Many people associated with Road to Perdition have stated that without artist Richard Piers Rayner‘s work on the graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins, the film would not be the iconic Oscar-winning classic it is today. Now, finally, Derek Thomas of the Monday Morning Critic has secured an interview he has been chasing for a while with the hugely talented creator.
Although Richard Piers Rayner started drawing comics as youngster, as he reveals in this interview, he entered the professional comic world in 1988. His work characterised by his great sense for detail, he started out illustrating several series for DC Comics and Marvel Comics, such as Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, L.E.G.I.O.N., Dr Fate and Doctor Who. He was also a frequent contributor to the publications of Paradox Press.
Richard has recently been teasing a new project, “The Witch’s House” with details expected soon on where it will appear.
Despite a long career in comics, Richard’s most talked about work, in addition to his art on the Doctor Who story “Evening’s Empire“, written by Andrew Cartmel, is surely Road to Perdition, written by Max Allan Collins, which he worked on for five years.
The story was adapted into a film by Sam Mendes, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, in 2002.
Monday Morning Critic podcast was developed by Derek Thomas’ passion for people whose work has moved him. Guests are hand picked and purposely selected in a format where storytelling is done properly. If you’re like him and you’re a huge movie fan of the big and small screen, do check it out!
BE WARNED – IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE GRAPHIC NOVEL OR SEEN THE FILM THERE ARE PLENTY OF SPOILERS AHEAD (You have read the graphic novel, right?
• Road to Perdition by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Rock Island, Illinois, 1929. Michael O’Sullivan is a good father and a family man — and also the chief enforcer for John Looney, the town’s Irish Godfather of crime. As Looney’s “Angel of Death,” O’Sullivan has done the bidding of Chicago gangsters AlCapone and Frank Nitti as well — but when a gangland execution spells tragedy for the O’Sullivan family, a grieving father and his adolescent son find themselves on a winding road of treachery, revenge, and revelation.
Writer Max Allan Collins is a two-time winner of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award for his Nathan Keller historical thrillers True Detective and Stolen Away. Award-winning artist Richard Piers Rayner spent four years working on the artwork for Road to Perdition, a labour of love that has resulted in some of the most stunningly realistic drawings of 1930s Chicago ever seen on the printed page.
• Doctor Who: Evening’s Empire by Andrew Cartmel and Richard Piers Rayner (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Evening’s Empire, a Doctor Who comic strip from the 1990s written by Andrew Cartmel, was never completed in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine. Although a version was printed subsequently in a Marvel UK Special, this new collection contains the first publication of the full story as originally intended, with brand-new artwork from the original artist, Richard Piers Rayner.
With thanks to Norman Boyd for the link tip
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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.
Categories: Comic Creator Interviews, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Film, Other Worlds, US Comics
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