The Crow is a comic book series by American artist and author James O’Barr. The story is set in O’Barr’s native Detroit, where young couple Eric and Shelly are brutally murdered by a street gang. One year after his death, Eric — guided by a mystical crow — rises from the grave to seek revenge and reflect on love lost. In both style and content, The Crow is shaped by dark romance: from Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Rimbaud to The Cure, Joy Division, and Bauhaus’s Peter Murphy. “O'Barr's stark black and white drawings and poetic dialogue create a mood which is at once morbid and humorous,” wrote artist Dike Blair in a 1994 interview with O’Barr. “The combination of a ‘no one else has ever felt pain like this’ sentiment with rock 'n roll lyrics and comic images creates a perfectly American, dark celebration of adolescence.”
O’Barr began work on The Crow in the early 1981, while stationed in Berlin with the Marine Corps. Prior to enlisting, at 18-years-old, O’Barr experienced his own fiancé’s tragic death at the hands of a drunk driver. The Crow became a means of processing his anger and anguish, and O’Barr continued to work on the project following his return to Detroit. In 1989, Caliber Press published The Crow’s first four volumes: Despair, Irony, Fear and Pain. A collected edition featuring the fifth and final installment, Death, was published in 1992. Between publishers Kitchen Sink Press and Simon & Schuster, The Crow has since sold more than a million copies worldwide. In 1994, The Crow was adapted into a film featuring Brandon Lee.
“The Crow was born of my pain and tragedies. If it can help people through theirs, I’m glad to have done so,” said O’Barr. “The heart of The Crow has always been the same: Pain and grief, no matter how bad, are temporary. Love is forever.”
This fall, Supreme will release a collection featuring original artwork from The Crow. The collection consists of a Schott® Perfecto Jacket, Work Jacket, Sweater, Shirt, L/S Top, two Hooded Sweatshirts, Jean, Cargo Pant, two T-Shirts, Skateboard and two KUBRICK figures.
Available September 16th.
Available in Japan September 18th.
*KUBRICK 100% and 1000% available at a later date