Brian Bolland – The British Comics Cover Artist.
Brian Bolland is a defining British Comic Book illustrator. Originally known for being one of the definitive artists for Judge Dredd, part of the 2000AD anthology. He’s renowned now also for his work on DC comic covers and the interior and exterior of the DC Graphic Novel Batman: The Killing Joke where he worked with “his friend” [1] Alan Moore, who Bolland claims to be the best writer he can think of. It’s worth noting that Bolland rose to critical acclaim early 80s alongside the “British Invasion” of comics. It seems apparent that he truly was a massive part of the illustration side of the British Invasion, along with Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison, the leading writers of the movement. Their new and different approach to comic book/Graphic Novel writing that was grittier, darker and censored less, won the American company “DC Comics’” heart and the writers, who had all worked on the 2000AD anthology, were recruited by DC. [2] So it would seem also that a similar sensibility must’ve occurred here with Bolland. After all, his intense style of detailed realism, twisted with such expression boasts the same gritty, dark and almost uncensored style of the British writers.
In this report I’m going to talk about Bolland’s process and his field of work mainly, and explore the realms of each in respect to the cultural area of Comic books and Graphic Novels.
In this report I’m going to talk about Bolland’s process and his field of work mainly, and explore the realms of each in respect to the cultural area of Comic books and Graphic Novels.
Let’s begin with the centre of the subject. His art.
The Art
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There are many artists like Bolland, especially in the same field as him. But I’m not so sure that any would include such detail in every piece they do. Bolland focus’s heavily on the details which are apparently something that slows him down when drawing digitally. The corners cut from sorting out brushes, paints, and other equipment, let alone the canvases and space required, to being unable to easily correct mistakes like limbs drawn at a wrong angle or the perspective not being perfect, in terms of time, is balanced by the temptation (for Bolland) to keep adding more and more detail to the illustration to the point where the additions and changes made are so minute and intricate that it’s lost in the printing. [3]
“100% computer. I’d rather not have to look at a pencil or brush again”. [9] Almost harsh words from an established artist. Bolland uses a computer for everything related to his art. “Concept sketches, roughs, pencils, inks, colouring. Everything.” [9] Bolland has a very strong opinion about his process and why he believes its “better” [10]. In 2010 he’d been using a computer for all of his art work for 13 years. “It’s just better, the fact that you can undo what you’ve just done… the fact you’re not committed to anything you’ve done; you can create a new layer and draw over the previous… Just numerous things you can do on a computer” [10].
“When I draw I make lots of mistakes. I erase a whole face or a whole drawing, or I want to rotate an arm by a few degrees or make a foot smaller. I also don't want my hand there on the drawing potentially smudging the ink. On the computer I can do my drawing in plain view, not partially obscured by my hand. I can zoom the drawing to make fine details easy to do. Or zoom out. I can lasso a hand or an arm and rotate it or resize it. When I'm drawing a figure I can draw one leg on one layer and another on another layer and move them or resize them independently. If I'm drawing a group scene I can do the same on any number of layers. I can fade these layers to 10% and on a new layer draw a tighter pencil version if I want. If I run out of page at the bottom I can move the whole thing up - or down. Occasionally I'll have something tricky to draw, a hand holding a gun for instance. I can photograph my own hand, slide the photo onto a layer beneath the pencils layer, fade it to about 30% and draw over it. Then delete the photo. When I'm satisfied with the pencils I fade that down to 10%, start a new layer called "INK". I zoom the picture up to 200% of its actual size so that, for instance, a single eye could be 2 inches across and start inking. That way you can only see the small detail you're working on - so to keep things in perspective I have a second window open of the same picture, this time small and showing the whole page. I can't see how any of this could be done with a pen in a notebook.”
“When I draw I make lots of mistakes. I erase a whole face or a whole drawing, or I want to rotate an arm by a few degrees or make a foot smaller. I also don't want my hand there on the drawing potentially smudging the ink. On the computer I can do my drawing in plain view, not partially obscured by my hand. I can zoom the drawing to make fine details easy to do. Or zoom out. I can lasso a hand or an arm and rotate it or resize it. When I'm drawing a figure I can draw one leg on one layer and another on another layer and move them or resize them independently. If I'm drawing a group scene I can do the same on any number of layers. I can fade these layers to 10% and on a new layer draw a tighter pencil version if I want. If I run out of page at the bottom I can move the whole thing up - or down. Occasionally I'll have something tricky to draw, a hand holding a gun for instance. I can photograph my own hand, slide the photo onto a layer beneath the pencils layer, fade it to about 30% and draw over it. Then delete the photo. When I'm satisfied with the pencils I fade that down to 10%, start a new layer called "INK". I zoom the picture up to 200% of its actual size so that, for instance, a single eye could be 2 inches across and start inking. That way you can only see the small detail you're working on - so to keep things in perspective I have a second window open of the same picture, this time small and showing the whole page. I can't see how any of this could be done with a pen in a notebook.”
