Art of Darkness 2 : Al Cook's Necropolis

For my second dive into all things artistic that take their cues from Horror and the macabre, I felt I'd bring you something close to home, that is as simultaneously delightful and as twisted as the man who creates it.

Writer/Illustrator, Al Cook is a close friend of mine. We hail from the same dark region of the world and we share many of the same unsavory habits, including a taste for whiskey and wine that probably merits psychological study, and has often found us lying side by side in the gutters of our world. We also share a very similar taste in genre cinema, (Al's every bit as obsessed with HAMMER HORROR as I am, among many other oddities), yet Al's upbeat and positive approach to life lends to his artwork a certain whimsy and delicate nature that offsets the darkness beautifully.



In his own words...

The comic began on Halloween 2010 and it's basically a place where I can put all of my murderous thoughts instead of actually acting them out in real life.

I live beside Glasgow Necropolis and the comic is set there.
Occasionally I actually draw the panels up on the Necropolis.

It's for anyone who is interested in horror and murder although every body is welcome.
...Especially dead ones!

Anyone recognise this image...?

Al's comic takes its cue from a familiar haunt in our home city of Glasgow. Sitting atop a hillside overlooking the lives of its fine citizens, lies our 'City of the Dead', our 'Necropolis'. Its a very beautiful place, full of huge tombs, derelict gravestones and home to a stunningly Gothic Cathedral that looms over the cityscape like a dark harbinger of the inevitable death and decay that awaits us all. If your ever in my homeland, you have to visit this place. Its something of a Horror fans wet dream, and yes, it actually IS called Necropolis.

A warning though, make sure you visit by the light of day. Nighttime in the, 'city of the dead', belongs to one man, and one man only. He can be found wandering amongst the forgotten tombstones under the moon, with fire in his eyes and murder on his mind.

His name is Al Cook, and this is his NECROPOLIS......

Also, you can follow Al Cook on Twitter here! and keep up with his murderous exploits on Facebook, right here.