Andy Jamieson

Sometime Geek Overlord, bi-monthly Dungeon Master, part-time care worker, reigning Husband of the Year, & full-time daddy. Also, proficient proverbial juggler.

REVIEW: The Three by Sarah Lotz

Aug 172014
 

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The last time I read a book reviewed by Stephen King (of whom I am long time follower and fan) I barely made it a third of the way through the book. “Mr. King!” I despaired, “You lied to me!!” So having seen that his was the review that was emblazoned on the back of this book, I was a little dubious and hesitant to begin reading. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. He mentioned that it was ‘a mix of Michael Crichton and Shirley Jackson.’ Shirley Jackson (again a follower of) eh? We’ll see…. However, Mr. King has fully redeemed himself in my eyes, as this book is indeed a cracking read.

Sarah Lotz’s The Three (published by Hodder & Stoughton in hardback at £14.99, OUT NOW) is a fascinating book that tells a huge tale albeit with very few words and does indeed have a Shirley Jackson-esque ending that leaves you with a smirk, a frown and a lot of potential philosophical discussion points. So what’s it all about then?

Four major air disasters, over four different continents, with three sole survivors – all three of whom are children. What’s interesting about the plot is that they are not actually the main feature, despite their uniqueness, and their subsequent actions and behaviours. The book concentrates more on the theories that spring up surrounding the three survivors, with the three (again, nice touch) main theories being; rational explanation, eschatology and aliens.

Thanks to the final words of one of the Japanese air disaster victims, Pamela May Donald, the cult of the ‘Pamelists’ gathers a momentum that starts a chain of world changing events and if you look carefully at the book’s cover there are, in fact, four marks on the front of the book with the last mark shaded instead of bold. Lotz makes a small and cynical reference to the Left Behind series of books and brings us the consequences of a world gripped by fear. However, let’s not forget the nod to Shirley Jackson and I’m thinking specifically of her classic short story The Lottery. Not all is as it seems…

The narrative is told predominantly through transcripts of technical reports, conversations, interviews and Skype sessions. As a result I initially found it quite difficult to connect to the book but just as I was about to give up (and get Mr. King’s number to give him an earful) something changed and I was suddenly engrossed. There is a swift pace between each entry and whilst you are reading the latest one your imagination is filling in all that has happened in between – because there is no other option but to do just that! It’s fascinating to find your brain being cinematic in its thoughts while simultaneously registering what’s unfolding subsequently and by the time you finish the book you have to replay the whole thing from a different perspective.

I would also reference a likeness to Philip K. Dick and Carlos Castenada. At some points this book can strike you as being surreal but alarmingly close to potential futures, as well as challenging bigger philosophical questions akin to the ‘are we all just living under the fingernail of a giant somewhere?’ Of course, this may just be me and you may get to the end and say “yeah, I saw that coming” … But I think you’d be lying…

Sonya Doig, guest reviewer 

 

FEATURE: Where’s Lando? (And other Episode VII musings)

May 282014
 

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Where’s Lando? (And other Episode VII musings)

by Andrew Jamieson, Geekzine UK’s Editor-in-chief

It is the question I have asked more than any other (with regard to Star Wars, of course; usually the most asked question of the day is “what’s for dinner?”) since that cast photo was released at the end of April. Straight away there was some backlash, particularly on twitter that I noticed, regarding a) the lack of females in the cast, and b) the mainly white cast. But one other grumble surfaced, and is the question I refer to, and that was: “Where’s Lando?”

That question is not easily answered, if answered at all. But let us examine the evidence before us. Firstly, the important thing to remember is that this cast announcement is of the principal cast, with confirmation from LucasFilm that more announcements will be made. For example, there will no doubt be numerous supporting roles to fill, for this is the epic universe of the Star Wars saga. So, with reference to the above alphabetized grumbles, I feel quite sure there will be more of a) and that b) will be an ongoing consideration.

BUT. Where is Lando?

Growing up, the sometime rogue-cardshark-turned-administrator-turned-general-and-hero-of-the-rebellion that is Lando Calrissian was one of my favourite characters. From a young mind’s point of view, he quite simply had some of the best action figures. The original Kenner line in the early eighties released a Bespin Governor Lando figure, all in blue shades with a plastic cape. This was followed for Return of the Jedi with Lando in ‘Skiff Guard Disguise’ complete with nifty helmet. Post-film release, Kenner brought out a ‘General Pilot’ Lando, as seen in the latter stages of Jedi, where he commands the Millennium Falcon. This figure had a nylon cape, an upgrade from the plastic sheeting for sure.

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My prized Lando Calrissian “General Pilot” figure, from the mid-80s. HANDS OFF!

It is interesting to note that a concern raised post-Episode VII cast reveal, is of the mainly white cast. Back in the summer of 1977, the original Star Wars (pre-A New Hope subtitle, which would be added for the film’s re-release in 1981), as well as being a blockbuster success, also attracted such concerns. So when it came to the character of Lando Calrissian for The Empire Strikes Back, it seems that such criticism had not escaped George Lucas. In his book, Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, author Dale Pollock confirms as much:

The most sensitive part to cast in Empire was Lando. Still smarting from criticism that Star Wars was racist, George conceived of Lando as “a suave, dashing black man in his thirties” and specified in his script that that half of the Cloud City residents and troops were to be black (in the actual film, only a few blacks are visible). Lucas sought Billy Dee Williams from the outset, after seeing him in Lady Sings The Blues. Williams was reluctant to play what he thought was a token black, but soon realized that Lando could be portrayed by a black or white actor. “The part requires a universal, international quality, which I have,” Williams says. “Lando is an alternative to the usual WASP hero.”

