If you have the "Dreams and Nightmares Issue" of Revolver — which features King Diamond and Myrkur across its two collectible covers — then you've seen the marvelous ink/pencil on paper art piece by Manuel Tinnemans/Comaworx on the last page of the magazine. According to Tinnemans, the original, commissioned piece was inspired by Mercyful Fate's "Black Funeral" and King Diamond's "The Possession" and "Omens."
The acclaimed artist is known throughout the extreme-music community for his artwork for bands including Deathspell Omega, Portal, Necrophagia and more.
His tribute to the heavy-metal legend is available in Revolver's shop as a collectible 18 x 24" three-layer screen print, printed by Burlesque of North America on Chromolux metallic silver paper. Limited to 150, each one is hand numbed and signed by the artist.
Below, Tinnemans explains the meaning behind his stunning piece and shares a work-in-progress sketch as well as inspiration for the piece. Plus, check out some behind-the-scenes photos from Burlesque of the screen printing.
YOUR KING DIAMOND TRIBUTE TAKES INSPIRATION FROM MERCYFUL FATE'S "BLACK FUNERAL" AND KING DIAMOND'S "THE POSSESSION" AND "OMENS." WHY THOSE SONGS SPECIFICALLY?
MANUEL TINNEMANS Those songs are my favorite songs and kind of embody the best of both King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. I'm aware those are not the best songs both bands have ever written, yet both are always the first that come to mind. And they come from the best albums of both bands in my opinion [Melissa and Abigail, respectively].
YOU WERE ALSO INSPIRED BY A "DEATH MASK" SCULPTURE THAT YOU SAW IN A MUSEUM. WHY WERE YOU DRAWN TO IT?
The sculpture was a celebration of life through death — one cannot exist without the other, and vice versa. I don't know who the artist is. I loved the contrast of the wood and skull; yet both beautiful materials as they are: the human-made sculpture and the nature-made skull.
IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SCULPTURE AND KING'S SONGS?
It's basically what I tried to convey in the drawing — it holds images from the past, yet still vivid and dealing with death as subject matter.
