The Tale of One Bad Rat; #3 'Country' (1994) p1

"Twenty-three?"

Redemptive image of Helen, on the first page of the third issue of Bryan's ground-breaking The Tale of One Bad Rat. Originally planned as an homage to Beatrix Potter and the Lake district, the artist's research lead to a clear and compassionate tale of a homeless young woman's journey to confront a childhood of abuse.

Bryan developed a new style for this series, basing each character on the image of a real person. Helen's image is of a family friend, Kate Housden. This new, more controlled style, IMHO, contributed much to the continued success of Bryan's work today, including his change to working exclusively on his own non-genre, creator-owned stories.

Pencil and pen on thin paper
Page 12" X 16.5"
Image 9" X 14"

Thank you to James for facilitating the sale!