It’s going to be a Phono+Graphic Barnaby

Phono+Graphic: Discover the other artists behind the music as record sleeves – including Bowie and Hendrix – designed by comic artists are exhibited for Barnaby 2016

Cartoonist Robert Crumb, Gorillaz creator Jamie Hewlett and Judge Dredd artist Brian Bolland are just some of the graphic artists to have designed artwork for record sleeves and now their work will be on show in a new, free exhibition in Macclesfield.

Part of the Barnaby Festival 2016, Phono+Graphic will explore the work of comic artists who have created artwork for vinyl.

Curated by internationally renowned comic artist Sean Phillips, for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in 2015 and now generously on loan to Barnaby Festival, Sean has selected classic and contemporary record sleeves with the only criteria being that the design work has had to feature on 12inch vinyl.

Sean said: “I was surprised to discover covers that I had no idea had been drawn by comic artists. David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs had a painted cover by Guy Peelaert who amongst other things was a comic artist. I hadn’t really come across him as he stopped in the 1960s.”

Other album artwork includes John Cale’s Circus Live by Dave McKean, Iggy Pop’s Brick by Brick by American cartoonist Charles Burns and Johnny Cash’s album Everybody Loves a Nut with artwork by American cartoonist Jack Davis.

The oldest picture in the exhibition is a French, spoken-word album of a Tintin book.

Sean said: “The original picture was drawn by Herge in the 1930s but I think the record is from the 1950s.

“He’s one of the greatest European cartoonists ever, and everybody knows who Tintin is, so I’d be daft not to include it.”

American cartoonist Robert Crumb has one of the oldest entries with his 1968 work for Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company. The exhibition also includes another of his covers from 2008 for Eden and John’s East River String Band.

“He has designed a lot of record sleeves but Cheap Thrills has been parodied a lot and is well known.”

Jamie Hewlett known by many as the co-creator of The Gorillaz, the virtual band created with Damon Albarn has also designed album artwork for bands including The Senseless Things. His design for First of Too Many as well as Gorillaz will be on display at the exhibition.

Manchester band Elbow is also included with their albums The Seldom Seen Kid and Build a Rocket Boys with artwork by Manchester based Oliver East. Oliver will be appearing at Macc-Pow Macclesfield’s, first mini, yet mighty comic convention.

Sean himself is no stranger to creating artwork for bands and his album covers for The Men They Couldn’t Hang (The Domino Club) and Stereo MCs (Supernatural) will also be on display.

Sean said: “I got approached from the Stereo MCs label as their art director was a comic fan and he’d seen my work in 2000AD at the time.

“The Stereo MCs wanted a 60s psychedelic feel to their artwork. They mentioned a particular Jimi Hendrix record cover they liked the look of– they wanted that kind of look.”

Karl Wallace, Barnaby Festival Director, said: “We’re really pleased to have the exhibition which has come especially from the Lakes International Comic Art Festival to us at Barnaby. I think that the work will be hugely popular in Macclesfield, especially with its rich music heritage and home to one of the most iconic music sleeves of our time – Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division.”

The exhibition will feature framed images of 12inch vinyl sleeve art.

Sean Phillips will also be attending Macc Pow, Macclesfield’s mini yet mighty comic convention, which is free, on Saturday June 25 at the Heritage Centre.

Phono+Graphic runs from June 17 to 26 in Macclesfield at Amuse Café on Chestergate.