Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
9 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 Embarking on HBO's limited series The Penguin was both invigorating and a little terrifying. The biggest challenge was that the story was set in the direct aftermath of The Batman finale, brilliantly designed by James Chinlund in the UK. To my relief, showrunner Lauren LeFranc and creative producer Matt Reeves wanted to shoot the series in New York City and focus on neighborhoods not portrayed in the film, such as the poor people's Eastside and Crown Point, Midtown's Diamond District, and the rich neighborhood of Bristol Township outside of Gotham. We all agreed that the Production Design should be rooted in reality with elevated visuals. I decided that the look I needed to originate would be somewhere between myth and reality. The story centers on Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin, and his rise from lowlife to highlife. It was a classic tale set against the backdrop of a collapsing and corrupt city, where mobsters schemed and killed. I approached the Penguin's character as if he was Richard III—fueled by personal discontent and driven by a lust for power. It was important to portray Oz as living in the shadows, which allowed me to develop a specific architectural vernacular of places under the elevated subway, B e t w e e n M y t h a n d R e a l i t y D E S I G N I N G T H E P E N G U I N B Y K A L I N A I VA N O V, P R O D U C T I O N D E S I G N E R A