In Memory of David Bowie
I saved the David Bowie dedication comic for last not because his death was any less important or felt, but perhaps (and you may judge me misguided for this) because I felt David Bowie’s death was like to get the most attention of all of last month’s celebrity deaths, and my small voice did not need to be added to the noise. That said, I did not wish to go without honouring him, and certainly Bowie’s career made him a prime candidate to be included in a Gentleman Cthulhu.
This considered however, believe it or not, the comic for David Bowie was not easy in coming. I spent weeks, as I wrote and drew the other three dedication comics, trying to think up a satisfying way of honouring the man. Of course, my first thought was to feature the Goblin King from Labyrinth in the comic, as he certainly would have fit in well. But then nothing really came to me, and so I moved on. In the end, I decided to make vague references to his iconic Ziggy Stardust character (whose story bares some loose Lovecraftian elements), and create a comic which was considerably subtler than many of the comics I’ve already posted or written for this series.
As for David Bowie and me, I cannot say that I am a fan in the truest sense of the word, but then again, music is one of the arts I am not generally deeply in touch with. There are, however, many David Bowie songs which I enjoy. Why I never took the time to explore his music more, I don’t know, but I have been inexplicable drawn to the man most of my life, as so many of his adoring fans have. He had a deeply magnetic presence, and I always found him (in the public light, that is) to be equal parts bold and sophisticated, controversial and genial. A true visionary and a true gentleman.
With that, I end this small cycle of dedication comics. I hope I have done well with this last one in honouring both the man and the visionary. Here’s to you, David Bowie. Cheers!