Edward Ross is an Edinburgh-based illustrator, cartoonist and occasional comic tutor with an obvious love for the history and inner workings of film. In his introduction, Ross makes his passion for the film industry plain: “As a teenager, I had stacks of VHS tapes that I rewatched endlessly – Robocop, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Fargo, Pulp Fiction and hundreds more. When the VHS recorder broke, I remember staying up till two in the morning watching Dawn of the Dead on TV, bleary-eyed and hypnotised by its slow-burning horror.”
In this beautifully illustrated 200-page guide, Ross uses his artistic skills and extensive knowledge to take readers on a pleasure cruise through the history of cinema. From silent film classics such as A Trip to the Moon to Metropolis and early technicolour icons like The Wizard of Oz, to more modern day cult classics like Alien and Blade Runner; everyone will enjoy finding their old favourites represented.
Ross uses comics to uncover the magic and mechanics behind some of cinema’s most enduring films and spotlighting the directors that have created them. From early pioneers like Friz Lang to today’s innovators like Ridley Scott and James Cameron.
In all, three-hundred films are illustrated, with topics explored including everything from censorship to set design. While the text may become too preachy in parts for some readers, this does not take away from the overall enjoyment of this insightful and witty guide to stars and stories that have shaped film for over a hundred years.
FILMISH: A GRAPHIC JOURNEY THROUGH FILM / WRITER & ARTIST: EDWARD ROSS / PUBLISHER: SELFMADEHERO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
