ON THE FRONT

Where I'll be at Philcon

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:53:00 +0000

This coming weekend is Philcon in Cherry Hill, NJ. I'll be the Artist Guest of Honor up there, and I'm excited about it. If you're headed to the show, here's where you can find me when I'm not in the Art Show or the hotel bar.

Fri 8PM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
DIGITAL TOOLS FOR ARTISTS (102)
Panelists: D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio
Technical stuff we love to use to create our art.

Sat 10AM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY DRAW ANYMORE? (110)
Panelists: John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?

Sat 11AM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
INFLUENCES: ARTISTS THAT ARTISTS LOVE (112)
Panelists: Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives

Sat 3PM in Grand Ballroom A (1 hour)
GUEST ARTIST PRESENTATION - JOHN PICACIO (232)
Panelists: John Picacio (mod)

Sat 4PM in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
STATE OF THE ARTS: IS THE ART SHOW STILL VALID AND VALUED AT CONS? (104)
Panelists: John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?

Sun 12noon in Plaza III (Three) (1 hour)
PRESENTING YOUR ART: TIPS FOR APPROACHING ART DIRECTORS, PUBLISHERS, AND GALLERIES (103)
Panelists: Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right place

Shoutout to Philly & The East Coast

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:53:00 +0000

Hey, Philadelphia!
I'll be in your town next week and I'm bringing the biggest public display of my artwork I've ever assembled. It'll all be at Philcon (which is actually across the river in Cherry Hill, NJ), where I'm this year's Artist Guest of Honor. Most of the works will be for sale, and there will be framed originals as well as framed prints in the collection. It's my only East Coast trip this year, so if you're in the area, I'd love to see you (Nov. 20 thru Nov. 23)! If you've got books or covers you want signed, bring 'em on as well.

Question for you, Philly -- what are your favorite local restaurants and eateries, especially in the downtown Philly and surrounding areas? And yes, the first stop when I get off the plane will be to get real Philadelphia cheesesteaks. I've received a couple of very reliable reviews already (thanks, Diana! :)), but I'm open to everyone's feedback. It's my first trip to Philly.... who's got the best cheesesteaks? Best pizza? Any great indy bookstores? Any 'can't miss' unique weirdness?

Veterans Day '08

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:19:00 +0000

Best to all Vets out there....all who've served, and all who currently are! Both of my granddads served in WWII and I think of them today. One other comes to mind today -- Mr. Thomas Kustelski. His son Tom and I have known each other since the 6th grade -- by far the oldest friendship I have. Yesterday was one of the toughest days for the elder Kustelski. He said goodbye and buried his great wife of 55 years, and mother of his nine children of which my buddy Tom is the youngest. Add to that -- today's Mr. Kustelski's 76th birthday and he's a great American military veteran. As tough as yesterday was, today might be even tougher for him. So I'm thinking of him.

The artwork is an oil painting/shadowbox assemblage I did for REALMS OF FANTASY MAGAZINE several years ago. They asked me to illustrate a wartime ghost story called "Last Tour of Duty" by Devon Monk and this was my solution. Still one of my favorite early works...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:49:00 +0000

WFC 2008 in Calgary

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:37:00 +0000

Back home from the Great White North, where this year's World Fantasy Convention unfolded in Calgary. I'm bushed. A few hours of sleep, and then it's back to work. Some photo highlights:

OUR GANG: (l to r), Karen Jones; Lou Anders; Paul Cornell; me; Chris Roberson; Jennifer Heddle; Allison Baker... good times at Earl's, Sunday night, post-WFC Awards.

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: Marjorie Liu and me in front of the coolest thing I saw in Calgary all weekend -- a scrap metal stallion too brilliant for words.

ART & LIFE: Talking about both with Shaun Tan (left) was one of my con highlights. Love the way his work keeps searching and evolving. My pal Justin Ackroyd is an uber-mensch for bringing me a first-edition of Tan's new book TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA all the way from Oz.

CAMPBELL QUEEN & EVERCLEAR KING: Campbell Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal -- elegant as ever; John Klima -- locked and loaded for another night of hard boozing. Klima was nominated for two World Fantasy Awards this year. Although he didn't win this year (much as I wanted him to), his star's rising and his day's coming. Meantime, Klima says another bottle of 96 proof Polish Everclear is just the ticket to ease his pain. Next year, JK, next year....

