I Reads You Review: THE ART OF JOHN BOLTON

THE ART OF JOHN BOLTON
SQP

ART: John Bolton
ISBN: 13 – 978-0865620476 and 10 – 086562-047-4; paperback; (October 2001)
104pp, Color, $19.95 U.S., £11.99 UK

Born in London, England, John Bolton is a comic book artist and illustrator who is known for his painted comic book art.  He was one of the early British comic book artists to work in American comic books.  Bolton's initial American work included comics featuring Robert E. Howard's character, Kull, and Marvel Comics' X-Men.

With long-time X-Men writer, Chris Claremont, Bolton produced the fantasy comic book series, Black Dragon.  He worked with author Clive Barker, including producing some comics based on Hellraiser, the film franchise that Barker adapted from one of his short stories.  He drew the first book in Neil Gaiman's miniseries, The Books of Magic (DC Comics).  Bolton also drew the miniseries, Batman/Man-Bat (DC Comics), which was written by Jamie Delano.

The Art of John Bolton is an over-sized, paperback art book that was originally published in Germany by mg/publishing as part of a series called “Art Fantastix.”  In 2001, SQP, Inc. published an American edition of The Art of John Bolton.  The book includes 84 paintings by John Bolton, which the book's editor subjectively chose as the “best works of John Bolton.”  The book also includes seven production sketches, which are drawings (in some combination of pencil, ink, charcoal, etc.) that are later turned into full paintings.  The book's cover features the painting, “Libertine,” which Bolton finished in 1996.  The production sketch for “Libertine” is also included in this art book. 

Like the great fantasy artists, John Bolton resides in his own unique corner in the world of dark fantasy art.  Bolton captures the imagination by transforming familiar elements of fantasy and horror into something fresh and new.  Bolton also manages to add danger to his fresh, new visions.  Extravagant daydreams become disturbing, but gorgeous nightmares.

Undead pretty thing and vampire vixens take on a new allure under Bolton's brush.  They are alluring and shocking, sexy and bizarre, and resplendent and macabre.  Calling this book The Art of John Bolton seems inadequate.  John Bolton is a visionary, and the works contained herein will reveal that this artist is indeed a visionary, even if the title seems not up to the task.  If you have ever admired John Bolton, this book is a must-have.

http://www.johnbolton.com/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux; support on Patreon.


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I Reads You Review: THE BOOKS OF MAGIC Book 1

THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, BOOK 1 (OF 4)
DC COMICS

WRITER: Neil Gaiman
ARTIST: John Bolton
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITOR: Karen Berger
48pp, Color, $3.95 U.S., $4.75 CAN (1990)

The Books of Magic was a four-issue comic book miniseries written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics.  The series focuses on a boy named Timothy “Tim” Hunter, who has the potential to become the world’s greatest magician.

Each issue (or “book”) was drawn by a different artist:  Book I by John Bolton; Book II by Scott Hampton; Book III by Charles Vess; and Book IV by Paul Johnson.  In addition to Hunter, the book also features four characters who take it upon themselves to introduce Hunter to the world of magic (as it exists in the DC Comics Universe):  The Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, and Mr. E.  Constantine mockingly refers to himself and the others as “the Trenchcoat Brigade.”

The Books of Magic, Book I is entitled “The Invisible Labyrinth.”  The Phantom Stranger takes Tim on a journey through the history of the DC Universe.  The story begins with the Trenchcoat Brigade debating if and how they should help Hunter.  Eventually, the story moves the Phantom Stranger and Hunter back through time so that the boy can experience ancient figures speaking of the high cost of magic.  DC Comics magical characters that appear in Book I include, Merlin, Jason Blood, Dr. Fate/Kent Nelson, Zatara, and Sargon the Sorcerer/John Sargent.

If I remember correctly, I read one or two issues of The Books of Magic, but I did not read the story in its entirety until the first trade paperback collection, which had an introduction by author Roger Zelazny, was published in 1991 (I think).  However, I have not read the story since then (which is something like over twenty years), nor have I ever read the ongoing series that spun off from the original miniseries.

