This book is an absolute revelation. To me, it feels like Black Hole was kind of an early pre-cursor to that weird modern “art” horror you see come out of studios like A24.
This book changed my life. I read it as a freshman in highschool and it was terrifying. Same year I saw ghostworld and the crumb documentary making me into the weirdo I am now haha.
One thing to note is Burns' strip "Contagious" in Steve Bissette's Taboo #1 anthology from 1988. I think it's fascinating that he had laid out the concept for Black Hole years before beginning this masterpiece. Charles Burns is in a league of his own. Great episode, gentlemen!
I totally read this book as an allegory showing that weird awkward existential horror as a kid when you start having sex, trying drugs, becoming an adult and realizing there is no going back to being a "kid" ever again.... in one way it's almost a celebrated freedom of leaving your comforting safe home but in another way it's terrifying because it's new and unknown and there is no undoing it. Reading this totally brought back those weird, exciting, terrifying feelings I had in my mid-teens growing up.
The Big Baby story "Teen Plague" by Burns is almost a prologue to Black Hole, so if you like Black Hole, you might want to look out for the Big Baby collection.
Watched the first 2 minutes when this vid first came out. Decided I had to get this book immediately before I watched the rest. Back now after having read it - such good stuff.
Taking an official look at the Ghost world book would be a really interesting additional look at comparing serialized work formatted as a “graphic novel” and maybe fun to discuss if having a nonstop narrative as opposed to small serialized strips benefits a long form narrative.
I can't tell you how many times I saw this book in the graphic novel section of the library and despite the dope cover of the big book version, I too thought it was gonna be something like Liberty Falls. Ya'll shown the book with the skin cover talking about horror and I'm like WTF did I miss?!?!?
One of the greatest visionary image makers of all mankind. How he could cram so much fanfuckingtastic writing and art into a spectacle of bizarre slices of the morbid underworld is always a treat.🎃
Once I was driving around and saw a billboard of a shark about to eat a can of A&W rootbeer (the can was bait that someone was fishing with). It was drawn and seemed obviously by Burns. I later saw the image in a magazine ad, and it was definitely Burns. So that was the kind of gig an illustrator could get back in the 90s.
Thanks, even though I own multiple copies of the individual issues (it was my mission to get all 1st print, mission accomplished) this just made me pick up the collected paperback. Such a classic.
I’m fairly certain this book gave me triptophobia (I’m not googling to spell check) from the few times I looked through it as a teenager. I want to pick it up as an adult but I’m still scared.
He was a fairly prolific commercial illustrator in the early ‘90s. I remember seeing his work in pretty high-end work but I can’t remember what exactly (high end paper companies, I think MTV, etc) His style fit in perfectly with the grundgy ‘90s graphic design stuff going on though.
I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and say that his illustration career was likely very much in print magazines. Anyone remember those? Also delightful Cafe moment when you referenced the orange repideo-graph. can only assume a Charles Burns interview is on the way thanks guys
37:16 you make a TV Show out of it. Like the Boys, or the Doom Patrol. Streaming Services and Comics are a Perfect Loverealationship. 39:04 Those Kids complain...because they are traumatized. The fragmented and narcissistic individual mirrors the society at large. And those kids have fewer resources than the generations before them. It's a strange and alienated world.
I’m sure it’s already been conveyed but I didn’t dig through the comments. But Burns was a poster illustrator in the 90s-00s too I think that’s where he made a lot of his money.
GUYS WHY did you not show at least some of the artist edition that you had there, was really looking forward to see what an original looked like. Great show love that boom
I've read Black Hole, it's incredible. Like you guys mentioned, the line work is second to none. Any recommendations for Burns work after reading black hole?
Some director called Rupert Sanders made a short based on Black Hole 10 years ago. I don't know if he was using it to pitch a movie, but they also made some photoshopped versions of the high-school yearbook photos so it looks like they were revving up for something. vimeo.com/17614896 Here's the short. Kinda misses the mark on the source material imo.
Interesting you mention Dragon Head, Jim. Minetaro Mochizuki's art was great, but what an unrewarding awful story. Not awful for the apocalyptic setting, that was interesting. It was awful because it offered no major plot twists that would pay off later. If he maybe did short features of different perspectives of the unfolding doom, that might have been better.
They guy who hangs around the group but not closely is Dave’s minion, his former chess partner. He’s lonely and is being promised by Dave that he will always have companionship, just as long as he kills Rob. We kind of glean that Dave made promises to him of forever friendship just as long as he did Dave’s bidding. You may address this later in the video, I should just wait and see! :-P Edit - yep! You did address it. I should’ve just waited and listened. :-)
Ed's Patreon: www.patreon.com/edpiskor
Jim's Patreon: www.patreon.com/jimrugg
This book is an absolute revelation. To me, it feels like Black Hole was kind of an early pre-cursor to that weird modern “art” horror you see come out of studios like A24.
I agree very much! Can you name any other precursors as that?
This book changed my life. I read it as a freshman in highschool and it was terrifying. Same year I saw ghostworld and the crumb documentary making me into the weirdo I am now haha.
Have you seen the Fincher short film based on this? They were going to make a movie or series with it. But guess that didn't happen.
One thing to note is Burns' strip "Contagious" in Steve Bissette's Taboo #1 anthology from 1988. I think it's fascinating that he had laid out the concept for Black Hole years before beginning this masterpiece. Charles Burns is in a league of his own.
Great episode, gentlemen!
I totally read this book as an allegory showing that weird awkward existential horror as a kid when you start having sex, trying drugs, becoming an adult and realizing there is no going back to being a "kid" ever again.... in one way it's almost a celebrated freedom of leaving your comforting safe home but in another way it's terrifying because it's new and unknown and there is no undoing it. Reading this totally brought back those weird, exciting, terrifying feelings I had in my mid-teens growing up.
