Chivalry “glints like a shimmering summer watercolor.” Washington Post’s Top Ten Graphic Novels.
Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman was on view at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum, October 4 - April 30, 2024. 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego CA 92101. Banner photo: N. Ricoy © 2023 SDCC.
Comic-Con Museum presents Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman, an exhibition of original art by the award-winning artist Colleen Doran featuring her illustrations of stories by Neil Gaiman including Chivalry; Snow, Glass, Apples; The Sandman; Troll Bridge; American Gods, Norse Mythology; and Good Omens. The show fills the entire mezzanine of the museum.
Exhibit photos December 2023
Opening Events October 3 & 4 2023
Event photos by Photo: N. Ricoy © 2023 SDCC
Overview:
The centerpiece of the exhibit is 20 lush hand-painted pages from Doran’s adaption of Gaiman’s beloved 1992 short story Chivalry (Dark Horse Books), the story of Mrs. Whitaker, a British widow who finds the Holy Grail in a thrift shop, who is soon visited by Sir Galahad, who offers her priceless relics in exchange so he can win the Grail and end his quest.
In the midst of a long career drawing comics for such titles as Wonder Woman, Amazing Spider-Man, and her own creator-owned title A Distant Soil, Colleen Doran has found her artistic Holy Grail in her series of adaptations of Neil Gaiman short stories published by Dark Horse, including her latest masterpiece Chivalry, the Eisner and Bram Stoker Award-winning dark fantasy Snow, Glass, Apples, and Troll Bridge, a spooky coming-of-age story.
A lifelong enthusiast of Arthurian mythology, Doran’s pages for Chivalry are full of symbolism taken from her personal life, world history, her research on illuminated manuscripts, Pre-Rafaelite paintings, and Arthurian legend. Her color palette of iridescent jewel tones, rich golds, and detailed drawings make viewing the original artwork a special experience.
Also on view are several pages from Snow, Glass, Apples, Doran’s version of Gaiman’s chilling retelling of the Snow White story, drawn in an intricate style influenced by the Irish artist Harry Clarke, as well as works from other Doran/Gaiman titles such as The Sandman, American Gods, Norse Mythology, and her new adaptation of Good Omens. In August, the official adaption of the Good Omens novel became the #1 most successful comics project ever, raising over $3 Million in less than a month. At this exhibit, Colleen is premiering the cover and 2 beautiful pages from this work in progress.
Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman opened at Comic-Con Museum on October 4, 2023, following a successful run at the Society of Illustrators in New York. The exhibition is curated by Kim A. Munson, editor of the Eisner nominated anthology Comic Art in Museums and 2022 Eisner Awards Judge.
Interviews and media: San Diego: Luis Monteagudo Jr. for The Times of San Diego “New Exhibits at Comic-Con Museum Explore ‘Popnology’ and Art of ‘The Sandman,” Cool San Diego Sights! “Exquisite Masterpieces Come to Comic-Con-Museum” Pixelated Geek “Free Tuesdays at the Comic-Con Museum” New York: Rob Salkowitz for Forbes “New Exhibit Showcases How Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman” (3/23/23), Heidi McDonald for The Beat “The 2023 MoCCA Arts Festival drew 8,000 Readers” (4/4/23), Kevin Sharp for Fanbase Press “Chasing the Grail: An Interview with Colleen Doran and Kim Munson about the exhibit Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman” (6/14/23), Video: Comic Art Live “Colleen Doran and Mike Mignola Exhibits at the Society of Illustrators June 2023,” Academic: Presentation at CAA national convention NY (Feb 2023), Online presentation for Studies in Medievalism (Sept 2023). Publication “Colleen Doran Illustrates Neil Gaiman.” Source: Notes in the History of Art, V 43, #2, Winter 2024.
About the artist: Colleen Doran is a cartoonist/illustrator whose recent adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s short story Chivalry received the Eisner Award for Best Adaption and the Locus Award for Best Illustrated and Art Book. Her adaption of Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples received the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel and the Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium, and the Ringo Award for Best Graphic Novel. Her work also appeared in Gaiman’s Sandman, his graphic novels American Gods and Norse Mythology, as well as The New York Times bestselling adaptation of his story Troll Bridge. Doran created the artwork for Stan Lee’s bestselling graphic novel autobiography Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible Stan Lee. She has also illustrated work for the fashion house Balmain and musicians The Doors, Tori Amos, Blondie, and Melissa Etheridge.