(Excerpt from page 213)

 

Bill Dee Williams (born William December Williams Jnr) was already an established star by the time he was cast in Empire, having appeared in a number of critically acclaimed and academy award-nominated pictures. He was gifted with a character of dubious morality; greeting his old pal, Han Solo, with humour and hugs, it is not long before he has sold him out to Darth Vader (admittedly to keep Bespin Cloud City out of the clutches of the Empire). When Vader reneges on their deal, Lando reveals his honourable streak and attempts to make right his betrayal, and rescues Leia and Chewbacca, but is too late to save Han from being frozen in carbonite, now the prize of the bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

In Return of the Jedi, Billy Dee’s Lando is developed beyond his rogue persona in Empire, and gets some great scenes. Starting off undercover in Jabba’s Palace, he proceeds to aid in freeing Luke, Han and Chewy on a skiff barge hovering above the perilous Pit of Charkoon, home to the fearsome Sarlaac (pre-spesh edish beak), inadvertently dangling into the pit when things get a bit slapstick. I love this scene; there’s great contrast at work by the great, late director, Richard Marquand. We get a bit of Luke in full Jedi mode, backflipping and swashbuckling his way aboard Jabba’s barge, counteracting the slightly botched escape of Han and Chewie: “Boba Fett?” says Han. “Boba Fett? Where?” before sending the bounty hunter off to his ignominous doom in the belly of the Sarlaac…

Lando is then later revealed to now be the cooler-than-ice General Calrissian, and gets to command his old ship, the Millennium Falcon, alongside bizarre alien co-pilot Nien Nunb, at the fore of the fleet sent to attack the second Death Star.

So, this we all know, we’ve watched the original trilogy countless times haven’t we? And Lando, aside from the most famous central characters, is a firm fan favourite, so it would make sense to bring him back, surely? On a cynical note, think of all that merchandise revenue…

I’m not going to entertain idle gossip by speculating as to why Billy Dee Williams hasn’t been announced as part of the Episode VII cast. Idle gossip won’t answer my original question. But I will put forward a theory.

Let us consider the quite notable fact that screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan is penning Episode VII, having taken over from Matthew Arndt, in unusual circumstances; at the time when he was punted from the production, it was rumoured that his script focused more on a new generation of characters, and that Abrams/Disney/LucasFilm were not comfortable with this, and wanted the original main characters to return in prominence. Ergo the increased presence of Kasdan, from consultant to scriptwriter. You can read LucasFilm’s official press release on the exit of Arndt here: http://starwars.com/news/master-filmmaking-team-announced-for-star-wars.html

Kasdan, as you may or may not know, co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, coming in to assist Leigh Brackett, and also wrote Return of the Jedi. Both films feature Lando Calrissian in prominent supporting roles. If any writer on the planet is aware of Lando’s appeal/usefulness as a character, it is Lawrence Kasdan. Therefore, I take some comfort in the fact that if Lando doesn’t feature it may well be for a good narrative reason that Kasdan and J.J. Abrams have considered carefully. Personally, I think Lando will feature at some point, perhaps in a small role somewhere in the new trilogy.

Internet rumours were suggesting that John Boyega, confirmed as one of the cast, would be playing Lando’s son, but this appears to stem from the fact that he is the only black actor cast thus far. Billy Dee Williams, on at least one occasion, has said that his favoured storyline for the Calrissians would be for Lando’s offspring to become a Jedi(s). Time and Kasdan’s script will tell all, but I’m not banking on it. I suspect Boyega will be a young Jedi but I think it unlikely he will be a Calrissian. If he is, then it may be a neat way of not including Lando at all.

On the subject of the new cast, the actors confirmed so far seem a good, diverse mix, ranging from the original films (bar Lando of course), a smattering of recognizable faces (Andy Serkis, Max Von Sydow, Oscar Isaac, Domnhall Gleeson), to relative unknowns (Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley). Of course, it is hard to speculate as to whether this is good casting until we have a better idea of who is playing who, or what. For example, will Serkis be up to his mo-capped escapades once more, in what is likely to be a creature/effects-heavy production, or will we see his face on screen? Perhaps a bit of both, I dare say.

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THAT photo, confirming the new cast for Star Wars: Episode VII. BUT where is Lando?

So, production has started, and there does not seem to be a particularly clandestine nature surrounding the production. Good natured secrecy for sure, but J.J Abrams has already recorded a couple of videoblogs for fans (revealing a new creature in a very cheeky fashion), and I suspect this will continue throughout production. We will be fed enough scraps to keep us going but, as with other Abrams productions, it is quite possible that his new film, and the latest chapter in the lives of the Skywalkers, will feature at least one or two surprises along the way. Will Luke turn to the Dark Side? Is Leia a Jedi? Will Chewbacca’s fur be grey? Will the topic of Midichlorians be discussed? (And dismissed)

I have a theory that maybe the antagonist in this new SW may well have been referenced in Episode III, about halfway through the film, in the scene where Chancellor Palpatine is telling Anakin the story of “the Sith legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise”, who according to Palpatine was a Sith Lord who had mastered the Midichlorians making him able to create life, and prevent death. Of course, Palpatine is playing upon Anakin’s concerns over his vision of Padme’s death, and like the dolt he is Anakin plays right into his hands and ultimately ends up being responsible for Padme’s death. What a wally. Anyway, Palpatine infers that this Sith Lord is dead (and it is later revealed by Palpatine that he murdered Plagueis), but if Plagueis truly conquered death, then, well, he might be up and around and needing some vengeance…. Yes, that is the sound of geek straws being scratched through.

