Chattacon 37 Wrapup

Back from Chattacon in Chattanooga, TN this past weekend. Was a Guest of Honor there, along with Rachel Caine, Laura Anne Gilman, Mark Van Name, Sharon Lee, and Steve Miller. Had a blast with all of them.

Top five things I’ll remember from this con:

1. The Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel: Sf/f conventions and old railway stations are a match made in geek heaven. LOVED this site. Can’t imagine a cooler place to have a convention. Was it the most state-of-the-art facility with mega-soundproofing and swank finishouts in every room? No, but sometimes, you have to trade a few things for vintage cool. And in this case, it was hella worth it. Aging train cars and flaming torches lining the route from your hotel room to the Art Show is made of win, every time.

2. The parties: Chattacon loves its cosplay and loves its parties. Saturday night, there was a moment in the Building 3 courtyard that felt like a Piranesi drawing layered with party on all levels. If you don’t know who Sean O’ Shea is, know this – he throws a very mean party. And the DeepSouthCon party on Saturday night was always just right – great people, great drinks, full of energy, and yet never claustrophobic. Good times with Mark Van Name, Jennie Faries, Tara Smith, Tina Worley, Tony Gowell, Toni Weisskopf, Lee Martindale, Grant Cooley, Everette Beach, Brenda Tackett, Paul & Mike Bielaczyc (which I now know how to pronounce: buh-LAH-chik), Andy Hendee, Ann Robards, Lee Sessoms, and more.

3. The people: Thanks to the hard-working Art Show staff – Ann Robards, Christine Chapin, John Chapin, Faelan, and all who busted their tails to make this show happen. Chattacon joins the list of cons that cut Art Show checks to their artists as they check out. Way to go, Ann and company. ‘Appreciated. Thanks to the entire con com and staff.

4. Regina Kirby: There’s one name I saved for last here. I could mention the first-class way all GoHs were treated, thanks to her. I could mention how she did the work of three con com positions, and then some. I could mention how skillfully she rebooked my return flight home when the first was cancelled (and drove me two hours to Atlanta to do so). All of that is surface detail. The true picture requires a wider vision. If you ever find yourself in a foxhole with enemy fire all around, you’d better have a Regina Kirby with you. She’s a warrior who fights for her friends, her causes, her con, and her people. I would fight for her.

5. #1 Highlight of the weekend: a US soldier thanked me for creating the cover artwork of Mark Van Name’s NO GOING BACK (releasing from Baen / May 2012). He said the artwork expressed how he and many of his brothers-in-arms feel everyday while battling PTSD, after returning home from war. The truth is he (and they) deserve all of the thanks. Baen’s Toni Weisskopf gave Chattacon the permission to use the artwork on the front of the program book (see above). I’m glad she did.

Goodbye, 2011

I hear you knocking, 2012. Anyone else feel like 2011 was a zooming blur, even more than most years? From my humble corner of the art universe, this year was a helluva ride. I started it completing artwork for the 2012 George R. R. Martin / A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendar and I'm ending it conceiving work for projects that are even more ambitious. The calendar was one of the greatest adventures of my life so far -- exhilarating, grueling, enlightening -- and in the end, amongst the most rewarding too.

Thanks to George, Parris, Bantam editor Anne Groell, and Bantam art director Dave Stevenson for sharing the journey. Thanks to all of the Brotherhood Without Banners and all of the GRRM fans worldwide who have been so emotional about the art, and championed it, since the July debut.

A note to the legions of ASoIaF and GAME OF THRONES fans, and especially my friends in the BWB -- I didn't know how you'd react to my artwork when I was busy drawing and painting. I didn't expect the worldwide roar that followed the artwork's debut. It meant the world to me, and I appreciate that the work connected with so many of you, even though the calendar was technically only available in North America. I spent a year in Westeros creating the art and I'd go back again in a heartbeat. Many of you have become my friends. We're all on the same team. The 2012 Calendar was the highlight of my 2011.

And yes, I did plenty of cover artworks too this year. Many of them won't be released until 2012. However, the highlights that were published in 2011 include ADMIRALTY: THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF POUL ANDERSON (NESFA Press); the amazing YA debut from Ian McDonald, PLANESRUNNER (Pyr); and TIMES THREE by Robert Silverberg (Subterranean Press).

