McKEAN, DAVID (DAVE) 403
Selected Bibliography: Khoury, George et al. Image Comics: Th e Road to Independence.
TwoMorrows Publishing, 2007; Vaughan, Kenton, Dir. Todd McFarlane — Th e Devil
You Know. DVD. New York: New Video Group, 2002.
Lance EatonMCKEAN, DAVID (DAVE) (1962–). Dave McKean has been a professional illustrator,
sculptor, comic book artist and writer, videographer, fi lmmaker, and musician. After
graduating from Berkshire College of Art & Design in 1986, he traveled to New York
seeking work. Failing to fi nd work in mainstream comics, McKean illustrated Neil
Gaiman’s Violent Cases in 1987, beginning an ongoing collaboration. After work on
Hellblazer and Black Orchid (again with Gaiman), McKean began creating covers for
Gaiman’s seminal series Sandman. Often manipulated photographs or collages and
incorporating digital art in the latter half of the 75-issue run, these covers had a num-
ber of distinctive characteristics. Th e title character was almost never on the cover. Th e
title itself did not always appear bannered atop the cover. Objects from nature (leaves,
insects, fi sh) were often collaged into cover images. Despite these irregular aspects, or
possibly because of them, the covers were a popular aspect of Sandman.
In 1989, McKean illustrated Grant Morrison’s Batman story, Arkham Asylum.
Expanding on the ideas Frank Miller alluded to in Th e Dark Knight Returns , Arkham
Asylum was an exploration of the nature of madness, using the Batman /Joker relation-
ship as a vehicle to examine concepts of sanity. By creating visual analogues specifi c to
each inmate’s madness, McKean reinforced Morrison’s taut script.
McKean’s work draws to mind the chaotic and aggressive style of Ralph Steadman,
though the comic artist most often mentioned as similar to McKean is Bill Sienkeweicz.
Th is comparison plays out strongly in McKean’s 496-page opus Cages. Completed
between 1980 and 1996, the 10-issue series was collected in a single volume by Kitchen
Sink Press in 1998 and republished by NBM in 1992. McKean’s fl uid lines and grace-
fully distorted fi gures evoke comparison to European comic masters, notably Lorenzo
Mattoti.
As of this writing, McKean has illustrated Tarot decks, over 100 CD covers, over
50 book covers, and 20 children’s books, 4 of which were written by Gaiman. He has
illustrated or contributed to over 30 diff erent graphic novels. Of these, Gaiman wrote
four, exclusive of Th e Sandman series. Two others were based on specifi c rock albums:
Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge (art and script by McKean) and Alice Cooper: Th e Last
Temptation. McKean collaborated with Cooper on the CD cover and booklet.
McKean’s interest in music extends beyond the visual. A jazz/blues pianist and
singer, he occasionally performs publicly at conventions. McKean owns his own record
label, Feral Records , with saxophonist Iain Ballamay. As a videographer and fi lmmaker,
he has collaborated with Buckethead and Bill Bruford. A DVD compilation of his
short fi lms, Keanoshow , was released in 2008. He contributed design ideas to two of
the Harry Potter fi lms. McKean directed the feature fi lm Mirrormask , scripted by
Gaiman.