Come what may, the prospect of a new Star Wars film on the horizon is damn exciting and, for me, eclipses all of the comic book movies in the world, ever.

But hold on a tic – where is Warwick Davis? And how about Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles? Admiral Ackbar??! I could go on… However, I want to share with you an interesting J.J. Abrams quote, from issue 299 of Empire magazine, in a feature called ‘Empire’s Greatest Interviews’ (pages 62 to 63):

“Star Wars was everything to me when I was a kid. It was this mind-expanding, visually stunning emotional ride. Like with Star Trek, though, I think the original films are what Star Wars really is. With the prequels, the video games, the endless books and now the TV series, it’s diluted what Star Wars meant in much the same way as what’s happened to Trek.” (from Empire issue 234, December 2008)

What makes this quote even more juicy, is that Abrams is now part of a behemoth production machine that intend to release a Star Wars film pretty much every year from 2015 onwards. Announced on the 22nd May was the news that Brit director, Gareth Edwards, fresh off the success of his Godzilla film, will be helming the first of the Star Wars standalone films, with relatively unknown writer, Gary Whitta, best known for his The Book of Eli script (not bad, good characterisation), and his work on the award-winning The Walking Dead videogame from Telltale Games . You can read LucasFilm’s official press release here: http://starwars.com/news/gareth-edwards-and-gary-whitta-onboard-for-star-wars-stand-alone-film.html

Two of these standalone movies have been confirmed thus far, and rumours have circulated that these will be origin movies, focusing possibly on Han Solo, and/or Boba Fett, and/or Yoda. Given Edwards quote after the announcement, perhaps he is more interested in the Rebel Alliance period SW; that would hold more potential than a character piece, I think. Now, it is great that Star Wars is getting this upsurge, and I am very excited about seeing the old characters of Luke, Han and Leia back on the big screen (Lando would complete it, of course), and taking my children along to revel in the all-round awesomeness of SW but I am concerned that these standalone pictures will fall flat. There is definitely room for more great Star Wars movies in the world – but definitely not any more rubbish ones.

Roll on Christmas 2015.

 

Andrew Jamieson is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Geekzine UK. He is also the author of cult Fantasy-Steampunk novel, The Vengeance Path, a top 5 bestseller in the Steampunk Kindle Top 100. It is the first (e)book in The Chronicles of Edenos. You can get it from amazon.co.uk for a few quid here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vengeance-Path-Chronicles-Edenos-ebook/dp/B00DQ0AIAI/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372836773&sr=1-5

REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Apr 242014
 

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (12A)

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Sally Field, Paul Giamatti, Chris Cooper.

Running time: 142 mins approx. 

So, cards on the table – I’m a massive Spider-Man fan, always have been. As a child of the 80’s and based in the UK, my exposure whilst growing up was pretty limited. I was brought up with the Spider-Man cartoons (both the original source of the Spider-Man song, and the Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends cartoons) and they are still watchable – and very popular with my kids now which shows you the quality of 30 year old cartoons.

Anyway – this film is The Empire Strikes Back, The Wrath of Khan, The Two Towers of the ‘Amazing’ Spider-Man movies. This is a set-up movie for a larger, ongoing story, but this by no-means takes away any of the shine from what is a great movie.

Andrew Garfield plays the title role with more youth and flare than Toby Maguire ever did – and is also more believable to be the age of the character. Emma Stone is ok as Gwen Stacey – but in the end I think she’s just playing Emma Stone (I’m a middle-of-the-road fan of hers). In this 2nd ‘Amazing’ film, we are finally introduced to Norman Osborn (Chris Cooper) and Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). Both play the roles great and after seeing Chronicle – you can certainly believe that DeHaan was a great choice for this role. Jamie Foxx was an interesting choice of actor to bring into the movie – and plays Max Dillon convincingly and, eventually, Electro really well. Kudos to the make-up artists for when he finally is Electro, the design of his skin to show the after effects of his accident were a great change from the original green/gold costume that we may have expected, from the comic book version of Electro.

So what’s going on in this movie? Well we find that Spider-Man/Peter Parker is basically enjoying being a hero – he’s having to juggle his life a lot but, you know, he’s Spider-Man and is enjoying every minute. Peter is just about to finish High School, and he is sort-of planning on what he is going to do next with his life. Most of the main cast have the same issue; what/where am I going in life? Gwen has an offer to move to a prestigious university, Harry has a chance to emulate his father at Oscorp and Aunt May wants to find a new job to help move on from missing Ben.

Obviously (since the movie would be boring otherwise) things do not go to plan for anyone: Peter has to deal with attacks from a lot of different places. The pace of the movie keeps you on your toes, and generally doesn’t give you time to rest – which is good. Having two (there’s actually more than two, but only just) ‘villains’ in the film was a bold choice, but funnily enough it didn’t feel like two until near the end of the film. Both have their own stories, and it’s only at the end that both character’s plots merge.

