Coming Soon: Dazzle Ships and the Art of Confusion

By John Freeman on April 18, 2017

If you’re a fan of Commando comics, then you may want to check out Dazzle Ships: World War One and the Art of Confusion, out later this year.

Yes, it’s nonfiction – but there is a comics connection.

Written by Chris Barton this dazzling picture book explores art, desperation, and one man’s incredible idea for saving ships from German torpedoes in World War One. Dazzle camouflage transformed ordinary British and US ships into eye-popping masterpieces.

Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson it was his belief painting a ship in a dazzle pattern it could make it difficult for an enemy to estimate the correct range, speed, and heading.

The book art alone looks amazing, and Chris’ reputation as an author definitely makes this a title to look out for.

And the comics connection? The art is the work of Hong Kong born comic artist and illustrator Victo Ngai, a winner of a Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, no less, whose recent work includes promotional art for the IMAX release of Divergent.

Victo Ngai’s poster art for the IMAX release of Divergent

The samples of her work on her web site, not only include illustrations for magazines such as The New York Times, Scientific American, The New Yorker and Wired Magazine. There’s also a quite stunning wordless comic to read, I was born in 1930, 3500’N 10500’E which was inspired by her grandparents’ life in China.

I was born in 1930, 3500’N 10500’E by Victo Ngai

• Dazzle Ships: World War One and the Art of Confusion is due out from Lerner/Millbrook Press in September 2017. Pre-irder it now from amazon.co.uk (using this link helps support downthetubes, thank you)

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.