Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Steve Ferris

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists, and those that have attracted my attention, in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.

The art of Steve Ferris.

#CoolArt: IX Arts presents 'Outer Limits' Online Only Art Exhibition by Bob Eggleton

IX Arts presents 'Outer Limits', an online only art exhibition featuring the artwork of Bob Eggleton.

The exhibition is on view until May 31 2020.

Go here to view the full exhibition of artwork.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'John Carter Of Mars' by Mark Zug

'John Carter Of Mars' by Mark Zug

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Gregory Manchess

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 Gregory Manchess.

#CoolArt: Riverside Art Museum presents 'Beyond Science Fiction: Michael Whelan'

Riverside Art Museum presents 'Beyond Science Fiction: The Alternative Realism of Michael Whelan', a solo art exhibition of major artworks by Michael Whelan.

With more than 50 pieces on display, such as his iconic cover art from Michael Moorcock's 'Elric' series, Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'John Carter Of Mars' series, the covers for the Isaac Asimov 'Foundation', and Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' works, plus the recent bestseller from the 'Wheel of Time' series, 'A Memory Of Light', as well as many of his personal visions, including 'In A World Of Her Own' and 'The Red Step'. This is a rare chance to see such a large selection of original Whelan art, art that will transport you to distant worlds and alternate realities, both familiar and fantastic.

Michael Whelan is the most honoured artist in Science Fiction, winning an unprecedented 15 Hugo Awards, three World Fantasy Awards, and 13 Chesleys from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. The readers of Locus Magazine have named him Best Professional Artist 30 times in their annual poll and the Spectrum Annual of the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art named him a Grand Master in 2004. Other noteworthy awards include a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators, a Grumbacher Gold Medal, and the Solstice Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. He was also inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2009.

Opening reception is Saturday February 11 from 7-9pm at the Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, CA 92501. Michael will also be in attendance.

The exhibition will be on display until May 25.

In A World Of Her Own'

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Don Maitz

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 Don Maitz.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Martian Princess' by Daryl Mandryk

'Martian Princess' by Daryl Mandryk

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Bruce Pennington

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 Bruce Pennington.

Happy Birthday Frank Frazetta

Frank Frazetta, the legendary fantasy and sci-fi artist, and one of my all time favourite artists, was born on this day, February 9 in 1928.

Self Portrait

'John Carter, Warlord of Mars' Returns In All-New Digital WebComic

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company founded by the author to protect and maintain his original literary creations, has announced that Burroughs’ first adventure hero – John Carter of Mars – will star in an all-new weekly digital comic strip series written Roy Thomas and illustrated by Rodolfo Pérez Garcia, better known to Mexican comics fans as Pegaso.

The new series, to be called 'John Carter, Warlord of Mars', debuts on June 14, joining other classic Burroughs creations like Tarzan, Korak the Killer, Carson of Venus and Pellucidar as part of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Digital Comic Strip Service. 

And similarly to the other webcomics featured on the website, the first four episodes of the new 'John Carter Warlord of Mars' will be available at no charge. Fans can gain unlimited access to the entire site and all the strips from the beginning for only $1.99 per month or $21.99 per year.

The new webcomic comes soon after the reacquisition by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. of comic book and comic strip rights that had been held by Walt Disney Pictures and its Marvel Entertainment subsidiary. The company is also pleased to announce a brand new license with Dynamite Entertainment which will return the original 'John Carter Warlord of Mars' to comic books! Dynamite will also republish other John Carter assets, going back as far as the early 1940s comic strips by John Coleman Burroughs, the son of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The character of John Carter first appeared in 1912, captivating audiences when he debuted in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first novel, serialized as 'Under the Moons of Mars' and later published as a complete novel, 'A Princess of Mars'. As many literary and cultural scholars attest, John Carter has served as a template for the litany of adventure heroes that followed, from Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and Superman to Stars Wars and Avatar.

Go here for the new weekly 'John Carter, Warlord Of Mars' webcomic.

Currently Reading: John Carter Of Mars

Cover art by Michael Whelan

In the run up to the release of Disney's John Carter, I've been reading through the entire Edgar Rice Burroughs 'Barsoom' series for the first time, I've now finished the final book in the series, book 11 - John Carter Of Mars. 

From Wikipedia: 
John Carter of Mars is the eleventh and final book in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is not actually a novel but rather a collection of two John Carter of Mars stories.

The first, "John Carter and the Giant of Mars", is a juvenile story penned by Burrough's son John "Jack" Coleman Burroughs, and claimed to have been revised by Burroughs. It was written for a Whitman Big Little Book, illustrated by Jack Burroughs that was published in 1940 and then republished in Amazing Stories the next year

The second story, "Skeleton Men of Jupiter", was first published in Amazing Stories in 1943. Intended as the first in a series of novelettes to be later collected in book form, in the fashion of Llana of Gathol, it ends with the plot unresolved, and the intended sequels were never written. Several other writers have written pastiche endings for the story.

I enjoyed both of the stories. As mentioned above, you can definitely tell the difference in style between the two stories, but I preferred the 'Skeleton Men' story the best. It just felt more like the rest of series, even if I was imagining shades of Flash Gordon whilst reading it. Shame about the sudden ending, not quite the same cliffhanger endings of the original three books but just feels unfinished, just like the end of each of the stories in 'Llana Of Gathol' which would carry on to the next.

According to Wikipedia, the copyright for this story has expired in Australia, and thus now resides in the public domain there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg Australia. John Carter & The Giant Of Mars & Skeleton Men Of Jupiter

So that's the Barsoom series finished. I can see why there are a lot of fans who love the Edgar Rice Burroughs books. I can now count myself among them. I really loved the first three books (A Princess Of Mars, The Gods Of Mars, Warlord Of Mars), which is why I just HAD to get this illustrated omnibus version of the trilogy. The series on the whole is a very enjoyable read and I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys action adventure with a sci-fi / fantasy twist.

Up next . . . I'm not quite done with the world of Barsoom just yet, and will be checking out Scott Dutton's modern take on John Carter of Mars, with 'Return To Barsoom'.