An inspiring quote above; other artists may explain their tools and equipment to be numerous and varied. Bolland uses a computer only, and he does “everything in Adobe Photoshop CS2” [9]. To every aspect Bolland prefers the computer. It doesn’t seem to bother him that there’s no body of work, even though many artists make a living, or a large amount of their living is made on selling physical work, originals etc. [10]
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I personally find Bolland’s work so ridiculously perfect that it’s both inspiring and disheartening, but I often forget that despite his massive portfolio, he is a cover artist mainly. The cover is the centre of attention; it requires the most detail and attention than the rest of the book (In terms of illustration. It’s also, according to Bolland, the only drawing on or in the comic book to need a ‘rough’ before it’s to be finalised [6]). He often has the entire script to read through, previous issues also, and only has to create one image based on the script. That doesn’t detract from the quality of it of course; it helps justify its perfection. This brings me on to my next point.
Bolland didn’t try to get into the cover art side of comic book illustrating; it more or less chose him. His approach to his drawings with massive amounts of detail of course isn’t done quickly. In fact, evidently Bolland is rather renowned for being late with his deadlines [6]; always adding more and more detail to a drawing that to another viewer, no difference would be noticed after the addition. That’s not saying that Bolland didn’t have a fascination with covers. He says in an interview, after being asked about his career choice and whether he went into cover art consciously, that -
“When I first started reading comics as a child I saw them as great treasures… and I wasn’t greatly interested in the stories. When I accumulated my first 100 or 200 comics as a teenager, I would keep them in bags, and it was always the cover that I loved the most.” [7]
He goes on to say it was “practical” that he ended up in drawing covers considering it takes him a very long time to produce a 48-page book or a 200-page series which would unfortunately cause him to turn a lot of work down. But then companies started asking “Well, if you can’t draw the story, can you draw the cover for us please?” [7]
“I do enjoy drawing covers, because I can draw all kinds of characters without being committed to that character for months on end.” [7] In another interview he talks about drawing interiors and that he thinks he’d enjoy that also because - “no one asks you to redraw anything, whereas for covers, a rough is produced and sent off, and you have to wait for a response from the client”. (Paraphrased) [6].
The way I see it, Bolland’s skills and style have guided him through his career, rather than his career moulding his techniques and practise. His efforts in areas to improve and alter his abilities and outcomes have likely been a personal response rather than a response to clients, because typically, especially since he’s become very established, companies seek him out instead of him going to them. Of course, there is an element of intense practise to master specific characters and objects (although not entirely true for Bolland because he’s a cover artist, so his time instead can be spent on perfecting one image), but his style remains unaltered throughout his different works.
‘Understanding’ Cover Art
Going back to a quote I shared earlier: “When I first started reading comics as a child I saw them as great treasures …and I wasn’t greatly interested in the stories” [7], helps define Bolland as a cover artist not only in preference and career but in the nature of his work. (This is all opinion of course, so feel free to disregard this.) I’ve recently been reading Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art written and illustrated by Scott McCloud. Written in ’93, comics had been around for about a century already, technology was beginning to advance rapidly but wasn’t anywhere near where we’re at now. For instance, to compare a ’93 Marvel comic to a 2013 comic, you’d see a much bigger difference in production – (I’d say quality, but I could argue that a ’93 comic is much more appealing to read than a present day one) here than comparing say a 70s comic to the same ’93 one. But I digress.
The point I want to make is to do with something McCloud mentions in his book. He discusses the different levels of detail in comics, from Mickey Mouse and Tin Tin to the graphic novels that are essentially traced photographs in each panel. There are many levels of detail, all provoking a different response in the reader. McCloud tells us that a simple comic or character like Mickey Mouse or Tin Tin, helps us to empathise with the character. It helps us become the character, in a way; we live their world through their simple design. “The cartoon is a vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled… An empty shell which we inhabit that enables us to travel in another realm. We don’t just observe the cartoon, we become it”. [8. p36] Superheroes, i.e. Batman, Superman etc., are all drawn similarly, sometimes exactly the same in terms of facial features, body shape and hairstyles, but their defining feature is their outfits, the suit they put on over their generic faces, bodies and hair. McCloud’s theory that a simple cartoon is a “vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled” is extremely appropriate and prominent here. The generic character is given an outfit and a mask, something that we ourselves could easily wear. Wearing these outfits, they hide their “true identity” and become an alter ego of superhuman power and capability. This reflects our portal into their world, when they put that mask on, we become them. I’m fairly certain every kid has pretended to be a character from a comic, cartoon or film and I’m very sure that that character would be a masked superhero such as Batman. It’s easy to empathise with a simple character design, but adding a superhero mask makes the empathy almost inescapable. It almost forces you to be that character.
