Photographic Corben
Richard Corben does not like to be photographed. But then again for the publicity he have to be. Here is a short history of photos taken of him. They try to be in chronological order.
| 1960s | 1969 | 1973 | 1980s | 1981 | 1989 |
Around 1960s
The guy who played Den in the movie [“Neverwhere”] – that was your boss wasn’t it? Richard Corben: Yeah, that was played by Ed Faust. [“An Interview with Richard Corben”, Infinity [I] #5, 1973, pgs 9-18]
1969
1973
The Mirkwood Times #4 (1973), an interview. Reprinted in [ITA] Collana Umanoidi #6: Il mondo straordinario di Richard Corben (1982).
Around 1980s
In video, The Dark Planet (1989) you cannot recognize him since he’s wearing a mask all the time. He is in a character. The date of the video unknown although way before 1989.
In a photo printed in Fershid Bharucha’s Flights into Fantasy (1981), pg 199, he is working on “Den II”, pg 16. The page he’s got in front of him is actually one of the color overlay sheets, prob. yellow. Photo has been taken during Bharucha’s visit at Corben studios, around 1980/1981.
Two photos taken in 1980/1981. Printed in Mutant World/Son of Mutant World (2019).
French Delirium BD launched in April 2020 in KissKissBangBang a kickstarter kind of project to collect funds for printing the limited Murky World collected book sets. There was an old B&W photo of Richard Corben next his drawing desk. You can see on a wall posters, like “Neverwhere [European]” (the cover for European “Den [I]”, 1978), “Bat out of Hell” (1981), “Phantom of the Paradise” (movie poster 1986), and a sketch for “The Snow Creature” (1981). On a drawing table you can see two pages from “Den II”, 1981, pg 8 and 20, and one blurred page from “Mutant World”, pg 45. Photo must be taken 1980/1981.
In a photo printed in German Der Dämon im Cockpit (1985), pg 2, he was working on with the negative film of the title page of Jeremy Brood, Part 1: Relativity (Nov. 1982). Photo must have been taken around 1981/1982.
In the other photo printed in German Der Dämon im Cockpit (1985), pg 46, he is again in his studio and he’s working on the cover of Jeremy Brood, Part 1: Relativity (Nov. 1982). Photo must have been taken around 1981/1982.
The color illustration at his left, on the table, can be a color sketch, but it can also be a home made color key acetate check, like in a case of “Raven”).
In Infinity #5 he said, quote, “I’ve been getting some of my color ideas done with separtations, which is a more intellectual thing because you never see the color until it’s printed. Well, that’s not quite true. I check myself with acetate color keys before I send it to printed.”
In the thrid photo printed in German Der Dämon im Cockpit (1985), pg 47, he is standing outside. Photo must have been taken around 1981/1982. All three photos must be taken same time. They can be photograped by Josep Toutain or perhaps Donna Corben. There is no certainty who was behind the camera.
1981
| “Ogre [I]” (1978) | “Den II” (1981) | Richard Corben interview (1981) by Brad Balfour |
Circa 1989
Stan Vince in Richard Corben Facebook group (31.12.2015): Richard Corben in his studio in Kansas City, circa 1989, with his legendary sculptures. Not published, except maybe in an old and obscure French fanzine of the time… I took these pictures when I finally met M. Corben after years following his work…
In the second photo you can point out Madeleine and Roderick Usher head sculptures from “The Fall of the House of User” (1984).
Copyright © 2015 Heart-Attack-Series, Ink!
Created: July 25, 2015. Last updated: March 2, 2023 at 5:54 am
