Criminal Macabre

Get ready to wet your pants as Steve Niles, Kyle Hotz, and I get set to unleash the new Cal Macdonald series at Dark Horse in the very near future. I can finally start revealing some of the covers and man do we have some surprises in store. First and most obvious, you may recognize the face that Cal is sporting these days on the covers. Yep, the one and only Mr. Chain Blu Lightnin' hisself - Thomas Jane.

Way back before I might have even suggested it, Tom and Steve thought this was ideal casting. We'd actually even shot some stuff before for the IBooks versions of the novelizations. Tom only ever appeared on one cover "Guns, Drugs, And Monsters", but we shot a ton of stuff that still waits to be used. Again, before Tom rushed off to the UK to star in "The Mutant Chronicals" we did another big shoot only this time we needed to cast Mo'Lock as well. How do you cast a 7 foot tall greenish Ghoul? Interestingly enough, Steve and Tom had just helped produce a film for David Arquette (The Tripper) and as Steve and I were skulling over who to use . . . Mr. Niles had an epiphany. He had just returned from a screening of the film and a lot of the cast were there to see how the film turned out. Among those cast members was Christopher Allen Nelson. Steve and I agreed, he'd be perfect for Mo. You may remember Christopher from "Kill Bill", he played Uma's doomed husband in the chapel scene. Chris is an absolute scream, AND on top of it all he is a makeup artist as well. OK, we didn't have him show up in Ghoul makeup, but down the road . . . Who knows what we'll be capable of.

So, with the cast locked in we are now really ready to blow out some covers. First up is the above first issue. Steve and I didn't want to put any restrictions on how I would handle the covers. He and Dark Horse are giving me carte blanche on however I want to handle things. And folks, that's total freedom. Total freedom tempered by a love for the stories and a marriage of concepts between Steve and I.
It's the kind of thing that really gives me room to breathe and experiment. And when I can work in those conditions I've found that I create my best work. With the freedom in place I promptly suggested that the first issue be a black and white cover. It makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons.
I am completely stoked at how it turned out and I hope you all dig it as well. Next issue, you're REALLY gonna get a face full. Stay tuned as I'll be posting that in the next two weeks. Be here.

Comments

[Noeland]

As much as I dig that shot of Tom Jane, as it's nice to see a low angle and that hunching pose - full of body language, that background really pops for me. It has structure, but it's also vague and abstract. Very nicely done! Is that a complete creation, or is that an actual location somewhere?

[Tim Bradstreet]

Just an abstrat creation on the background Noeland. Completely out of my twisted head.
I apprecaite (as always) the kind words mate.

[Widener]

Really beautiful. I love it.

[Benjamin]

i'm a big fan of cal mcdonald and knowing that you will be doing the covers is just as awesome as that first cover there. i love it!!!

[E_Bone]

U are the best...i'm a big fan of u...i love your Black and white.

EB