Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1529668
T H E P E N G U I N | P E R S P E C T I V E 9 7 road underpasses, tunnels, and arches of every shape and form. The dramatic silhouettes cast by overpasses reminded me of comic book illustrations with their high contrast, and we considered every elevated subway track in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. My first design objective was to create the look of post-flood Gotham. Having landed in New York City in 1979, I saw with my own eyes the darkest, bleakest years of urban decay. I wanted to conjure a hellscape of debris, broken cars and mud of biblical proportions. Location manager Keith Adams and I spent many hours looking for an interesting cluster of streets for our devastated Crown Point neighborhood. We avoided Manhattan's urban grid in order to create a unique Gotham geography. We finally found the perfect five corners in Yonkers. With the help of the art team, I amassed extensive research on the Katrina disaster. Supervising Art Director Debbie Wheatley took great care in documenting the FEMA signage system and created a chart of the different levels of flood zones in Gotham. As Crown Point was next to the seawall destroyed by the Riddler's bombs, it suffered the highest level of devastation. Set decorator Rich Murray had the brilliant idea of procuring a small building facade from another show so that we could destroy it and cover it in mud and mold. Lauren LeFranc and I felt strongly that this neighborhood, in spite of being poor, took pride in its citizens. To show the pre-flood life of Crown Point, the crew created two blocks of neighborhood shops, featuring a kindergarten, nail salon, pizza parlor and a mobile phone repair shop. We then took a sledgehammer to all of it and added many layers of grime and mud. Assistant Art Director Brett Martinez and Senior Art Director Adam Karavatakis oversaw the massive undertaking. The most significant Crown Point landmark is the giant Zoo Liquors sign at the five-corner intersection, and the talented graphics team of Stiv Brown and Katya Austin created its unique look. A. RED-LIGHT DISTRICT. PENCIL SKETCH BY KALINA IVANOV. B. RED-LIGHT DISTRICT. CONCEPT ART BY HUGH SICOTTE. B