Home › downthetubes News › Dark Horse Book announces massive Dave McKean collection, “Thalamus”

Dark Horse Book announces massive Dave McKean collection, “Thalamus”

By John Freeman on April 20, 2023

Dark Horse Books is to publish the first comprehensive collection of work from legendary artist Dave McKean in Thalamus: The Art of Dave McKean, a beautifully-designed set of two hardcover volumes with satin ribbon bookmarks, housed together in a stunning slipcase displaying new original artwork by McKean.

This 600-page collection, the set measuring 10.5 x 14”, will feature McKean’s work from Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Mirrormask, Arkham Asylum, Cages, Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash, Raptor, and many more iconic images from modern comics, literature, film, and music.

The books also include never-before-seen bonus material with commentary by Dave McKean along with a foreword by writer, curator and lecturer David Boyd Haycock.

Dave McKean is an illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art and sculpture.

After a trip to New York in 1986 during which he failed to find work as a comics artist, McKean met writer Neil Gaiman and the pair collaborated on a short graphic novel of disturbing childhood memories, Violent Cases, published in 1987. This was followed in 1988 by a Black Orchid miniseries (again with Gaiman) and Hellblazer covers for DC Comics.

Beginning in 1989 he produced the covers for Gaiman’s celebrated series The Sandman, all its collected editions and many of its spin-offs, and the Batman graphic novel, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, with writer Grant Morrison (1989). McKean has gone on to collaborate further with Neil Gaiman in both print and film.

Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash - Sample Art 4 — *Black Dog © 2016 Dave McKean*

He has directed three feature films and created innovative performances for the stage incorporating graphic art, music and spoken word, including Black Dog – The Dreams of Paul Nash, commissioned to commemorate the 100th centenary of World War One and performed on the Somme, in Kendal and at Tate Britain.

• Thalamus: The Art of Dave McKean will be available in bookshops from 28th November and comic shops on 29th November 2023. It is now available to pre-order from Amazon, AmazonUK, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and indie bookstore

• Dave McKean is online at: davemckean.com | Twitter: @DaveMcKean | Instagram: @davemckeanhourglass

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “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.