GOOD TIMES: (back, l to r), Graham Joyce, me, Marjorie Liu, Nikki Kimberling; (front), Paul Cornell.

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR: Or at least like an Artist Guest of Honor... the great Todd Lockwood shows young upstarts how the pros do it. That's a bottle of Macallen 18 Single Malt Scotch, courtesy of Borderlands Books' fabulous Scotch-tasting Party. OK -- true confession -- much as I'd love to say Todd pounded that entire bottle Amy Winehouse-style, he was actually hard at work with his GOH duties and barely made the party in time to savor the bottle's last tiny drops.

THE SCARIEST SIGHT THIS HALLOWEEN: Diana Rowland (author of the forthcoming MARK OF THE DEMON) becomes Sarah Palin. Check out her button though -- apparently even the Gov'nor knows who this country needs right now. (Destiny knocks -- look who's on TV right when I snapped the photo... and yes, please vote on Tuesday, if you haven't already! :))

WHERE'S ANG LEE WHEN YOU NEED HIM?: Graham Joyce says he can't quit you.

DAZZLING & DASHING: Jude Feldman & Alan Beatts at the World Fantasy Awards... their first time as highly-deserving finalists for the World Fantasy Award (Special Award / Professional)... although they didn't win (congrats to Pete Crowther), they looked damned good. :)

Final thoughts -- shoutout to Kim Greyson for working his tail off and being the epitome of hospitality. Was weird for me not to be in the Art Show this year, but it was with good reason, and I'll be back with art next year in San Jose. Speaking of art -- great times not only with Shaun Tan and Todd Lockwood, but fellow illustrators Mike Dringenberg, James Beveridge, and Martin Springett. Huge congrats to Edward Miller, otherwise known as Les Edwards. I didn't win the World Fantasy Award for Artist, but he did and it was well-deserved. Cheers, Les! Too many friends to count at this show, and great to see all of them, which is what makes WFC what it is -- a few who weren't pictured above, knowing that I'll inevitably forget someone -- Liza Trombi, Amelia Beamer, Diana Gill, Christian Dunn, Mark Newton, Marc Gascoigne, Jeremy Lassen, Jetse De Vries, Rani Graff, Laura Anne Gilman, Daryl Gregory, David Anthony Durham, Kay Kenyon, Louise Marley, Steve Jones, Mandy Slater, Gigi Gridley, Jim Minz, Lee Modesitt, Mark Teppo, Farah Mendlesohn, Adrienne Loska, Jacob Weisman, Jerad Walters, Tony Richards, and many more..... Another WFC in the books! Hope to see you in San Jose next year for the next one. Now, time to crash...

MUSE OF FIRE -- PW Starred Review!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 01:24:00 +0000

Dan Simmons' MUSE OF FIRE releases in December from Subterranean Press, and now it's received a coveted starred review from PUBLISHERS WEEKLY! Congrats to author and publisher.

You've seen the art posted here. Now here's Subterranean's finished front cover design. I dig it! :)

THE WELL-BUILT CITY -- available now!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:57:00 +0000

Busy, busy, busy here on many fronts....

Great news -- Jeffrey Ford's WELL-BUILT CITY trilogy is available now in brand-new trade paperbacks from Golden Gryphon Press! 'Been looking forward to seeing these books out on shelves, and I'm thrilled they're now in stores. Jeff Vandermeer just finished running a series of q&a's with Jeff F. re: the trilogy. Here's the first one. These little chats are especially useful if you've never read these books. The trilogy is an amazing read, and it was my honor to do the cover illustration for all three. How can you go wrong when the first book, THE PHYSIOGNOMY, is a World Fantasy Award winner for Best Novel? Whole-heartedly recommended for your reading pile. :)

From io9 With Love

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:49:00 +0000

io9, one of the coolest, mandatory-read sites in sf, spotlights my work with a cover illustration gallery including the very recently-finished cover art for Dan Simmons' MUSE OF FIRE (Subterranean Press). Big thanks to io9's Charlie Jane Anders! And I love the title she crafted for the piece -- "Revenge of the Giant Space Tentacle". Awesome!

