#Solid art labyrinth 2 series#

I eventually chose to make them hollow because solid glass spheres refract by flipping (what's behind them) vertically and horizontallyвЂ¦which made the spheres feel overly complicated and pulled attention from the characters. Jareth's glass spheres were a point of debate for me, as to whether they should be hollow or solid because of the way each refracts light. I was aiming for a dreamy atmosphere, and added the fuzzy dust orbs as the finishing diffused gauze. Since the composition was fairly cluttered, I used a limited pallet of colors and relied on tone and contrast to separate the shapes and create a sense of atmospheric perspective. I did a number of sketches, mainly exploring the dynamic between Sarah, Jareth and the labyrinthвЂ¦a few contained other characters, but I think the best choice was keeping the focus on the main two. It was a very exciting opportunity to create this Labyrinth cover, which in itself also felt like a tribute to David Bowie, with his passing so soon before I received the assignment. ThereвЂ™s an article at Entertainment Weeklythat has details.

Specifically the cover will be on Jim HensonвЂ™s Labyrinth: Artist Tribute book. For a comic based on an existing story, thatвЂ™s above and beyond.This is a cover I just finshed for Boom! Studios and LabyrinthвЂ™s 30th anniversary. You could have watched the original film a thousand times and still have no idea what is in store for Maria, and for any comic that is a good sign. The Labyrinth is surreal and often has one foot placed squarely in the absurd, and Spurrier, Bayliss, and Jackson ensure that this already foreign world seems that much more unfamiliar. This layering of panels and frames gives an extra bit of gravitas to JarethвЂ™s overall narration of the story and also makes everything seem like a rabbit hole. There is no better example of this than the splash of Jareth looking into his crystal ball into the Owl King looking into his crystal ball to Maria navigating the labyrinth. The second is the way in which he is able to balance the more straightforward panels with the spectacle-filled set piece panels that will likely be some of the best comic art youвЂ™ve seen all month. His character design work is exemplary and gives the already charming comic one more layer of likability. Readers will no doubt find themselves fawning over just how visually enjoyable this comic is courtesy of Bayliss and Jackson. Everything else exists in the comic, so whatever outlandish thing you see never takes you out of the fiction itself. Comics are an excellent medium for exploring elaborate, difficult-to-recreate sequences because it all happens within the same medium. It might not look real in isolation, but in context, it still looks like it belongs. This is because even though it might not look 100% real, it still exists in the same space as everything else. Despite all the time and money that goes into them, a lot of film fans groan at CGI-fests in movies and tend to speak fondly of films laden with practical effects, such as The Thing or every 80вЂ™s Henson production. Large Goblin King Jareth Labyrinth Replica Pendant Solid image 1. Time for a brief tangent about why mediums work the way that they do and how that benefits Labyrinth: Coronation. The medium allows for Spurrier and the art team to play with a lot of ideas and turns in storytelling that the special effects of the time of the film wouldnвЂ™t allow for, such as a mechanical puppet mermaid the lures Maria into a false sense of security before the kappa-esque monster controlling it seizes her and drags her to his lair. While we see a lot of the same passion at the heart of both characters, Spurrier takes care in ensuring that Maria is not simply a Victorian-era Jennifer Connelly, with Bayliss giving her enough visual distinction that she already feels at home in HensonвЂ™s universe. This frame allows Spurrier to parallel the journeys between the original filmвЂ™s Sarah and his own original character of Countess Maria. The second issue continues the frame narrative of the first with Jareth narrating the comic as a tale he is telling the baby he kidnapped. Combining this with artist Daniel BaylissвЂ™ skill for crafting the fantastical elements of the titular Labyrinth and colorist Dan JacksonвЂ™s visually striking choices gives readers a comic that seeks to be memorable, and largely achieves that goal. Simon SpurrierвЂ™s skill in crafting deeply compelling characters that never feel out of place in HensonвЂ™s universe gives this comic a beating heart that could pull even the most cynical of readers.

#Solid art labyrinth 2 series#

ItвЂ™s another solid showing for Jim HensonвЂ™s Labyrinth: Coronation, as the nearly flawless second issue of the series from BOOM! StudiosвЂ™ Archaia imprint places comic in contention as the best of the Henson spinoffs.