Spider-Man’s costume has been upgraded, with the eyes getting a completely new design. Electro’s design, as I mentioned before, is great though it did feel a bit Dr. Manhattan (from Watchmen) – but you’re going to get that with someone who has blue skin and potentially complete control to teleport themselves & control electricity. Harry/Goblin’s design is thankfully nothing like the plastic suit in the very first Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man movie. This feels more armoured, almost Batman/IronMan like – with interlocking pieces of carbon fiber/metal. I liked the design – though I thought DeHaan was better at the Harry role, rather than the Goblin. But I think he will be more ‘Goblin’ in later films, and hopefully grow into the role – he still seems an ideal choice. Rhino’s suit is fantastic – and Paul Giamatti plays the role with all the stupidity that you would expect.

I’m deliberately skirting around the plot of the film. No major spoilers here. Spider-Man loves being Spider-Man; he is not Batman or the Hulk. This is just a kid from New York who is trying to do the best he can – and is enjoying every minute. I don’t want a brooding/EMO/Dancing Spider-Man… (Trying really hard not to go into full rant mode).

Now – I’m a parent of two kids. One fell asleep, the other was glued to his seat and thought it was “AWESOME”. And you know what – I agree, its not perfect, but no film is. (Please Google ‘Big Bang Theory and Indiana Jones) This is setting the scene for parts 3 and 4, and the Sinister Six and Venom movies that are coming to us in the next 6 years. I loved it, I hope you do too.

Rating? a 5/6 or a 8/10…

Your reviewer is Campbell Irvine, one of the founding members of Geekzine UK, and an IT Engineer by day.

 

 

GEEKZINE Q&A: Jonny Duddle, artist & illustrator

Apr 042014
 

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Bloomsbury Children’s Books recently announced that, in conjunction with author J.K. Rowling, that they have selected a new artist to illustrate re-releases of the seven Harry Potter books. The artist is Jonny Duddle, who you may most likely know from his award-winning picture books, The Pirates Next Door and The Pirate Cruncher. Bloomsbury, as part of the press release to announce the news, have provided an excellent interview with Jonny, where he reveals he is actually quite the geek…

Andy Jamieson, Geekzine UK Editor-in-Chief

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How did you feel when you found out you would be illustrating the new Harry Potter jackets?

It was a bit of a shock. I painted the first cover as a ‘test’ piece last year, but was concerned that I couldn’t give it the time I would’ve liked due to other commitments. So when I heard that J.K. Rowling and the team at Bloomsbury wanted me to paint the rest of the series, I was gobsmacked. And then I worried that I just wasn’t qualified for the job, having only read the first book years ago. I felt like an impostor, amongst millions of Harry Potter fans. A proper Muggle. But then I realised that this gives me a fresh perspective, and I’m hugely excited to work my way through the wonderful books, reading each one as I produce artwork brimming with fantastic creatures and unforgettable characters.

Is there a particular character or scene that you are looking forward to putting on the jackets?

I’ve been briefed on all of the jackets, and in most cases I’ve been given a couple of options. I haven’t actually read all of the books, so I can only be excited by what I’ve read, or the brief for each cover. I’m working on the cover for The Prisoner of Azkaban at the moment, and I’m having a lot of fun drawing a key element of that book. I love drawing characters, creatures and animals, so every cover gives me scope for something new and exciting.

How do you as an artist approach such a large job? Where do you begin with such a wide range of possibilities?

I’m taking one book at a time. I read the cover brief, and then I read the story, making notes and occasional sketches. I collect references, from my library of non-fiction books, search online and take my own photographs. I’ve recruited my neighbours’ son, who is suitably Potter-esque, although he annoyingly had his slightly wild hair cut for the new school term. I make numerous sketches of the main elements of the cover and then cobble them all together digitally, until I have a cover rough I feel happy to send to Bloomsbury and J.K. Rowling. I hear back very quickly with comments on my rough, which I then tweak or redraw until everyone’s happy for me to progress. Then I ‘paint’ each cover digitally.

Are you a Harry Potter fan? If so, what are your first memories of reading the books?

I am now very much a Harry Potter fan. I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone a few years ago, and I bought a boxed set with the intention of reading all of the books. But I’ve had a very busy few years with my career as an illustrator and writer and, along with a young family and late nights in my studio, I just don’t read as much as I would like, and nowhere near as much as I used to. And as a country bumpkin with no cinemas nearby, I’d never seen the Harry Potter films. I saw the first one at the cinema, after I read the book, but that’s it. In some ways that probably makes me unusual, and I think it’s a good place from which to approach the world of Hogwarts and Harry Potter, without any preconceptions. I’m reading each book in turn and immediately developing the cover, taking the images that are conjured up in my head by J.K. Rowling’s magical words.

Who is your favourite character from the Harry Potter universe?

I love Hagrid. I like his bumbling, well-meaning nature and how things often go wrong because of something he’s said or done or his general clumsiness, in spite of his best intentions. In that way he reminds me of myself. When I was briefed on the first cover, he was the first character I tried to draw. I also like Arthur Weasley because he likes tinkering with old cars (like my dad used to), and I like his approach to his job at the Ministry, as a slightly naughty and mild-mannered rebel.

What were your favourite books as a child?

As a very young child it was Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Then I was obsessed with Roald Dahl, and I’m still in love with his books, having just finished reading all of them with my eight-year-old daughter. As I got older I became a bit of a fantasy nut. I started high school in 1981, and was a huge fan of the new ‘fighting fantasy’ series, beginning with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain. I remember mapping out the book on a long roll of printer paper my dad brought home from work, and painstakingly copying each illustration from the book on to the map in the appropriate location. I read The Hobbit in my last year at primary school, which is still one of my favourite books, and then The Lord of the Rings in my first year (or two?) at secondary school. I felt a connection with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, because the environments of Middle Earth seemed to echo the environments in which I grew up and explored on my bike, amongst the hills that form the border between England and Wales, with the rolling valleys beneath and the dark, foreboding peaks of Snowdonia visible in the distance.

