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First, a confession: Prior to last year's Dragon*Con, I had absolutely no idea who John Picacio was.
None.
Rewinding back to that particular convention, I remember Dwight strongly urging Swain and myself to check out the Art Gallery, post-haste. After much hemming and hawing (all by me), I followed Dwight over to take a look.
Now, speaking honestly, I've never been a sci-fi/fantasy art fan — by any stretch. But after we stopped by Picacio's booth and I saw his work for the first time, those words no longer rang true.
Dwight and I ogled his original drawings for Michael Moorcock's legendary hero, Elric, and let me say, they were something to behold. Seeing those grayscale images up close was an experience unto itself. And it was made more so by John's eloquence and giving spirit.
We had the good fortune of having him sit down and join us for a quick chat at our booth (as chronicled on Episode 136). Turned out he was an avid listener to SiDEBAR and we all became fast friends.
Picacio's lauded resume of over ten years includes illustration for all the major publishers of science-fiction, fantasy and horror. And at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, he debuted his latest project from Random House: the 2012 George R. R. Martin calendar for A Song of Ice and Fire.
John says the Martin fans at Comic-Con absolutely loved it and this was his best year ever. He describes them as "hardcore and beyond passionate". We believe him!
Our conversation covers the creation of the Ice and Fire calendar, as well as a look back at Picacio's formative years as a young artist. We also get into his thoughts of the ever-changing landscape of contemporary illustration, some process talk, and his amazing artbook, Cover Story.
Cover Story was published by Monkeybrain Books in 2006. And after meeting John at Dragon*Con, I promptly went home and ordered myself a copy. It's a treat for fans of sci-fi/fantasy illustration. Awww hell, fans of illustration period. Trust.
Lastly, from August 17-21, John will be set up at Worldcon in Reno, Nevada. The con also hosts the annual Hugo and Chesley Awards. This year, he's nominated for a Hugo for Best Professional Artist and three (!) Chesleys for his cover and interior illustrations. Good luck to John and the rest of the nominees!
** Stay tuned after the interview for an extra special Easter Egg celebrating Dwight's recent birthday!
-ADRiAN
great interview. I listen as I'm drawing and I got inspired to up my own game. thanks.
(RE: That's awesome, Jason! - S)
Posted by: Jason Pruett | August 15, 2011 at 02:54 PM
Glad you interviewed John. He's a great artist, and a great guy.
Posted by: Sara Cooper | August 16, 2011 at 08:52 PM
Y'know, people don't leave as many comments as they should on your site, but how many times can we listeners say "You're brilliant!"?
You three are truly brilliant. Class acts. You never fail to put the interview on a friendly footing and really get right to the personality of the guest. It's a rare talent you three have and it's always a joy to listen to.
This interview is no exception. True gems of inspiration from John and I'll be hunting down his book.
So consider me a spokesperson for the silent majority of your listeners when I say "You guys are fantastic and hugely appreciated!"
(RE: Mike, thank you kindly for your words. We appreciate them and we appreciate your support. We cannot express how much it thrills us that you find value in the show. We enjoy having conversations with our awesome guests, but the true joy is when someone like yourself reaches out and says YOU get something out of it, too. That makes it extra special. John's a wonderful artist and his appearance on these mics was a long time coming. Take care and all the best! - S)
Posted by: Mike Ol | August 17, 2011 at 05:06 PM
You never fail to put the interview on friendly footing and really get right to the personality of the guest. Thanks for the good blog.
(RE: Thanks for the nice compliment!)
Posted by: Bicycles in Bangalore | August 24, 2011 at 03:45 AM