My frustration at not getting Donovan drawing stuff that I wanted to see him do contributed to my driving from Houston to NOLA for a comic convention. We missed most of the first day, but since he was a top priority, I'm confident that I sought him out during the hour or two we had left. I told him all about my appreciation of his work, and wanting to get something special from him. The director Sam Raimi was also at that con, and I'm a big fan of his 1990 movie Darkman (less so the franchise, but it has its moments.) The cool thing about Darkman is he's not Ash Williams, so Raimi and friends see him fractionally as often, but virtually anybody from the Evil Dead trilogy had a hand in Darkman (even Bruce Campbell played him in the closing moments of the movie.) I don't recall if I specifically wanted Donovan on Darkman, or if it was his choice out of several options, but I knew he'd do something cool.
I can't recall which day it was finished, but the artist ultimately provided me with a glorious 11x17", full painted color, cover quality image. The horrifically disfigured Peyton Westlake, wrapped in gauze and theatrical guise as a brutal vigilante seeking revenge from those who ruined his life. We see Darkman swinging from a crane hook, strongly recalling the final set piece from the first film, where our anti-hero danced across girders on an unfinished skyscraper. No offense to the other creators who've tried to do Darkman justice in four colors, but this is the Darkman comic book that we always wanted and never got! Besides the dynamic pose, attention to costume details, and appropriately deep shadows, I love the deep reds and orange of the swirling inferno that the man of many faces battles against. Honestly, it was simply to beautiful to marr, so all the celebrity signatures are on the back. Like I said, I got the piece to be signed by Sam Raimi, and I probably did get it back on the last day, because I was simply too tired to take it to him before heading back to the H on Sunday. It took me a few tries (who could guess the Army of Darkness director's line at Texas Frightmare Weekend would be huge?) but I finally got Sam and his doctor consultant/co-writer brother Ivan Raimi in Chicago later that year. Both men added Darkman-specific personalization, so I'm curious what Ted will come up with when I send it his way?
Finally, Derec Donovan also provided me with three sheets of thumbnails for the design, which I don't figure rates scanning, but it's still a neat extra. Also, I forgot to mention that I actually got two works from the artist in New Orleans, so this one might not have even been started until Saturday? Click that link below. I haven't gotten around as much in the years since, but I know I haven't gotten my last convention piece from [D]!
Derec Donovan
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