'The Return of the Thin White Duke' - Amano's tribute to David Bowie
On Sunday, January 10th, the world suffered a terrible loss. Choosing the words to describe how powerful David Bowie’s presence was in the artistic world, is difficult. At least to me. Which is why I’ll use these paintings to illustrate what I’m talking about. Because Bowie influenced more than music, and these pictures are one of the things that connect Bowie to Final Fantasy.
Yoshitaka Amano needs no introduction. A world-renowned artist with a distinct style, he is famous for combining elements of art nouveau and traditional Japanese woodblock prints. In our circle, he is known as the Final Fantasy artist. He has served as the lead character designer for Final Fantasies I through VI. Of note is the design of the Emperor from Final Fantasy II, who is explicitly modeled after Bowie’s portrayal of Gareth the Goblin King.
Back in 2004, Amano collaborated with Neil Gaiman on a story called ‘Return of the Thin White Duke’. This was not the first time when the two joined forces, but it is strange that this partnership does not happen more often, as Amano’s style and Gaiman’s writing seem to have been made for each other. The sci-fi story is set in a futuristic New York, featuring Bowie’s 1976 persona – the titular Thin White Duke, alongside his wife, Iman. Take a look at some of the artwork from the story and if you’re interested in reading it, it is available as part of a collection on Amazon.
It’s comforting, really. While he was alive, Bowie was one of those people you thought would never die. But even now, after he actually lost his fight with cancer, he still has a presence. His music is the greatest part of his legacy, of course, but it’s just amazing when you consider how many artists one artist can inspire. Thanks to that, Bowie will live on in our collective consciousness not only through his music, but also through the art of others, including the one and only Yoshitaka Amano.
