| Rafael Kayanan | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 13, 1962 Manila |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Penciller, Inker |
| Official website | |
Rafael Kayanan (born September 13, 1962, Manila) is a Filipino-born naturalised American comic book artist and Filipino Martial Arts master in the Sayoc Kali system.
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Since 1983, Kayanan has illustrated for every major comic book publisher. His most notable work has been on Marvel Comics' Conan, Acclaim Comics' Turok and DC Comics' Firestorm. He also inked the Eisner-nominated series Chiaroscuro: The Life and Times of Leonardo Da Vinci for Vertigo Comics.
Kayanan has illustrated and developed concept designs for comic book, film and game companies.[1] During the late 1990s, he was the creator and art director for Cross Plains Comics featuring the Pulp magazine characters created by Robert E. Howard. Kayanan also developed concept designs for Nintendo's hugely popular Turok: Dinosaur Hunter II video game. He currently continues to do work for Topps Cards on licenses such as Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.
Other titles he has worked on include: Conan, Spider-Man, Elektra, Star Wars, R. A. Salvatore's Drizzt, Magic: The Gathering, Turok, Firestorm and Batman.[2]
Kayanan's art is known for its rapid tempo, storytelling pace and layered depth. Much thought is evident in the choreography of dynamic action on every page. His slick and precise usage of shadows to define anatomy and emotion is as proficient as any of the longtime masters of the craft.[3]
Kayanan is also a master-level edged weapons (knife, sword, tomahawk) expert and instructor in Sayoc Kali. This rare combination of a visual and martial artist, has led to projects which utilize both skills to illustrate fight storyboards for a film. Kayanan choreographed and trained the actors, in William Friedkin's The Hunted, starring Benicio del Toro and Tommy Lee Jones.[4] He also trained actor Sam Rockwell for director George Clooney's film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. Kayanan was a development artist, fight trainer and weapons consultant for Paramount Pictures adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars.
Additional comic book work can be found in issue 39 of Dark Horse Comics' Conan, Annihilation,[5] and Drizzt, Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons from Devil's Due Publishing.
Rafael Kayanan was a set illustrator and story board artist for the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway show, directed by Julie Taymor with music created by Bono and the Edge.
Most recently, Kayanan worked on concept illustration for the films Immortals.[6][7]and The Brother's Grimm, Snow White both directed by Tarsem Singh from Relativity Media and the related graphic novel anthology Immortals: Gods and Heroes published by Archaia.
| Preceded by Joe Bennett |
The Amazing Spider-Man artist 1998–1999 |
Succeeded by John Byrne |