MUSE OF FIRE Final Cover Art!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Here it is -- this is my cover art for the forthcoming Subterranean Press hardcover edition of Dan Simmons' space opera gem, MUSE OF FIRE. There will be 1500 copies of the hardcover trade ($35 each) and 250 signed-and-numbered leather-bound copies ($60 each). Get 'em before they're gone. Seriously. All previous Dan Simmons limited editions have sold out from Subterranean, and it's a safe bet this will do the same. I'm really honored to be a part of this amazing book, and quite honestly, I can't wait to see the finished product myself.

Bonus -- Subterranean's head honcho Bill Schafer commissioned me to write an essay about the making of this illo, and he's included it in the latest issue of Subterranean Online! Besides this essay, you've got original short fiction from my pal Chris Roberson -- "Mirror of Fiery Brightness", Part One and Part Two, plus much more! Check it out! :)

One final note about this illustration -- for years, I've been a fan of the great Polish poster artist Wieslaw Walkuski. This piece is an homage to his genius, with much admiration and respect.

Free Paul Cornell!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:56:00 +0000

I guess that headline can be read two ways -- either you've got the good news that there's free Paul Cornell reading somewhere, or you've got the bad news that Paul Cornell has been unjustly imprisoned and his righteous fans want him out. Thankfully, it's the former. :) In support of the brand-new anthology FAST FORWARD 2, Pyr is now offering the entirety of Paul's short story "Catherine Drewe" for free. This is the opening story of FF2. Check it out while it's available!

Guestblogging at FEARnet!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Halloween's in the air.... this week, I'm guestblogging over at the newly-redesigned FEARnet, one of the preeminent horror sites on the planet. You can find me this week in the "The Guest House", their new home for visiting writers and artists. For starters, I posted a small gallery of a few of my best horror-related cover illos as well as a few tips for budding illustrators. The rest of this week, they'll be posting q&a's I've done with four notable horror scribes -- Sanford Allen, Joe McKinney, Lee Thomas, and Mario Acevedo. Check it out, and feel free to comment over there. :)

FAST FORWARD 2 is here!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:54:00 +0000

Here's an idea of how crazy-busy it's been here..... Thursday afternoon, I received a box from Pyr. Was in the middle of drawing and painting at that moment, so I set it aside in my studio, planning to unpack it a few minutes later. Two days later -- yikes, I just remembered to open it this morning! (Needless to say, I've been juggling a lot of deadlines here lately.) What's in the box -- my comp copies of Lou Anders' much-anticipated new anthology, FAST FORWARD 2!! Incredibly proud to be associated with this book, and it's available now! :) Seeing how beautifully these books turned out totally makes my day. Congrats to Lou and all the authors in this awesome book.

Bonus (revised 9/28/08) -- check it out: save 50% off the cover price of FAST FORWARD 1 for a limited time! See Lou's blog for details.

Exciting News from Subterranean Press

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Amongst the covers I'm working on right now -- MUSE OF FIRE by Dan Simmons, coming this December from Subterranean Press. Final color art will be shared here next week. Here's a peek at part of the b/w pencil underdrawing. Subterranean's taking pre-orders for this book right now. Word to the wise: all of Subterranean's previous Simmons limited editions completely sold out. So act quickly if you're interested. :)

More exciting news -- I've agreed with Subterranean to cover-illustrate their forthcoming limited editions of two more Simmons magnum opuses (or is that "opi"?), THE TERROR and Dan's forthcoming book, DROOD, which is set in the life and times of Charles Dickens. I'm reading DROOD right now and it's awesome....an absolute page-turner. Subterranean is taking pre-orders right now for THE TERROR and I'll post here when they start taking orders for DROOD.

Much more about the final MUSE OF FIRE art next week.

Coming to Mississippi & Washington in '09

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:27:00 +0000

Sorry I've been silent, folks. Been working away hardcore over here, so I've been away from the Internets. Good news -- lots of new art to show soon. Breaking news to share in the interim -- I'm proud to be Artist Guest of Honor for two 2009 conventions!

