McKEAN, Dave

   Working name of UK COMIC-strip and GRAPHIC-NOVEL artist David Jeff McKean (1963-), whose subtle, sophisticated techniques - which include collage, the reworking of photographic negatives, the use of found objects, and a transformative take on most categories of 20th century art - challengingly extend the potential range of the form. He attended Berkshire College of Art and Design 1982-6. His first publication was Violent Cases (graph 1987in monochrome; 1991 coloured) written by Neil GAIMAN, a short graphic novel about childhood memories of an encounter with Al Capone's osteopath. He provided some haunting covers for DC COMICS's Hellblazer and Sandmancomic books, and painted artwork for the 3-part graphic novel Black Orchid (graph 1988 US; omni 1991 US), written by Gaiman, and the bestsellinggraphic novel Arkham Asylum (graph 1989 US), written by Grant Morrison. His other work has included Signal to Noise (1989 The Face; graph rev1992), written by Gaiman, about a dying film-maker plotting out his last movie in the knowledge that he will never make it;Cages (1991-2 US), which DM both wrote and drew, a long episodic piece about creativity and cats;and The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr Punch (graph 1994), also with Gaiman, also - like Violent Cases - mixing autobiography (Gaiman's) and fantasy, and perhaps the two collaborators' finest work to date. He won the World Fantasy Award for Best Artist in 1991. DM formed the theatre group The Unauthorised Sex Company with Colin GREENLAND, Simon Ings (1965-) and Geoff RYMAN; debut performances were in 1991 at Mexicon and on theEdinburgh Festival Fringe. He is increasingly active as a cover artist for GOLLANCZ and other publishers.

   RT

   See also: ARKHAM HOUSE; ILLUSTRATION.