By Richard Sala, Dana Marie Andra, Daniel Clowes
Richard Sala’s rare, long out-of-print self-published comic took him to the pages of Raw and from there to MTV, where the creation of “Invisible Hands” for MTV’s Liquid Television secured him a place among our finest creators of idiosyncratic comics and art.
When Richard Sala passed away in 2020, he left behind a uniquely eldritch body of graphic novels and illustrations, fueled by macabre whimsy and a love of dark mysteries and vintage monsters. Like David Lynch, Sala was a painter who turned to a storytelling medium that allowed him to create inventive narratives inspired by such disparate influences as French crime fiction, the grim humor of Charles Addams, the surreal poetry of Jorge Luis Borges, and his own penchant for all things gleefully ghoulish and sinister.
Originally self-published in an edition of 500 copies in 1984, Night Drive signaled the creative emergence of a singular talent finding his footing with the surety of an artist equipped with the innate mastery of his craft and vision. Edited by longtime Sala friend Dana Marie Andra (Web of Horror) and designed by Sala’s friend and fellow cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Monica, Ghost World), this graphic novella is rounded out with rare artwork, interviews with Sala about the book, and an essay by Andra.
64 pages
11.25" x 9"
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 4 reviews.
Review topics: [].
"I was surprised to find that this isn’t just the pages of Night Drive. That’s only half the book. The rest is a bunch of great essays and supplementary images that give you a pretty good idea of who Richard Sala was. Fantagraphics kicks ass, as usual."
"I've been a huge fan of Richard Sala's comics since discovering his work in the pages of Raw magazine and various Kitchen Sink and Fantagraphics anthologies in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Had heard about this early collection self published by Sala in a limited edition of 500 copies and after decades looking I had pretty much given up finding it. This new hardcover version is a beautiful book and the background material and other samples of Sala's work make it a must buy for the fan of an artist who combined Edward Gorey, Universal Monsters, Grand Guignol, Charles Addams and many other genres and influences into a gorgeous style. Very happy to have this addition to my Sala collection. I really appreciate Vinegar Syndrome carrying these books as it makes it very easy to add to my orders. Thanks!!!"
"great early richard sala from fantagraphics, very glad i never attempted to purchase the original in the rare occasions that it popped up for sale! seeing the original comics that led to 'invisible hands' on liquid televison is incredible!!"
"A trippy noirish graphic novel from an artist I was introduced to on Liquid Television all those years ago! Great stuff if you like comics that challenge you."
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