Hard Boiled! The Geof Darrow, Frank Miller Masterpiece!

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[@CartoonistKayfabe]

Ed's Patreon: www.patreon.com/edpiskor Jim's Patreon: www.patreon.com/jimrugg

[@TheDoorspook11c]

Cartoon reference = Trosley. Awesome.

[@mattarado2333]

The more I read this, the more I appreciate Miller's ability (and willingness) to get out of the way and let his artist go nuts. His deadpan, pared-down and often hilarious dialogue works wonders with Darrow's over-the-top art. Look at the panel (13:20 mark in the video) with the insane gigantic police tank, and the one unassuming word balloon: "It's the cops." Love that!

[@glennoctor4452]

You're right about the new edition being "brown". I read that edition first and I had to track down an older copy afterwards because I really wasn't a fan. It's a shame that nobody seems to respect interesting colour work. I would love to see you guys make some videos comparing original comics to their modern recolours. A few examples that come to mind: The Sandman, Swamp Thing, Flex Mentallo, The Incal, The Killing Joke, Neal Adams Batman, and Hard Boiled of course. It's a rare occasion when a recolour outshines the original in my opinion.

[@master09shredder]

Yeah just bought the recolor and really not a fan. Ruins the art.

[@raydillon]

I became a Darrow fan from The Art of the Matrix when that came out. I'd heard of Hard Boiled but it was like impossible to get in the small Kansas town I'd grown up in. Already blown away just a few pages in. This stuff is insanely incredible. How can someone be that creative, that technical but not stiff, that patient???

[@jackshaw6793]

Notice that nobody in this world ever smokes a whole cigarette.

[@TheTonyFigueroa]

""Hard Boiled" has the same technomanic feel as "Tetsuo: The Iron Man." How great would a graphic novel of that movie by Darrow be? The mind boggles.

[@richdannys2906]

Ed is correct. Geof did come out of Animation, way back. He was very tight with Dave Stevens, and would often sofa-surf at Dave's place for a couple of weeks, each year. I still haven't figured out if the 2 of them worked on the same Layout crews, at H-B and Filmation? But I know they had some kind of work history together.. HARDBOILED is a masterwork. Darrow did a signing appearance for the books, at the "old" Beguiling in Toronto. In the French tradition, every fan got remarqued drawings inside each of their issues! The "Big Damn" version is still the best tho, even though I don't hate the coloring of the Dark Horse issues.. The part of the Darrow story that I'd like to learn more about, is the time he spent in Japan working on an Animé adaptation of his SHAOLIN COWBOY comics. Apparently, he showed a WIP Animatic of it once, at one of the San Diego Cons..

[@harleybrignall9034]

That first page is all Moebius you see so much of that in the dark night returns too

[@benthehumaniac]

Geoff signed mine with little doodles, too. It was astonishing to watch it flow from his hand. My memory is that he drew each image in a single continuous line. A genius and a mensch! Love the channel, fellas, thank you very much for doing this!

[@johnbutler5650]

Looking at Geoff Darrow for the first time made me throw all of my drawing stuff out of the house. Then, it made me go get it and bring it back in and start over! Bloody beautiful bastard!

[@noahfecks7598]

Starting at 20:32 where they're in the junkyard: I love how the background is repeated in this. Darrow doesn't cut n' paste, he REDRAWS the super-detailed background exactly the same way.

[@neilsanzari9723]

This is my favorite comic book ever, and this is my favorite episode of Cartoonist Kayfabe. Kudos, my friends.

[@ax105]

Love to see some Darrow art finally getting the spotlight in Kayfabe's squared circle! (Other than some Shaolin Cowboy that popped up in a mail bag IIRC)

[@AcesArtie]

My favourite comic in my collection. I was just blown away when I spied that cover in the comic store when first released. I would put on Spaceman 3 and study every panel to tease out the humour and detail. Everything from the trash, brand parody and retro vehicle design was a joy to behold. The only artist I have seen come close is Frank Quietly.

