Batman 85 Artist Series: Conversation with Hebru Brantley
We sit down with Los Angeles-based artist Hebru Brantley to discuss the role Batman has played in his life and artwork over the years. Hebru is known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around his conceptualized characters and is one of 7 artists DC worked with on the Batman 85 Artist Series.
BATMAN 85 ARTIST SERIES
Batman was introduced to the world on March 30th, 1939 in “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate” written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane and appeared in Detective Comics #27. And since then, the Dark Knight has stood a symbol of determination, courage, and justice to generation of fans for over 85 years. In celebration of Batman’s 85th Anniversary, we invited seven artists across various cultural intersections and who work in different mediums to take inspiration from the story that started it all for Batman and reinterpret the iconic Detective Comics #27 cover.
HEBRU BRANTLEY
Hebru Brantley is an American artist known for his distinctive, narrative-driven work that revolves around his conceptualized characters. As a quest to readdress modern mythology through his lens, Brantley reimagines the super heroes of American pop culture as people of color and utilizes his characters in a narrative output to address complex ideas around nostalgia, fear, safety, power, and hope. Brantley’s work is often seen challenging the traditional view of the hero or protagonist and his work as a storyteller extends beyond the colorful dimensions of the canvas and frequently works in sculpture. Brantley has had solo exhibitions around the world including Tokyo, Miami, New York City, Hong Kong, and more. He currently works and resides in Los Angeles, where he is also expanding into film and TV directing.
"I’ve grown up with great affection for the character Batman, he was my introduction into mythology and heroism. To me he is the ultimate duality of man, personified."
SWOON
Swoon, aka Caledonia Curry, is a Brooklyn-based artist widely known as the first woman to gain large-scale recognition in the typically male-dominated world of street art. Drawing on both realistic and fantastical elements, Curry has been transforming the world with her immersive installations, wheatpaste portraits, and community-based social justice projects for the last two decades. Her work has been given both permanent and transient homes in more classical institutions, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, LA MOCA, Mass MoCA, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, and the São Paulo Museum of Art. Most recently, she has begun using film and animation to explore the boundaries of visual storytelling and is developing the screenplay for her first feature length film.
"When I think of Batman, I think of the moment when you can’t wait around any longer for other people to solve the problem. When the systems of justice feel broken, and everyone’s keeping silent, and you need to strike out on your own just to stay sane and to believe that it’s possible to make a difference."
RAM HAN
Ram Han is a digital artist based in Seoul, South Korea. With digital painting as her main medium, she is interested in exploring visual stimuli obtained through media as the material for his works and visualizing experimental fantasies. She shares her artistic worldview through Instagram and is interested in reinterpreting the characteristics of images that modern people are subconsciously attracted to and creating her own new images through them. She continues to explore her visual world through personal projects and exhibitions, and has collaborated with brands in the luxury, tech, and media spaces.
"In reimagining the iconic cover art of Detective Comics #27, I wanted to celebrate the moment Bruce Wayne opens the door to his mansion and makes his first appearance as Batman. I envisioned a dark, pointed mask contrasting with his righteous inner self, decorative structures reminiscent of ropes used to bind criminals, and spiky plant vines that would imply a swarm of bats hanging upside down or flying from the ceiling.”
MIRKA ANDOLFO
Mirka Andolfo is a multiple award-winning Italian writer and artist, appreciated for her strong female characters. She is the creator of the comic series Unnatural, Mercy, and Sweet Paprika, and is a founding creator at DSTLRY—publisher of her most recent international hit, Blasfamous. She has also collaborated with DC Comics since 2015, working on titles including Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn, Punchline, DC Bombshells, Green Arrow, Superman vs. Lobo, and the recent Batman: White Knight Presents - Generation Joker. In 2020 she became the first Italian creator to work on both story and artwork at DC (Harley Quinn Black+White+Red), and she did it again later (DC vs Vampires: All-Out War). As an illustrator, she’s contributed to marketing and advertising campaigns for various media, and has drawn comics and covers for many publishers both in Europe and in the United States.
"Even more and even before that as an artist, as a comic book fan, I always enjoyed Batman. As is everybody else, I guess. For me, the first encounter with Batman was with the animated series (I was lucky enough to grow up around the time it was released), but soon after that, I began to know and appreciate the comics (and the movies, and the video games...) as well.”
João Marcos
João Marcos is a Brazilian artist, illustrator, author, lecturer, and more. He is the author of over 15 children’s comic books across various publishing houses, is a professor at the School of Architecture and Urban Design at Vale do Rio Doce University in Brazil, is a recipient of the Distinction Prize Seal from the PUC-RIO UNESCO Chair on Reading in 2020, and much more. Marcos is also an illustrator and researcher on the use of comics in education, and his research has gone on to win him accolades and has influenced numerous publications and books. He is a lecturer and conducts workshops at educational institutions, literary and book fairs, and comic conventions in both Brazil and abroad. His work in education doesn’t stop there, he also has a YouTube channel that teaches drawing techniques to children.
"In my childhood, what I loved doing most was drawing. In those first drawings – in all of them – Batman and the Batmobile were present. At the time of my first doodles, it was already possible to perceive, among the tangled lines, an attempt to represent the one that was, for me, the most incredible one in the universe of superheroes, as well as his fascinating car. My inspiration was the TV series starred by Adam West, rebroadcast when I was a child and, later, the comics. At that time, I was given my first Batman’s toy, and the character left TV screens to become my friend. Participating in this project through the aesthetics of Brazilian popular art is the realization of the best dream of that child who drew Batman and his beautiful car everywhere.”
LADY PINK
Lady Pink was born in Ecuador and raised in New York City. She currently resides in the countryside just north of the city. In 1979, she started writing graffiti and soon became known as the only female capable of competing with the boys in the graffiti subculture. Pink painted subway trains from the years 1979-1985. As a leading participant in the rise of graffiti-based art, Lady Pink's canvases have entered important art collections such as those of the Whitney Museum, the MET in New York City, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Groningen Museum of Holland. Today, Lady Pink continues to create new paintings on canvas that express her unique personal vision. She also shares her 42 years of experience with teens by holding mural workshops and actively lecturing to students around the world.
"Working on this project with Batman brought me back to my middle and high school days, preparing sketches of him among other heroes to include in my portfolio for the High school of Art and Design. It’s been an incredible experience and an honor getting to work with DC Comics, flexing my love for comics and heroes to celebrate Batman’s Anniversary, and contribute something to the culture.”
YOSHITAKA AMANO
Yoshitaka Amano, born in 1952 in a small town in Shizuoka, Japan, is a versatile Japanese artist known for his work as a character designer, illustrator, theater and film scenic designer, and costume designer. Amano has created many iconic characters and achieved success as an illustrator for numerous authors and has worked on best-selling novel series through his career. He is also renowned for his commissioned illustrations for the popular video-game franchise Final Fantasy. Amano has also established himself as a fine artist, holding solo exhibitions in New York, including “Think Like Amano” at The Puck Building in 1997 and a multimedia exhibition at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in 1999. In 2023, he had a solo gallery exhibition at Lomex Gallery in New York. Additionally, Amano is preparing for a large-scale exhibition in Milan, Italy, in 2024. The exhibition will showcase Amano's art history, including his work with DC Comics.
"When I was young in the 1970s, it was difficult to get hold of American comic books. There was a time when, on days when I didn't want to go to work, and would skip and go to second-hand bookstores to search for Batman comic books. The theme for this Batman artwork is the "mask of torment," aiming to understand and depict Batman's various inner struggles. The concept for the art style incorporates elements from Japanese classical performing arts such as Noh, as well as Japanese culture.”
READ CLASSIC BATMAN COMICS ON DC UNIVERSE INFINITE
BATMAN 85TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION FROM DC SHOP
BATMAN
He is vengeance. He is the night. He is Batman.
ROBIN
The son of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne was born to a life of adventure, but he struggles daily against the lesser angels of his nature.
THE JOKER
A homicidal artist and an agent of chaos, the Clown Prince of Crime is the embodiment of everything Batman fights against…and everything he fears.
HARLEY QUINN
The multiverse would be a much less lively place without the hijinks and shenanigans of the former Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the one and only Clown Princess of Crime.
THE PENGUIN
This is a villain fueled by a pathological rage that compels him to turn his odd physique, bird-like profile and awkward waddle into a well-dressed force for fear.
MORE BATMAN NEWS FROM AROUND THE MULTIVERSE
JOIN THE DC UNIVERSE
Register for FREE to access member-exclusive content and activities, read FREE comics from DC UNIVERSE INFINITE, and get alerts and early access to exclusive products from DC Shop!
