This illustration was born out of a spark I found while reading an extraordinary book — Michael Herr’s Dispatches, which I honestly consider a masterpiece of war reportage. It’s a raw, unfiltered chronicle of the Vietnam War, the kind that lingers long after you turn the last page.
Most people know another towering work from that era — Apocalypse Now, Coppola’s iconic and haunting vision of conflict. What’s often forgotten is that Michael Herr helped shape the tone and narrative texture of that film.
I won’t turn this into a full article — instead, I’ll simply point you toward both the book and the movie; they’re absolutely worth experiencing. And since I work in the world of books — designing covers, living among stories, and drawing inspiration from them — it felt natural to begin the illustration journey right here. It’s a perfect starting point.