Just in time for the 40th Anniversary of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, The Exhibit Will Feature Over 100 Pieces with Work From Janson’s Groundbreaking Runs on Batman, Daredevil, Thor, and More!
This March, New York’s Philippe Labaune Gallery will present a career-spanning exhibition of artwork by Eisner and Harvey Award-winning artist Klaus Janson, one of the most influential figures in American comic art and a defining force in the medium for more than five decades. Known for his iconic Batman and Daredevil art, Janson is one of the most important and influential comic artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Featuring over 100 pieces of stunning artwork including collaborations with Janson’s fellow comic legends Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., John and Sal Buscema, Dick Giordano, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gil Kane, and Gene Colan, and more, the exhibit at the Philippe Labaune Gallery is a beautiful survey of the artist’s groundbreaking career.
“Through this survey, Klaus Janson emerges as a singular figure whose adaptability, sensitivity, and understanding have permanently expanded what comics can achieve,” says Philippe Labaune. “His ability to work as a penciler, inker, colorist, writer, and teacher demonstrates the depth and range of his contributions to the medium and underscores why this exhibition is so significant. The exhibition celebrates a life in comics, offering a rare and considered perspective on the medium, and honoring an artist whose work has defined the visual and emotional language of American comics for generations.”
Through his deep engagement with penciling, inking, coloring, and writing, Janson has developed a comprehensive understanding of visual storytelling, from conception to execution, and from the mind of the creator to the eyes of the audience. Moving fluidly among these disciplines, he observes,“Everything on a page is connected to everything else. No decisions are arbitrary. Everything is conscious and deliberate.”
“Though his career encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, it was through inking that Janson first established both his livelihood and his artistic identity,” adds Labaune. “The goals of inking overlap directly with those of penciling, clarity, depth, rhythm, drama, and continuity are interwoven between the two disciplines.”
As Janson explains,“The reader should never have to decide what the story is. That’s the job of the storyteller.” Each line, shadow, and compositional decision, when deliberate and thoughtful, guides the reader’s eye across the page and toward the focal point of each panel. Together, penciling and inking work toward a unified purpose: to produce an understandable, emotionally resonant, and compelling narrative.
Working with both traditional and digital tools, what distinguishes Janson’s practice is not only technical mastery, but an exceptional ability to collaborate with artists of widely varying stylistic approaches, including Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., John and Sal Buscema, Dick Giordano, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gil Kane, and Gene Colan, among others. Janson approaches each collaboration by carefully studying the pencils before applying ink.“I try to figure out what the intent of the penciler is, what he wants, and then I try to figure out what they actually need to get there.” This capacity to intervene without overpowering, to clarify while preserving the individuality of the original drawing, defines his approach and underscores his sensitivity as a collaborator.
In addition to his work as an inker, Janson has penciled stories written by some of the most significant voices in contemporary comics. Collaborations with writers such as Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Denny O’Neil, Matt Kindt, Jeph Loeb and Brian Michael Bendis have resulted in projects that continue to occupy shelf space in comic book shops decades after their publication. His partnership with Frank Miller on Daredevil remains one of the most consequential collaborations in comics history. Their process was rooted in sustained dialogue and marked by mutual trust and confidence.“One thing that’s missing in comics today is the ability to sit and talk face to face, learning from each other,” Janson reflects.“Frank and I would often discuss and review what we were doing on our work together.” That exchange, technical, conversational, and iterative, helped define the visual language of a generation.
Equally significant is Janson’s role as an educator. Through decades of teaching and mentorship, he has shaped generations of storytellers, emphasizing not only the technical foundations of the medium, but also the personal discipline and qualities required to sustain a life of creativity.“I didn’t realize until I stood in front of a classroom how much I didn’t know. There’s no doubt that teaching made me a better artist.”
Central to Janson’s philosophy is the belief that stories must carry emotional weight. Influenced by impressionism and expressionism, he seeks to embed feeling into every element of a page.“I try to reveal some information in a visual way that is not in the text. The stories that interest me all share a common theme: family, relationships, and the choices we all make everyday in our lives” This approach gives his work its distinctive resonance, imbuing objects, environments, and figures with meaning that suggests psychological and emotional depth beyond the written narrative.
The Klaus Janson Exhibition will be open to the public from Friday March 6th until Saturday April 11th. There will be an opening reception on March 5th from 6 PM to 9 PM.
The Philippe Labaune gallery is located at 534 West 24th Street in New York and is open from Thursday through Saturday, from 10am to 6pm. The roots of Philippe Labaune Gallery have a strong European influence: among the artists are esteemed creators such as Lorenzo Mattotti, Nicolas de Crécy, Guido Crepax, Dave Mckean or François Schuiten. In recent years, American artists such as Landis Blair, Rebecca Leveille Guay, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, and Peter de Sève have helped Philippe Labaune Gallery to foster a community of overlapping art collectors and comic fans from all over the world.