The CROW movie. and man who created it (from MI)

[Etalimissa]

In the days prior to the movie (or comic book) for THE CROW the artist/authour who created THE CROW was a "starving artist" from Taylor, MI. He was, and I am sure still is a goth. He made a few t-shirts of people like Bruce Springsteen and other popular artists of the 1980's and various record stores sold them. I saw them at Dearborn's Off The Record and asked DJ Dianna for his contact info. I got James O'Barr's phone number and called him and asked him to make me a t-shirt in 1984. He painted me an image of Prince on a shirt and I shall now attempt to show it to you all so you can see one of Mr O'Barr's early images prior to THE CROW.

[n0Mad]

I think he joined DGN a few years back, ranted about something, then vanished.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Wow neat.

Back before I even knew what goth was, I was a comic book nerd and read The Crow , as I remember it was pretty short (6 issues?) All the different adaptions and re-workings and stuff that you see give the impression that it started in the 90s but I know i was reading it pre-90s. "The Crow Universe" includes all sorts of stuff (apparently) but I've not really followed it after the first run. I enjoyed it, and I remember it being sort of a cult-favorite and people complaining that there wasnt more of it. Fans of Faust, Baker Street, The Crow and Love & Rockets (the comic book , not the band, which, took its name from the comic book believe it or not) , now that I'm remembering it more clearly , where on the gothy or proto-goth side, even though at the time I didn't know what that was.

I vaguely remember him being at some of the comic book conventions (glasses, fits right in at a comic convention, as opposed to like Gaiman who comes off as a rock star) but my memory of that whole time period is a bit foggy. Haven't read an actual paper comic book in like 10 years.. ahhh good times. I miss the new comic book smell.

I can distinctly remember seeing three guys standing in the store all standing around talking about The Crow and Deadworld. Now I realize they were sort of post-punk / gothy type outfits, which at that time I just thought of as "bikers" if i even thought about it. *strains memory*

More recently I know he did a motion comic set in a "gothic western" timeline that according to my friend was really good (she still follows comics regularly).

[Etalimissa]

i wondered if James O'Barr was ever on here. thanks for the update. he looked rather manic depressed to me in 1984 when he brought me my t-shirt. it took him a few months to make it for me. i think it was just at that time when he lost his fiance to a car accident. my grandma had just died and we had a gathering at our house when he dropped it off and he was very quiet and seemed depressed. well, he is still a very talented man and artist.

i also have a Dave Rozema t-shirt (bought from a friend) and i think it was painted by James O'Barr also but he did not sign that one. he signed my Prince shirt however.