Hank Palace Fanart: Joseph Laney Illustrates The Last Policeman

[Ed. Note: A few weeks ago, we spotted Joseph Laney tweeting with Ben H. Winters about his Last Policeman fanart. We dropped him a line, and he's sent over a guest post. Enjoy!]

I discovered The Last Policeman in the best possible way… I was perusing a bookshelf in a little town while on a summer trip to Oregon. Somehow being transported to a wintery setting in doomed New Hampshire was all the more visceral because I was enjoying 90-degree days.

I was really drawn to the apocalyptical aspects of the story. Trying to imagine the impact on society when faced with imminent destruction is thrilling. A book that takes you on a journey through that gloomy landscape conjures an assortment of images.

The world Ben Winters creates in The Last Policeman is so well developed, I found myself spit-balling ideas in my sketchbook as I read. I have always been a fan of triptychs and comics, so for me, placing images side by side forces the viewer to try and find a thread.

Creating illustrations from another person’s work can be a fraught process. Selecting scenes that are meaningful to me as a reader and artist may not be what the writer envisions. But it was nice that Ben was receptive to my interpretation of his world.

This winter I am reading Countdown City and my gears are already turning for the next piece. I can't wait to immerse myself into his world again and draw what I see… Thanks, Quirk Books for the opportunity to share this on their blog!

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Visit Joseph Laney online at joelaneyillustration.blogspot.com.