Michael Allred (b. 1962) stands out for his blend of spiritual and
philosophical approaches with an art style reminiscent of 1960s era
superhero comics, which creates a mixture of both postmodernism and
nostalgia. His childhood came during an era where pop art and camp
embraced elements of kitsch and pastiche and introduced them into the
lexicon of popular culture. Allred's use of both in his work as a
cartoonist on his signature comic book Madman in the early 1990s
offset the veiled autobiography of his own spiritual journey through
Mormonism and struggles with existentialism.
Thematically, Allred's work deals heavily with the afterlife as his
creations struggle with the grander questions--whether his modern
Frankenstein hero Madman, cosmic rock 'n' roller Red Rocket 7, the
undead heroine of iZombie (co-created with writer Chris Roberson), or
the cast of superhero team book The Atomics. Allred also enjoys a
position in the creator-driven generation that informs the current batch
of independent cartoonists and has experienced his own brush with a
major Hollywood studio's aborted film adaptation of Madman. Allred's
other brushes with Hollywood include an independent adaptation of his
comic book The G-Men from Hell, an appearance as himself in Kevin
Smith's romantic comedy Chasing Amy (where he provided illustrations
for a fictitious comic book), the television adaptation of iZombie,
and an ongoing relationship with director Robert Rodriguez on a future
Madman film.
Michael Allred: Conversations features several interviews with the
cartoonist from the early days of Madman's success through to his
current mainstream work for Marvel Comics. To read them is to not only
witness the ever-changing state of the comic book industry, but also to
document Allred's growth as a creative genius.
