THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

Interior illustration for The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Oct 13, 2025

Father Callahan, a white haired man with a cross-shaped scar on his forehead, stands atop a table surrounded by vampires and low men. He thrusts his hands upward with a small turtle figurine glowing intensely bright. He is dressed all in black with a pistol tucked in his belt. Bathed in light, his face is etched with determination as his eyes draw to beads. The hideous creatures immediately surrounding him draw back in pain, grasping at their heads in agony with his shouted command. The room behind is lit yellow and orange where a curtain is drawn back and more creatures pile. Above, the light of the turtle radiates in defined white lines that shift the background purple. — THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU (2003), Oil on Panel - 28” x 18”

After I read the DARK TOWER VII manuscript and decided to illustrate this scene at the Dixie Pig, I emailed Stephen King to tell him that I was taking artistic license.

The author not only gave his OK but also changed the scene to fit the illustration with Callahan standing on the table.

Preliminary concept for THE WHITE COMMANDS you featuring Father Callahan wading through a mass of vampires and low men who turn from his attention. — Preliminary concept for THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

Share The Art of Michael Whelan

Additional images from THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

LEFT: Detail from THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU featuring Callahan as he stands in command above the mass of vampires and low men. A cross-shaped scar marks his forehead as he thrusts up the turtle talisman to shine brilliantly down on the hideous creatures. His index and middle fingers extend up while thumb, pinkie, and ring finger grip the palm sized talisman that is burning white. His sleeves are rolled up revealing a thing silver bracelet on his right hand. CENTER: Detail from the foreground left of THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU featuring mole-faced Can-toi staring up in awe. One is dressed in a tux with plaid lapels and red bow tie and another in a ball gown with a string of pearls. Both have red open sores on their foreheads that resemble an eye. Above them is a Taheen with a yellow parrot head and human body. It wears a dress shirt and bow-tie. It reaches out with taloned hands and menace set in its eyes. RIGHT: Detail from the foreground right of THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU featuring vampires at the Dixie Pig recoiling from the light of the turtle talisman. Their eyes glow and their mouths are full jagged teeth pushing out. Mixed into the crowd are Can-Toi with horrifying near-human faces, uneven pointed teeth, and weeping patches of blood on their foreheads that resemble a crimson eye. A single pterodactyl-like Taheen seems unaffected as its beak parts to reveal a long tongue. — Details from THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

VAMPIRE AND LOWMAN (2005)

Share your thoughts…

We’d love to hear your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, questions, etc!

Like what you see? Subscribe!

We’re posting art every day on Substack. Don’t want to miss anything? Subscribe to get a weekly email including a recap of daily art posts.

To receive every art post by email, you can opt-in by visiting your account and then clicking the toggle for Daily Art.

THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

Interior illustration for The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Additional images from THE WHITE COMMANDS YOU

Share your thoughts…

Like what you see? Subscribe!

Discussion about this post