Richard Sala’s rare, long out-of-print self-published comic took him to the pages of Raw and from there to MTV, where the creation of “Invisible Hands” for MTV’s Liquid Television secured him a place among our finest creators of idiosyncratic comics and art.
When Richard Sala passed away in 2020, he left behind a uniquely eldritch body of graphic novels and illustrations, fueled by macabre whimsy and a love of dark mysteries and vintage monsters. Like David Lynch, Sala was a painter who turned to a storytelling medium that allowed him to create inventive narratives inspired by such disparate influences as French crime fiction, the grim humor of Charles Addams, the surreal poetry of Jorge Luis Borges, and his own penchant for all things gleefully ghoulish and sinister.

Originally self-published in an edition of 500 copies in 1984, Night Drive signaled the creative emergence of a singular talent finding his footing with the surety of an artist equipped with the innate mastery of his craft and vision. Edited by longtime Sala friend Dana Marie Andra (Web of Horror) and designed by Sala’s friend and fellow cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Monica, Ghost World), this graphic novella is rounded out with rare artwork, interviews with Sala about the book, and an essay by Andra.

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Praise

"A sublimely nutty mashup of detective noir and Victorian Gothic, Pinter plays, Universal monster and the hero pulps, all blasted straight from his id to ours." — Tom DeHaven

"Night Drive is a treasure you won't believe! Richard Sala's stylized, personal vision makes for thrilling, masterful work. Poetry in pen and ink, each page is visual pleasure packed with intrigue. So glad to see this work back in print for all to discover and enjoy." — Carol Tyler

"Richard Sala was wonderfully unique. It was all there in everything he did, his love of old monster movies, the pulps, mystery and horror in general — the good stuff and the terrible — wore it all like a badge of honor and did wonderful things with it. I miss him." — Mike Mignola

"Do you like whimsical horror with a touch of the macabre? Well, Fantagraphics has you covered with Night Drive." — CNEWS

"A creepy gem of pulp noir." — Cinema Sentries