Tuesday, February 28, 2017

#CoolArt: 'Pagan Poetry' by Randy Gallegos

'Pagan Poetry' by Randy Gallegos.

8" x 10″ oil and acrylic with graphite, on panel, available at Every Day Original.


#CoolArt: 'Cloaked In Succulence' by Glenn Arthur

'Cloaked In Succulence' by Glenn Arthur, a new print from Rhino Barking Sparrow.

9" x 12" giclée print on Cold-Press Natural Heavy Fine Art 340gsm paper in a hand numbered timed release edition for $25 from Tuesday February 28 at 9am PST until Thursday March 2 at 9pm PST.

One lucky buyer will also be randomly selected to receive the ORIGINAL SKETCH.

Go here to buy.


#CoolArt: 'The Godfather Part III' by Laurent Durieux

'The Godfather Part III' by Laurent Durieux is a new print release from Odd City Entertainment. This is the third in a set of three, one for each of the three 'Godfather' films. Go here to see Part I and here for Part II.

24" x 36" 13 colour screen print in a signed and numbered Regular edition of 275 for $65, a signed and numbered Variant edition of 150 for $100 and a signed and numbered Regular edition on wood in a limited edition of 50 for $300.

On sale Thursday March 2 at 1pm CST.

Go here to buy.

Regular Edition
Variant Edition

#CoolArt: 'Directors Cut: Kubrick' by Matt Needle

'Directors Cut: Kubrick' by Matt Needle, part of a series of limited edition prints based upon the works of his favourite movie directors.

A3 (297 x 420 mm) and A2 (420 x 594 mm) high quality digital Matte prints on 280gsm paper in limited editions of 50 (in each size) for £25 (A3) and £37 (A2) each.

Go here to buy.


#CoolArt: 'American Gods' by David Mack

'American Gods' by David Mack.

Available as a print from the Dark Horse Comics booth and at David's artist table Z3 during the Emerald City Comic Con, March 2-5 in Seattle.


#ArtOfTheDay: 'Jurassic Park' by Ken Taylor

'Jurassic Park' by Ken Taylor.


Friday, February 24, 2017

#CoolArt: Haven Gallery presents 'History Of Art' Group Art Exhibition

Haven Gallery presents 'History Of Art', a group exhibition of paintings, drawings and photography that hark back to the styles, themes and techniques of our creative predecessors. Artists were asked to look to a historical work or genre and reinterpret said aesthetic in their own style.

Exhibiting artists include: Tom Bagshaw, Alex Garant, Henry Schreiber, Thomas Dodd, Luna Milly, Ingrid Tusell, Omar Rayyan, Shane Scribner, NadezdaMandy TsungJoseph Weinreb, Kelly Houghton, Kelsey BeckettMichael C Hayes, Angie Mason, Jessica JoslinJune LeelooScott Fischer and Daniel Williams.

The opening reception is Saturday February 25 from 6-8pm at the Haven Gallery, 155 Main Street, Carriage House Square, Northport, NY 11768, and will be on display until April 2.

by Ingrid Tusell

#CoolArt: 'Webster Fox' by Mark Chilcott

'Webster Fox' by Mark Chilcott, is a new limited edition print release by Bottleneck Gallery.

8" x 10" giclee prints in numbered limited editions of 40 for $20 each or $75 for the set of four prints.

On sale Friday February 24 at 12pm EST.

Go here to buy.


The 20th Annual DICE Award Winners Announced

The 20th annual DICE awards, honouring and celebrating the best games from 2016, were announced by the Academy Of Interactive Arts And Sciences during the annual DICE summit, which took place last night at The Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Game of the Year

Overwatch
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment


Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Inside
Publisher: Playdead
Developer: Playdead


Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

Overwatch
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

Eagle Flight
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: FunHouse

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

Superhot VR
Publisher: SUPERHOT Sp. z o.o.
Developer: SUPERHOT Sp. z o.o.

Mobile Game of the Year

Pokémon GO
Publisher: Niantic Labs
Developer: Niantic Labs

Handheld Game of the Year

Pokémon Sun and Moon
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Developer: Game Freak

D.I.C.E. Sprite Award

for recognizing a game with limited resources for development and exposure (as compared to AAA titles)
Inside
Publisher: Playdead
Developer: Playdead

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay

Overwatch
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis Games

Sports Game of the Year

Steep
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Annecy

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

Dark Souls 3
Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.
Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.

