What do you think?
Rate this book
Brainstorm : The complete Chester P. Hackenbush and other underground classics
The complete Chester P. Hackenbush
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Bryan Talbot
287 books188 followersTalbot began his comics work in the underground comix scene of the late 1960s. In 1969 his first work appeared as illustrations in Mallorn, the British Tolkien Society magazine, followed in 1972 by a weekly strip in his college newspaper.
He continued in the scene after leaving college, producing Brainstorm Comix, the first three of which formed The Chester P. Hackenbush Trilogy (a character reworked by Alan Moore as Chester Williams for Swamp Thing).
He started The Adventures of Luther Arkwright in 1978. It was originally published in Near Myths and continued on over the years in other publications. It was eventually collected together into one volume by Dark Horse. Along with When the Wind Blows it is one of the first British graphic novels.
In the early to mid-eighties he provide art for some of 2000 AD's flagship serials, producing 3 series of Nemesis the Warlock, as well as strips for Judge Dredd and Sláine.
The Tale of One Bad Rat deals with recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
Talbot moved to the American market in the 1990s, principally for DC, on titles like Hellblazer, Sandman and Batman. He also produced the art for The Nazz by Tom Veitch and worked with Tom's brother Rick Veitch on Teknophage, one of a number of mini-series he drew for Tekno Comix.
Talbot has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.
He has also illustrated Bill Willingham's Fables, as well as returning to the Luther Arkwright universe with Heart of Empire. He has also worked on The Dead Boy Detectives.
In 2006, he announced the graphic novel Metronome, an existential, textless erotically-charged visual poem,written under the pseudonym Véronique Tanaka. He admitted that he was the author in 2009.
In 2007 he released Alice in Sunderland, which documents the connections between Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell, and the Sunderland and Wearside area. He also wrote and drew the layouts for Cherubs!, which he describes as "an irreverent fast-paced supernatural comedy-adventure."
His upcoming work includes a sequel to 2009's Grandville, which Talbot says is "a detective steampunk thriller" and Paul Gravett calls it "an inspired reimagining of some of the first French anthropomorphic caricatures". It is planned as the first in a series of four or five graphic novels.
Source: Wikipedia
He continued in the scene after leaving college, producing Brainstorm Comix, the first three of which formed The Chester P. Hackenbush Trilogy (a character reworked by Alan Moore as Chester Williams for Swamp Thing).
He started The Adventures of Luther Arkwright in 1978. It was originally published in Near Myths and continued on over the years in other publications. It was eventually collected together into one volume by Dark Horse. Along with When the Wind Blows it is one of the first British graphic novels.
In the early to mid-eighties he provide art for some of 2000 AD's flagship serials, producing 3 series of Nemesis the Warlock, as well as strips for Judge Dredd and Sláine.
The Tale of One Bad Rat deals with recovery from childhood sexual abuse.
Talbot moved to the American market in the 1990s, principally for DC, on titles like Hellblazer, Sandman and Batman. He also produced the art for The Nazz by Tom Veitch and worked with Tom's brother Rick Veitch on Teknophage, one of a number of mini-series he drew for Tekno Comix.
Talbot has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game.
He has also illustrated Bill Willingham's Fables, as well as returning to the Luther Arkwright universe with Heart of Empire. He has also worked on The Dead Boy Detectives.
In 2006, he announced the graphic novel Metronome, an existential, textless erotically-charged visual poem,written under the pseudonym Véronique Tanaka. He admitted that he was the author in 2009.
In 2007 he released Alice in Sunderland, which documents the connections between Lewis Carroll, Alice Liddell, and the Sunderland and Wearside area. He also wrote and drew the layouts for Cherubs!, which he describes as "an irreverent fast-paced supernatural comedy-adventure."
His upcoming work includes a sequel to 2009's Grandville, which Talbot says is "a detective steampunk thriller" and Paul Gravett calls it "an inspired reimagining of some of the first French anthropomorphic caricatures". It is planned as the first in a series of four or five graphic novels.
Source: Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 18, 2021
How has it been twenty years since I last read these comics?
Anyway, they're really good. I mean, they're a bunch of silly stoner expanding consciousness adventurism, but the adventure angle is done well and Talbot's embedding of influences and touchstones adds a fascinating layer of exploring and incorporating his roots and inspirations. It's clearly the work of a young cartoonist finding his voice, but it's also very clearly the work of a young cartoonist with ambition and talent.
Anyway, they're really good. I mean, they're a bunch of silly stoner expanding consciousness adventurism, but the adventure angle is done well and Talbot's embedding of influences and touchstones adds a fascinating layer of exploring and incorporating his roots and inspirations. It's clearly the work of a young cartoonist finding his voice, but it's also very clearly the work of a young cartoonist with ambition and talent.
February 27, 2023
interesting but not essential, unless you're an old hippy, this is a collection of Talbot's early underground comic material, so a lot of reference to spliffs and psychedelics. He gets a lot better
May 29, 2014
Viaggio psichedelico nel fumetto underground britannico di metà anni 70 per apprezzare gli esordi dell'immenso talento artistico e narrativo di Bryan Talbot. Decisamente figlio della controcultura 'Hippy' (edito dal proprietario di Alchemy in Portobello Road: negozio specializzato in articoli per il consumo di sostanze psicotrope): spinelli che volano e la prima storia originale di Luther Arkwright.
February 6, 2016
Five stars for simply the infuince this has had on modern culture,especially the best U.K rapper of all time Chester P Hackenbush from the group Taskforce.Just listen to the song 'Cosmic Gypses' by Taskforce and listen to one of the best lyrics ever written and listen to the essence of this entire comic line!
January 8, 2008
Skull cracking. The US' 60's but it happened in Great Brittan in the 70's.
Try and find a British comic creator, over the age of 35 who wasn't influenced by this work.
It also introduced Luther Arkwright in a world much more tinged by psychotropics, but he is the same Luther.
Try and find a British comic creator, over the age of 35 who wasn't influenced by this work.
It also introduced Luther Arkwright in a world much more tinged by psychotropics, but he is the same Luther.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews