Clive on They're Mad, They Are

This was the second time Paul had come to London. The first time, he was seventeen. He'd stood in Victoria Station and felt more alive than he ever had in his life; back then, some woman had caught his eye and smiled.

As Clive developed his presence on the social network for art-lovers and creatives, deviantART, he announced a collaborative, not-for-profit project there in October 2012. DeviantART's second Odyssey Project invited members collectively to create 'the ultimate deviantART book' for publication in 2013 and Clive presented a prologue - They're Mad, They Are - to spark imaginative entries.
Over the following months each chapter of the story was chosen and published online as a prompt for artwork and for the following chapter. The compilation was finally completed in June 2013 as the last selections were made.
The illustrated compilation is set to be published in digital and hard copy together with a 'behind the scenes' feature - more details on publication to follow after online discussions with the various participants.

Read Clive's prologue and the final selections online at deviantART.com

"I am incredibly excited about the Odyssey project. DeviantART is a place where artists can thrive and embark upon that which has been my life's work; the creation of worlds. Now, I eagerly look forward to the experience of creating a new world, together, with the deviantART community. The possibilities are endless. The potential, vast. I am enthralled by where this journey will take us."

deviantART Collaborates With Hellraiser Clive Barker

By Adam Popescu, ReadWriteWeb, at readwrite.com, 12 October 2012

"Odyssey. I can think of no better word to describe the journey that took place these past few months.
"With the prologue, 'They're Mad, They Are,' I began work on a vessel that was not yet ready for sea. And on that holed ship, together we embarked over open waters towards an unknown destination.
"What I then witnessed both touched and humbled me. You, the mighty crew of the HMS Odyssey, simultaneously crafted her and plotted her voyage with artistry and grace. No small feat.
"The path we travelled was treacherous, to be sure. But we passed through the eye of the storm, and found ourselves in a new world. It was brutal, brilliant, and inspiring."

Final Thoughts

By Clive Barker, deviantART, 13 June 2013

...other comments

$techgnotic (deviantART) : "Collaborate & Publish. *CliveBarker starts us off with the Prologue for Odyssey II and selects the submissions for the final books. The ultimate creative challenge to produce the ultimate deviantART book. All Guided with the Spectral Hand of Clive Barker."

Odyssey II with Clive Barker

By $techgnotic, deviantART, 14 October 2012

$techgnotic (deviantART) : "The inimitable author and artist, the fantastic Clive Barker, lent his special, brilliant madness to Odyssey Project 2.0 by writing the first 'prompt' chapter of our experiment; setting the tenor for what would evolve into a weirdly wonderful and beautiful tale. We were honored by his participation.
"Many have been asking about the hard copy publication of Odyssey and Odyssey II, as well as the attendant charitable donations to come from those sales. I am preparing a separate article for everyone that will go out in the next two weeks which will outline the plans for publishing both works this fall."

Symptom of the Universe

By $techgnotic, deviantART, 13 June 2013

Odyssey Project at deviantART
They're Mad, They Are bibliography...