J.H. Williams III Takes On The Prince Of Darkness In ‘Dracula: A Storybook Portfolio’ From Image Comics
by Olly MacNamee
While there is no mention of Dracula author Bram Stoker in the Image Comics PR for J.H. Williams III‘s Dracula: A Storybook Portfolio, I assume he must take some of the credit, right? It does, after all, tell me that this newly announced hardcover will have “accompanying story passages” to compliment the 150+ illustrations the writer/artist has created for this new project.
Here’s the premise:
“Dracula: A Storybook Portfolio has a unique storybook format, much like an illustrated children’s book, juxtaposing paintings with pages of story, allowing Williams III to sink his teeth even deeper into the Dracula monster myth. New York Times bestselling writer and artist Williams III creates a fantastical and absorbing storytelling experience that goes beyond the typical expectations of an art book, making for a potent combination of illustration and prose.”
Speaking about this new hardcover Williams III states:
“Since I talk about what inspired this project in the foreword inside the book, I’ll just say that I’m excited to have it come out. I don’t think I’ve seen a book quite like this in the modern era. I sought to make it a different kind of thing than what some would expect, an attempt to marry portfolio illustrations with brief passages to create a narrative structure that most art books don’t tend to focus on. Because of it having a single narrative subject, the illustration choices are reflective of that. I gave the prose sections a subtle older style, but delivered with a somewhat brisk sensibility. All with a desire to have it call back to classic storybooks that often became annual favorites of the young and old. Every aspect of the book, with the assistance of Image Comics’ Drew Gill, is geared toward that simple but pleasant idea. The result is unique and hopefully satisfying.”
Dracula: A Storybook Portfolio, will be out in comic book stores on Wednesday, October 9 and in book shops on Tuesday, October 22nd from Image Comics