Who are your favourite illustrators (either classic or modern)?

I’m an avid collector of books, and now have hundreds weighing down the sagging floorboards of my studio. Going back to my favourite book when I was little, I’m still inspired by the late Maurice Sendak, and was blown away by the documentary Tell Them Anything You Want, in which he talked about his life and inspirations. The first illustrator I remember being directly inspired by was Brian Froud, after watching a piece on television whilst on holiday in the Lake District when I was ten years old, about his development process on The Dark Crystal. As a student I obsessed over the Golden Age illustrators, in particular Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac and W. Heath Robinson. I also enjoy independent comics and I loved Jamie Hewlett’s work on Tank Girl, and everything he’s done with Gorillaz in recent years. Modern favourites are diverse, from children’s book illustrators like Shaun Tan and Chris Riddell, lowbrow painter Glenn Barr and a host of movie concept artists (and illustrators) such as Peter De Seve, Nico Marlet and Carter Goodrich.

How would you describe your own art style?

I think I have a number of ‘styles’. The illustrations I’m creating for Harry Potter are very different to the artwork in my picture books, which are probably what I’m best known for. Before becoming an illustrator, I worked for eight years as a concept artist in computer games, and I recently spent almost four years working with Aardman, as one of the character designers on their stop-motion movie The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! As a concept artist you have to be thick-skinned, as drawings are tossed aside with barely a glance from your art director and open-minded with style and subject matter. I worked on games that were cartoony, realistic and sometimes almost abstract, producing thousands of drawings in pencil and on computer whilst developing a digital toolset that’s been carried over into my illustration work. On computer I work in a very similar way to my techniques with real paint, progressing from a sketch to a finished drawing, laying an under-painting and then working on a final layer of colour. I love the flexibility that digital artwork gives me to change the direction of a painting and move elements around at any stage.

The common threads, however stylised or realistic, are probably my desire to emphasise character, drop in some vivid colours and a tendency to cram as much as I can into an illustration. These work well in my picture books, but often have to be tempered a little with book jackets, particularly for older readers.

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Jonny’s new picture book, out now.

My picture books evolve over many months, or sometimes years, with the words and pictures feeding each other until an idea becomes more solid. I only illustrate my own picture books, so the writing is intimately connected to the artwork and a book idea might stem from a single sketch or a single sentence. The illustrations can’t be ‘wrong’ because everything’s coming from me. Creating an illustration for a book cover is very different. It involves reading someone else’s story and trying to understand their vision, so in many ways that can be more difficult. And with Harry Potter, the scenes I’m illustrating have been illustrated before, dissected, discussed and analysed by millions of fans, and made into incredibly successful movies. I’ve not been party to everything that has come before, so I’m creating my interpretation of J.K. Rowling’s words. Hopefully, my illustrations will find new fans, readers will enjoy them and be attracted to them, and I will bring something new to the Harry Potter universe.

What tips would you offer to young people who are keen to become artists/illustrators?

I think anyone can become an artist or illustrator. I don’t believe in ‘talent’ in art, just the desire to practise. If you practise every day, you’ll get better every day. The younger you are when you start practising, the sooner you will begin to feel confident in your abilities. There is such a wonderful diversity in children’s book illustration today, and a few hours in a bookshop or library can reveal artists working in all manner of styles, techniques and mediums. If you find a selection of artists you like, study their work and try and create something similar you can learn a lot.

Most of the artists I’ve met and admire are never particularly happy with their work, and are constantly experimenting and striving to improve. Being an illustrator is the best job in the world, but also one of the hardest jobs in the world. Drawing and colouring-in is actually really difficult, even for professional artists, and you can spend whole days getting nowhere. But the more you practise, the better you get and the more comfortable you get with your own artistic voice.

Do you have a daily routine when it comes to illustrating?

My daily routine is constructed around my two young children. My wife leaves for work at 7.30am, so first thing it’s toast, porridge and packed lunches, then school uniform and sparkly-teeth inspection, followed by the school run, before I can get into my studio. By ‘school run’, I mean ‘running to school’, because my eldest daughter wants to be at the front of the line in the playground and I have to chase after her to give her a kiss on the cheek. We live in a very small village in North Wales, so the school is only fifty yards away and with my studio window open I can hear the children playing outside. I try and take a walk down the lane at lunchtime, which is often the perfect time for inspiration and mulling over the day’s artistic problems. I work until I have to pick up the girls, which can be anytime between 3.00 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Then I’m usually back at the drawing board once I’ve read some stories and the children are fast asleep in bed.

