The Vault of Michael Allred


Without any doubt, my favorite comic book creator has always been Michael Allred. In the early 90s, when I was doing my best to get into comic books thanks to various friend and family influences, I gravitated toward the X-Men and Wolverine stuff as programmed. I enjoyed it, and it satisfied whatever entertainment craving I had at the time. But the first time I remember really getting excited – feeling like there was some kind of bottled-up comics energy that I had yet to even realize might exist – was when I saw a brief write-up, sidebar or something in Wizard Magazine about Madman.

I’m sure all I need was one drawing. Absolutely every bit of promo art I’ve ever seen for Madman is like some kind of hologram or piece of the Fibonacci sequence – you may have never read a page of the book, but you can deduce everything about the whole from that oen image. The energy, the humor, the innocence, the depth, the tone, the beauty – everything about Madman is evident from those beautifully crafted lines.

That’s exactly how that first exposure was. I don’t remember the context of it. I only assume it was from Wizard because that was really the only way I found out about comics that weren’t at the Auburn drugstore. I just know that as soon as I became aware of Madman via that first image, I knew I wanted to read it and I knew I would love it.

Over the years, I picked up whatever Madman series, trades and specials I could find as they came out. I made a friend my first year in college because here was some kid with an exclamation lightning bolt t-shirt. Eventually the stream of Madman comics dissipated, along with my interest in comics. The two weren’t exactly related, but that joy that came from Allred’s work was no longer present on the comics stand, either directly or indirectly.

When I wanted to get back into comics, the fact that he was illustrating X-Force had a huge impact on making it stick. It wasn’t Madman, but it was great to see new Allred work each month. I was, at that point, beginning the professional career as an editorial cartoonist, and even though the two realms are very different, the motion and honest emotion in Allred’s work was always refreshing.

I guess it’s only fitting that this ends up being somewhat autobiographical, because the reason it’s even on my mind is because I picked up The Vault of Michael Allred: Number 1 this week. It’s a collection of sketches, clippings, interviews, covers, and best of all, narration by Allred himself. Described on the inside as “what may appear to be a crazily indulgent project on the surface,” the book is essentially a print documentary of Allred’s career and development in comics.

He goes on to say that he’s “trying to provide the kind of access and insight that [he] would like to have of the artists who inspire and excite him.” So he’s basically hoping for exactly what he’s given me.

If there’s one criticism I have of Allred lately, it’s that there seems to be more reflective anthology material coming out than actual stories, and I love the guy for the stories. My memory might just be messing with me, but it seems like there’s all sorts of Madman gallery books and stuff that have come out the last few years, when I’d much rather have a Madman story.

Regardless, this collection is a fun read and a treat to look at. This collection of clippings and old photos manages to be just as aesthetically pleasing and exciting as a page from one of his comics. Allred’s narrator voice is basically that of Frank Einstein, with every bit of innocence and joy bursting forth from the words. This is a book of reflection from someone who seems to truly love his “job” and seems to be thrilled to death to be in a position to even be able to take on a project like this. There’s none of the pomposity or pretension you often find in comics creators’ self-reflections, particularly creators who have been bestowed with any kind of industry prestige. Pretty much every nice thing imaginable has been said about Madman and Allred’s work, yet his narration is packed with humility.

I’m a sucker for interview books and reporting on creators’ paths and processes, and this has got to be one of the best. Congratulations to Allred for putting together something so good, and for being so deserving of such a career retrospective.