There are terrible events that change our lives in a radical way. Decisive moments that overturn the fate of existence making us take roads that we never thought we would have traveled.

The life of James O’Barr, American comic and graphic artist, author of the comic book “The Crow” made famous by the film starring Brandon Lee, has been a life – especially in his youth – full of difficulties.

Orphan of father and mother, he was born in Detroit in 1960 where until the age of seven he grew up in an orphanage and during the school period he studied Renaissance sculpture and photography. In 1978 his life changes definitely, just because of those terrible events we talked about at the beginning of our story, in a car accident, caused by a drunk driver, his girlfriend Beverly is killed.
This tragedy will mark him forever. Shortly afterwards, he enlists as a volunteer in the Marine Corps to try to assuage the pain and suffering and, during his conscription period in Germany, he illustrates combat manuals for the Marines.

It was in Berlin in 1981 that he began work on “The Crow”, a kind of dreamlike, dark, fantasy representation of his personal tragedy experienced three years earlier. The final inspiration came when in his hometown of Detroit, two boyfriends were murdered for a $20 ring.

The comic book story, written and illustrated by O’Barr, that came out of it – with clear references to Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Rimbaud, The Cure and Joy Division – was an impressive success, both in terms of criticism and in terms of sales with 750,000 copies sold and from which was taken the famous homonymous movie in which Brandon Lee lost his life in an absurd accident during filming. 

“The Crow was born of my pain and tragedies. If it can help people through theirs, I’m glad to have done so. The heart of The Crow has always been the same: Pain and grief, no matter how bad, are temporary. Love is forever”.

American skate brand Supreme pays tribute to the American artist with a capsule collection through iconic scenes from the comic, using them as graphics on items that will be released on Thursday. 
A Schott® Perfecto leather jacket, a workwear jacket, a sweater, a shirt, a long sleeve two hoodie, jeans, a pair of cargo pants and two T-Shirts are the elements that make up the collection. To complete the capsule we find a skateboard and figures 100% and 1000% MEDICOM TOY KUBRICK. 

The Crow x Supreme collaboration will be released through the New York-based brand’s online shop on September 16 at 11 a.m.