You can keep up with Jonny and his work at www.jonnyduddle.blogspot.co.uk (take a peek at his excellent concept designs for the animated film Pirates!)
All seven newly illustrated Harry Potter books will be out on September 1st this year.
Many thanks to Ian Lamb at Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Gav Thorpe Q&A September 2013: Dark Angels, Elves, ‘SpellPunk’ and more…

Sep 242013
 
Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe

In what can only be described as a coup, I am proud and chuffed to bits to present a most entertaining interview with one of my favourite writers of recent years, a certain Mr Gav Thorpe. A gentleman of legend, a veteran writer and games designer, having learned his trade at Games Workshop HQ. He most recently penned the excellent Ravenwing for the Black Library, it being the first in The Legacy of Caliban trilogy. You may know his name from Angels of Darkness, his seminal 2003 Dark Angels Space Marines novel, or perhaps his excellent Horus Heresy novel, Deliverance Lost. Or you will have read his Time of Legends trilogy, The Sundering. You may even be familiar with his own series, The Empire of the Blood (omnibus edition out this month, published by Angry Robot). If you are a fan of his work, you will enjoy this interview. Even if you haven’t read any of his books, please enjoy this great interview with an author in his prime.

Andrew Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief, Geekzine UK 

 

In Ravenwing, Gav returns to the world of Piscina, previously featured in Angels of Darkness and The Purging of Kadillus

In Ravenwing, Gav returns to the world of Piscina, previously featured in Angels of Darkness and The Purging of Kadillus

Andrew Jamieson: Ravenwing picks up plot strands from Angels of Darkness. Was it always a plan to revisit the planet of Piscina and, ultimately, the aftershock of your 2003 Dark Angels novel, Angels of Darkness?

Gav Thorpe: Angels of Darkness was originally written as a one-off. I certainly would have come up with a different ending if I had wanted it to be part of an ongoing series! I wrote it in a slightly contrary mood, to be honest, and at the time wanted to do something different to Dan’s Gaunts series and Graham’s burgeoning Ultramarines books. So a single self-contained narrative was the goal.

Then I was asked to write for the Space Marine Battles range and it seemed mad not to go back to Piscina, as I had worked on the background of the original Storm of Vengeance campaign pack while at Games Workshop (this would become ‘The Purging of Kadillus’ featuring Dark Angels legend, Belial – editor). When it was suggested a couple of years ago that a new Dark Angels series could be released to tie-in with the updated Codex and the new Warhammer 40,000 boxed set it seemed natural to write a successor story to AoD without it being an out-and-out sequel in the traditional sense.

AJ: How is Masters of Sanctity, the second in The Legacy of Caliban trilogy, coming along and what can you reveal about its plot?

GT: Delivered to the editors so I’m waiting for their comments and rewrites at the moment. It was a bit of a pig in places, with various strands from Ravenwing continuing whilst new narrative threads were being revealed, but I enjoyed it in the end. The book takes a good look at the Deathwing (and would have been called that if not for the short story/ anthology of the same name thanks to Bill King). In Ravenwing one of the point of view characters is Sammael, and in Master of Sanctity I wanted it to be one of the high-ranking Chaplains of the Dark Angels. Talking to fans at events, there seemed to be a pretty even split between those that wanted to see Sapphon and those who wanted more Asmodai fun. I compromised and ended up using both of them, hence the difficulty in fitting in all of the story strands.

In a nutshell, MoS sees the Ravenwing and Deathwing closing in on the Fallen conspiracy that befell Piscina. It’s a question of how far will they go the capture their prey? One of the main cast from Angels of Darkness returns and head-bending ensues.

 

AJ: Ten years on, Angels of Darkness is still one of the finest Space Marine novels ever written. What are your memories of its inception and creation?

GT: Thanks! I wrote it as a challenge to myself, to create a story about space marines that I felt was true to their character and background but contained enough compelling non-violent conflict to make a good narrative. The idea that there would be two intertwining stories was in my head early on, even though I didn’t know what that story might be – I was inspired by the structure of Memento to explore the timeline in both directions simultaneously, delving into the past even as the consequences of those acts echo into the future.

Gav's seminal 2003 Dark Angels Space Marines novel, Angels of Darkness

Gav’s seminal 2003 Dark Angels Space Marines novel, Angels of Darkness

As with all of my earlier works, it was written whilst I was still full-time at GW, which meant evenings and weekends for the most part. It doesn’t stand out as particularly difficult in my memory, everything was mostly fully formed by the time it came to applying fingers to keyboard. More recent books have given me much bigger headaches even though I have had all day to work on them… the biggest issue was a computer crash just before deadline, in which I lost almost 40,000 words. Aiyiyi! Luckily most of them were still in my head in reasonable order, but I (re)wrote the second half of the book over two weekends and a week of late nights!

I also remember definitely wanting to mess with the heads of Dark Angels fans. Ever since the Angels of Death codex release there had been the notion that somehow the ‘dark secret’ of the Chapter was done and dusted, discussion over. I wanted to turn things on their head, prodding that sense of security with a sharp pointy thing. Even though recent Horus Heresy books have shown the lie of some of the assertions in AoD, the loyalties and goals of the Dark Angels are still far from black-and-white.

 

AJ: The Empire of the Blood Omnibus is out this month. What pleases you most about this trilogy?

GT: I’m genuinely happy that it was well received and has gathered some really good reviews along the way. Until The Crown of the Blood I had only written tie-in fiction for the Black Library and while I do not see that as anything other than awesome, I was conscious that with the release of TCOTB there would be some hoping I’d fall flat on my face and prove the old saw ‘Tie-in writers only write tie-in fiction because they can’t write their own books’. I couldn’t let down my fellow tie-in authors and more importantly Angry Robot were just starting out but already making waves and getting good press, and it was up to me to keep the good vibes coming. There was some pressure coming out of the comfort zone with Black Library, but since I’d recently left GW and gone freelance full-time the 50/50 terror/excitement ratio seemed natural at the time.

