An Artist's Statement

Ghostface Killa's Cell Block Z is the intersection of all my artistic influences up to the present. It combines ideas of mixed media, Japanese Manga, traditional Super Hero comics, Graffiti, Street Art, and abstract expressionism in one project. My goal was to make artwork and comic pages that were raw and immediate, a visual interpretation of Hip Hop culture, and Ghostfaces Killa's non-sequitur lyrical style, while appealing to Hip Hop, Street Art, and Comic Book fans.

In order to keep the raw quality I wanted for the book's visual direction, and to also give the audience a strong narrative experience, I collaborated with Rob Haynes (Daredevil Ninja) to develop a production system that would allow me to concentrate on style, aesthetics, and the visceral experience of flipping through the pages of the final graphic novel. I wanted to ensure there was an equally strong narrative experience for the audience.  Rob's mastery of form structure, and storytelling allowed me to explore many visual possibilities throughout the story.

Stylistically, the work ranges from an abstract expressionist and cubist themes, to a hyper kinetic anime influenced statement on form and space. I was inspired by the work of Franz Kline, Sal Buscema, Klaus Janson, as well as the many volumes of comics, manga, anime art books, graffiti, and street art I've seen in real life, in books and on websites.

These works encouraged me to put down strong ink lines and embrace the ideas I have about how we relate to the picture plane.