Karen Haber's MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART released in June and featured galleries and interviews with some of the world's best sf/f artists, and yup, I was amongst 'em. If that cover art looks familiar, that's me too. Ditto the UK cover of SCI-FI ART NOW, edited by John Freeman, which featured my artwork for FAST FORWARD 2 (Pyr).

Grateful to meet so many new friends and fans on the road this year: Capricon (Chicago), Baycon (Santa Clara), Leprecon (Tempe), Worldcon (Reno), Bubonicon (Albuquerque), San Diego Comic Con, and World Fantasy Con (San Diego, again) -- you were terrific and I appreciated your hospitality and good times. Don't be strangers in the New Year.

Was nominated again for the Hugo Award this year in the Best Professional Artist category. Seven consecutive years nominated -- zero wins so far. Still no luck there. Very grateful to be nominated. We'll see what happens in 2012.

Grateful as well to be nominated for the World Fantasy Award, the Locus Award, and three Chesley Awards -- all in 2011, based on my 2010 published works. No wins this time, but I'm pretty proud of my 2011 body of published work. We'll see how it stacks up in the New Year.

And what about that New Year? Besides more sf/f covers, I'm working on two major(!), mega-illustration projects that will likely be unveiled in the coming months. I'm grateful to have a terrific wife and fabulous, 17-month-old daughter. 2011 was one of my most successful career years, despite the publishing industry experiencing seismic shifts. I've seen this coming and been discussing it with friends for the last 2 or 3 years. This was a transition year toward my art appearing in more places than just book covers. The 2012 George R. R. Martin Calendar was the first step toward expanding the venues where my art lives. Thanks to that success, I'll be pushing that envelope even more. I don't plan to stop doing sf/f book covers but you'll see my work in more places than just this field.

I've always thought artists worth their salt adapted and responded to their times. That's what I'm currently doing with my 2012 works. Don't be strangers and let me know what you think whether it's here, on Twitter or via Facebook. Very best to you and your families, and I'll see you online or on the road very soon. Happy 2012!

10 Holiday Gift Ideas for 2011

Already time to start holiday shopping? Here are ten art-centric ideas for you.


THE MAGIC OF REALITY
by Richard Dawkins / Illustrated by Dave McKean
(The Free Press)

This book's a welcome sight in a time when science takes a daily beating from dogma and delusions. The blurb on the back says it all: "THE MAGIC OF REALITY provides a beautiful, accessible and wide-ranging volume that addresses the questions that all of us have about the universe, separating often too-little-known facts from too-frequently-believed fictions." Can we please make this book required reading in elementary schools? (Note: US print cover differs from above.)

BLUE COLLAR • WHITE COLLAR
by Sterling Hundley
(Adhouse Books)

Sterling Hundley has created some of my favorite illustrations in recent years. This is his first art book. It's a compact little volume -- 6.25" x 9.25" -- and yet the artwork doesn't suffer from scale but feels all the more personal because of it. Nice job by Adhouse Books, especially with the little process booklet inserts containing Hundley's thoughts on making art and being an artist. Inspiring.


REBUS
by James Jean
(Chronicle Books)

Is it any surprise that a James Jean art book produced by Chronicle Books is one of the most beautiful volumes of 2011?

MASTERS OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION: 41 ILLUSTRATORS AND HOW THEY WORKED
by Fred Taraba
(Illustrated Press)

Traci, if you're reading this -- I want this book for Christmas. Joe DeMers, Franklin Booth, Robert Fawcett, Andrew Loomis, Coles Phillips, Jon Whitcomb, Coby Whitmore -- those are only a few that caught my eye when I saw this book at a con. Not just another big book of pictures, it's an intensive discussion about these vintage masters' working processes. Yes, please.

3-day membership to Spectrum Fantastic Art Live!

If you know anyone who doesn't know the Spectrum Annuals, please wake them from their 18-year nap. Spectrum collects a yearly survey of some of the best art in books, comics, concept art, and more. For the first time, the editors of the Spectrum Annual are organizing Spectrum Fantastic Art Live!, a three-day convention event celebrating the best in fantastic art. It happens in Kansas City next May. Artists from around the globe will be attending to display, sell, create, discuss and marinate in all things drawn, painted, sculpted and otherwise, both traditionally and digitally. Three-day memberships cost a fan-friendly price of $40 right now.

