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Jules<\/strong>:<\/font> Artist Dave McKean<\/strong><\/a>, whom 7-Imp welcomes this morning with a big, strong cup of coffee and all kinds of adoration and severely geeky fan-dom, is capable of way<\/em> more than seven impossible things before breakfast, it’s safe to say. He’s an award-winning graphic novelist; author; photographer; designer; illustrator of hundreds of comic-book and book covers, as well as CDs; editorial illustrator; film designer; director; and jazz pianist, even co-founding the record label Feral Records with saxophonist and composer Iain Ballamy<\/strong><\/a>. I’m probably missing a whole slew of other things. Dave McKean is unceasingly inventive. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Dave’s portfolio is so wide-reaching, in fact, that I asked illustrator and author Jim Di Bartolo<\/strong><\/a> if he wanted to join 7-Imp on this interview, going on a hunch that he was a huge fan (which, indeed, he is). Jim contributed many of these questions. Farida Dowler of Saints and Spinners<\/strong><\/em><\/a> also contributed one question (her curiosity about one of her favorite scenes in MirrorMask<\/em> has been quelled!), as well as Eisha’s husband, so this—as you can see—was a group effort. Many thanks to everyone who contributed. <\/p>\n Dave McKean’s work is…well, I’d call it beautiful. And I think Eisha and Jim would agree wholeheartedly. That might seem like an odd descriptor for someone whose work can be unsettling and sometimes the stuff of horror. But I stick to that descriptor with obstinacy. No matter the tone he sets with his art work, no matter the medium, and no matter the subject matter, there is an underlying beauty that transcends our everyday world. And a sense of design that is striking, a pulse throbbing that is vibrant. I think it’s an obscenely huge understatement to say that he changes the way we see our world. He pushes the boundaries of the art world, and then he transforms. He revolutionizes<\/em>. Author Neil Gaiman<\/strong><\/a> wrote here<\/strong><\/a>, “It seems somehow wrong for so much talent to be concentrated in one place, and I am fairly sure the only reason that no-one has yet risen up and done something about it is because he’s modest, sensible and nice.”<\/p>\n Eisha and Jim, I’m already a big fan of Dave’s work, and then—to top it all off—he very generously gave such thoughtful answers to the interview questions, as well as sent us a ton of wonderful images to showcase in the interview. Wasn’t this particularly fabulous of him to have done? I’m especially grateful for this. When I do illustrator interviews, I always stress that one could not possibly send too much art. The art speaks volumes, I think. <\/p>\n Before we get to the interview and all the art work Dave passed along, let me ask you this: I know “favorite” questions are tough to answer for someone whose work you adore, and they’re perhaps (and arguably) silly to ask in the first place. Nevertheless, Eisha, could you pick a favorite medium of Dave’s? Is there one title\/project of his that has always stood out for you? Do you find it hard, as I do, to describe what his work does<\/em> to you? <\/p>\n eisha<\/strong>:<\/font> Oh, you and your multi-part questions. <\/p>\n Jules<\/strong>: <\/font> Mwahahaha.<\/p>\n eisha<\/strong>:<\/font> Well, first, I do think it was generous of Mr. McKean to take time away from all of his projects to talk to us, and doubly generous of him to send so many examples of his art for us to share with our readers. It’s always so rewarding to find out that someone we admire for his whopping big talent is also nice<\/em>.<\/p>\n As for a favorite medium… nope. I really dig his aesthetic, and I love what he brings to all the media in which he works. There’s something about the way he combines elements of realism and fantasy that’s deliciously unsettling. For example, I think Signal to Noise<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is one of the finest examples of the graphic novel genre ever created. Seriously. It’s awesome. <\/p>\n Is it a coincidence that all my favorite examples of his work are collaborations with Neil Gaiman? Probably not. Those two both have such original minds and a shared love for the dark, twisted and macabre. They’re made for each other.<\/p>\n How about you, Jules? Got a favorite genre of Mr. McKean’s work?<\/p>\n Jules<\/strong>:<\/font> Oof! My own difficult question thrown right back at me! Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a piece of work he’s contributed to that I didn’t like in some way, but I will say that his photography always completely and entirely and WHOLLY blows me away, and—as I formatted this interview and all the many images he sent—I was reminded of that. I mean, look at this self-portrait: <\/p>\n So, yeah, I’m particularly spellbound by his photography. But that’s hardly<\/em> a slight of the other media in which he works. <\/p>\n And, Eisha, did you ever get around to reading The Graveyard Book<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Gaiman (published by HarperCollins), which—as you know—was just awarded the Newbery<\/strong><\/a>? I love McKean’s use of line in the drawings in the book and the style in which these are done — more of an old-fashioned style of illustration, very fitting in this macabre adventure tale. <\/p>\n Jim<\/strong>:<\/font> Dave McKean’s artwork never fails to inspire me. He has the most astonishing–and varied–visual imagination of any artist I can think of, and while I doubt his influence can be seen directly in my own illustration, his creativity, multimedia abilities, and impressive variety of styles have long nudged me to try new things in my art. <\/p>\n I can’t recall what my first exposure to his work was. I know I was slightly late to the game, becoming aware of him and his Sandman<\/em> covers in the mid-’90s, but not truly appreciating his skills until the late ’90s when I was in art school (CCA in San Francisco & Oakland). However, I distinctly recall the glee of finding his books Violent Cases<\/strong><\/a><\/em> and several issues of Cages<\/strong><\/a><\/em>, while slowly perusing the shelves at the comic book store in Oakland when I was studying Illustration. I couldn’t wait to get home to pore over the books and, later, attempt (with varying low-levels of success) to replicate what he’d done with the art for Violent Cases<\/em> in my sketchbooks.