The Scribble Alliance - "Don't Hold Your Breath: Nothing New From Brian Ewing"

I woke up today thinking of how many of my friends are these amazing artists. And a lot of them are bustin' their asses to create some of the freshest work on the scene. With that in mind, I'm starting a new segment called "The Scribble Alliance," where I'll give a nod to my colleagues and their latest works. This is a bit spontaneous, but whatever. Let's see where this train goes....

First up is heroic draftsman and rock poster superman, Brian Ewing.


This summer, Dark Horse released his superfly art book "Don't Hold Your Breath: Nothing New From Brian Ewing." This slick, hardcover volume collects nearly a decade of Brian's work, from his punk posters to his epic work with The Warped Tour.

Ewing's art evokes a world of terrifying beauty, where lovely women and delicate creatures are cloaked in thorny symbols of doom and danger. Skulls grin like switchblades and zombies get all pervy. With such a rich and unique visual language, it's no wonder Brian has created art for the likes of Metallica, The New Yorker, Bad Religion, Detective Comics and so many more.

The book is a fine piece of publishing, designed by the artist himself. It's presented with a delicious, spot-aqueous-happy hardcover. Along with gorgeous, full-color plates and photos of finished art, the book is also brimming over with sketches and a running "director's commentary" by Brian and a heapload of colleagues (including Tara McPherson, Dave Johnson, and COOP).

Whether you're a poster art enthusiast or just a random fan of pretty pictures, this book is a keeper. It's an excellent crash course retrospective on the early career of a successful young illustrator, that will leave you hankering to see what he comes up with next.

To read more about Brian's book, visit Dark Horse or Amazon.com . Also, dig this video trailer for the book -- "Don't Hold Your Breath" trailer

"I don't know karate. But I know ka-razy."
- Dave Gum