Sin City Revisited

Illustration

Like a character from Sin City, I must be a glutton for punishment. I’ve already talked about how much I hated the movie, but I was recently forced to revisit its sordid world for an illustration assignment. A regular client — Washington D.C.’s City Paper — called up with a story about the owner of a strip joint and his run-in with an undercover cop. Words and threats were exchanged, along with a lot of male posturing; the whole scenario called out for the Sin City treatment.

I proposed the illo show the club owner and some strippers facing off the undercover officer and some other cops, in the Miller “style”, with some type treatment to drive the point home. When the a.d. mentioned that there was a D.C. goodwill campaign going on that promised “city living, d.c. style,” the whole concept came together.

Here’s the sketch that got the concept approved:

Here’s the final piece (finished last night, after my reading, at 2:30 am):

Here’s what I learned:

  1. Frank Miller is an incredible conceptual artist and craftsman.
  2. It’s hard as hell to imitate what he seems to do so effortlessly.
  3. I still hate Sin City.

4 thoughts on “Sin City Revisited

    1. May you rue in Miller Hell for all eternity.

      Wha–? You are senseless.
      What IS up with them black tittyballs? I was trying to do that reverse thing, where what’s normally light is dark and vice-versa, but it doesn’t work in this context. Yet.. Pete approved the illo, so it’s… good… enough…

    1. thanks, man! that’s high praise, coming from a prize-winning illo vet like yerself!
      (and, fortunately, the a.d. like it too. but he’s inordinately easy to please. makes it more fun for the not-so-much-money.)

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