<\/p>\n Fast-forward several years: I was out of art school and visiting one of my teachers, Kent Williams<\/strong><\/a>, at the Allen Spiegel Fine Arts booth at the San Diego Comic Con, and Dave McKean was there! My wife, Laini, and I (she’s also a huge fan) hung back in awe as we tried to think of something to say besides, “You’re Dave McKean! That must be awesome, huh?!” Coming up with nothing, we kept our mouths shut, doing one better than a friend of ours who reported she actually burst into tears while trying to talk to him!<\/p>\n Anyway, even if Mr. McKean decided to never do another piece of art (heaven forbid!), the abundance and amazing quality of what he’s created would no doubt continue to inspire and influence countless artists for generations to come. Maybe next time I see him I’ll have the nerve to introduce myself and tell him so.<\/p>\n Jules<\/strong>: <\/font> Even though I think you just told him, I also hope you get to meet him in person (again) one day, Jim . . . Let’s get to the interview with many thanks to Dave for stopping by. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Your work spans just about every media (drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculpture) and format (comics, picture books, novels, film), yet your art always has a unique and distinctly bold approach behind it. Are there specific experiences that formed the essential basis, the fundamental building blocks, of your artistic vision? Books, movies, artists, events, images, nightmares?<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: That\u2019s a big question, as there have been so many. Almost anything lodges inside the brain or under the skin. I\u2019ll try and narrow it down to a few. <\/p>\n Then art school was a huge shock to the system, inspirational pressure cooker, and source of my broadening taste, not to mention political\/social views. I had some great teachers, who recognized in me a stubborn, narrow-minded, shallow youth and took it upon themselves to shake me up, open my eyes, and widen my horizons. They were also very encouraging when I actually started to enjoy myself. Another key moment was a lecture by Marshall Arisman<\/strong><\/a> at the ICA<\/strong><\/a> in London. <\/p>\n Then it would be publishing my first book with Neil Gaiman<\/strong><\/a> (Violent Cases<\/strong><\/a><\/em>) and realizing I had two seemingly opposing views: I didn\u2019t feel my work was good enough to be published professionally, but looking around at the stuff that was getting published, I thought I could do better than that! Doing Cages<\/strong><\/a><\/em> was important, as it was the first project that really felt like it was mine. <\/p>\n And then there have been many other firsts, and exciting challenges, most recently working with the extraordinary three-Michelin starred chef Heston Blumenthal<\/strong><\/a>. Technically, a few pieces of work (often sketchbook things done just for myself) have had a major impact on my work: painting on photographs in three short comic pages, later published in Pictures That Tick<\/strong><\/a><\/em>; working with a brushpen for a little sketchbook of Barcelona. <\/p>\n And then there have been so many influences over the years, from great draughtsmen like Egon Schiele<\/strong><\/a> and Lorenzo Mattotti<\/strong><\/a>, to great storytellers like Ingmar Bergman<\/strong><\/a> and Paul Auster<\/strong><\/a>, to great writers like Woody Allen<\/strong><\/a> and Franz Kafka<\/strong><\/a>, to great artists, Picasso<\/strong><\/a> and Miles Davis<\/strong><\/a> and the few who constantly, restlessly, redefine themselves. I\u2019ve loved the Quay Brothers\u2019<\/strong><\/a> animated world, the powerful iconic work of the Polish poster artists, and Monty Python<\/strong><\/a>. It all adds to the soup.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Your style on various projects is so diverse from one to the next. Where did you learn those varying techniques, or are you just extremely experimental? Do you brainstorm for new techniques and styles, or do they come naturally?<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: I do a lot of work and discover things as I\u2019m going. To someone who sees a couple of projects three or four years apart, it must seem like a big jump, but in between is a gradual evolution through many different projects and personal work. Also, I love to learn new things, so if there is an opportunity to try theatre design or website storytelling or fashion photography, then I\u2019ll give it a go. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What exactly is your process when you are illustrating a title? You can start wherever you\u2019d like when answering: getting initial ideas, starting to illustrate, or even what it\u2019s like under deadline, etc. Do you outline a great deal of the book before you illustrate or just let your muse lead you on and see where you end up?