Squid Ornaments
by Tom Taggart

What says 'home for the holidays' more than squid? Nothing. Tom Taggart's an artist and object-maker, and he's terrific. My wife proudly displays a Tom Taggart Pumpkinhead ornament when Fall arrives. This holiday season, Tom has unleashed new hand-crafted Squid Ornaments. They're made of durable cold cast resin, spun-cast to be hollow and lightweight, hand-painted in acrylics, and sealed with spray varnish.

Tom says he'll have the ornaments up on his Etsy shop page within a week or so. Until then, you can order direct from him. They're $45.00 each plus $5.00 shipping. And he takes Paypal. Inquire at squirrelboy@optonline.net.


Alien Menagerie Original Art
by Bruce Jensen

For my money, Bruce has always been one of the most provocative American sf artists. Remember his classic Del Rey cover for Philip K. Dick's DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? His cover art is cerebral, memorable and always resonant. It's impressive to see the latest wave of his work -- an ongoing series called "Alien Menagerie" -- which is decidedly whimsical, but just as memorable as ever. Own an "Alien Menagerie" original (acrylics on Rives BFK, 8"x10") for around $100 plus shipping. And in a ridiculous stroke of genius, Bruce is offering 3"x3" original acrylics on Post-It Notes for around $10 plus shipping. Get both here.

MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ART
by Karen Haber
(Rockport)

MASTERS is a fantastic art book edited by art critic and reviewer Karen Haber. There seemed to be almost no marketing/advertising for it so a lot of aficionados may be surprised to know it exists. I love books like this -- contains full-color galleries, interviews and art tips from 28 leading sf/f/ art professionals including Donato Giancola, Gregory Manchess, Dave Seeley, Brom, Bob Eggleton, Todd Lockwood, Bruce Jensen and more. Two notable things about this artbook -- unlike similar US or UK-produced volumes, this one includes a worldwide gamut of artists (i.e. not just US and UK artists) such as Shaun Tan, Pavel Mikhailenko, Tomasz Maronski, Marta Dahlig and more. And the jacket folds into a full color poster containing imagery from all of the book's featured artists. (Yup -- that cover art is by me and I'm one of the 28 featured artists too.)

2012 George R.R. Martin / A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE Calendar
Illustrated by John Picacio
(Bantam)

I couldn't resist including this one for the George R. R. Martin / ASoIaF / GAME OF THRONES fans out there. This calendar is twelve months of my artwork inspired by George R. R. Martin's epic A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE novels. And yes -- the calendar has been selling like hotcakes since it debuted in July. As with most collectible calendars, once January 1st arrives, it'll be out-of-print and hard-to-find. Get 'em before they're gone. :)


2012 Literary Pin-Up Calendar
by Lee Moyer

And for those that want fantasies of a more female persuasion, Lee Moyer has twelve answers for you for 2012. These are available from Patrick Rothfuss' The Tinker's Packs.

Standard calendars are $20. A signed, limited edition is also available at $75. Sales of the calendar benefits funding of the Heifer International organization.

NO GOING BACK Cover Art

Baen has posted the cover for Mark Van Name's NO GOING BACK, the next book in his Jon and Lobo series. I did the cover art for this one. The book doesn't release until May 2012, but Amazon is already taking preorders. Since Baen has posted the full cover there, I figure it's OK to let you folks see the full cover art sans typography too.

Over the years, Baen has been well-known for a definitive brand of graphic design and cover art, but in recent months, they've been gradually expanding the look of their lineup, thanks to publisher Toni Weisskopf and designer Jennie Faries.

I'll post about the process of this cover art closer to the release date next year.