CoastCon 32
March 20-22
Biloxi, MS

SpoCon II
July 31-Aug. 2
Spokane, WA

CoastCon features Michael Moorcock and David Weber as the Author Guests of Honor, and SpoCon has L.E. Modesitt, Jr. as their Author GOH. That's some serious star power in the writer slot for both shows! Very much looking forward to both and if you're in either region, mark your calendars and make your plans now. :)

Happy B-Day, Star Trek

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:30:00 +0000

SFSignal reminds us all that today in 1966, the very first episode of STAR TREK aired ("The Man Trap"). Can't remember which episode of STAR TREK was the first one I ever saw, but watching it in syndication after-school was a seminal part of my early years. Seen here: my 2nd grade school photo, circa 1976, rocking my prized homemade Mr. Spock shirt, with insignia patch sewn by my mother. It's amazing how large my dome was even at that tender age. Fast forward to 2006 -- that same kid illustrated this triptych for David R. George III's STAR TREK trilogy commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the show (published by Pocket Books). And yeah, it really was a thrill. Live long and prosper, Trek. :)

FAST FORWARD 2 Fast Approaching

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Pyr's Lou Anders recently unveiled the complete cover design for his forthcoming antho, FAST FORWARD 2. Cover illustration by yours truly, and jacket design by Jacqueline Cooke. The book hits shelves next month!

A shoutout and big thanks to my pal, illustrator Lee Moyers: when I was working on the final cover art, I phoned Lee out-of-the-blue and asked him for some critique. Lee's one of the rare guys who illustrates and designs equally well. His suggestions were invaluable and they absolutely led to this becoming a better piece. Thanks, man!

From Italy With Love

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:38:00 +0000

Many thanks to my pal Maurizio Manzieri, who emailed me the following the other day:

"a note to let you know how much you are loved in Italy...!
Yesterday you got the front page on Il Corriere della Fantascienza,
the main Italian science fiction online newspaper!"

My reaction: Thanks, Fantascienza! How cool! Much appreciated.
My beloved wife's reaction: How cool! When are we going to Italy? :)

One more from Pablo Picasso

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Shared this with friends a while back, but inspired by my previous post about Picasso's Words of Wisdom, here's 33 seconds of YouTube greatness you might enjoy. This little video cracks me up every time. Lesson: when you get the following reaction from signing your name, you know the world is yours.

Pablo Picasso's Words of Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:18:00 +0000

Wow. Two great finds today. Discovered a site called Paintalicious which spotlights various mixed-media artists. Can't believe I'd never heard of this site before! Worth checking out regularly.

The other great find -- Inspiring stuff for anyone toiling in the art trenches...Paintalicious has a post featuring seven quotes from the Man himself, Pablo Picasso. (Above photo -- a classic by Gjon Mili.)

1. "He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law."

2. "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

3. "Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working."

4. "Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone."

5. "Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not."

6. "If only we could pull out our brain and use only our eyes."

7. "Youth has no age."

Paintalicious also include a couple other Picasso quotes, and this last one is too good: "Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun."

I'm not sure which one I love more: the previous one, or #5. I feel like painting those in big letters on my ceiling.

My Longest Read & Breaking News

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:11:00 +0000

What's the longest book you've ever read? Yesterday I finished my all-time longest. 1350 pages long....the entire epic trilogy that is Mark Chadbourn's AGE OF MISRULE, which I read in its British omnibus form. Next year Pyr will be releasing the trilogy in simultaneous spiffy new editions, and I'm working up thumbnails for those covers.

Breaking news -- I'm happy to say that I've agreed with Solaris to illustrate the cover for Mark's new novel THE LORD OF SILENCE, which will be a 2009 release in the UK and US. Printing out the manuscript right now and looking forward to more Chadbourn greatness. :)

Saturday Night with Boxcar Satan

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:24:00 +0000

Took a break from deadlines late last night. Went with pals Scott A. Cupp and Sean Lackey to check out Boxcar Satan, one of San Antonio's finest bands. They're releasing a brand-new CD this fall, but nothing matches seeing them live. The band is Sanford Allen (lead guitar and lead vocals); Patrick Sane (bass guitar); and Aaron Seibert (drums). Some of the photos may appear to have too much red-eye, but I tend to believe the camera unveils the truth. Enjoy photos of a Texas rock band possessed.

HELL ON SIX STRINGS: Sanford Allen blistering through the night's opening number

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SETS: 15 years ago, young Sanford Allen made a deal with the devil, and the rest, as they say, is history.