Racing Game of the Year

Forza Horizon 3
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Playground Games, Turn 10 Studios

Fighting Game of the Year

Street Fighter 5
Publisher: Capcom U.S.A., Inc.
Developer: Capcom

Family Game of the Year

Ratchet & Clank
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Insomniac Games

Adventure Game of the Year

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: Naughty Dog

Action Game of the Year

Overwatch
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Outstanding Technical Achievement

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: Naughty Dog

Outstanding Achievement in Story

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: Naughty Dog

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

Battlefield 1
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Dice

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Doom
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: id Software

Outstanding Achievement in Character

The Last Guardian - Trico
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: JAPAN Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

Inside
Publisher: Playdead
Developer: Playdead

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: Naughty Dog

2017 AIAS Hall Of Fame Recipent

Todd Howard
Executive Producer and Game Director at Bethesda Game Studios

#CoolArt: 'Enchantment' by Sasha Ira

'Enchantment' by Sasha Ira, a new print release from Rhino Barking Sparrow.

12" x 15" giclée on 14" x 17" Cold-Press Natural Heavy Fine Art 340gsm paper in a hand numbered limited edition of 20 for $60. The first 10 prints will be hand embellished with gold.

On sale Friday February 24 at 9am PST.

Go here to buy.


#ArtOfTheDay: 'Vagrant Story' by Akihiko Yoshida

'Vagrant Story' by Akihiko Yoshida


Thursday, February 23, 2017

#CoolArt: 'Dark Souls II' Video Game Art Prints From Cook & Becker

Cook & Becker, in partnership with FromSoftware, are releasing a new collection of art prints featuring concept art from the 'Dark Souls II' video games.

Each is a limited edition, hand numbered, museum-grade giclee print available unframed or with a high-end finish or frame.

Go here to buy.

'Mirage'

#CoolArt: 'Trappist-1e' NASA Travel Poster

Travel destination poster for the newly discovered 'Trappist-1e' exoplanet from NASA.

Go here for hi-res printable version.

Add caption

#CoolArt: 'The Head And The Heart at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI' Diptych Prints by Luke Martin

'The Head And The Heart at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI' diptych prints by Luke Martin.

18" x 24" 4 colour screen prints on French 100# Nightshade Blue paper in signed and numbered limited editions of 20 for $30 each.

Go here to buy.

#CoolArt: Time Beards & Sketchpad Gallery presents 'Leading Ladies' Art Show

Time Beards presents 'Leading Ladies' Art Show, hosted at Sketchpad Gallery in San Francisco, and features exclusive work by over 20 artists celebrating the deadly, quirky, iconic, magical female leads in the films we love.

Artists include: Tegan Bellitta, Cryssy Cheung, Joshua Budich, Malisa Suchanya, Jeany Ngo, Craig Drake, Robert Bruno, Chris Koehler, Luke Harrington, Sarah Hawkinson, Brynn Metheney, Jocelyn Liang, Dawn Carlos, John Severin Brassell, Kendra Minadeo, Kevin Wilson, Marko Manev, Nathan Anderson, Nicholas Kole, Patrick O'Keefe and Andrew Theophilopoulos.

Opening reception is on Saturday February 25 from 5pm - 9.30pm at Sketchpad Gallery, 505 Natoma Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, and will be on display until March 4.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Batgirl' #43 by James Jean

Cover art by James Jean for 'Batgirl' #43, October 2003 issue published by DC Comics.



Wednesday, February 22, 2017

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars Celebration: Orlando 2017' Poster by Paul Shipper

Official 'Star Wars Celebration: Orlando 2017' poster art by Paul Shipper.


Shout-out To My Local Comics Shop; Spa Town Comics

I first got into comics during the 90's. Going into my local independent newsagent and eyeing the cover art standing out from the usual magazines and other comics on the racks. It was never the big, shiny and colourful superhero comics but the dark and mysterious characters and worlds of titles such as 'The Sandman', 'Swamp Thing', 'John Constantine: Hellblazer' and 'Preacher' that caught my attention. With the lure of the superb cover art by the likes of Dave McKean, Charles Vess, and Glenn Fabry, reeling me in, the stories and artwork inside got me forever hooked.

Back then, the chance of finding issues regularly were very rare, especially as most of the titles I was reading, usually from Vertigo ComicsEpic Comics or from a new imprint that had recently just started called Image Comics, were classed as for 'Mature Readers' (if you read any of those issues then you'll understand) and not always on the racks. Otherwise, seeing as there wasn't a local comic shop in town, you had to get your copies through subscription mailorder (no ordering through the internet back then) or wait for bookshops to stock the collected editions.

Flash-forward a few years and these days it's a lot easier. Plenty of places online and Comic Cons to pick up issues from. Until recently, there was never a dedicated place for me to locally get my favourite monthly titles and other comics goodies from without having to travel to Banbury, Birmingham or further afield. But thanks to the success of the inaugural Leamington Comic Con in 2014, it showed that there was demand for comics and geekiness in a middle class town in the middle of England.

