July 2010

To begin with I must apologise for the long delay since the last newsletter. Things have been quite manic here at Fort Edwards and most things to do with the website have been left at the bottom of the "to do" list.

We spent a good deal of time preparing for the World Horror Convention. This involved an enormous amount of framing and packing of artwork. Endless rolls of bubblewrap. Thank goodness for my friendly local framer! There was also the preparation for Les's Guest of Honour presentation which mostly involved deciding which pieces to leave out and Les making copious notes, which he completely ignored when it became time to deliver the goods.

Of course there were various "reconnaissance" trips to Brighton to make sure of the lay of the land and these necessarily included a meal and a moderate intake of alcohol.

The convention itself was a brilliant success (even Les's bit ). Among many high points was James Herbert's interview, conducted by the ever lovely Neil Gaiman. In passing, Neil expressed his admiration for the work of Guy N Smith in an elegant and forceful manner which will stay with me for a long time. The artshow was outstanding and I had the pleasure of meeting up with my old friend Jim Burns who I hadn't seen in a disgracefully long time, along with Melvyn Grant and Bob Eggleton. The star of the show though was probably young whippersnapper Ben Baldwin who caused quite a stir with his moody images. Both Les and Edward made lots of sales including Les's "Master of the Stratosphere" which, as it's a very personal piece, was very unexpected. All in all it was quite the best convention I've been to and will be a hard act to follow. Well done that Steve Jones, Amanda Foubister and Michael Marshall Smith.

After the convention we put into action our long term plan to move house. More trips to Brighton, this time in "House Hunting" mode. People often say that moving is one of the most stressful things you can do. Don't believe it. It's much worse than that. Let's just say that the plan is "ongoing" and we are trying to live a normal life with large amounts of our stuff packed up in cardboard boxes.

All of the above may lead you to think that not much actual work has been done hereabouts. Fear not! Val still has the use of her whip hand and she still keeps the keys to my chains tantalisingly out of reach.

Edward has completed covers for the new Robert Redick title, The River of Shadows, to be published by Gollancz in February 2011, In Viriconium, by M John Harrison, for Czech publishers Laser books and Journeys, a collection of stories by Ian R Macleod, to be published by Subterranean Press in August this year. He has also painted the cover for Catastrophia, an anthology edited by Allen Ashley to be published by PS Publishing later this year.

Les has been working on a private commission which is an expanded version of his Starmaker cover. He's also been busily engaged in black and white illustrations for The HG Wells Classic Collection 1, to be published by Gollancz. This includes Wells' seminal SF novels The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Island of Dr Moreau and The First Men in the Moon. It's a brilliant collection and it's widely considered around these parts that these are Les's best black and white drawings yet.

Other news is that Les has been nominated for a Chesley Award for his painting "Regan", done for the cover of Cemetary Dance Magazine, October 2009.

He's also been nominated for a British Fantasy Award for the same piece plus a "body of work".

SFX Magazine did an article on HP Lovecraft in issue 197 which included several of Les's paintings.

We're hoping to make it to Fantasycon in September but it rather depends on how the moving house thing goes.

The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition, published by Subterranean and PS Publishing has, at last, been released. It is a beautiful book and it is already sold out. Unfortunately the publishers forgot to credit Edward Miller as the illustrator of the wonderful artworks contained in the book!

That about brings things up to date and not only is my typing finger sore but I see Val is reaching for her "persuader".

Coming Mistress!

Les

January 2010

First of all, an apology for the slight delay in this update. The entire staff at Edwards Towers has fallen foul of a nasty winter bug. We are rarely sick at the same time and our workflow has shuddered almost to a halt, thanks to the need for regular consumption of comfort food, hot toddies and the necessity of frequent naps. All better now.

As has become the habit at this time of year there has been an adjustment to some of the prices of artwork and prelims so if you have your eye on a piece now might be the time.

It's turned out that much of the new work has gone into the black and white gallery. This includes many of the drawings for Jack Vance's The Complete Lyonesse, which will be published by Gollancz. Les is particularly pleased with this set and it's a slight departure from previous work in Gollancz's "Black Books" series. There is also a companion piece to Vultura of Atoma, which might please serial fans and a cover for What Will Come After by Scott Edleman, a collection of Zombie stories. PS Publishing will be launching this at The World Horror Convention 2010 in Brighton. (You have booked your place haven't you?)

