Skin Deep is a collection of three stories delving into themes of identity, transformation, and the grotesque. In “Dog Days,” Dog Boy, a young man with a transplanted canine heart, exhibits unsettling dog-like behaviors, exploring the fusion of human and animal instincts. “Burn Again” follows Bliss Blister, a dubious preacher whose fabricated miracles lead to unforeseen consequences, questioning faith and deception. “A Marriage Made in Hell” portrays a couple’s deteriorating relationship, revealing the dark undercurrents beneath domestic life. Burns’ stark black-and-white illustrations amplify the eerie atmosphere, offering a haunting examination of the human condition.
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Charles Burns crafts eerie, hyper-controlled illustrations that probe the grotesque undercurrents of adolescence, identity, and disease. Best known for Black Hole, a haunting tale of teens afflicted by a sexually transmitted mutation, Burns fuses horror, surrealism, and suburban malaise in narratives that are as psychologically disturbing as they are visually exacting. His signature thick linework and stark black-and-white compositions amplify the unease within his stories. Deeply influenced by EC comics, punk zines, and pop surrealism, Burns helped redefine the aesthetic of independent comics, creating a uniquely unsettling body of work that lingers long after reading.
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Charles Burns crafts eerie, hyper-controlled illustrations that probe the grotesque undercurrents of adolescence, identity, and disease. Best known for Black Hole, a haunting tale of teens afflicted by a sexually transmitted mutation, Burns fuses horror, surrealism, and suburban malaise in narratives that are as psychologically disturbing as they are visually exacting. His signature thick linework and stark black-and-white compositions amplify the unease within his stories. Deeply influenced by EC comics, punk zines, and pop surrealism, Burns helped redefine the aesthetic of independent comics, creating a uniquely unsettling body of work that lingers long after reading.
Skin Deep is a collection of three stories delving into themes of identity, transformation, and the grotesque. In “Dog Days,” Dog Boy, a young man with a transplanted canine heart, exhibits unsettling dog-like behaviors, exploring the fusion of human and animal instincts. “Burn Again” follows Bliss Blister, a dubious preacher whose fabricated miracles lead to unforeseen consequences, questioning faith and deception. “A Marriage Made in Hell” portrays a couple’s deteriorating relationship, revealing the dark undercurrents beneath domestic life. Burns’ stark black-and-white illustrations amplify the eerie atmosphere, offering a haunting examination of the human condition. Comix, Charles Burns, La Cúpula, 2005 La Cúpula 978-8478336166 Charles Burns 2005