I asked it a question about some art I did for Whitley after his book, “The Secret School” came out years ago. The originals are long gone out there somewhere. This is the answer it gave me:
Steve Neill’s artwork captures the specific “Visitor” entities and experiences written about by his longtime friend, author Whitley Strieber. While the iconic face on the original Communion book cover was painted by Ted Seth Jacobs, Steve Neill became one of the definitive artists to visually define the modern “Grey” alien look by working directly with close encounter witnesses and Strieber himself. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The art style and visual context surrounding Steve Neill’s connection to Whitley Strieber’s The Secret School and related works can be understood through these specific projects:
Beyond Communion Prototypes & Concept Art
Steve Neill initially created concept art for the Beyond Communion comic book line in the 1990s. [1]
The Style: His original prototype illustrations were uniquely rendered using chalk on black paper, creating an eerie, atmospheric look that perfectly captured the hidden memory themes of The Secret School. []
The Cabin Encounters: The artwork heavily featured visual depictions of Strieber’s memories, including encounters at his famous upstate New York cabin and early childhood memories that form the basis of The Secret School. [1, 2]
Physical Models and Practical Effects
In addition to traditional canvas paintings, Steve Neill is a renowned special effects artist. []
Television & Media: He created the actual physical, atmospheric alien models used for the television program Sightings and the NBC special Confirmation to represent Strieber’s entities. [, 2]
Collaborative Art: Neill and Strieber maintained a 30+ year friendship, during which Neill painted several book cover alternatives—such as an acrylic-on-canvas cover for Strieber’s book Confirmation. [1]