Bubonicon 43

Back home from Bubonicon 43 in Albuquerque, NM. Was Artist Guest of Honor there along with Stephen Leigh and Ian Tregillis. Bigtime regional sf/f literary con with as much major-league talent as any, including George R. R. Martin, Paul Cornell, Mario Acevedo, Connie Willis, Melinda Snodgrass, Daniel Abraham, Sam Sykes, Diana Gaboldon, Carrie Vaughn, Walter Jon Williams, Ty Franck, Steven Gould, Jane Lindskold, Suzy Mckee Charnas, S.M. Stirling, and more. Had quality time with friends Stephen Boucher, Janice Gelb, Parris McBride, Vincent Docherty, Anne Grey, Caroline Symcox, Harry O. Morris, and Derek Paret. Got to visit three Albuquerque eateries -- the Flying Star Cafe, Los Equipales, and the Pope Room at Buca di Beppo, where GRRM traditionally brings Bubonicon guests for a big Saturday night Italian feast. That was a great evening, and a lot of laughs.

Terrific weekend all around -- had big audiences for the 2012 A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar panel conducted by GRRM and me; for the State of the Art panel conducted by Tregillis, Abraham, Snodgrass, Acevedo, Sykes, and me; and for my Artist GoH slideshow. Bubonicon fans go all out on costumes and with Steampunk as the theme this year, there was a lot of quality in the house.

Attendance this year topped last year’s. The t-shirts featuring my artwork of their Perry Rodent mascot sold out. All of the 2012 AsoIaF Calendars in the Dealers Room sold out. Well done, Bubonicon. :)

Craig Chrissinger and Kristen Dorland were the co-chairs and they ran a terrific con. All of the pros I know have always spoken well of it. I now understand why. Was it a perfect con? No con ever is. But the measure of a good one is the energy and buzz during the events and after. This show had it in spades. Bubonicon is vibrant, vital and full of passionate people who care about sf/f books and arts. Hats off to the entire con com for a job very well done, and thanks to everyone who was there! :)

Worldcon 2011 Wrapup

Been slammed here since I returned from Worldcon. Reno's in the rearview mirror. Bubonicon looms ahead.

A few thoughts about the 2011 Worldcon:

1. Congrats to the Renovation concom: This was amongst the most dynamic and diverse Worldcon programming schedules I've seen at a Worldcon. So much good stuff. Jim Mann, Laurie Mann, and Ian Stockdale deserve so much credit along with their hard-working programming team. They were a well-oiled machine. Patty Wells was the chair and ran a top-notch Worldcon operation.

2. Huge congrats to Colin Harris, Anne Grey, Patty Wells and all who made Art Night and the art programming a major success. I think there's room to grow and improve upon what they have started, but it's a MAJOR victory on their part to plant a much-improved seed for art to build around at Worldcon. Giant applause for their victory. For the first time ever, the Art Show had a beautiful program book representing all of the artists in the Art Show. If you missed it, you missed a beautiful object that will be a collectible down the road. They put a lot of work into the art effort, and Worldcon is better for it. I think some of the organizers were disappointed that more artists and more audience weren't in attendance to appreciate how good this convention handled its artists and art, but that comes with time. It doesn't happen overnight. Artists have to make hard choices when it comes to conventions because of huge expenses and limited resources. So hopefully Worldcon will continue to earn status as a major art destination. Renovation took a huge positive step in that direction.

3. Whomever was responsible for doing the big banners in the Exhibit Hall -- major applause to you. I'm thinking Patty Wells and Colin Harris were involved once again. Having the Artist Guest of Honor's artwork used in that way rallies the entire convention to feel like Worldcon "owns" that giant space. It raises spirits and shrinks the scale of an otherwise cavernous hall space. It makes art central to the Worldcon conversation, and it celebrates Boris Vallejo (in this case) the way he deserves to be celebrated as Artist GoH. It was a great move. Well done, Renovation.

4. Ditto the airport banners welcoming Worldcon attendees to Worldcon. Nice one.

5. As for myself -- I was everywhere. Because I needed to be. I did 13 official events for Worldcon and many more unlisted obligations. Highlights included the Art of Game of Thrones panel with George R. R. Martin and Martina Pilcerova, and my own slideshow where I talked about my process and recent works. I had to spend the first 30 minutes of that slideshow doing Q&A and thinking fast on my feet because the techs were trying to fix the projector, and yet the audience hung in, asked great questions, and by the end of the hour, I think we all came out ahead. The big applause said it went well after I blitzed through 60 minutes of slideshow in 20 minutes.