And from the seeds planted at the Comic Con, the next Leamington Comic Con is March 25, a pop up comic shop, Spa Town Comics, has now planted roots firmly in the town.


Run by Dan Mallier and Lisa-Marie Nelson, the collective brains behind the award winning Leamington Comic Con, the pop up store, situated on a stall in the Royal Priors Shopping Centre, in less than a year has already become a one stop shop for avid comic fans, including myself. Instead of the sometimes sterile atmosphere at larger stores, Spa Town Comics is anything but! Whether it's Dan, Lisa or whoever else is attending the store, they are more than willing to talk comics and geekiness with you. And they certainly know their stuff!! The friendliness of the staff and the comics banter is very welcoming and just one of the reasons to visit. They will only be too happy to help recommend titles that they think you might enjoy based on what you initially buy from them.

I've since cancelled subscriptions I've had elsewhere and re-continued the titles with Spa Town Comics to purposely support my local comic shop. I now have several titles listed with them, and they will include the variant covers, if you ask for them and if they can get them. The subscription service they have is brilliant, and a cinch to set up.

Despite only having a stall, they hope to have a more permanent store, they have packed it full of comics, merchandise from T shirts to Funkos, and more. They have a great selection of current and older comics, they even have a few signed ones too! And if it's back issues you're after, their collaboration with Comic Connections in Banbury, means that if they don't have an issue at hand they will try and get hold of it for you. Always ones to champion the small press comics scene, they also stock a growing range of small press titles and prints from local artists.

But they don't just sell comics either, Spa Town Comics also promote literacy and support local talent, and work with the local library to promote reading, host drawing events, appear at local comic cons, and put on other events to allow others to celebrate and share their hobbies and interests and make new friends.

All in all it's the comic shop we've been needing in the town for years! And what better way to celebrate New Comic Book Day than to big up my local comic shop!

For more head to their website; spatowncomics.co.uk, visit facebook.com/spatowncomics or follow them on Twitter @SpaTownComics and Instagram @spatowncomics.

#CoolArt: 'Capitol Reef National Park' by Claire Hummel

'Capitol Reef National Park' by Claire Hummel, a new print release from Fifty-Nine Parks.

24" x 32" 6 colour screen print on 100# Cougar White paper for $80.
On sale from Wednesday February 22 until Friday March 3.

18" x 24" 6 colour screen print in a open edition for $40 also available.

5% of the print sale will be donated to The National Park Service.

Go here to buy.


#CoolArt: 'Captain America: Civil War' by Tyler Stout

'Captain America: Civil War' by Tyler Stout, a new print release through Mondo.

24" x 36" screen print, in a numbered Regular edition of 750 for $65, a numbered Variant edition of 325 for $110, and a numbered Metal edition of 80 for $350.

On sale at a random time Thursday February 23. Follow Mondo on Twitter for the on sale announcement.

Regular Edition
Variant Edition
Metal Edition

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Tristan & Isolde' by Pete Mohrbacher

'Tristan & Isolde' by Pete Mohrbacher, inspired by the Celtic legend.


Tuesday, February 21, 2017

#CoolArt: 'Halo Wars 2' Prints by Ian Wilding & Chris Skinner

New 'Halo Wars 2' inspired officially licensed prints from Dark Ink Art.
  • 'Red Team' by Ian Wilding: 18″ x 24″ 6 colour screen print on 100# House Natural paper in a numbered limited edition of 200 for $50.
  • 'Brute Warrior' by Chris Skinner: 18″ x 24″ 5 colour screen print on silver shimmer paper in a numbered limited edition of 200 for $50.
Go here to buy.

'Red Team' by Ian Wilding
'Brute Warriors' by Chris Skinner

#CoolArt: 'The Rocketeer' by Simon Delart

'The Rocketeer' by Simon Delart.

30cm by 60cm giclee print on high quality 220gr fine art paper in a signed and numbered limited edition of 35 for €40.

Go here to buy.



#CoolArt: 'The Third Man' by AJ Frena

'The Third Man' by AJ Frena, a new officially licensed print release from Mad Duck Posters.

18" x 36" 6 colour screen print, with metallic silver ink, in a numbered limited of 130 for $65.

On sale Wednesday February 22 at 12pm EST.

Go here to buy.


#CoolArt: 'Circle Of Life' by Steven Holliday

'The Lion King' inspired 'Circle Of Life' by Steven Holliday, a print release through Galerie F.

18" x 24" 6 colour screen print in a signed and numbered limited edition of 50 for $40.

Go here to buy.


#CoolArt: 'Eclipse' by Rob Rey

'Eclipse' by Rob Rey.

6" x 6" Oil study, original available at Every Day Original Tuesday February 21 at 11.45am EST.


#CoolArt: 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' by Guillaume Morellec

'Guardians Of The Galaxy' by Guillaume Morellec, a new officially licensed print release from Bottleneck Gallery, in collaboration with Grey Matter Art.

18" x 24" screen print in a hand-numbered limited edition of 150 for $40.

On sale Tuesday February 21 at 12pm EST.

Go here to buy.


#ArtOfTheDay: 'Spaceships and Tentacles' by Galen Dara

'Spaceships and Tentacles' by Galen Dara, art commissioned for author Jennifer Foehner Wells' website.


Monday, February 20, 2017

The 2016 SFWA Nebula Awards Finalists Announced

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have announced the finalists for this year’s Nebula Awards, along with contenders for the Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton Awards.

Each year, the organization’s members vote on which stories they consider to be the best novel, novella, novelette, short story and Young Adult story in the genre, as well as the best outstanding dramatic presentation.

The Nebula Awards Ceremony will be held from Thursday, May 18 through Sunday, May 21 at the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center.

Best Novel
  • 'All the Birds in the Sky', Charlie Jane Anders (Tor; Titan)
  • 'Borderline', Mishell Baker (Saga)
  • 'The Obelisk Gate', N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • 'Ninefox Gambit', Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US; Solaris UK)
  • 'Everfair', Nisi Shawl (Tor)

Best Novella
  • 'Runtime', S.B. Divya (Tor.com Publishing)
  • 'The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe', Kij Johnson (Tor.com Publishing)
  • 'The Ballad of Black Tom', Victor LaValle (Tor.com Publishing)
  • 'Every Heart a Doorway', Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
  • 'The Liar', John P. Murphy (F&SF 3-4/16)
  • 'A Taste of Honey', Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor.com Publishing)

Best Novelette
  • 'The Long Fall Up', William Ledbetter (F&SF May/June 2016)
  • 'Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea', Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed February 2016)
  • 'Red in Tooth and Cog', Cat Rambo (F&SF March/April 2016)
  • 'Blood Grains Speak Through Memories', Jason Sanford (Beneath Ceaseless Skies March 2016)
  • 'The Jewel and Her Lapidary', Fran Wilde (Tor.com Publishing)
  • 'You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay', Alyssa Wong (Uncanny May/June 2016)

Best Short Story
  • 'Our Talons Can Crush Galaxies', Brooke Bolander (Uncanny November/December 2016)
  • 'Seasons of Glass and Iron', Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit Wood)
  • 'Sabbath Wine', Barbara Krasnoff (Clockwork Phoenix 5)
  • 'Things With Beards', Sam J. Miller (Clarkesworld June 2016)
  • 'This Is Not a Wardrobe Door', A. Merc Rustad (Fireside Magazine January 2016)
  • 'A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers', Alyssa Wong (Tor.com March 2016)
  • 'Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station│Hours Since the Last Patient Death: 0', Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed March 2016)

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
  • 'Arrival', Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer, 21 Laps Entertainment/FilmNation Entertainment/Lava Bear Films/Xenolinguistics
  • 'Doctor Strange', Directed by Scott Derrickson, Screenplay by Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill, Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures
  • 'Kubo and the Two Strings', Directed by Travis Knight, Screenplay by Mark Haimes & Chris Butler; Laika Entertainment
  • 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story', Directed by Gareth Edwards, Written by Chris Weitz & Tony Gilroy; Lucusfilm/ Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures
  • 'Westworld: The Bicameral Mind', Directed by Jonathan Nolan, Written by Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan; HBO
  • 'Zootopia', Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, & Jared Bush, Screenplay by Jared Bush & Phil Johnston; Walt Disney Pictures/Walt Disney Animation Studios

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • 'The Girl Who Drank the Moon', Kelly Barnhill (Algonquin Young Readers)
  • 'The Star-Touched Queen', Roshani Chokshi (St. Martin’s)
  • 'The Lie Tree', Frances Hardinge (Macmillan UK; Abrams)
  • 'Arabella of Mars', David D. Levine (Tor)
  • 'Railhead', Philip Reeve (Oxford University Press; Switch)
  • 'Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies', Lindsay Ribar (Kathy Dawson Books)
  • 'The Evil Wizard Smallbone', Delia Sherman (Candlewick)

#CoolArt: 'Drive' by Nikita Kaun

'Drive' by Nikita Kaun, a print release through Dark City Gallery.

24" x 36" screen print in a numbered Regular edition of 140 for £55 and a numbered Variant edition of 85 for £75.

Go here to buy.

Regular Edition
Variant Edition