Jim Mahfood — Alien Visions
Alien (1979) Book Commission, 2015, Unpublished
Alien remains one of the all time great films in two genres — horror and SF — an opinion that reinforces itself on every viewing. I rewatched it a few days ago, and wow, does it hold up. It’s brilliant on so many different levels, and virtually a one-film marketing campaign for why modern CGI is more often a detriment than not to quality filmmaking.
It’s also a great summer film. Like space itself, it’s often cold and dark. If it doesn’t give you more than a few chills to cool down your evening, perhaps nothing will.
Summer movies? It doesn’t feel like summer without them. This will be the first May I haven’t been to a theater since at least 1977, when I repeatedly drove from Atlantic Beach to Mann’s in Hicksville (not kidding) Long Island, on a freshly minted driver’s license, to see Star Wars multiple times.
I’ve also seen Alien and its first sequel (Aliens), many times. As for the others in the franchise, I’ve yet to see one I’ve liked well enough to watch more than once. I’m downright hostile to the opening of Alien 3, and most of the rest of it, too.
Jim Mahfood has fun with Sigourney Weaver and her “conquest” in this great unpublished piece for a book featuring multiple Alien “visions” subsequently cancelled (or on INDEFINITE hold) from publisher Udon.
I’m a big fan of Mahfood’s uniquely imaginative takes. We were fortunate to publish three books of his art at IDW, and a few more of his originals will likely pop up on the blog in the near future.
Alien premiered in the US on May 25, 1979.