6. Artists Alley -- first time for Worldcon to do an Artists Alley in recent memory. I signed a lot of books and calendars. Had good talks with fans. It was a great idea and I hope Worldcon continues to build upon what they started here.

7. Art Show -- Personally, I did very well. A number of works went to good homes, and I won an Art Show Award for Best B/W for my Ned Stark underdrawing.

8. ASFA's Chesley Awards -- Congrats to all of the winners including Boris Vallejo who won a Lifetime Achievement Award. Well-earned, Boris! And congrats to Jon Schindehette who won Best Art Director. I was glad Jon was at Worldcon, and it was a richer experience because of him and all of the great, diverse lineup of artists and art directors who were there this year, including Lou Anders and Irene Gallo.

9. Hugo Awards -- Huge congrats to many of my friends who won on Saturday night. Lou Anders finally broke through and won. His victory was the highlight of my entire con. This man deserved this recognition long before Saturday night. I've told him congrats a million times, but again, huge congrats to him and all of the winners, including my very good friends Mary Robinette Kowal, Christopher J. Garcia, Sheila Williams, and Lev Grossman. Well-earned by all.

10. Shaun Tan -- Have to single out Shaun as he won Best Professional Artist again this year. Well-earned, Shaun. If you haven't experienced his work, your world will be better when you do.

11. 0 for 7 -- What can I say? This was my 7th consecutive Hugo nomination and 7th loss. The strange part is explaining to people that indeed I have never won a Hugo because they get confused and think I already have. One friend hugged me at the Losers Party because she thought I'd just won a Hugo. I had to calmly explain that I hadn't and never have. Very honored to be amongst the nominees as always. This loss was a tough one, no doubt.

For those that have never been nominated for a Hugo -- every year, it's a little harder to be nominated than the previous. Critics and grandstanders do what they do in the blogosphere. Agenda-pushers push their agendas. Competition gets tougher and tougher because talent gets better and better (and hooray for that!). All I, or anyone, can do is get better each year -- and just work. So the best thing from here is to move on and come back with a bigger, better body of work for 2012. Next year, my artwork for the entire 2012 George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar will be eligible for awards consideration because it was published this July. We'll see what happens then. In the meantime, it's a long year ahead. I have many opportunities and a lot of decisions to make.

Thanks to John Scalzi, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Liza Trombi, Lauren Beukes, Steven Silver, Bob Eggleton and others for smart words.

13. The Brotherhood Without Banners -- thanks to everyone with the BWB that I met in Reno. They welcomed me and my work with open arms at Worldcon. My conversations with them are amongst my favorite memories of this Worldcon. Shoutouts to Stego, Lodey, Lord Mountain Goat, Xray & Mr. X, Chataya, Blackfyre, Katie, Yagathai, Leigh, Andi, Boiled Leather, RaceBannon, KSC, Secret Tarth, Whitefish, Hedgerow, RedWoman, Lacy and too many more to name in one list. I feel like I joined a family at this con. Holler anytime.

14. Lastly -- congrats to George and Parris on their amazing nuptials ceremony which Traci and I were honored to attend. And special shout to John Joseph Adams and Christie Yant on their wedding event as well.

Here are a few phone pics from my 2011 Worldcon.

Time to get back to work here!

Sidebar Nation: The Interview

Sidebar Nation is my favorite podcast because it talks art, and nothing but art, and the interviews deliver the goods every time. Swain, Dwight and Adrian run the show, and they're brilliant. They KNOW their stuff and they tell it like it is. I love the chemistry between these guys and often listen to their shows when I'm working. Sidebar has featured stellar interviews with Drew Struzan, Gregory Manchess, Brad Holland, James Jean, George Pratt, Mark Chiarello, Sterling Hundley, Stephan Martiniere and many, many more.

Well, it's my turn in the chair this time around. Episode 162 features an interview with me. I had a short but very fun chat with the fellas at Dragon*Con last year (episode 136), but #162 is the most extensive podcast interview I've ever done.

When time allows (which isn't often), I'm always happy to grant interview requests, but this one was a real honor because it felt like I was just talking to friends. Except it was being recorded for the whole world to hear. LOL

Check it out. Do me a favor -- if you dig what you hear, holler at the fellas and leave a comment in the interview's comment section. Let 'em know you're out there.

Long live Sidebar Nation!