CBR: Howard Chaykin on the Art of "The Shadow"

[CBR News]

With a new printing of his character redefining "The Shadow: Blood & Judgment" coming from Dynamite, Howard Chaykin looks back on the series, staying contemporary, and "The Art of Howard Chaykin."


Full article here.

[Rodrigo Baeza]

A great interview, with Chaykin being characteristically (and entertainingly) blunt.

I wrote a month ago a summary of the reaction at the time to Chaykin's Shadow work. See here for Harlan Ellison's thoughts about the series:
http://comicscommentary.blogspot.com...-chaykins.html


Rodrigo

[devildinosaur]

Chaykin's still got it...!

[kalorama]

If most actual comics were half as interesting and entertaining as the average Chaykin interview, the comics industry would be in better shape.

I have the original, but I'll definitely be getting this rerelease.

[batlash]

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Chaykin's Shadow. Love the artwork, and there's a good bit of stuff that I like about the story. My biggest complaints are the flying car and the "Shadow twins", elements that were taken to even further heights of absurdity in the subsequent Andy Helfer fiasco, which is a true and total desecration of the character (excluding the first six issues). But I think Chaykin's take on updating the character was fairly impressive even if it does take liberties. I'll probably skip the reprint (already have the DC edition), but I'll definitely be getting the art book. And it wouldn't break my heart a bit if Chaykin returned to the character one more time for a 1930's era tale.

[Statham]

Not a big fan on his art (at least, not his modern stuff), but I love the guy's attitude.

[jdviant]

I'm in for reading the Shadow reprint, just finished the first 13 issues of American Flagg! last month.

[earl]

The mini-series and the series that followed was some crazy genius, way ahead of the curve of the time.

For new readers, if you check out and read the Chaykin miniseries, which is good but I think kind of condensed for four issues - go into the series by Andy Helfer, Bill Sienkiewicz and Kyle Baker. The regular series builds upon the mini-series and is just nuts.

It still could be really good with Ennis doing a period piece, but the zany take on that 80s series is really more up his alley.

[earl]

If you actually know the old Shadow stories, yeah the 80s series pretty much chucks it out the window, but that 80s series is madcap genius that I think modern readers that like Warren Ellis or some of Garth Ennis or others writing would dig.

There was alot of good comics in the 80s, but really but that Shadow series was one of my favorites.

[chrisgiff]

Goddamn, I love Howard Chaykin.