Featuring a truly distinct artistic style that has been over ten years in the making, Sal Abbinanti’s new graphic novel The Hostage has launched on Kickstarter, and we've been provided with a list of Abbinanti’s artistic influences for his ambitious new project that follows a group of resilient kids growing up on the streets of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
You can check out Abbinanti's list of artistic influences below, and to learn more about The Hostage, visit the graphic novel's official Kickstarter page.
The Hostage
Listicle of Influences by Sal Abbinanti
Artist Basil Gogos — This might be obvious, but the legendary monster artist, best known for his numerous Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine covers, has had an enormous influence on my work. Just look at his use of radical colors. And the monsters!
Artist Bill Sienkiewicz — Bill is an artist whose work pushes boundaries. His abstract and innovative approach to comics--with his unique compositions--inspire me to think outside the box and to always try to surprise myself as an artist.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari — Films like The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and other German expressionist films from the ’20s and ’30s have definitely made an impression on me. Their warped use of angles and warped perspectives were so innovative for the time.
Director Fritz Lang — Lang and in particular, his film Metropolis has a unique quality that I admire.
Films by F.W Murnau — German director Murnau was a visionary director whose acclaimed works include Nosferatu, Faust, Sunrise, and Tabu.
Jack Kirby — His raw power and in-your-face style elevated the comics medium and has been an endless source of inspiration.
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We have the official press release with more details below, as well as preview pages and artwork from The Hostage. To learn more, visit the graphic novel's Kickstarter page.
Press Release: January 25, 2021—Chicago, IL— By day, Sal Abbinanti is the art rep for comic book superstars Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz, but by night he, too, is an artist. For more than two decades, the Chicago native has been obsessed with creating a graphic novel inspired by a visit he made to Brazil when he was in his early 20’s. Now, Abbinanti is launching a Kickstarter campaign for his dream project, a 115-page full-color original graphic novel set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro titled THE HOSTAGE.
“When I was 25, I spent six months living in Rio de Janeiro,” said Abbinanti. “I was a starry eyed, full of shit college kid who went there for a Brazilian vacation of samba, nightlife, and beaches. To see the level of poverty, suffering, and death in Rio de Janeiro was eye opening. I will never forget it. THE HOSTAGE is my tribute to the amazing country and especially to the kids living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.”
Loosely inspired by the culture and religions of Brazil like the Umbanda and the Candomblé, Abbinanti has been building the world of THE HOSTAGE in his studio for over 10 years—sketching characters, panels, and scripting pages. Abbinanti’s unique art style and vibrant color choices create a spellbinding effect. THE HOSTAGE tells the story of a group of street kids who are abandoned by society. Dying every day from poverty and gang violence, the kids join together and summon a mystical spirit—THE HOSTAGE—who will protect them and avenge the deaths of their friends.
THE HOSTAGE Kickstarter campaign includes limited edition lithographs from Alex Ross, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jeffrey Alan Love, Sanjulián, Geof Darrow, and Eric Powell, as well as tiers with original sketch cards, postcards, and bookmarks by Abbinanti.
“One of the most exciting parts of bringing my project to Kickstarter is the opportunity to connect with so many amazing artists from around the world and bring their work to you,” said Abbinanti. “I've been working in the comics business for a long time and I'm really lucky to know so many talented artists who have been willing to make contributions to this project. It's an honor to see their visions for THE HOSTAGE and have them be part of this."
The crowdfunding campaign is live now and concludes on February 25th, with pledge tiers ranging from a digital edition available in both English and Portuguese (translated by Kelsey Trotta), to The Complete HOSTAGE Package, which includes an 11x17 original drawing by Sal Abbinanti and a complete set of lithographs by all guest artists.
For updates, follow @SalAbbinanti and @comics_mercury.
To support the campaign, visit Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/420812560/the-hostage-a-graphic-novel-by-sal-abbinanti
About The Creator
Sal Abbinanti was educated at the University of Southern California and the Art Institute of Chicago. Sal began his indie comics career in 2005 with the launch of Mercury Comics and the publication of Atomika-God is Red, and now, The Hostage. By day he is the art rep for Alex Ross and Bill Sienkiewicz and lives on the North Side of Chicago.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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