Synopses & Reviews
As we hurtle along at breakneck speed accompanied by the great cacophony of modern life, we rarely experience a moment of silence. Silence, with its implication of stillness and absolute purity, is increasingly difficult to find. So how does an artist approach such a profound theme? Can an auditory ideal be conveyed through illustration and comics?
Nobrow 9 explores silence with sixteen of the best comic creators and over thirty star illustrators in this unique, international showcase of contemporary illustration and comics art.
- Nobrow Magazine is a leading arts publication that aims to create a platform for artists to pool their creativity under a single, unifying theme.
- It has extremely high production values and is printed in a unique spot color palette using vegetable inks on FSC approved paper.
- Nobrow magazines are highly collectible. Each issue has a limited print run of five-thousand copies. Issues 1-5 are sold out and are traded for many times the cover price.
- Strong appeal to both comic book and illustration communities.
Review
"an 128 page stonker of a magazine containing extraordinary new work from some of the best illustrators working today" - It's Nice That on Nobrow 8: Hysteria
"a reminder that its not hyperbolic to state that the publisher continues to produce some of the most beautiful examples of graphic design on the market." - BrokenFrontier.com on Nobrow 8: Hysteria
"a fantastic compendium of contemporary graphic art, bringing together a wonderful collection of comic creators and illustrators" - The Fox Is Blackon Nobrow 8: Hysteria
Review
A Salon Top Ten Graphic Novel of 2014
and#147;In the ninth issue, the theme is silence, and the results are magnificent and full of surprises. The comics, each told in images only, range from atmospheric to trippy to jokey to melancholy to epic to creepy. But the two-page illustrations are even more powerful, even if itand#8217;s not always easy to see how they pertain to the overall concept of silence. Well, except perhaps for the fact that so many of them left me utterly dumbstruck with visual delight.and#8221; - Salon
"These comics and illustrations may be silent, but that doesnand#8217;t diminish their impact. Itand#8217;s astonishing how much substance the comic artists pack into their four-page stories without the use of text." - AV Club
"Rather than limiting the artistsand#8217; creativity, Nobrowand#8217;s proscribed color mandate has the opposite effect, freeing them to explore the theme to its furthest possible extent (and sometimes miles beyond). It also ties the art in the book to older printing traditions where the use of spot colors was a technological necessity and not a choice. The result is a wonderful achievement as a collection of both art and visual storytelling. " - Publishers Weekly
"Nobrow 9 is a gift, a collection of quiet moments, moment in the art of cartooning, illustration and storytelling; and a souvenir of what a great time it is to be reading comics." - Comics Bulletin
"Nobrow have not only produced one of their best anthologies to date, but also one that serves as a showcase for the eloquence and power of silent comics. I could easily sit here and go through the merits of each contribution, but I think you'd be much better served to simply buy it and immerse yourself in what is currently the foremost (Eisner award nominated!) graphic art anthology around." - Zainab Akhtar
"McNaughtand#8217;s hoodie-clad shopper peruses garden statues, each swathed in blue-gray shadow and black strokes. [and#133;] For me, there isnand#8217;t a more tedious way to wind down time on a Saturday than by suffering domestic chores, but Iand#8217;ll be damned if I didnand#8217;t marvel over McNaughtand#8217;s beautiful comic. - Dominic Umile
"Once more, Nobrow Magazine sets the standard for comic art, with a superb selection of artists and exquisite production values. From established pros to up-and-coming creators, art directors Alex Spiro and Sam Arthur make each issue a pure comics artifact to treasure. - Broken Frontier
"The theme of this year's volume is and#147;Oh so quiet,and#8221; and the comics portion is made up of wordless strips while the other half is a two-page spread of illustrations. Cartooning and illustration are often conflated and, while theyand#8217;re obviously related forms of art, they can require some different disciplines and skills. When you take away the words from comics it becomes even more interestingand#151;and harderand#151;to discern the differences." - Mental Floss
"a publication to be savored, to linger over pages and think about what's so quiet about a particular picture. It's full of interesting art and ideas." - Andrew Wheeler, Antick Musings
"If you are someone who enjoys great comics you'll quite like the book, and if you're a fan of great art you'll absolutely love it.-The Newest Rant
"an 128 page stonker of a magazine containing extraordinary new work from some of the best illustrators working today" - It's Nice That on Nobrow 8: Hysteria
"a fantastic compendium of contemporary graphic art, bringing together a wonderful collection of comic creators and illustrators" - The Fox Is Blackon Nobrow 8: Hysteria
Synopsis
How is silence expressed? Can it be visual? Over 30 artists deal with the concept of silence and its absence.
About the Author
Sam Arthur and Alex Spiro are joint creative directors of Nobrow Press London.