[@ronanm4418]

How do you store it? I just got a copy from ebay and it's an odd size, about 8" by 10.5", are you using bags and boards?

[@JoshThorsen]

can't believe you only spent a half hour on it. this is the greatest comic of all time. that's it. I still have my giant Big Guys but nothing comes close to Hard Boiled. Katsuhiro Otomo clearly had so much influence on Darrow. This shit blew my mind

[@thomasmurphy3591]

Bring on Big Guy and Rusty the Robot. Miller/Darrow can't be beat such great comics.

[@thebeestingconspiracy]

I have a great story about this comic. I was a bit shy of 18 and looked much younger. The shop owner claimed to have reservations about selling it to me while flipping through the comic to show me why! I reassured him my parents would not object and I went home with my weekly stupid number of not so good Marvels and Hard Boiled #1. Fantastic book. Probably my favorite Frank Miller comic.

[@tannerbalint3986]

I just found the trade paperback today! So glad I found this channel, you guys only show the gold!

[@joed2818]

I thought I was the only one who remembered Miller's Hard Boiled books. Great video.

[@mattjbatt]

Went and checked my new edition of Hard Boiled - and you were right in calling it “brown” - the colors are great and it really helps with parsing out everything - but they are more literal and less expressive. Don’t own the originals but I would guess the line work comes through better in the new edition. Would like to see you guys compare more of these recolor jobs.

[@mattprather3140]

Great books, fall in love all over again every single time I look through them. You guys are a blast to watch. Thanks guys for all your time and effort.

[@TheDoorspook11c]

I'm old and I remember trying to find this series. And yeah, I saw some Leon Trosley influence in the art. Very detailed.

[@1971thedoctor]

This is one Frank Miller series I never tried but I will hunt this down in the future, thank you for pointing it out.

[@ketamu5946]

This is the one and only splatter that is legit art... i got so blown away by geoff darrows detailed artworks. It's incredible from the first panel to the last

[@haroldrichter7535]

I've been waiting for this since October, 2018. All hail Cartoonist Kayfabe!

[@Thierrothierro]

I found it fascinating that Mr. Willeford, the obese boss in this story, had Tintin's hairstyle. Geof Darrow paying homage to his Hergé ligne claire influence, perhaps.

[@detroittechno7904]

These blew my mind when I read Hard Boiled as a kid. 30 yrs ago.

[@NailsOeltjen]

I bought these when they came out too and they blew my mind. This comic was revolutionary.

[@roryhensley8874]

Check out Bourbon Thret, a story in Heavy Metal March 1985 issue, It's a pre-cursor to what Darrow would become with his layouts and detail, and his Shaolin Cowboy character.

[@TheJMuise87]

Where's the Shaolin Cowboy love?? Am I the only one here that enjoys watching a Monk use a staff with chainsaws attached to each end, cleave his way through hordes of zombies?? Also, the book Pencil Art of Geof Darrow is pretty damn great. Like Ed said, you don't get 2 Geof Darrows

[@hans-rogerostlin6443]

frank miller goes ranxerox

[@neilsanzari9723]

Been waiting for this one with baited breath. One of my absolute favorites.

[@georgeberg420]

I'd never seen this and thank you.

[@DaddyRich71]

If there was ever a series crying out for an Artist Edition treatment....this is it. Imagine this at full size.

[@scientifico]

I bought this back in the day for the same reason... Frank Miller. I would study those pages like i was looking for fricking Waldo (I typed this JUST AS GUY SAID IT!!! DAMMIT) But what pisses me off is I had no one to share my blown fucking mind experience! No one to geek out over dogs with tape over their assholes or how the giant food in the supermarket matched the personality of the shoppers, or how the cars look like cars today (the dressed up Nissan Juke could go head to head with a Darrow Stallone). But here come you fuckers with your internet and youtube fanboy channels and all i can say is... thank you.

