This week sadly noticed the passing of Keith Giffen.
He was one among my favourites. Part of the bedrock of what drew me to DC in my childhood. His work on Justice League International and The Legion of Super-Heroes was charming. His writing sprinkled with offbeat humour. And his paintings developed into an idiosyncratic, distinctive look.
Especially within the mid ’80s as he was closely influenced by José Muñoz. He went from a reasonably clean-lined, open fashion from his early days on Legion by to a darkish, angular that relied way more on shadow as he went into the fourth quantity of that e book and the 5 Years Later interval. Yet, by all the permutations of his artwork fashion, his writing, and offering a storytelling spine to occasions like 52 and Countdown, there was at all times a verve to his work. Something that grabbed you and refused to let go.
From humour to heroes to horror, Giffen may do all of it.
“I hadn’t written in weeks.”
I wish to focus, although, on one among his contributions to horror that was smack-dab in the course of his Muñoz-influenced interval, DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel #1 – Hell on Earth. Based on the story by Robert Bloch and tailored by Robert Loren Fleming, Giffen, Greg Theakston, Bill Wray, and Gaspar Saladino, Hell on Earth is a story of what occurs when science and cash try and delve into the world of the occult.
The story follows horror author, Guy Roberts, as he’s approached with a large sum so as to witness the summoning of a demon. It goes flawed. In that they summon far above what they have been aiming for, capturing Satan. What follows is basically the temptation of everybody concerned. Both Robert Loren Fleming and Keith Giffen preserve the narrative thick. With phrases and with visuals. Giving it an virtually oppressive ambiance.
The story is instructed largely utilizing 16-panel grids. It’s fascinating how Giffen lays it out, managing to make it really feel very dense, but move with a pure rhythm. It mirrors the demon stored behind glass, making you are feeling deceptively protected with the construction of every web page. When Giffen breaks the shape, combining panels, breaking them, or altering their angles, it enhances the concept one thing goes flawed with the order of actuality. It works extremely properly.
Overall, the e book is visually arresting. On prime of the minimalist, angular characters, there are some unnerving overlays paying homage to artwork like Ralph Steadman or Barron Storey. The colors and results from Greg Theakston and Bill Wray add additional to the otherworldly impact. As properly as some attention-grabbing shifts in phrase balloons from Gaspar Saladino.
“Would you go to hell for one hundred thousand dollars?”
I do know that licensing in all probability has one thing to do with it, nevertheless it appears a disgrace that Hell on Earth from Bloch, Fleming, Giffen, Theakston, Wray, and Saladino stays out of print like every part else from the Science Fiction Graphic Novel initiative. So too from its sister e book of which I believe Hunger Dogs stays the one work nonetheless obtainable. It was an attention-grabbing experiment of a line adapting style literary works and the outcomes have been by and huge fairly good.
Sadly my very own copy is pretty banged up at this level and the colors seem like bleeding by among the pages. I’d advocate folks testing Pat Brosseau’s post from 2019 for clear photographs of the comedian.
Classic Comic Compendium: Hell On Earth
DC Science Fiction Graphic Novel #1 – Hell on Earth
Writers: Robert Bloch (unique story) & Robert Loren Fleming (adaptation)
Artist: Keith Giffen
Inkers & Colourists: Greg Theakston & Bill Wray
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: September 3 1985
Read previous entries within the Classic Comic Compendium!
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