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Nilesh Mistry worked on a pair of books for DK in the 90's called 'The Illustrated Book of Myths and Legends; Tales and Legends of the World' and 'The Illustrated Book of Fairytales.'
I grew up with the Mythology one and it has had an immense impact on me, and for very good reason (beyond mythology being really fucking cool)!
Mistry's illustration work here is impressively unified given the broad range of cultures Mistry had to work from. Mistry was working in a time where gathering a wide range of visual references was a much more laborious task than it is today, and the numerous details he did include speak volumes to the effort that was made (however often faulty by today's higher standards, and there are some notable mistakes to not be overlooked).
Mistry's work stands out for another reason though, one more universally interesting than overcoming the innate challenge of illustrating an educational anthology book:
The illustration work here is incredibly inventive compositionally!!
Events from multiple points in a story are depicted flowing into eachother between and around the text of the story. Where film utilizes cuts, and comics use panels to progress time, Mistry uses form and light to seemlessly blend one moment into the next. The effect is astounding, the narrative arc of each story, it's pacing and atmosphere, are directly replicated in the illustrations themselves.
A creation story quickly unfurls and settles into a vast expanse. A story about 2 shape-shifters in a chase flies across the page like a skipping stone. A tragedy is isolated into each moment that could've prevented it, a kind of trail of missteps.
They all feel wonderfully fluid and alive, all while dynamically reflecting the stories' own unique qualities!
In short, you should check these out, especially if you like me (and I guess David Lynch lol) wish your paintings could sometimes move in time too. ☆•°♧▪︎☆
Jan 27, 2025
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The Sandman is one of my favourite comic series!! pls read it guys,
Its about everything, the power of dreams, changes, love and loss, triumph and failure, good and evil and desire. etc.
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Lots of people love Alejandro Jodorowsky’s psychedelic movies like El Topo and The Holy Mountain, there is even a documentary about his famously unmade Dune movie. What people don’t seem to realize though, is that for the last 40 years, Jodorowsky’s been authoring numerous graphic novels that comprise 20+ other movies he would have probably made if he’d had the budget for them - and they are all fully fleshed out in comic book form! For example if you are mourning the fact you will never see Jodorowsky’s Dune, now realize that he put those ideas into a comic book series called The Metabarons. If you are wondering what happens after El Topo, know that there is a graphic novel sequel he recently released called Sons of El Topo. A series, Techno Priests, is like Jodorwosky’s Star Wars. In fact, his graphic novel with Moebius called The Incal was so good that Luc Besson ripped it off to make The Fifth Element. If you are willing to read the comics, you’ll experience Jodorowsky quietly creating a universe of Miyazaki-level creativity. Inspiring is an understatement!
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Anders Zorn is beloved for good reason. His work was so skillfully made. Zorn's sense of form in particular is really lovely (and often on display because he loved a nude).
I've seen some of his work irl, but not this piece. Zorn's paintings have a lot of presence in person, so I imagine this one is even more cozy and lively when seen in the flesh. I love the diagonal composition and the use of light, as well as her cute cheeks and socks ♡
Feb 18, 2025