Harry Payne Artwork

Prince Nobutura

These are images from my contribution to "Spirit of Hope" which is a compilation of contributions from top comic book/graphic novel talent in aid of relief for the Japanese Tsunami victims. My inspiration were the Shakespeare films of the great Japanese director Akira Kurosawa "Throne of Blood"(Macbeth) and "Ran" (King Lear)where he had to dispense with all of Shakespeares verbal poetry because of the language translation and replace it with lean strikingly composed visual poetry. Its a standout example of how expressive cinema can be when it works on its own terms. I did a homage by imagining Richard 111 in the same style through a set of iconic visions. The book is on sale on June 18th through the Comic Book Alliance and should be available through comic book shops via Diamond. There will be a display at the upcoming London and Film con over the weekend of July 8th.