[@duotronix2305]

Jesus Chrysler!!! Geof Darrow is awesome!!!

[@makoseda]

Wow. I remember excerpts from that first issue more than which pub was showcasing it. It was probably wizard. Darrow is whoa

[@jamesclukey7488]

I have the large format version of HARDBOILED, and the amount of detail is easier to enjoy. Geoff Darrow was at ba Wizard's World convention in Chicago in the early 2000's selling posters of his work. He was so quiet and soft spoken. Hard to believe all this came from him.

[@tjosterable]

In terms of the difference in the coloring.... With the Stewart coloring I find what's emphasized is more the detail and realism of Darrow's drawing. Everything is very clear but the energy seems a bit muted. On the Legris coloring I find it has more of an energy and vitality to it but sacrifices a lot of the detail work and clarity. I think his (Legris's) approach, and use of a non realistic color palette adds to it's energy. It's about emotion, mood, the "craziness" of it all and less about detailing every little corner of Darrow's drawings. My preferences would be the original but maybe I haven't lived with the Stewart stuff long enough, who knows.

[@DickWaggles]

I have the collected second edition and I think they did a lot of recolor because I had no idea it was originally so colorful

[@ianundercover6295]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks

[@alnu8355]

It is an absolute master piece. A perfect story.

[@ChuckArnold1]

I think the cars are based on Delahaye cars, a french car company that made beautiful automobiles.

[@barlotardy]

I'd stomp a trashbag full of live babies to death for a copy of Big Damn Hard Boiled. Been kicking myself for not shoplifting it when I had the chance 25 years ago...

[@samnoirstoysandcomics1169]

Supposedly Darrow's art came back and it was pretty different from Miller's original script, but Miller simply rolled with it and scripted over the pages he got from Darrow. I've always been deadly curious what the original script was like.

[@dwaynemuth8775]

Please do a review of Big Guy and Rusty the boy robot! You guys doing an excellent job!

[@LukeKorolowiczArt]

a proud owner of a copy of issue 1 and the hardcover. and yes, juan jose ryp is a madman for making a career drawing like darrow for avatar press.

[@madquest8]

The last issue was TERRIBLE because the colourist basically OBLITERATED so much of the detail in the art with terrible colouring choices and making it too dark. Shame.

[@TitoJamesWriter]

I love this book! Blew my mind when I first read it :0

[@benellison5668]

The cars are super influenced by Mœbius

[@brettsalter3300]

The newer edition of this (Hard Boiled), collected as a compilation has been recoloured beautifully, the details show up even better IMHO. (Apologies, I can see comments now referring to this)

[@danelsen1278]

I may just be reiterating what others have already said, but I own the single issues and the HC, and although 99% of the time I prefer the original coloring, I feel like with drawing as details as Geof’s, the recolor job Dave did really allows the line work to show in all its graphomania-glory. This is one rare occasion where the new coloring allows for the reader to get seriously lost in gazing at the glorious details and not struggling to see it through dark washes of color. But both are good in their own way- I’m glad two versions exist! Now guys, let’s deep dive on some Shaolin Cowboy!

[@JamesHaney]

You fall, screaming, into the details of each page; Darrow takes Miller’s bones and spins insane flesh around them. Excessive doesn’t cover it... Another vote for LIBERTY 🗽! Bring on Martha Washington! 🖖♾

[@jaybee8764]

Nick Pittera artist of 'The Manhattan Projects' and 'Leviathan' I would say is a similar/comparable artist even if Nick's stuff is a bit more cartoony looking. It's the line quality and obsessiveness to detail.

[@henrykrinkle1576]

James Stokoe is in the same vein as well. I love all these hyper detailed guys.

[@lcdrfish8633]

Hearing your ref to Philip K Dick now - definitely Blade Runner crossed with Snow Crash (esp for the street scenes)

[@popfenton4118]

Darrow is always a highlight of any show he is at.

