Dave McKean

David McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art and sculpture. McKean's projects include illustrating books by amongst others Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Heston Blumenthal, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, and directing three feature films.

In 1986 he met author Neil Gaiman with whom he has collaborated on many projects since. Their first book, Violent Cases (1987), has been printed in many editions worldwide, and adapted for the stage. Since then they have produced Black Orchid (1988), Signal To Noise (1990) for The Face magazine and Mr. Punch. Dave has contributed all the cover illustrations and design for the popular Sandman series of graphic novels.

Arkham Asylum was published in 1989, written by Scottish author/playwright Grant Morrison, illustrated by Dave and is still the single most successful graphic novel ever published.

In 2016, Dave wrote and illustrated Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash. This book and accompanying performance work, was a commission by the 14-18Now Foundation, The Imperial War Museum, The Lakes International Comic Art Festival and On a Marché Sur la Bulle. It was published as an artists edition in the UK, and worldwide by Dark Horse Publishing and Glénat. Dave transferred the book to a series of projections, and wrote an hour’s worth of orchestral music and songs. This performance occurred at the Somme Memorial in Amiens, and, after several festival performances, at the Tate Britain opening of Nash’s retrospective.

Dave is currently finishing a book of paintings inspired by silent cinema (Nitrate), more travel sketchbooks (Prague, Tenerife and Naples) and a couple of new graphic novels (Caligaro and Raptor). Also, illustrated books by Joe Hill (Full Throttle) and Dostoyevsky (Crime and Punishment).

He lives on the Isle of Oxney in Kent, England with his wife, studio manager and musician, Clare.