I trusted Marco and the team at Angry Robot not to let something sub-par onto the shelves, so I was confident on an intellectual level, but always there is that gremlin on your shoulder, the doubt fairy smacking you over the head with her wand.

When the first couple of reviews were put up I breathed a big old sigh of relief. I knew I’d written a decent book, the editors knew I’d written a decent book, and thankfully there were others who agreed with us. The fact that people have handed over their hard-earned for a book with my name on the front, and not just because it says Warhammer or Warhammer 40,000, and did so for the next two books, is another adrenaline shot of legitimacy that keeps me tapping away when the words are not flowing well or somebody has slapped up a one-star review for something on Goodreads or Amazon.

 

Empire of the Blood omnibus edition, available NOW for £9.99 approx.

Empire of the Blood omnibus edition, available NOW for £9.99 approx.

AJ: You are a very versatile writer, switching between the different worlds and the many races of Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Horus Heresy, plus the world of the Crown trilogy. Is that constant manoeuvring something you thrive on? What is the most challenging aspect of such versatility?

GT: I get bored really easily, though I have a finely tuned challenge threshold as well. Too easy and I can barely muster the energy to start; too hard and I get frustrated. I love keeping things fresh, whether that’s setting, format, or even style. One of the biggest drawbacks is commercial, going back to the issue with Angels of Darkness, for instance. Writing a trilogy is about the furthest extent I have been able to maintain my interest up until now. For this reason, I cut my cloth to that length, rather than weaving even grander epics that could go on to six books, ten, more…

The Sundering, in hindsight, could have been something completely different, for example. If I had known I had the creative stamina it could easily have been nine books rather than three, bringing out some of the lesser characters that had to take backstage because of the structure I had set from the start.

On the other hand, having come to this conclusion, that now becomes the challenge I need to overcome. The Crown of the Blood was a self-contained narrative in the same vein, but the non-Black Library work I hope to be starting soon will focus more on a world that, hopefully, I can create and subsequently explore again and again to my heart’s content. Watch this space (in a couple of years’ time, maybe)!

 

AJ: The Horus Heresy has become a huge success for the Black Library over the last few years. After the impact of Deliverance Lost, will you be revisiting the story of the Raven Guard Legion? And do you have plans for a Dark Angels HH title?

GT: Yes, and yes. I sorta blabbed a bit too much at the Horus Heresy Weekender event, so I have to watch what I promise. However… >checks no editors are looking< there will be future installments of the Raven Guard coming – I’m writing one at the moment – and I will, if things go to plan – be penning a Dark Angels HH novel sometime next year. And judging by people’s reactions in the meetings we have, that should be very exciting.

 

Gav's debut novel in the Horus Heresy series, Deliverance Lost

Gav’s debut novel in the Horus Heresy series, Deliverance Lost

AJ: Aside from your work for the Black Library, what other projects are you involved with?

GT: I’ve done a bit of games design – Cutlass! for Black Scorpion miniatures as well as a few personal projects that might see the light of day in the future. I’ve been helping a friend out with a skirmish ruleset too, called Open Combat. That should be public in the next fews weeks, barring any mishaps.

I have also recently been helping with the world design on a forthcoming AAA video game, but NDAs and an enormous legal department prevent me from saying any more at the moment. Except, of course, that the game is going to be awesome, with a capital AWE. No, really, even if I wasn’t creatively involved with the project I know for sure that I’d be playing the hell out of this game when it is released.

I’ve also been working on some fiction for various indie and small press publishers. The only one that seems a certainty to reach readers any time soon is a short story for the Raus! Untoten! project coming from Fringeworks. I love short fiction – the premise of in-and-out quickly – so I’ll be looking to write more in the future. Financially it’ll never pay the mortgage but it’s creatively very rewarding to explore lots of different ideas.

And as I just mentioned, I’m giving myself a break of a couple of months away from commissioned Black Library work to do some stuff that’s more speculative – in the sense that I don’t currently have an agent or editor lined up to pay me wads of cash on delivery yet… Interested parties welcome, all offeres entertained. It’ll be a swords-and-sorcery setting (I’m jokingly referring to it as ‘spellpunk’), I’ve got the plot for the first book in my head and some interesting characters, so we’ll see how it goes. It’s a bit different from Warhammer, and certainly different in tone from The Crown of the Blood, but I’m very excited by the ideas that are coming along with it. It’ll also be pretty short, for a novel, not another 150k epic, which will hopefully mean that I can write plenty more stories in the future without draining myself too much.

 

AJ: Out of the many books, short stories and varying projects you’ve written, of which are you the most proud of and why?

GT: I can’t choose favourites, it’s a biological impossibility. Really, whether it’s my work, favourite films, bands, etc, it always depends on mood and what criteria I want to apply at any given moment.  I think Shadow King is still one of the best, most complete novels I’ve written so far, but I’m really proud of The Crown of the Blood because I dragged it into existence from nothing. From another point of view, there are several collaborative projects at GW I really like, especially the original Codex: Sisters of Battle and the Inquisitor rulebook. One of my earliest short stories – The Faithful Servant – about a warrior priest being tempted by a Champion of Chaos is still one of my favourites. I enjoyed getting into the psychology of the interrogation scenes in Angels of Darkness, so much so that they return, in spirit, in Master of Sanctity.

 

AJ: What was the last good book that you read? Do you have a favourite book?

