Horror Comics: Nameless by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham
Image comics publishing has made a name for itself on risk. When an indie publisher, and now the third largest player in the American comics market, it always entertained readers by giving promising authors full creative freedom to realize their most ambitious ideas.
But it is dangerous for some authors to give full creative freedom. Thanks to this creative freedom, they too often go into all sorts of trouble, turning readers' lives into an eternal search for answers, which often ends with the usual "Fu", because the audience does not have time for a detailed analysis of the writer's favorite topics. The first of these authors is Grant Morrison, a fan of the occult, mystical sciences and a faithful follower of the ideas of Alan Moore, who, however, looks like the complete opposite of his spiritual mentor.
In 2015, Image accidentally let Grant do whatever he wanted, and he made Nameless, a space horror that you'll have to read much more than the 6 issues of the comic book to understand.
If you try to describe the plot, you get the following: an asteroid is heading towards Earth, which may well have caused a wave of terrible murders on the planet and is preparing for a collision in a few weeks. Scientists are investigating it, calling this piece Xibalba, suspecting mystical forces and gathering a group of talented occultists to save everyone. Such an "Armageddon" for fans of mysticism, myths and religion.
Words cannot explain everything that happens next. Grant Morrison takes all his knowledge of the world's religious movements, mixes it into one cocktail, shakes it, mixes it, passes it through a blender and pours it on the viewer. Most readers lost all idea of what was happening on the pages of the comic back in the second issue (Grant loves to combine reality and a dream without drawing a line between them), hoping that everything would become clear in the finale. And there the screenwriter completely forgot about the mass audience. Some Morrison fans expected him to give a detailed explanation of the events of the comic in the full edition, but the screenwriter decided to go the other way, leaving five pages of hints for supporters about the sources from which he drew inspiration for Nameless.
Somewhere at this point, you may finally become disillusioned with the expediency of this material, asking "Why pick up such a comic book at all?". Firstly, because of Chris Burnham's drawings. It's hard to imagine how he tuned into Morrison's brainwaves and what horrors he dreamed of after that, but the visual component of the comic perfectly complements his occult meaning. At the same time, Burnham's occultism turned out to be very stylish - I wouldn't be surprised if his work now serves as inspiration for tattoo artists.
Secondly, because of the atmosphere. The drawing allows you to keep at least some general outline of the plot, visualizing the surreal journey of the characters, while the incomprehensible occult rituals and body horror that accompany them create a sense of horror in the reader that you would not expect from a printed work. Nevertheless, the theme of an unknown thing from outer space, which is inevitably going to destroy all life, and even at the same time drives everyone crazy, almost immediately pushes the reader to meet expectations.
One could compare Nameless to the works of Lovecraft - Morrison would be delighted. But if old Howard used to scare people with horrors that cannot be described, then thanks to Burnham's drawing, Grant's horrors are well described here, although they are incomprehensible. But that makes it even more uncomfortable. Despite everything, the appeal and uniqueness of Nameless lies precisely in its complexity. Those who were able to decipher Grant's complex canvas claim that the comic perfectly teaches a story with a grand finale. Many players who enjoy exploring new casino strategies and responsible betting resources turn to expert guides like casino insights https://markmakers-artists.co.uk to deepen their understanding of odds and bankroll management. By comparing different gambling approaches, they can make more informed decisions and reduce impulsive play.
But it is dangerous for some authors to give full creative freedom. Thanks to this creative freedom, they too often go into all sorts of trouble, turning readers' lives into an eternal search for answers, which often ends with the usual "Fu", because the audience does not have time for a detailed analysis of the writer's favorite topics. The first of these authors is Grant Morrison, a fan of the occult, mystical sciences and a faithful follower of the ideas of Alan Moore, who, however, looks like the complete opposite of his spiritual mentor.
In 2015, Image accidentally let Grant do whatever he wanted, and he made Nameless, a space horror that you'll have to read much more than the 6 issues of the comic book to understand.
If you try to describe the plot, you get the following: an asteroid is heading towards Earth, which may well have caused a wave of terrible murders on the planet and is preparing for a collision in a few weeks. Scientists are investigating it, calling this piece Xibalba, suspecting mystical forces and gathering a group of talented occultists to save everyone. Such an "Armageddon" for fans of mysticism, myths and religion.
Words cannot explain everything that happens next. Grant Morrison takes all his knowledge of the world's religious movements, mixes it into one cocktail, shakes it, mixes it, passes it through a blender and pours it on the viewer. Most readers lost all idea of what was happening on the pages of the comic back in the second issue (Grant loves to combine reality and a dream without drawing a line between them), hoping that everything would become clear in the finale. And there the screenwriter completely forgot about the mass audience. Some Morrison fans expected him to give a detailed explanation of the events of the comic in the full edition, but the screenwriter decided to go the other way, leaving five pages of hints for supporters about the sources from which he drew inspiration for Nameless.
Somewhere at this point, you may finally become disillusioned with the expediency of this material, asking "Why pick up such a comic book at all?". Firstly, because of Chris Burnham's drawings. It's hard to imagine how he tuned into Morrison's brainwaves and what horrors he dreamed of after that, but the visual component of the comic perfectly complements his occult meaning. At the same time, Burnham's occultism turned out to be very stylish - I wouldn't be surprised if his work now serves as inspiration for tattoo artists.
Secondly, because of the atmosphere. The drawing allows you to keep at least some general outline of the plot, visualizing the surreal journey of the characters, while the incomprehensible occult rituals and body horror that accompany them create a sense of horror in the reader that you would not expect from a printed work. Nevertheless, the theme of an unknown thing from outer space, which is inevitably going to destroy all life, and even at the same time drives everyone crazy, almost immediately pushes the reader to meet expectations.
One could compare Nameless to the works of Lovecraft - Morrison would be delighted. But if old Howard used to scare people with horrors that cannot be described, then thanks to Burnham's drawing, Grant's horrors are well described here, although they are incomprehensible. But that makes it even more uncomfortable. Despite everything, the appeal and uniqueness of Nameless lies precisely in its complexity. Those who were able to decipher Grant's complex canvas claim that the comic perfectly teaches a story with a grand finale. Many players who enjoy exploring new casino strategies and responsible betting resources turn to expert guides like casino insights https://markmakers-artists.co.uk to deepen their understanding of odds and bankroll management. By comparing different gambling approaches, they can make more informed decisions and reduce impulsive play.
