Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1997 by
Dave McKean
hbk out September 98
Published by Titan Books
at £16.99
It's probably sacrilege for someone in the field to say so, but I can't stand fantasy art. It's terrible to generalize, I know, but the vast preponderance of cover art which adorns the array of titles on
the science fiction, fantasy and horror shelves is simply atrocious. Hackneyed and obvious themes executed in lurid, eye-gouging colours by way of mock- surreal splodges or wanna-be pre-Raphaelite obsessive detail. Feh. I sometimes think that sales of genre books might increase dramatically if only fewer of them had covers which people
didn't feel embarrassed to be seen toting around.
There are exceptions of course: the Dillons, JK Potter, Rick Berry, to name just a few.
And Dave McKean.
I've raved about McKean's work in other reviews. Though he's produced covers for fantasy novels - notably for Jonathan Carroll - and has received recent accolades for his work with Stephen King on
WIZARD & GLASS, and Iain Sinclair on SLOW CHOCOLATE AUTOPSY, McKean is best known as a comic book artist: his written and drawn work CAGES, and particularly for his longstanding partnership with writer Neil Gaiman. As a team they've collaborated on VIOLENT CASES, SIGNAL TO NOISE, the exquisite MR. PUNCH, and most famously each and every cover to the 75 issue run of Gaiman's much-celebrated SANDMAN.
DUSTCOVERS collects all those covers along with a series of other SANDMAN-related works by McKean and a feast of previously unpublished collages, drawings and photographs. It is an exceptional book which proves that fantasy art need not be trite and embarrassing, and serves as a catalogue for some of the most intriguing and alluring work being done by any contemporary visual artist, in or out of
genre. Never mind the manufactured fuss about such YBA stiffs as Sarah Lucas and Tracy Emin. McKean is the real thing.
McKean's work on the SANDMAN covers traverses a range of styles and artistic mediums. Some are simple (but lovely) drawings in ink and acrylic, some are complex collages of found items combined with paint and pastel, many are complex computer treated photographs and collages which seem to defy understanding of any real-world origin.
McKean favours incorporating lines of text and script into his art in a variety of seamlessly integrated fonts and typefaces. McKean's
colours are bold, yet subtle the minimal injection of colour into the black-and-white inks of the "Distant Mirrors" covers is particularly effective and the sheer breadth of his approach to the subject matter is dazzling. One can find bits and pieces of McKean's
influences throughout the pages, a touch of Francis Bacon here, a soupcon of Joseph Cornell there, but the overall impression is one of enviable originality.
The lavish illustrations are accompanied by a running, chatty and very entertaining commentary from both McKean and Gaiman about the ideas which generated the covers and the difficulties of the actual physical production of them. Although one certainly need not be a SANDMAN devotee to enjoy this book, fans are offered the extra treat
of "The Last Sandman Story," a very personal, illustrated epilogue to the series. It's *very* Gaiman-esque (in a good way) and features
new work from McKean in his more stripped-down CAGES style of illustration. It's lovely.
I can't emphasize enough that while DUSTCOVERS is published by comic book/graphic novel oriented Titan, it could just as well have come from any major art imprint. Those with an eye for computer/digital
art are likely to be singularly taken and intrigued by McKean's work. But lest that put anyone else off, let me say again that this is a book for anyone and everyone with an interest in the visually inventive. It is *great* stuff.
Maybe fantasy art ain't so bad after all...
(
Jay Russell
- one of the greatest talents the horror industry has produced for some time… (Black Tears))
Dustcovers: The Collected Sandman Covers 1989-1997 by
Dave McKean