These are a few of the sketches that were inspired by the release of crime noir classic “Fast One” (Black Mask, 1932) by Paul Cain. I read the novel in Madrid in 1991 and found the graphic novel illustrated by Geoff Grandfield (No Exit Press, 1991) in London a few months later. 

These drawings were created using candle wax and india ink, materials I’d never mixed before. I drew an invisible sketch with white wax on white paper, then applied the ink to render the image in harsh tones. It was a swift and exciting experiment that lived up to the title.

See review (above) of the novel in “The Noir Thriller” By L. Horsley.