#CoolArt: 'JOI' by Ron Lemen

'JOI' by Ron Lemen, inspired by 'Blade Runner 2049', for Every Day Original.

12" x 9" oil painting with DaVinci paints on Rhinoboard Panel original artwork for $400.

On sale Sunday December 31 at 12.30pm ET from the Every Day Original website.

#CoolArt: 'Reylo' by Eddie Holly

'Reylo' by Eddie Holly, inspired by 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.

Available as a Gallery quality Giclée print on natural white, matte, ultra smooth, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson K3 archival inks through his Society6 webstore.

#CoolArt: 'The Fairy Thorn' by Lioba Brückner

'The Fairy Thorn' by Lioba Brückner.

7.4" x 7.4" fine art print, with a white border, on 280gm Hahnemuehle Archival Fine Art paper in a signed and numbered limited edition of 20 for €29.95 or hand embellished with glitter and iridescent gold paint for €49.95.

Go here to buy.

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Heather Edwards (Theurer)

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Heather Edwards (Theurer).

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Through Dangers Untold' by Jeff Stokely & Eddy Swan

'Through Dangers Untold' by Jeff Stokely and coloured by Eddy Swan

#CoolArt: 'Les Derniers Jedi' by Orlando Arocena

'Les Derniers Jedi' by Orlando Arocena, inspired by 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.

18" x 24" giclee print on Cold Press Bright 340gsm, Thickness 21 mil with Epson Ultra Chrome K3 inks, in a signed and numbered limited edition of 15 for $40.

Go here to buy.

#CoolArt: 'New Year Wish 2' Neil Gaiman's New Year Wish Poem by David Mack

'New Year Wish 2' Neil Gaiman's New Year Wish Poem by David Mack, a print release through Neverwear.

11" x 17" print in a matte finish, stamped with the official 'Neverwear' stamp and in a hand-numbered limited edition of 1200.

The pre-sale cost is $25 and from January 2 2018 the print will cost $38. A 4" x 6" sticker of the print will be included as well (while supplies last).

The text reads:

"Be kind to yourself in the year ahead.

Remember to forgive yourself and to forgive others. It's too easy to be outraged these days, so much hard to change things, to reach out, to understand. 

Try to make your time matter: minutes and hours and days and weeks can blow away like dead leaves, with nothing to show but time you spent not quite ever doing things, or time you spent waiting to begin. 

Meet new people and talk to them. Make new things and show them to people who might enjoy them. 

Hug too much. Smile too much. And, when you can, love."  

-Neil Gaiman

Go here to buy.

#CoolArt: 'Anodized' by Anthony Palumbo

'Anodized' by Anthony Palumbo, for Every Day Original.

10" x 10" watercolour and gouache on Fluid 300 lb watercolour paper original artwork for $450.

On sale Saturday December 30 at 12.30pm ET from the Every Day Original website.

#CoolArt: 'Aether' by Kelly McKernan

'Aether' by Kelly McKernan.

11" x 14" print including a 1" white border, with archival ink on Moab Entrada Rag Bright 300gsm fine art paper in an open edition for $35, and a hand embellished edition, using violet and teal iridescent acrylic paints on a random selection of crystal facets on the print, in a signed limited edition of 25 for $75.

Go here to buy.

#CoolArt: 'The Shape Of Water' Fan Art by Francesco Francavilla

'The Shape Of Water' fan art by Francesco Francavilla

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Heather McLean

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Heather McLean.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Horizon Zero Dawn' by Ilya Golitsyn

Cover art by Ilya Golitsyn for the October 2016 issue of Game Informer.

January Sale at The Flood Gallery

London's The Flood Gallery is having an end of year Janaury Sale!

Use code JANUARYSALE at the checkout for 20% off. The offer excludes books,  Michael Spencer Jones photography and 'Jimi Hendrix' by Adam Pobiak prints.

The Flood Gallery are also offering 10% off custom framing!

The sale is now on, so pop in store at The Flood Gallery, 8 Greenwich Market, London SE10 9HZ or online at the The Flood Gallery website while stocks last.