THE REAL THING: Patrick Sane shows all hair-metal bass guitar hacks how to really play

EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING: (left) the headless Aaron Seibert on drums, with Patrick on bass (right)....best captures the band's kinetic energy better than standard photography ever could...I don't think any photo could ever communicate how good a drummer Aaron Seibert really is.

INFINITE: All great bands seem to be a conduit of something greater than the sum of their parts....hard to know whether Boxcar Satan is a conduit from heaven or from hell, but they're awesome and one-of-a-kind!

Wanna hear some of their tunes? Make sure to check out one of my favorites, "Shoot Down the Sun." And of course, you can browse and buy over at Itunes, CDBaby, and all finer music vendors.

Happy B-Day, SF Awards Watch!

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:20:00 +0000

Today Science Fiction Awards Watch officially is one year old. Congrats to Cheryl Morgan and Kevin Standlee for a job very well done over there. What other site lets you know not only some of the best in sf/fantasy in the US and UK, but all around the world? Thanks to SFAW, I'm much more aware of what's going in sf/fantasy beyond the US and UK, and that's a very good thing. We're fortunate to have a site like this. Visit them often, participate in their polls, and let your voice be heard over there year-round, if you haven't already.

Joe, Mike, and me

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:20:00 +0000

Laura Domitz is a friend and long-time member of the Fandom Association of Central Texas. She's also the tireless photographer that shoots candid photos of me and countless others at cons everywhere. I call her photos "sniper shots" because I rarely see Laura coming until she's taken her shot. This past weekend at Armadillocon, I watched her studiously catalog stacks of prints (that she printed with her own money) so that she could gift them to the lucky folks in the photos. She's one-of-a-kind. Over the years, Laura's captured every conceivable facial expression of mine and frankly, a lot of expressions I wish I didn't conceive. Recently she gave me this photograph she shot at the Nebula Awards in March. It's one of the very few photos of me that I'll cherish forever. Left to right -- Joe R. Lansdale, 2008 SFWA Grandmaster Michael Moorcock, and me, after Mike was given SFWA's big honor. Besides the occasion of the photo, it's meaningful because the first covers I ever illustrated were for these two authors. Pretty cool. Thanks, Laura! :)

Help Amelia Beamer's Family

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:17:00 +0000

Amelia Beamer is a class act, and one of the main editors of LOCUS MAGAZINE. She lost her father-in-law to a sudden heart attack on August 13. Ellen Datlow's blog has details, but in a nutshell, her father-in-law was a man of the people who worked on behalf of poverty-stricken communities. His family could use some financial help in the wake of funeral and cremation costs that his limited insurance couldn't cover. The economy's tough on everyone right now, but if you can pitch in a few dollars to help one of the good ones in our science fiction community, it would be appreciated.
(Photo of Amelia by Ellen Datlow)

LETTER FROM AMELIA'S FAMILY

Dear all,

It is with deep sadness that we inform you that Arthur Wayne Jokela has passed away. He was traveling home from his work in Malawi and Mozambique when he collapsed suddenly during a layover in London, and died of a heart attack in St. Thomas's hospital on August 13, 2008. The body is being cremated and brought home to Los Angeles by friends.

In lieu of flowers or cards, we will be accepting donations to the Arthur Jokela Memorial Fund to cover funeral expenses and travel costs incurred by his environmental and civic outreach projects in Africa and around the world. There is a Paypal account set up to receive donations of any size, with a web page at the link below. You don't need a Paypal account; there is a link on the left side of the page to continue with a credit card. http://tinyurl.com/6jp3bm

Memorial services will be announced within the next few months, most likely to occur in early November to commemorate Arthur's birthday on November 5th. You can keep in touch via the new email address: arthur.jokela.memorial.fund@gmail.com, or my email address: karentayu@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,
Karen Jokela and family
1801 West Orange Grove
Pomona CA 91768
phone: 909.620.6288

Denvention Art Show Video

noreply@blogger.com (John Picacio) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:37:00 +0000

The fabulous Cheryl Morgan just posted a video interview with me that gives a good look at my recent Worldcon Art Show exhibit. Much gratitude and mad props to Cheryl for crafting this spontaneous little video. You're the best! For all those who didn't make it to Worldcon this year, or didn't make it to the Art Show (for shame), check it out. :) I'll do it all over again at next year's World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal!