RoosterVision: SNOW, GLASS, APPLES (Dark Horse Books, 2019)

Snow White gets gruesome and gorgeous in this masterpiece of sequential art.

…an ongoing series of articles spotlighting movies, music, art, comics, and other assorted media that we at Rooster Republic Press find ourselves enjoying. Once a week, on Thursdays, we will showcase new and old works and, hopefully, help spread the word on great stuff you might otherwise miss out on.

RoosterVision was previously the name of our non-fiction imprint, and since those titles and that line of books are no longer, we have decided to resurrect RoosterVision for the purpose of this showcase. Enjoy!

For today’s “RoosterVision” article, we felt like giving a shout out to SNOW, GLASS, APPLES. The graphic novel was released by Dark Horse in 2019, and went on to win the Stoker Award for “Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel” the following year. Now, we usually reserve “RoosterVision” articles for stuff that may have slipped under the radar, so to speak, but SNOW, GLASS, APPLES is simply too good, too beautiful, to ignore.

We never want to share too much in these spotlight articles, but just to give you a taste…

Now, we are aware that Neil Gaiman has his fans (myself among them) but Colleen Doran’s art makes this book absolutely sing. Wonderful, intricate line work and layout. Page after page of art that could be taken from the book, placed in a frame, and hung on a wall. SNOW, GLASS, APPLES is a clever turn on the story of Snow White, but the artwork is in a league all its own. Just staggeringly gorgeous stuff from Colleen Doran.

In the book’s opening, mention is made of the artist’s “respect and gratitude” to Harry Clarke. The influence is inarguable, if you are familiar with Clarke’s work. He was a stained-glass artist and illustrator. Though he passed in 1931, chances are high that you’ve seen his work, especially if you are a fan of illustrated horror and fantasy. If you like Doran’s work in SNOW, GLASS, APPLES then, by all means, check out Harry Clarke’s work:

Artists influencing other artists, as it should be!

SNOW, GLASS, APPLES is a perfect marriage of words and pictures. Achingly beautiful as it is chilling. Our highest recommendation. Seek this out via DARK HORSE COMICS.

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