The Geeky Nerfherder 6th Anniversary & My 2017 Favourites

And another year of pop culture geekery comes to a close. I've enjoyed travelling around the UK, visiting the various Comic/Geek Cons and events this year, meeting people from some of my favourite movies, games and books, plus some of the finest comic creators and alternative poster artists!

Highlights from 2017 include meeting lots of the cast from the 'Star Wars' movies, past and present, at the various Geek Cons and adding their autographs to my collection; meeting 'Rogue One' director, Gareth Edwards at a BAFTA talk in London; shaking hands with one of my favourite authors, Brandon Sanderson at a book signing in London for his latest book 'Oathbringer'; attending Michael Giacchino's 50th birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall that also included some very special guests like JJ Abrams, Andrew Stanton, Gareth Edwards, Matt Reeves which was also hosted by Adam Savage; as well as finally meeting Don Thompson and Jack Woodhams, the guys behind Poster Posse and PosterSpy respectively.

It's also been 6 years since I first posted on this blog, way back on this day in 2011. The Geeky Nerfherder has come a long way since then too, with my social media profiles continuing to grow, where I sometimes post bonus content - such as highlighting my comics Pull List each week, gaining new followers on Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter, Ello and more. So if you’re not already following, here are the links to my profiles on each of these sites:

on Twitter (@GeekyNerfherder)

on Instagram (@geekynerfherder)

on Tumblr (GeekyNerfherder)

on Pinterest

on Google Plus

on Ello (@geekynerfherder)

on Goodreads

on Flickr (GeekyNerfherder)

Stores:

on Threadless (GeekyNerfherder)

on Red Bubble (GeekyNerfherder)

on Society6 (GeekyNerfherder)

On the blog, I've been continuing my 'Artist Spotlight.' series, where I showcase some of my favourite artists, as well as my #ArtOfTheDay series, where I post a random piece of pop culture artwork. I've also added more reviews in 2017, of the books and movies I read and watch over the year.

As always, a big thanks to everyone I've met at the Comic/Geek Cons I've been to this year, and to everyone that drops by the blog and/or follows me through the various social networks I post to. I hope that you continue to enjoy my posts of cool art and pop culture geekery.

And so, it's that time of year once again, where everybody lists all their favourites of the past year, and here are mine:

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Muad’Dib Summons The Great Maker' by Sam Weber

'Muad’Dib Summons The Great Maker' by Sam Weber

Interior illustration from the Hardcover Collector's Edition of 'Dune' by Frank Herbert, published by The Folio Society.

#CoolArt: 'Golden Axe' by Mike Saputo

'Golden Axe' by Mike Saputo, a new officially licensed SEGA print release from Skuzzles.

18" x 24" screen print, in a 9 colour Regular edition on French Durotone Butcher Off-white paper in a limited edition of 175 for $45, and a 10 colour Variant edition on on Brilliance Gold Foil in a limited edition of 100 for $65.

On sale Friday December 29 at 1pm ET from the Skuzzles website.

Regular Edition

Variant Edition

Book Review: 'Mass Effect: Initiation' by NK Jemisin & Mac Walters

I'm a big fan of the 'Mass Effect' video game series, and seeing as EA/Bioware have iced the series, hopefully only temporarily, and with no extra DLC planned for the game, I'm enjoying any extra content that adds to the expansion of the universe. And so a 'Mass Effect' book (co)written by the Hugo Award winning author NK Jemisin?! I'm so down for that!

'Initiation', co-written with 'Mass Effect' creative director Mac Walters, focuses on Cora Harper, one of NPCs from your squad in the Andromeda game, and her prospective boss, Alec Ryder (father of the playable character in the game), with the POV switching over every once in a while, but this is Cora's story, as she's recruited by Ryder into his Andromeda Initiative program.

We get to know Cora a lot more than when we see her in the game, as Jemisin takes what was almost a bland NPC and fleshes out her character a lot more, making her a likeable hero, creating a much more emotionally engaging character and also getting a sense of how determined she can also be as she overcomes the obstacles that bar her way. Whereas, as hinted at in the game, Ryder is definitely committed to the Andromeda Initiative project, and stubbornly so.

The book is set some time around the time of the 'Mass Effect 2' game, with Commander Shepard spoken of in the interludes, told in the style of news reports, that pepper in between the chapters. As such, there are also mentions of other characters like Khalisah al-Jilani, Councillor Udina, as well as other locations and events that will be very familiar to players of the original trilogy of games.

The story is certainly fast paced and action packed, as Cora is sent out to retrieve the stolen kernel code for the AI system that Alec Ryder was developing, which ends up her chasing leads across the galaxy after things don't exactly go to plan.

It's a great read, with a sense of nostalgia, that will be welcomed by fans of the game series. Recommended if you like the 'Mass Effect' series and into science fiction.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Star Wars: Dark Empire' by Dave Dorman

Cover art by Dave Dorman for 'Star Wars: Dark Empire' #6, published October 1992 by Dark Horse Comics

#CoolArt: 'Anakin's Path' by Grzegorz Domaradzki (Gabz)

'Anakin's Path' by Grzegorz Domaradzki (Gabz), a new officially licensed 'Star Wars' print co-release through Zavvi and Dark Ink Art.

18" x 24" screen print, in a numbered Regular edition in a timed release for £39.99 through Zavvi and $55 from Dark Ink Art, and a Variant edition of 150 for $65 exclusively through Dark Ink Art.

On sale Wednesday December 27 at 12pm UK / 4am PT with the timed release period running until 12pm UK / 4am PT on Monday January 1 2018.

Regular Edition

Variant Edition

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Fifth Element' by Harijs Grundmanis

'The Fifth Element' by Harijs Grundmanis

#CoolArt: 'Sleepless On The Silk Road' by Tran Nguyen

'Sleepless On The Silk Road' by Tran Nguyen.

Used as cover art for 'Uncanny Magazine' #20, published January 2018.

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' by Andrew Kwan

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' fan art by Andrew Kwan

Book Review: 'Assassin's Creed Origins: Desert Oath' by Oliver Bowden

Prequel tie in novel by Oliver Bowden, to the 'Assassin's Creed Origins' video game, and set in 70 BCE Egypt, around 22 years before the events of the game.

We meet a young Bayek, the main protagonist of the game, as well as Aya, the love of his life, and get to know the location of Siwa, a small village, where the game begins and where Bayek is the son of a Medjay, protector of the region.

I liked the characterizations of the central characters, they work well together as a young couple, although with the stresses of events in the book, they become torn towards the end, as they grow into the people we get to see in the game. And the secondary characters, like the second pov of the villain of the book, Bion, is handled really well. The world building is pretty good too, setting up the stage for the time of ancient Egypt and the sandy deserts of the region at the time.

There's plenty of action and intrigue in the book as well, as Bion, hot on the heels of Samu, Bayek's father, tracks them through the desert.

It's a very good prequel that sets up the main character and initial setting for the game with a good engaging plot; a hired killer is out to end the Medjay bloodline, and Bayek must leave the safety of Siwa to travel through an ancient Egypt and find his father, and a believable ancient world with a compelling cast of characters.

Recommended as a stand alone book and definitely if you're a fan of the game it precedes.

Book Review: 'The Stormlight Archive: Book 3 - Oathbringer' by Brandon Sanderson

The return to the world of Roshar for the epic third tome in Brandon Sanderson's 'The Stormlight Archives' series.

'Oathbringer' begins with another retelling of the death of the king Gavilar, the event that started the war with the Parshendi, the main antagonists in the war that has been raging in the previous books in the series. This time we see things from the point of view of Eshonai, the Parshendi Shardbearer, and revelations as to why the events happened in the previous books fall into place.

And this book is full of revelations, twists and turns. Throughout the many pages, nearly 1300, you are certainly kept on your toes and is at times difficult to see the path that winds through the book, often doing the unexpected, yet still answering some of the unanswered questions raised over the series, and asking more. If there was ever a book where expectations were set so high that you were worried about them not being fulfilled, fear not as 'Oathbringer' delivers with aplomb!

The main point of view in this book is from Dalinar Kholin, the man tasked with reuniting the different factions of Roshar, as we flashback to the events in his life that shaped the Blackthorn into the person we see now. And some of it is grim and heartbreaking, full of death and war. His character development is superb, emotionally harrowing as to how he copes (or not in some cases) with the tragedy and death he causes, whether knowingly or not.

But its not all about Dalinar, as Adolin, Renarin, Shallan, Kaladin, the members of the infamous Bridge Four and even Szeth, the Assassin in White, and Jasnah all return and come to the fore. Again, some great characterizations, building on what has happened to these characters since we first met them and pushing them into difficult situations, especially Shallan Davar, with some of them coping better than others.

This time we also get to go away from the Shattered Plains, where the majority of the previous books were set, and see a bit more of Roshar. I like the way Sanderson explores the vast settings and details  in his world building. The illustrated maps within the pages give a sense of the epic scope and scale of the world that Sanderson has created and his characters inhabit.

I'd also recommend reading 'Edgedancer' beforehand, the novella that kind of bridges the gap between 'Words Of Radiance' and 'Oathbringer'. Featuring the awesome Lift, who also gets to appear in 'Oathbringer', the novella describes events that are alluded to in the new book. And although I've not read it yet, apparently the same can be said of the book 'Warbreaker', as a character from that book also appears in 'Oathbringer'.

The book itself is gorgeous too. Being based in the UK, I sought out the US Hardcover edition specifically for the Michael Whelan cover art. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I do. Whelan is a legend and one of my favourite artists, so it was a must have. I'll have to go back and get US hardcover editions of the previous books too, as well as future ones!

But the gorgeous artwork doesn't stop at the cover, the endpapers illustrated by Dan Dos Santos and Howard Lyon and sublime, each features four of heralds, which I've featured on the blog before. The intermittent interior illustrations by Miranda Meeks, Kelley Harris, Ben McSweeney, Isaacs Steward, as well as Dan Dos Santos and Howard Lyon again, are all pretty great too and help flesh out the author's vision.

I was also lucky to meet Brandon Sanderson at an 'Oathbringer' book signing in London on a cold evening in November. After braving the cold, and a queue that stretched around the block and then some, it was really awesome to meet him, plus have the chance to tell him that his books are part of the inspiration for me having a dabble at writing my own stories, with him saying that was one of the best compliments an author could have!

I like my books with engaging characters, in depth world building and a compelling narrative that I can get absorbed in, and 'Oathbringer' does all this with gusto! Recommended.

Book Review: 'Canto Bight' by Saladin Ahmed, Mira Grant, Rae Carson & John Jackson Miller

Part of the 'Journey To The Last Jedi' series of prequel books, 'Canto Bight' is an anthology of four novellas set in the seedy casino playground for the rich and corrupt. It's an enjoyable read, and is a better glimpse at goings on in the new location that is seen briefly in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'.

The first story, 'Rules of the Game' by Saladin Ahmed, tells the tale of Kedpin Shoklop, a vaporator salesman in town after winning the Salesman of the year. But straight away he's swindled out of his luggage and money before becoming a convenient mark for a hitman in town to complete a job. You kind of feel for Shoklop, as despite all the setbacks, his positive and optimistic attitude keeps him going, making the best of what is certainly a bad day!

The next tale, 'The Wine Of Dreams' by Mira Grant, involves Derla Pidys, a sommelier, in fact THE sommelier, the best wine merchant in the galaxy, in town to conduct a trade with the mysterious Grammus sisters. The deal is to be brokered in the exclusive nightclub owned by Ubialla Gheal, and when a client of Ubialla's forcibly requests her to obtain 'The Wine Of Dreams', things get a little bit messy.

The third novella, 'Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing' by Rae Carson, has a renowned masseur and former assassin, Lexo Sooger, forced to get involved with corrupt politicians in order to find and save his adopted daughter.

The final story of the anthology, 'The Ride' by John Jackson Miller, features Kaljach Sonmi, a gambler who works the card tables in Canto Bight, but loses the money that is owed to a gangster and has to win the money back in one night! But his luck takes a turn when he meets three happy go lucky aliens, Dodi, Thodi and Wodi.