GT: The latest good book I’ve finished is Baneblade by Guy Haley. Looking forward re-reading his latest offerings too. Currently enjoying Terminal World by Alistair Reynolds. Don’t have favourites, but a very long list of multiple-reads like Excession and The Lord of the Rings.


AJ: What advice do you have for any aspiring writers?

GT: Finish something. Writers write, authors finish. A 1,000 word short or a 100,000 word novel, get a first draft finished, and then do a rewrite. And another one. And then get feedback and write it again. Short stories are hard but you can turn them around pretty quickly and few folks finish a marathon before they do a 5k run.

Also, work out the ending first and then plan the story to lead you there in the most exciting fashion possible. Synopses and plans are boring but for some of us usually essential.

But whatever and however, just finish something.

 

Thank you to Gav for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer the Geekzine’s questions. AJ

Ravenwing is out now in paperback at £8.99, published by the Black Library. Geekzine UK review to come soon…

 

Andrew Jamieson is the author of The Vengeance Path, a Steampunk Fantasy and the first in the ongoing series The Chronicles of Edenos, set on an alien planet far into the future.  Available as an eBook from Amazon, or from the publisher’s website.

 

J.K. Rowling to pen new Harry Potter spin-off movie

Sep 182013
 

The most recent paperback release of Fantastic Beasts…

On Thursday 12th September, Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling released a joint statement to announce that WB would be producing a new film set within the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and that this new film would be scripted by J.K. Rowling herself.  (You can read the full press release on J.K. Rowling’s own website here.)

Rumours had begun to circulate earlier in the week that there was going to be a big reveal on a new Potter project but, on the whole, this has been a well-kept secret.

So, the project in question is to be an adaptation of Rowling’s 2001 book, Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander, written for Comic Relief of that year.  It’s a textbook of sorts, used at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, referenced and indicated to be a facsimile of Harry Potter’s own school copy (complete with his graffiti throughout).  It is, as its title suggests, a guide to beasts and creatures rare and common throughout the magic world; ‘Magizoology’ is the term coined here.

Fantastic Beasts, as it appears in the Potter films.

Whilst being quite a sudden and somewhat unanticipated headline-grabbing slice of news, this has the air of the inevitable about it, given the success of the Harry Potter movie series (THE most successful movie franchise in cinematic history).  The ‘why’ is therefore understandable but the ‘how’ is a more intriguing prospect up for discussion.  For a start, J.K. Rowling herself will be scripting the project, marking her debut as a screenwriter.  In the statement released by Warner Bros. and Rowling, she explains why this is so:

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them into a film.  I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of Fantastic Beasts, realized by another writer was difficult.   Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt.  As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge.  That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.”

The setting of the new film will provide quite a departure from the existing and established Potter world that we know, being primarily set in 1920’s New York (also from her statement, Rowling says: …“Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”).  As well as the most obvious departure being that of America rather than Britain, we also have the ‘jazz age’ time period to consider, alongside the important question of casting.  Will the character of Newt Scamander be American?

The question is also raised as to whether this will be a standalone movie or the start of a new series.  Warner Bros. would, given the success of the Potter series, be open to Scamander’s tales being a sequence of films and, given the nature of the ‘textbook’, this may fit; allowing ourselves to speculate, it could be that the plot of the new film(s) will follow Scamander from the initial beginning of the Fantastic Beasts project (referring back to Scamander’s introduction at the start of Fantastic Beasts: “The first edition of Fantastic Beasts was commissioned back in 1918 by Mr Augustus Worme of Obscurus Books…”) to his chronicling of the various beasts in a series of escapades, exciting and/or dangerous.  There is, of course, the open door for cameos from various Potter regulars, such as Dumbledore, and other notable figures of the world, perhaps a young Minerva McGonagall?

What reaction from the Potter faithful? I caught up with an old friend of mine, a die-hard Potter fan (books over films, mind) called Sarah, a veteran bookseller, to see what she thought of the Rowling-scripted project:

“I think the main thing about J.K. Rowling returning to the Harry Potter universe is J.K. ROWLING IS RETURNING TO THE HARRY POTTER UNIVERSE!  This is very exciting and although I’m still hoping for a marauders book, Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them sounds intriguing. 
As someone who has found the films a little less than successful and a little more in the chair-clenching, anxiety-inducing despair kind of category, the fact that J.K. is writing the screenplay herself is a step in the right direction.  I think she’s keen to separate this story from the pre-existing Harry Potter arc (the film is to be set in New York for one thing) which is probably why she’s taking control of the writing process.  So no Daniel Radcliffe cameos (please!). 
As to who should play Newt Scamander, I’m hoping they go down the same route as Doctor Who have this time and pick someone a bit longer in the tooth.  (It’s a shame [Peter] Capaldi’s already DW because that would be stupendous.) 
The trouble is, a lot of the candidates have played a part in HP already.  In all honesty, I don’t think Rowling would do it if she didn’t have a clear idea of just how good it could possibly be, so let’s save the conjecture and just be happy to have some wizards back on the cinema screen!  After all, there are never enough.” 

More news as and when it appears.

Your excitement levels for this announcement will be drastically affected by whether you are a fan of Rowling’s magical world or not…

You can read Warner bros. announcement of the news here:

 

by Andrew Jamieson, Editor-in-Chief, Geekzine UK

Andrew is the author of The Vengeance Path, a Steampunk Fantasy and the first in the ongoing series The Chronicles of Edenos, set on an alien planet far into the future.  Available as an eBook from Amazon, or from the publisher’s website.

 

 

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