- Donkey Head
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Donkey Head is an independently published series of alternative comics. Created by the artist Daniel A Baker.
The author describes its conception as "William Blake does Tintin". The narrative involves a young man named Eric, and his journey into a strange world as he follows George, the donkey-headed man of the series title.
Comparisons have been made to Donnie Darko, Little Nemo, Marcel Dzama, Harvey (film) and of course Nick Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The first episode 'The Giant Vacuum Cleaner' was published in 2005. The giant household appliance fittingly haunts a cavernous space beneath the Hoover Building in Perivale. The drawing style has more in common with children's book illustrations than with the Marvel Comics aesthetic. Produced in an unusual combination of graphite and ink, the work has a charming hand-drawn quality without losing its sophistication.
Somewhat like Tony Millionaire's Maakies, the narrative of Donkey Head is actually binary. A strip runs along the bottom of each page, embellishing character and back-story detail.
The series is ongoing.
Reviews
"....Along with William Blake, cultural influences that inform the continued work include Dante, Jonathan Swift and even David Lynch (Lynch, though best known for his surreal cinematic endeavors, is also the creator of a comic strip, The Angriest Dog in the World). Another influence, visually, would appear to be Marcel Dzama, who also takes inspiration from Dante. Both convincingly portray the fragility of human characters having embarked, like Tintin (and indeed comics in the contemporary art world), on an adventure into the unknown....."
Phillip Marsden, a-n Magazine
"....Donkey Head is a comic about the junction between memory and dreams and the space that mystery inhabits. It’s also a great read, and features a great big vacuum cleaner toward the end. Comics need more enormous vacuum cleaners, and this doesn’t fail to provide....."
Douglas Noble, Bugpowder Comics
External links
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Categories:- British graphic novels
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