<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: There are usually two starting points, the text and what I\u2019m interested in at the time. Sometimes they are irreconcilable, in which case I will exclusively concentrate on what the story demands, but usually it meets me half-way. <\/p>\n I\u2019ll make lots of notes all over the manuscript and make doodles in my sketchbooks, any ideas that come to mind. I will research appropriate references, if necessary, and start to draw main characters over and over again, until they start to feel right. I\u2019ll usually plan out the whole book (if it\u2019s a graphic novel) or the illustrated sections of the book thoroughly before starting finished work. And then the actual battle begins. Usually, I spend a few days feeling that I\u2019ve forgotten how to draw — and eating and going out for coffee and reading and playing the drums or the piano or watching a film until I just can\u2019t put it off any more. Then I get into a routine, as soon as the first few images are done that are genuinely good and seem to have the right tone of voice; then I can see the whole book done, and it\u2019s a gallop, or at least a determined canter, to the finishing line. I don\u2019t like to stray too far from my initial plans — so that the book has a consistency of tone. Plus it\u2019s easy to get lost in paint and details and digital what-nots, and lose touch with the text. <\/p>\n My working day is usually: 10-ish, wake up. 10-11-ish, check email, read the post, check the news (BBC website), read The Week<\/strong><\/a><\/em> (if it\u2019s Friday) or Time<\/strong><\/a><\/em> (if it\u2019s Saturday). 11-12-ish, potter in studio, have a crumpet and a banana. 12-1 p.m.-ish, get dressed, start work. 1-3 p.m., lunch. 4 p.m.-2 a.m., work (occasional breaks to eat, drink, talk, answer phone, reply to email, play musical instruments \u2013 the worse a job is going, the more breaks I take, and therefore the longer the bad job lasts; it\u2019s a depressing equation). 2 a.m.-4 a.m., watch a film or read current book. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Describe your studio or usual work space for us.<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: Depends on the season, to a degree. I live in the middle of nowhere, so there is no sense of time apart from night and day — that is, there is no rush hour, no weekend, no holidays. My studio is a separate barn twenty paces from my front door. I live in an old (1830) twin-roundel oast house; that\u2019s the farm building that was used to store and dry hops to make beer, back when it was a farm. There is a pond outside the window, and a rickety, frankly dangerous, little bridge heading over to the front door. Downstairs has a painting easel and light-box, piano, electronic drum-kit and lots of books; upstairs has several Macs and a space for my wife, Clare, to work when she\u2019s doing the paperwork. I\u2019ve worked on all the available surfaces (including Clare\u2019s desk, which annoys her no end), but I\u2019ve only recently found my perfect workplace. I used the studio as a set for a feature film called Luna<\/em> (still in the works), and we needed a table for the two actors in the film to draw at, sitting opposite each other. When everything was finished and the crew went home, I was left with this table, which turned out to be a wonderful place to work, downstairs, looking out over the pond, towards the house, and out over the field beyond. In the summer, I work outside at the back of the house, overlooking the Isle of Oxney, which is not an island any more, as the seas receded several hundred years ago. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What style and\/or medium do you find the most challenging in which to work?<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: I have found film the most challenging. Obviously, working with a crew, actors, and budgets is chaotic, but just the language of film I\u2019ve personally found very difficult to deal with. I\u2019m not comfortable with it yet, as I am with comics or illustrated books. Maybe you never get to be comfortable with such a collaborative medium. And which, if any, is your favorite? I don\u2019t have a favorite. I enjoy the differences and not doing the same thing every day. I love the direct simplicity of sitting down and drawing a picture, but I love the emotional highs (though not the plummeting lows) of film. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Do you plan on writing and illustrating again more of your own stories, \u00e0 la Cages<\/strong><\/a><\/em>?<\/font><\/p>\n Dave<\/font><\/strong>: Yes. I have started a new novel called Caligaro<\/em>, and I have another couple in mind to do after that. I\u2019m also half-way through another book of short stories. The first book, ![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/FAUST1.jpg\")
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\nAnd of course, his picture book work in The Wolves in the Walls<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is brilliantly creepy. And did you see MirrorMask<\/em><\/strong><\/a>? Oh, you HAVE to. It’s worth watching for the art direction alone.<\/p>\n
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\nJim, what has Dave’s work meant to you, especially as an artist yourself? <\/p>\n
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I suppose childhood planted a few seeds: drawing cartoons with my father (who was not a professional artist at all, but could draw well); going to the Tate and seeing large paintings by Max Ernst<\/strong><\/a>; discovering comics through black and white reprints of American Marvel comics; discovering old silent and early film stills through a great couple of books about horror movies. Later on, I was interested mostly in music, although I still loved all sorts of comics and films, mostly genre stuff. <\/p>\n
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Allen Spiegel Fine Arts, 1995)<\/center><\/p>\n
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Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch<\/a><\/strong> (1994)<\/em><\/center> <\/p>\n
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