James O’Barr, the creator and artist behind “The Crow” graphic novel, will be publishing a special Author’s Edition later this year. “The Crow: Author’s Edition” will include around thirty-eight pages of additional artwork that augments the story. Check out SciFi Mafia’s exclusive interview with James O’Barr, and an exclusive sneak peek at one of the pages that will be included in the Author’s Edition below!
SciFi Mafia: What will be new to this Author’s edition?
James O’Barr: All together I think it’s going to be about thirty-eight pages of new artwork. I think I will write a six page introduction just to kind of put the whole book into perspective and to thank all the people along the way that have helped me out and encouraged me musically as well as artistically. Give credit where it’s due.
SFM: What kind of content are you adding? Are you re-drawing any of the pages?
J O’B: There’s probably four or five pages where I was really, really unhappy with certain elements. I am fixing some things. I’m not changing the content at all. I’m just fixing some bad anatomy or a bad angle, and the new material I’m doing doesn’t change the context of the story, but it’s just adding another layer to it. It doesn’t change the ending. It’s the same story but there’s just a little more depth to it, I think.
SFM: When do you think the author’s edition will be available to fans?
J O’B: They tell me six months after I turn it in and I’ve promised them that they could have it by the early April. So, I’m actually thinking around October, around Halloween would be a good time too because that’s when the film came out. And actually I think that’s when the very first issue came out, too – late October, early November of ’89. It’ll be a good anniversary date.
SFM: I think that’s perfect timing!
J O’B: The fans allow me to do what I love for a living, and I really appreciate it, I didn’t want anyone to feel cheated by putting in one or two new pages of stuff so that was the general idea behind doing this author’s edition. I agreed to do it if I could expand it enough to where no one felt cheated… I really hate eight different editions where the cover is the only thing different on it. I don’t want to be one of those people. I think I still have a little integrity. I wanted to make sure that there was enough new material to make it worthwhile buying it all over again.
SFM: What did you find challenging about adding this new material to the graphic novel?
J O’B: Yeah, initially when I did it twenty years ago, the violent scenes came really easy to me and the romantic flashback sequences were the most difficult to do. I think part of that is because the event in my life that triggered the whole book is still really close to me and I still hadn’t dealt with it at that point and I was angry at the world. So the violence came really easily and I’m finding the exact opposite this time where I have to struggle to do the violent stuff and the romantic sequences that I wasn’t capable of doing back then are coming really easily to me now. I guess I’ve dealt with my traumas. I’m endeavoring to be a happy man at this point.
SFM: This will bring a nice balance back to the book, then?
J O’B: Yeah, definitely. The book was meant to be like a love letter so all these romantic elements are essential to it. They justify the violence. I just don’t know if there was enough in there for that. I really want people to understand the relationship and the power of love and how love kind of justifies everything even though it’s like this invisible, transient thing.
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SciFi Mafia got an exclusive sneak peek at some of the new pages that will be included in “The Crow: Author’s Edition.” The select pages that I had the opportunity to view were primarily sentimental and flashback scenes, but each full of visual conversation. One panel that particularly struck me was one of Eric in the graveyard, capturing him in a quiet moment amongst the gravestones. While I can’t actually show you that panel, I can give you a sneak peek of is this side-by-side comparison of a draft of a new page next to the original page in the graphic novel. This is one of the pages O’Barr has redrawn. At left is sketch of the redrawn page at right. This is best viewed at full size.
[Click The Image To Blow Sh!t Up]
What do you think? Will you be adding “The Crow: Author’s Edition” to your graphic novel collection?
Heads up! SciFi Mafia is hosting the first Mob Rules DVD Viewing Party of “The Crow” this coming Sunday! We look forward to seeing you in our chat room.
