Dark Work
Keith Minnion
SST Publications
May 1st, 2014, $35.95 (Hard Cover)
Reviewed by Sheri White
Back in the early 1990s, I discovered a fantastic magazine called Cemetery Dance. I was ready to broaden my horror reading horizons after spending my high school years reading mostly King and Koontz. And they were excellent of course, especially at that time, but I wanted more. Finding CD was perfect for encountering new horror writers.
One thing I absolutely loved that didn’t happen in mainstream novels – illustrations. I hadn’t really seen much horror art at the time, so I was blown away by the artistic talent in those pages. One artist’s name I kept noticing, and became a big fan of – Keith Minnion. According to the index on his website, Keith’s first piece of artwork for the magazine was in Fall 1992. I looked back through my collection of CD magazines, and unfortunately I don’t have that issue. However, I do have many issues after that with his work. It would be impossible to pick a favorite, but looking through them, his talent consistently shines through.
In addition to Cemetery Dance, Keith has illustrated many other magazines and books. Quite a few are sitting on my bookshelves. One unforgettable night, while I was attending a horror writers’ convention in Rhode Island, I was sitting at a table outside under the stars, when the man sitting next to me introduced himself. It was Keith, of course, and I was thrilled. He is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and a lot of fun to hang out with.
Recently, SST Publications published a retrospective of Keith’s art called Dark Work. And while it doesn’t include everything he’s done (no way it could), it’s a great representation of his amazing talent. Some of his CD work is here, and I recognized many of my favorites. There are also book illustrations, and even some unpublished works.
Dark Work is the perfection addition to any horror lover’s book shelf. And if you aren’t familiar with Keith Minnion’s art, there would be no better way to discover this fantastic artist.
