Artist August: James Harren [Art Feature]

I’ve written about James Harren quite a bit for Multiversity in the past, and there’s a simple reason why: very few artists make me excited with their work like Harren does.

Primarily in the Mignolaverse, Harren has blown me away every time his work appears with the raw power and energy he can bring to a page and a story. When you look through this art feature below, you’ll see what I’m talking about, as his action set pieces just feel grander and more explosive than they do from other artists. When moments hit like Liz Sherman squaring off against The Black Flame in “B.P.R.D.”, it doesn’t just feel like an ordinary battle. It feels like a boss fight to decide the fate of the world.

But Harren’s gift isn’t just in the big moments. He has a rare gift at delivering precise emotions in a way few artists can. He can do that in ways both over the top – there’s one moment with Tian in “B.P.R.D.” that stands out, where Tian’s cigarette is dropping out of his mouth in shock and horror – and small, but always in equally effective fashion. His gifts as a storyteller are all the better for it, as character interactions are heightened by his expressive, effective work.

This is an artist who is relatively new to comics, only having worked in the industry in the last few years, but he’s one other artists look at and think, “this guy is one of the best.” I’ve heard it before. It’s just the tip of the iceberg, and what you’ll see below in my opinion are just some of the greatest hits of the early days of a budding comic great. What’s next, in future Mignolaverse work and “Rumble“, his upcoming Image title with John Arcudi, will surely be comic art for the ages in my opinion.