If you read these stories, aside from the fact that some of the characters were mentioned as aliens and from different planets, you wouldn't necessarily guess that they were set in the Star Wars Universe at all, they could easily have been set in somewhere like Las Vegas or Monte Carlo. They're just a set of stories with hardly any connection other than being based in one of the new locales. They are fun reads though, and I did enjoy the various adventures. I started the book before watching 'The Last Jedi' and finished it after, and the book does flesh out the casino city a bit more, detailing some of the inhabitants and underworld activities there, but ultimately it has no bearing on, or hints at what happens in the movie. And as a bonus, some of the characters featured in the stories also show up in 'The Last Jedi' Visual Dictionary book, giving you an idea of what they actually look like!

Its a good entertaining read and definitely worth picking up, but it's not a necessary read if you're wanting to pick up extra knowledge before watching 'The Last Jedi'.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'The Rose Of Winter' by Rhys Cooper

The 'Game Of Thrones' inspired 'The Rose Of Winter' by Rhys Cooper

#CoolArt: 'The Last Homely House East Of The Sea' by Naomi VanDoren

'The Last Homely House East Of The Sea' by Naomi VanDoren, for Every Day Original.

10" x 7" Watercolour & pen on watercolour paper original artwork for $425.

Go here to buy.

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' by Dan Mumford

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' by Dan Mumford, is the third of four exclusive prints that will be available as part of the 'Star Wars Sundays' promotion by AMC Theatres.

Each Sunday, until January 7, if you purchase a ticket online to see 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' in IMAX 3D, you will receive an AMC exclusive Star Wars mini print illustrated by artist Dan Mumford, with a new poster set to be revealed every week.

Go here to buy tickets.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Christmas Is Coming' by PJ McQuade

'Christmas Is Coming' by PJ McQuade, inspired by 'Game Of Thrones'.

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Harry Schaare

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Harry Schaare.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'C-3PO & R2-D2' by Ralph McQuarrie

'C-3PO & R2-D2' by Ralph McQuarrie.

Used as a Christmas Card from Lucasfilm in 1978.

#CoolArt: 'Deconstructing Wonderland' by Cynthia Sheppard

'Deconstructing Wonderland' by Cynthia Sheppard

Available as a gallery-quality giclée art print on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks through her Inprnt store.

#CoolArt: 'Back To The Future' by Drew Struzan

'Back To The Future' by Drew Struzan, a print release from Hero Complex Gallery.

24" x 36" screen print in numbered TIMED One Sheet and Art editions for $135 each. Drew Struzan signed limited editions are also available for an additional $50.

The timed release runs from 9am PT Saturday December 23 until 12 midnight PT on January 15 2018.

Go here to buy.

One Sheet Edition

Art Edition

#CoolArt: 'Dune' Tarot Cards by Heliosphere Illustration

'Dune' Tarot Cards by Heliosphere Illustration, inspired by the books by Frank Herbert.

Available as prints through his Etsy store.

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars' by Adam Stothard

'Star Wars' fan art by Adam Stothard

Regular Edition

Variant Edition

'The Raid' & 'The Raid 2' Steelbook Twin Bluray From Zavvi

'The Raid' & 'Raid 2' steelbook bluray exclusive from Zavvi for £15.99, with artwork by Jock.

On sale Tuesday December 26 at 12pm UK from the Zavvi website.

'Midnight Special' Steelbook Bluray From Zavvi

'Midnight Special' steelbook bluray exclusive from Zavvi for £15.99.

On sale Monday December 25 at 12pm UK from the Zavvi website.

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Harry Bennett

I've previously showcased a few of my favourite pop culture and vintage pulp artists, and each weekend I showcase art from more of my favourite artists.

The art of Harry Bennett.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Tron Legacy' by Martin Ansin

'Tron Legacy' by Martin Ansin

#CoolArt: John McTiernan Inspired Prints From Hero Complex Gallery

Hero Complex Gallery have released prints from their 'John McTiernan' art show, featuring art inspired by his films.

Go here to buy.

by Rich Davies

#CoolArt: 'Battle Approach' by Andy Fairhurst

'Battle Approach' by Andy Fairhurst, a new officially licensed 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' print co-release through Zavvi and Dark Ink Art.

12" x 24" lithograph print, in a numbered limited edition of 395 - 250 through Zavvi for £34.99 and 145 through Dark Ink Art for $45.

On sale Friday December 21 at 12pm UK / 11am PT from Zavvi and Dark Ink Art.