Fans of the recent TV adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens need to see Sean Phillips’ art for the 2014 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the beloved novel. The art shows the radio play’s cast in their roles, painting a totally different picture of these beloved characters than fans know from the Amazon adaptation, where David Tennant & Michael Sheen play Crowley and Aziraphale. With a new graphic novel adaptation on the way, Phillips’ art sets a high bar.
Shared on The Art of Sean Phillips blog, the art shows various actors in the guises of their characters. In the most surprising difference for fans of the Amazon show, Peter Serafinowicz – who has starred as everything from John Wick‘s Sommelier to a member of the MCU’s Nova Corps to the voice of Star Wars‘ Darth Maul – is the demonic Crowley, and Mark Heap (Brass Eye, Green Wing, The World’s End) is his angelic ally Aziraphale. Sean Phillips is the award-winning comic artist behind hits such as Criminal, The Fade Out, and new original graphic novel Night Fever with frequent collaborator Ed Brubaker. Enjoy the six images shared by Phillips, below:
Original Good Omens Cast Offer a Very Different Vision
As well as Crowley and Aziraphale, the images show: Adam Thomas Wright, Bobby Fuller, Hollie Burgess and Lewis Andrews as the Them, along with Clive Russell’s Shadwell and Julia Deakin’s Madame Tracy; Charlotte Ritchie and Colin Morgan as Anathema Device and Newton Pulsifer; Wright alone as Adam Young with the hellhound Dog; Paterson Joseph, Jim Norton, Rachael Stirling, and Harry Lloyd as the Four Riders of the Apocalypse; and Norton alone as Death. Fans of UK television will recognize several alumni from Edgar Wright’s Spaced, as well as Morgan as Merlin‘s titular wizard and Charlotte Ritchie from Ghosts (and the most recent season of Netflix hit You).
First published in 1990, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch is a beloved comedy novel about a Biblical Apocalypse caused by the birth of the Antichrist who – due to a mishap by Satanist nuns – is sent to live in the English countryside, untroubled by either Heaven or Hell’s attempts to win his allegiance. The recent Amazon adaptation told the book’s story in season 1, and then added new elements for season 2, under the guidance of co-writer Neil Gaiman. David Tennant and Michael Sheen’s portrayals of Crowley and Aziraphale have been particularly celebrated, with their friendship evolving into a romance in the extended story.
Good Omens’ Next Adaptation is a Graphic Novel
While the radio adaptation was broadcast in 2014, it remains a fantastic take on Good Omens. However, fans looking for yet another way to enjoy this beloved story can also look forward to the upcoming Good Omens graphic novel, adapted by Colleen Doran – a tried and tested comic collaborator of Gaiman’s. The project was funded via Kickstarter, receiving almost ten times its target funding and setting a new record for comic projects on the site.
For fans who enjoyed the book on its original release, it’s hard to believe how big the franchise has suddenly become, however it never really went away. As Sean Phillips’ amazing art proves, fans have always kept Good Omens alive, and the upcoming comic is just the latest retelling of Gaiman and Pratchett’s work of comedy genius.