[@AlexGonzalez-uz3kq]

Have you guys done Charles Burns' Black Hole, Eric Shanower's Age of Bronze, W.M. Loeb's Journey, Frank Miller's Ronin, Hernandez Bros., Kyle Baker's Why I Hate Saturn, Nat Turner (or any of his works and evolution), same for Frank Cho, Art Adams, Paul Chadwick. Diggin the show.

[@MurielBellini]

Geoff the giant

[@grinningevildeath]

i found the trade of hard boiled in a pile of trash on the street when i lived in oakland

[@Therealmrmeow]

OOooooieeeEEEE been waitin' on this one!

[@mrtang18]

Idea for a future video: What do you think about looking at the Geof Darrow, Steve Skorce designs/storyboards for The Matrix?

[@CartoonistKayfabe]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIPcfqmBhtRnidU

[@isaacmeredith9421]

This seems like an old man Logan/terminator vibe

[@spiderphil]

I just read this, i dont understand the hype. The art is dope thought 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@CottageOnChickenLegs]

Miller in an interview said that Nixon wasn't supposed to be a cyborg, but once he started getting Darrow's drawings back, Nixon was in more and more insane situations that he had no choice.

[@russworks2882]

I always appreciate the context with things like Wizard coverage and contemporary promotions for the book. By the way, the new coloring that I saw changes the black blood to red, which really throws off the compositions for me. If Darrow preferred it, I don't get it.

[@eupatorus2]

I've been hunting these for years now. Can't find them anywhere.

[@jinchoung]

what i learned from miller first and then from darrow (although both are very good artists) is that your drawings don't have to be great... as long as there's a SHIT TON OF DETAIL. it's interesting that miller gravitates to darrow when they have that aspect in common... like a lot of the work in RONIN could totally have been drawn by darrow although darrow probably would have added EVEN MORE DETAIL....

[@michael_g3726]

I’d like to see a Miller, Kim Jung Gi collaboration.

[@dafullclip]

"Giant, fat boss" LOL

[@guy6411]

It is cyberpunk subgenre

[@officialtavon2908]

are they still making a movie of this?

[@clayereeder]

Geof drew me a dinosaur

[@bennthirteen3701]

reminds me of incal.

[@Homeschoolsw6]

Legendary. I have " Big Damned Hard Boiled " I didn't check the dimensions of the book when I ordered it. It's BIG...I mean it won't fit on any shelf.

[@CartoonistKayfabe]

That sounds like a terrible problem. Let me help you. Send it to me at PO Box 3071, Munhall, PA 15120 and restore your shelf sanity. - Jim

[@Homeschoolsw6]

@@CartoonistKayfabe lol maybe. Is it out of print or something?

[@troynixeycomix]

@@Homeschoolsw6 It's really really outta print. Keep both hands on that sucker. :D

[@ttyler1999]

This video made me get my Big Damned copy out of storage. I also could not fit it on any shelf as it is GIGANTIC! 11 3/4" x 15 3/4" however there is no way I could ever part with this beauty! The line work is even more amazing and the details POP in stark, bold black and white strokes that are masterfully confident.

[@Homeschoolsw6]

@@ttyler1999 I was both amazed and dismayed when it arrived. I think I said wth? out loud.

[@bujilou]

What font do they use in speech bubbles generally?

[@not8719]

With the right director and budget, this would make a kick ass movie

[@bmwkmx1]

I wanna here about Big Guy?

[@ES_Glenn]

YES!!!!

[@Zawfee]

Hey I got the first one for a dollar at some random dark and dank co-op.

[@tdpetrucci84]

crazy!

[@mikehailer9353]

Yesssssss!!!

[@natewatson6962]

bruh..... WHATTTT?????

[@guy6411]

It cyberpunk

[@elrodimusflash9331]

The new coloring is pretty awful it does not serve the art and takes away from the storytelling