McCloud’s reasoning for your becoming of a cartoon when it’s drawn simply (the “vacuum”) traces back to 2 dots and a line in a circle.
The point I want to make is to do with something McCloud mentions in his book. He discusses the different levels of detail in comics, from Mickey Mouse and Tin Tin to the graphic novels that are essentially traced photographs in each panel. There are many levels of detail, all provoking a different response in the reader. McCloud tells us that a simple comic or character like Mickey Mouse or Tin Tin, helps us to empathise with the character. It helps us become the character, in a way; we live their world through their simple design. “The cartoon is a vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled… An empty shell which we inhabit that enables us to travel in another realm. We don’t just observe the cartoon, we become it”. [8. p36] Superheroes, i.e. Batman, Superman etc., are all drawn similarly, sometimes exactly the same in terms of facial features, body shape and hairstyles, but their defining feature is their outfits, the suit they put on over their generic faces, bodies and hair. McCloud’s theory that a simple cartoon is a “vacuum into which our identity and awareness are pulled” is extremely appropriate and prominent here. The generic character is given an outfit and a mask, something that we ourselves could easily wear. Wearing these outfits, they hide their “true identity” and become an alter ego of superhuman power and capability. This reflects our portal into their world, when they put that mask on, we become them. I’m fairly certain every kid has pretended to be a character from a comic, cartoon or film and I’m very sure that that character would be a masked superhero such as Batman. It’s easy to empathise with a simple character design, but adding a superhero mask makes the empathy almost inescapable. It almost forces you to be that character.
McCloud’s reasoning for your becoming of a cartoon when it’s drawn simply (the “vacuum”) traces back to 2 dots and a line in a circle.
Even though absolutely nothing here resembles facial features, our brain still tells us that it’s a face, and because of its maximum simplicity, we see ourselves in it. That is, simply put, the way it works.
And here, with a mask pulled over the character’s face, brings us back even more to the simple dot, dot, line – face, because that’s what his face is; there’s a point for the nose, granted, but it’s a sad mouth and angry, vacant white eyes with no detail, so I believe the principle applies. The character is defined now by his logo and bat-ears. The fact that the character is to be admired and looked up to creates empathy here too, which is why I believe it’s almost impossible to avoid empathising with a character like this.
Anyway, back to my point. Bolland loves detail in his work, detail that to create empathy must actually be removed (in reference to the dot-dot-line theory), and he also said that as a child he wasn’t too interested in the stories; he much preferred the covers. He considered them works of art more than an immersive story, so that in turn became his approach to drawing comics. Detailed, vivid characters and settings that would help specify the mood and nature of the story inside. The empathy would come with the story telling, but he, as a cover artist has no role in that. He helps introduce the story, he doesn’t immerse you. So in analysis, it would seem to be a cover artist was his destiny in the comics industry. I agree with Bolland that I value the covers more than the story within because I love it as an art form. I too bag my comics up to protect them like collector’s pieces, or frames for a painting; I adore the detail in the covers.
Anyway, back to my point. Bolland loves detail in his work, detail that to create empathy must actually be removed (in reference to the dot-dot-line theory), and he also said that as a child he wasn’t too interested in the stories; he much preferred the covers. He considered them works of art more than an immersive story, so that in turn became his approach to drawing comics. Detailed, vivid characters and settings that would help specify the mood and nature of the story inside. The empathy would come with the story telling, but he, as a cover artist has no role in that. He helps introduce the story, he doesn’t immerse you. So in analysis, it would seem to be a cover artist was his destiny in the comics industry. I agree with Bolland that I value the covers more than the story within because I love it as an art form. I too bag my comics up to protect them like collector’s pieces, or frames for a painting; I adore the detail in the covers.
In recent years, the last decade or so, superhero comics have gained a lot more detail generally, I assume because of the advancements of technology and its increase in accessibility, so a little of what I said in this report relating to detail so far becomes slightly irrelevant in respect to discussion about post-2000 superhero comic art. However I believe a lot of my points remain valid; the characters remain generic and the costumes are still what really define them.
