The Philippe Labaune Gallery’s latest exhibit features the work of Eisner and Harvey Award winner Klaus Janson. Janson’s work on the seminal Dark Knight Returns and Daredevil helped define not only those world famous characters, but also the comic medium following the 1980s.
Featuring over 100 pieces of artwork, including collaborations with Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., John and Sal Buscema, Dick Giordano, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gil Kane, and Gene Colan, the Klaus Janson exhibit is sure to inform and entertain any fan of the medium.
We had the pleasure of speaking to Janson about his career and his first U.S. art exhibit in this exclusive interview with the artist.
You have your first U.S. art exhibit coming up this March at the Philippe Labaune Gallery. What was the process like in terms of selecting art for this exhibit?
Klaus Janson: The actual decision making was a lot of fun since it started with going through a whole bunch of art that I had squirreled away through the years. Every job, every page holds a memory for me. In addition to evaluating the art and deciding what to include in the exhibit, it was fascinating to recall the time and the people that were part of that art. Ultimately I wanted to exhibit pages that had some artistic or historical value or were just fun to look at. As much as the exhibit is about my work it’s also about a certain time in comics which I hope is represented as well.
Was there a particular piece that you had forgotten about or rediscovered due to this process?
Janson: Not in any dramatic sense. I never discovered a Jack Kirby piece I didn’t remember, for instance. But I did have different reactions to the work itself. Some of my favorite inking, as an example, was on projects that didn’t have super-heroes in them, like Gordon of Gotham which I inked over Dick Giordano, or Kull the Conqueror over John Buscema.
2026 marks the 40th Anniversary of Dark Knight Returns. Did you and Frank have any idea at the time the type of impact and relevance that it would have forty years later?
Janson: I certainly did not have any idea of the long shadow that DKR would cast and I don’t really know of anyone who was psychic enough to see that back then. We kind of’ had an inkling after the first issue was released that something out of the ordinary was happening and that the reaction was positive but no one could have seen the longevity or influence that followed. Many years later I was told that DKR was the first book that went to a second printing. Can you imagine?
Before Dark Knight, you spent a long time on Daredevil, again collaborating with Frank Miller. How did your work on Daredevil pave the way for Dark Knight and what memories do you have of your run on Daredevil at the time (who was not the well-established character that we know him as today)?
Janson: Daredevil was a training ground for me and I’m very grateful for that. I think of where I was as an artist when I started inking DD and where I ended my run by penciling, inking and coloring the book. I was happy with the progress I made as an artist.
And you’re right that DD was not the phenomenon that it later became. It was bi-monthly and close to being canceled. In that context, the higher-ups left us alone to do what we wanted. And it was that freedom that allowed Frank and I to work as a team and push the boundaries of storytelling a bit, which is something that we were both interested in doing. I loved working on Daredevil, I loved the characters and setting and I love the result.
You have taught sequential storytelling at the School of Visual Arts in New York City for many years now. What advice would you give to a young artist today that was looking to become a comic artist?
Janson: Obviously the skill set that a young artist must have is an understanding of the theories and rules of storytelling and an ability to draw well enough to create a believable world that the audience can relate to. Having said that, I’ve seen students walk in without any knowledge or expertise and pick up both within two semesters. It is possible and doable but it’s also very rare. Most students struggle greatly. But I’ve come to realize that is not the total story. It’s possible to understand the concepts behind storytelling and have the ability to draw and still fail.
The determinative factor, and I’ve seen this to be proven every single time without exception, is the personality of the individual. If you don’t like solving problems, if you don’t have ambition and perseverance, if you can’t take criticism, if you don’t understand what your blind spots are, if you are not self aware, if you lack curiosity, then this career is not for you. It’s possible that someone like that can get in but, again, without exception, they will be weaned out quickly by their own shortcomings. Being an artist is an extraordinary life but it requires being authentic, curious and self-aware and not everyone can handle that.
And btw, that’s okay!
Is there one particular piece (or two) that you are especially excited to share with fans at the exhibit?
Janson: All of the work in the exhibit has never been seen “live” so to speak. The public has seen reproductions or the published page, but not in person in its original state. I think the one to one experience is informative and unique. The viewer can see the brush strokes and the white paint and how certain effects are done and that allows the viewer to have a personal connection to the art which is unique to them and that moment. Some of the Daredevil pages which the public may be most familiar with, I think will surprise because they’ve never been seen in public.
Ultimately, I hope the audience that attends the exhibit has some growing appreciation for the medium of sequential narrative, enjoy themselves and have some fun!
The Klaus Janson Exhibition will be open to the public from Friday, March 6 until Saturday, April 11. The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm.
