DEVILENGINE: THE COLLECTED WORKS OF CHAD MICHAEL WARD

Author and Artist: Chad Michael Ward

Published by: NBM Publishing

(2007)

ISBN-10: 1561635006

ISBN-13: 978-1561635009

reviewed by G. Galuschak

9/24/09

Chad Michael Ward is an L.A. based artist who specializes in horror, erotica and dark fantasy; published works include DVD sleeves, album art and magazine photography. DevilEngine is his third book. It is divided into five parts: illustration, character design, album art, DVD sleeve design and photography. The imagery, which is designed to appeal to as many paraphilias as possible, includes:

• Topless women with wings, esp. butterfly wings
• Blood, smeared over human skin
• Breasts, esp. bloody breasts
• Brain extractions
• Belly buttons, esp. pierced belly buttons
• Halos
• Vampire teeth
• Claws
• Gas masks
• Goths
• Fiery heads
• Amputations
• Tattoos
• Scars

Mr. Ward is quite good at mixing and matching. Thus we have a model with vampire teeth baring her bloody breasts; a woman with butterfly wings and halo clutching her scarred bosom; a naked lady in a gas mask displaying the amputated stumps of her legs. However: the best section of DevilEngine is the DVD sleeves. Having seen a number of the films in question, I can confidently state that Mr. Ward’s sleeves took more time and effort to produce than the movies they advertise.

Mr. Ward’s art is digitally produced; his medium is computer programs rather than paint and pencil (the models are real). He mixes religious iconography, horror imagery and cheesecake (most of the models are female). The images contained in DevilEngine would be considered quite shocking thirty years ago, and this book would most likely have garnered an X-rating. Today, this is the sort of thing one can find at any good science fiction or horror convention. Still, the imagery contained in DevilEngine is extremely well-done and will appeal to fans of horror and dark erotica.

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reviewed by Jordan M. Bobé

07.05.2010

A collection of horror-related photos? Seriously? How is that going to work?

                It works incredibly, almost eerily. In fact, Chad Michael Ward may be possessed by a demon. It works that well. The artwork is creepy, beautiful and incredibly well shot. You can feel a story in each of the stills. I was literally enthralled, staring at each photo at length.

                Some of the best work in the collection is “Ghost in the Machine”, “Breather”, and an untitled photo featuring Cenopussy, but each and every photo will draw you in.

                I highly recommend this collection.