A masterpiece. Had a huge influence on me and my artwork.
The Big Baby story "Teen Plague" by Burns is almost a prologue to Black Hole, so if you like Black Hole, you might want to look out for the Big Baby collection.
Great collection!
Watched the first 2 minutes when this vid first came out. Decided I had to get this book immediately before I watched the rest. Back now after having read it - such good stuff.
This artwork almost seems simplistic...but freaking a the lines are so clean. This is crazy!
there is some whiteout in the Studio edition, but very rare. YOU GUYS ARE MY TEACHERS!! thanks!
Taking an official look at the Ghost world book would be a really interesting additional look at comparing serialized work formatted as a “graphic novel” and maybe fun to discuss if having a nonstop narrative as opposed to small serialized strips benefits a long form narrative.
What was i looking for on the channel yesterday morning??? Blackhole!!! Thank you!
I can't tell you how many times I saw this book in the graphic novel section of the library and despite the dope cover of the big book version, I too thought it was gonna be something like Liberty Falls. Ya'll shown the book with the skin cover talking about horror and I'm like WTF did I miss?!?!?
One of the greatest visionary image makers of all mankind. How he could cram so much fanfuckingtastic writing and art into a spectacle of bizarre slices of the morbid underworld is always a treat.🎃
Once I was driving around and saw a billboard of a shark about to eat a can of A&W rootbeer (the can was bait that someone was fishing with). It was drawn and seemed obviously by Burns. I later saw the image in a magazine ad, and it was definitely Burns. So that was the kind of gig an illustrator could get back in the 90s.
Holy shit.... this is awesome! I stopped halfway through so I could read it first.
Thanks, even though I own multiple copies of the individual issues (it was my mission to get all 1st print, mission accomplished) this just made me pick up the collected paperback. Such a classic.
So beautiful and haunting. Thanks for posting this
I’m fairly certain this book gave me triptophobia (I’m not googling to spell check) from the few times I looked through it as a teenager. I want to pick it up as an adult but I’m still scared.
He was a fairly prolific commercial illustrator in the early ‘90s. I remember seeing his work in pretty high-end work but I can’t remember what exactly (high end paper companies, I think MTV, etc) His style fit in perfectly with the grundgy ‘90s graphic design stuff going on though.
This book is amazing! Been hoping you'd put this one under the microscope. I highly recommend the artist's edition of this one!
Almost finished it. Really sick. Gorgeous drawing with similarities with Magnus.
I'm going to take a stab in the dark here and say that his illustration career was likely very much in print magazines. Anyone remember those? Also delightful Cafe moment when you referenced the orange repideo-graph. can only assume a Charles Burns interview is on the way thanks guys
You guys keep topping yourselves! Excellent analysis. Thank you 🙏
37:16 you make a TV Show out of it. Like the Boys, or the Doom Patrol. Streaming Services and Comics are a Perfect Loverealationship. 39:04 Those Kids complain...because they are traumatized. The fragmented and narcissistic individual mirrors the society at large. And those kids have fewer resources than the generations before them. It's a strange and alienated world.
I really like Charles Burns "El Borbah". It's a really fun set of stories.
Chip Kidd's cover for the collected edition is fantastic.
I’m sure it’s already been conveyed but I didn’t dig through the comments. But Burns was a poster illustrator in the 90s-00s too I think that’s where he made a lot of his money.
Enjoyed this, he’s one of my favourite artists
GUYS WHY did you not show at least some of the artist edition that you had there, was really looking forward to see what an original looked like. Great show love that boom
where at any point in the book does it show people are healing from the bug??
The writing here is absolutely incredible.
Can anybody connect the meaning (if there is any) behind this book being in the second modern Planet of the Apes movie?
I've read Black Hole, it's incredible. Like you guys mentioned, the line work is second to none. Any recommendations for Burns work after reading black hole?
Anything you can get your hands on.
The X’ed out trilogy is great and pretty easy to get your hands on.
Burns did a fair amount for Rolling Stone too. Here's an example www.goodreads.com/book/show/321413.R_E_M_
Fuck yeah. More Burns and Clowes boyzzzzzz
(Watch till the very end) Ed’s story ,the best 😂
The hits keep coming thanks guys
I know that he did illustration for coke, for the O.K soda cans
"Snow Angels.." LOL
do you happen to remember what the paper stock turned out being, jim?
Frank, I don't remember. Sorry. - Jim
Did you ever find out what the paper is ?
Some director called Rupert Sanders made a short based on Black Hole 10 years ago. I don't know if he was using it to pitch a movie, but they also made some photoshopped versions of the high-school yearbook photos so it looks like they were revving up for something.
vimeo.com/17614896 Here's the short. Kinda misses the mark on the source material imo.
Love this book!
" EPIC "!!!!!!!
My favorite!
seminal!
Interesting you mention Dragon Head, Jim. Minetaro Mochizuki's art was great, but what an unrewarding awful story. Not awful for the apocalyptic setting, that was interesting. It was awful because it offered no major plot twists that would pay off later. If he maybe did short features of different perspectives of the unfolding doom, that might have been better.
Fuck yes
They guy who hangs around the group but not closely is Dave’s minion, his former chess partner. He’s lonely and is being promised by Dave that he will always have companionship, just as long as he kills Rob. We kind of glean that Dave made promises to him of forever friendship just as long as he did Dave’s bidding. You may address this later in the video, I should just wait and see! :-P
Edit - yep! You did address it. I should’ve just waited and listened. :-)
(sic)