' artist Sam Keith will all be at Comic-Con International in San Diego as part of Saturday's panel (3:15pm in Room 6DE) celebrating the 25th anniversary of the legendary comic.

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Variant Cover by Dave McKean

1st page interior art by JH Williams III

Cool Art: '2013 Comic-Con International Souvenir Book Cover' by Dave McKean

One day I will make it to the Comic Con International at San Diego, and the cover to the official souvenir book makes me sad I'm not there this year!

The 2013 edition of the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book will be given out to all attendees (while supplies last) at this year’s event, July 18-21 at the San Diego Convention Center.

This year’s cover was created exclusively for Comic-Con by special guest Dave McKean, and celebrates the 25th anniversary of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman series. Besides Gaiman, one other constant throughout the series was cover artist Dave McKean, who created beautiful, ethereal images through painting, collage, and construction that set the tone for the story inside. Dave’s style of cover art was unseen in the world of comics up to that point.

This 224-page, full-colour trade paperback, given out free to those who attend Comic con 2013, also presents bios and photos of all of this year’s special guests, and a look back at the past year in award winners and—sadly—appreciations for those we’ve lost.

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Comic Book Art: John Constantine: Hellblazer (1-100)

Continuing my look at my favourite comic books and their cover art, with the long running DC Comics' / Vertigo series John Constantine: Hellblazer.

John Constantine was created by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch and first appeared in 1985 as a recurring character in the horror series The Saga of the Swamp Thing (#37 June 1985), in which he acted as a "supernatural advisor" to the main character.

In 1988, Constantine was given his own title, Hellblazer, published by DC Comics and written by Jamie Delano and illustrated by John Ridgway. In 1993, at the launch of DC's Vertigo Comics imprint, Hellblazer was made an official Vertigo publication. It is still the longest continuously published Vertigo title.

Hit the jump to see the cover art to the first 100 issues.

Comic Book Cover Art: The Sandman

After showcasing artwork from some of my favourite artists and movies, I'm turning my attention to the cover art to some of my favourite comic books.

Featuring covers from favourites like The Sandman, Preacher, Swamp Thing and John Constantine: Hellblazer to current favourites, Fables, Saga, American Vampire and Chew, plus many more that grab my attention.

But I'll be starting with one of the series that got me into comic books in the first place back in the late 1980's / early 1990's; DC/Vertigo Comics' The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman and the cover art mostly by Dave McKean.

Check out the art for the 75 issue series and specials after the jump. Click to embiggen.