On The Contrary…
Bolland, alongside his successful career of being a cover artist, as a hobby writes and illustrates stories for a comic series he’s named “Mr Mamoulian”. An experimental humour strip in a style that could definitely be compared to Robert Crumb’s style, (Bolland claims to like Robert Crumb’s self-written and illustrated work [7]) Mr Mamoulian was started because Bolland, after “The Killing Joke” was frustrated at how slow his work was coming out, so he wanted to “go back to the way he was as a child” with no standards to live up to. His goal was to be able to create a page in about 2 hours, and evidently the first page did take about 2 hours. Bolland also states that the stories were a sort of “stream of consciousness” of ideas; it would be him “uploading various notions [he] had in [his] head”. (See images below/next page)
The massive contrast between Mr Mamoulian and his Cover art style shows such a gap, it’s difficult to say for sure without knowing already that Mr Mamoulian was written and illustrated by Bolland. Because it’s such a difference, it helps reflect his almost trapped creative side. The characters are projections of him. In his cover artwork you’ll see incredible detail that definitely captures expressions of characters perfectly, but here in Mr Mamoulian you can see self-expressionism instead. It is, in nature, the exact opposite of the style he’s established for his career, so it’s nice to see such an experienced artist still experimenting with different creative approaches and responses.
Mr Mamoulian [7]
Mr Mamoulian [7]
Mr Mamoulian [7]
Batman: The Killing Joke [5]
Batman: The Killing Joke [5]
In Conclusion
Bolland has a very definitive and consistent style with his cover art, spanning many comics and companies, mainly DC. He’s possibly the most well-known cover artist for DC, and one of the most respectable comic book artists thanks to his contribution to “Batman: The Killing Joke”. After researching into Bolland he’s inspired me to try a style similar to his; realistic proportions and definitions using solid line art that highlights the drawing in a cartoony fashion. I think it helps add character to the realism and I believe when telling a story, it allows a little more creative expression. For instance the lines can have different thicknesses, edges and characteristics alone. I also feel like it’d be appropriate to start using Photoshop much more frequently, especially as my skills improve. It makes his work much easier, and he fails to say anything negative or critical about the process, he does however criticise traditional practise. All in all, a fantastic artist who I'm glad to have researched. I've just purchased a Graphic Novel he's recommended, one of the reasons I feel this has been a productive report.
Jak Gerrish. S1203944 “The Illustrator” AD5508
Reference List
1. Bolland, 2012, “Komiksowa Warszawa Festival: A Conversation with Brian Bolland”
2. Wikipedia 2013
3. Bolland, 2008, “Fan Expo: A Talk with Brian Bolland”
4. Bolland, 2013, “Brian Bolland’s Blog”
5. Moore, 2008, “Batman: The Killing Joke”
6. Bolland, 2008, Fan Expo Canada Panel
7. Bolland, 2012, “BRIAN BOLLAND Interview”
8. McCloud, 1993, “Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art”
9. Bolland, 2009 “Brian Bolland Interview”
10. Bolland, 2010, “A Chat with Brian Bolland at NYCC”
11. Bolland, 2009, “Mr Mamoulian”
Bibliography
2013 Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Bolland accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2009 “Brian Bolland Interview” http://www.brianbolland.net/interviews.html accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2012 “Komiksowa Warszawa Festival: A Conversation with Brian Bolland” http://www.comicsbulletin.com/interviews/4688/komiksowa-warszawa-festival-a-conversation-with-brian-bolland/ accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2012 “Komiksowa Warszawa Festival: A Conversation with Brian Bolland” http://www.comicsbulletin.com/interviews/4688/komiksowa-warszawa-festival-a-conversation-with-brian-bolland/ accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2008, “Fan Expo: A Talk with Brian Bolland” http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17866 accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2008, “Brian Bolland Interview Part 1 of 2” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEFtrxTaYf8 accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2008, “Brian Bolland Interview Part 2 of 2” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL8E30vH4aU accessed 29/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2012, “BRIAN BOLLAND Interview” http://sardinianconnection.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/brian-bolland-interview.html accessed 29/11/2013
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Frazetta, Frank, 2013, “Frank Frazetta: The life and works of a master artist” http://frankfrazetta.net/index.html accessed 29/11/2013
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Bolland, Brian, 2008, Fan Expo Canada Panel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV8WNwzn4zw
accessed 30/11/2013
accessed 30/11/2013
Miller, Frank, 2013, Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Miller_(comics) accessed 30/11/2013
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McCloud, Scott, 1993 “Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art”. USA. Kitchen Sink Express.
Moore, Alan, 2008, “Batman. The Killing Joke: The Deluxe Edition”. USA. DC Comics.
Bolland, Brian, 2013, “Brian Bolland’s Blog” http://brianbolland.blogspot.co.uk/ accessed 30/11/2013
Batson, Billy, 2013, “Brian Bolland Comic Vine” http://www.comicvine.com/brian-bolland/4040-9976/ accessed 30/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2010, “A Chat with Brian Bolland at NYCC” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejENdPQTqLw accessed 30/11/2013
Bolland, Brian, 2009, “Mr Mamoulian” http://www.brianbolland.net/gallery/mr_mamoulian.html accessed 30/11/2013
