Creepy #117 Cover 1980

Ken Kelly made this painting, ‘Creepy #117 Cover,’ for a magazine with who-knows-when in mind. It's a cover, so it's meant to grab you, pull you in, like a monster from a dream. Kelly's got this way of using paint, all thick and juicy, especially on the figure’s torso. It’s not just about muscles, it's about texture, the feel of skin, the drama of light hitting form. Look at how the light falls, almost theatrical, creating this sense of depth and shadow, like a stage set. The bats are cool. This painting reminds me of Frazetta, maybe? Both were masters of this fantasy, pulp aesthetic. It’s about raw power and primal energy, embracing a kind of wild abandon. It isn’t too precious and feels like an embrace of a more ambiguous and open-ended creative process.