Reading The Books of Magic again, I am not only surprised by how humorous it is, but also how often the story shifts in terms of tone and mood.  Gaiman presents the gathering of The Phantom Stranger, John Constantine, Doctor Occult, and Mr. E, as if it were a regular meeting between bickering old pals, which I thinks encourages the readers to want to get to know all four characters better or, in some cases, for the first time.  That humor is mostly conveyed in the dialogue, because John Bolton’s art, as effective as it is for most of the first book, does not capture the nuances and little bits of humor that Gaiman is giving to the characters in the first ten or so pages.

Bolton’s strength comes through once the Phantom Stranger and Tim Hunter begin their journey.  Gaiman portrays magic, not as a happy thing ready to pull anything out of thin air.  He is philosophical about it, imparting to his readers that it comes with a cost, in that magic may take much more than it ever gives.  Bolton depicts magic in all the diversity of its earthly incarnations, while encapsulating the interplay between the dark and the light, the beautiful and the unsightly, and the alien and the familiar.  Bolton makes DC Comics’ nonsensical ‘bible” of magic visually and graphically dark, ambiguous, intriguing, and even alluring.

The Books of Magic, Book I: The Invisible Labyrinth will make you want to read the rest of the series.  I had forgotten how special this series was and is.  I doubt DC Comics could do something like this again, even they tried.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: SHAME: Pursuit

SHAME: PURSUIT – BOOK 2 (OF 3)
RENEGADE ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

WRITER: Lovern Kindzierski – @Lovern
ARTIST: John Bolton
LETTERS/COVER DESIGN: Todd Klein
ISBN: 978-0-9868200-5-2; paperback (April 24, 2013)
64pp, Color, $9.99 U.S.

With his cousin Chris Chuckry, Lovern Kindzierski founded Digital Chameleon. The company revolutionized the art of creating comics by making Photoshop and computer coloring the industry standards. Kindzierski also writes comic books. His latest project is Shame, a series of three graphic novels that he writes and John Bolton draws and paints. Published by Renegade Arts Entertainment, the first book, Shame: Conception, was released in 2011. The second book, Shame: Pursuit, was recently published.

Shame is set in the Middle Ages, described as the infancy of humanity’s spiritual development. The series focuses on two witches, Shame and Virtue. Shame is Virtue’s mother and daughter, and Virtue is Shame’s mother and daughter – as far as I can tell. Their father is Slur, the willowy and physically shifting demon of ignorance. Shame imprisoned Virtue in Cradle Mound, a jail made of thorny vines and guarded by flesh-eating plants, monstrous birds, and Harpy-like nannies.

Shame: Pursuit finds Shame waging war on the world, destroying her rivals who are magic users and killing anyone else who gets in her way. Slur is always nearby to encourage Shame or prick her nerves. Meanwhile, Virtue comes closer to breaking free of Cradle Mound, but she will need help. That comes in the form of Merritt, a brave young warrior who is not quite like other warriors.

It is like nothing I’ve read in quite a while. Shame: Pursuit is a doozy, and I had a difficult time figuring out what was going on because I had not read the first book, Conception. I didn’t even know that this series existed until Renegade Arts Entertainment sent me a copy of Pursuit for review, although I think I had heard of Renegade Arts before I received the book.

I find the characters to be quite attractive and engaging, especially the lovable Merritt. Everyone, except Merritt, seems to be so devious and deceptive. Also, the story is weird, like a Ralph Bakshi animated fantasy film.

I really like the art for Shame by comic book artist and painter John Bolton, whose work I’ve admired for ages. There is a dreamy quality to his art that is ideal for fantasy storytelling. Bolton has been one of the few artists whose paintings for comic books are as effective as comic book art drawn traditionally with pencils and with pens and brushes for inking.

Bolton paints Virtue with a photorealistic touch, giving her the qualities like that of a model who walks the runway for the biggest shows and gets the all the magazine covers. What Bolton does with Merritt’s facial features, physique, and clothes is uncannily, eerily natural and genuinely human. I say witchcraft is involved in this man’s art.

Strange as Shame: Pursuit is, I want to find the first book, and I would like to read the final book.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux