I first tuned into Dave McKean through his amazing covers for Neil Gaiman's Sandman comix series . . . and this is only a part of his unique and haunting illustration style.

His love for both old movies and old movie posters has resulted in the following cinema/design/illustration event, coming up in Chicago.

According to hosts Century Guild: Century Guild brings legendary multi-media artist Dave McKean to America for an extremely special and extremely limited engagement, presented at the historic Portage Theatre in Chicago! "Nitrate and Kinogeists" will display both Century Guild's inventory of historically significant and undeniably beautiful silent film posters, most of which have been lost and unseen by the public before now, as well as McKean's latest paintings from his haunting current body of work, Nitrate, inspired by the silent era of cinema.

The two-day event features screenings of silent films that have inspired McKean, live performers, and other special surprises to be revealed. Friday the 17th begins with an artist's reception at 6pm and concludes with a showing of F.W. Murnau's 1926 Gothic masterpiece, Faust at 9pm. On Saturday, there will be a special screening at 9pm of Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman's feature film for the Jim Henson Company MirrorMask with McKean himself introducing. McKean's rarely seen short films will precede.