One of the new colour paintings is Pelican Cay, a collection by David Case, edited by Stephen Jones, which is also due for publication by PS at the Horror Con. Les feels this worked out exceptionally well and it's currently one of his faves.

Edward has also uploaded the rest of his illustrations for The Martian Chronicles so the entire set is now on the site for you to see. Don't forget to buy the book though. Included as well on Ed's site is the cover for Ink, Hal Duncan's follow up to his remarkable Vellum.

On a slightly different note Norman Boyd, who runs a Frank Bellamy web site, invited Les to write a few lines of appreciation of Bellamy's work which you can read at frankbellamy.blogspot.com Take a look if only to get a glimpse of Frank Bellamy's glorious strips. If you haven't seen his stuff (a) you're in for a treat and (b) where have you been living?

Unfortunately I can't update you on the progress of Conan's Brethren, or whatever it's eventually called. Things still seem to be up in the air but I guess all will be resolved sooner or later - one way or another.

Happy New Year.

Les

November 2009

There are a couple of updates to the last Newsletter. There has been a hold up on the publishing date of Conan's Brethren. I don't have much information about this, the ways of publishers are ever mysterious, but when things are firmed up I'll post the news here. Keep watching the Skies. Also the eagerly awaited isssue of ImagineFX magazine, which is to feature Les and Edward's studio, will now be on sale on 15 December in the UK and 2-3 weeks later elsewhere (issue 52). I realise you can't wait to get your hands on this collector's item to be, but the best things are worth waiting for.

This month Centipede Press are publishing Knowing Darkness: Artists inspired by Stephen King which features some work by Les including a piece derived from Hearts in Atlantis, "Low Men in Yellow Coats" which was done specially for this book.

McCaffrey fans will be pleased to know (I hope) that Les has finished the cover for the new Pern novel by Todd McCaffrey, Dragongirl. Not sure about the publication date but there's no doubt that the Pern Community will have their calendars marked already. Like the last book the cover was commissioned by Del Rey in the USA and will also be used on the UK version.

Les has also recently delivered a private commission for a gamer who wanted to see himself and his buddies in action. This seems to be a growing trend at the moment. It was certainly great fun to do.

You'll be delighted to know that last month's birthday celebrations went spectacularly well and even included some ritual humiliation at the hands of the attendees of Fantasycon in Nottingham. Our pal Peter Crowther of PS Publishing had also reached the same advanced age so at least I was not alone in my embarrassment. Thanks chums! No, really, I had a great time and it was almost worth becoming an old guy. Among other treats were a visit to a Wolf Sanctuary (brilliant) and a day’s Falconry (superb). Can't wait for next year.

Finally, as we're rushing headlong towards Christmas, it's time to remind you that we still have some Christmas cards left for sale. Go on; you know you want to.

Les

September 2009

After Edward's prolonged stint illustrating The Martian Chronicles, Les has been spending a ferocious amount of time working on The Complete Lyonesse, by Jack Vance which will be published by Gollancz, probably in January next year. The illustrations, although still black and white, are a bit different in feel to the previous "Black Books", somewhat more romantic, shall we say, and there are fairies. Don't let that put you off, it's a superb story.

"Auriga" is to be used on the cover of the SFWA Bulletin magazine for the Science Fiction WorldCon issue. That painting has turned out to be a very popular piece.

Another old painting of Les's "The Return of the Living Dead" will be turning up on the cover of a book published by Ulysses Press called The Dead that Walk, an anthology of flesh-eating stories containing tales by Clive Barker, Joe Hill, Michael Marshall Smith, Stephen King and many more. Edited by Stephen Jones it's due out in December. Can't wait to get my copy. "Brains, brains!"

Those nice chaps at ImagineFX Magazine are running a feature called "Artist in Residence" which shows the studios and working areas of various fantasy artists. Les and Edward's studio is scheduled to appear in Issue 49 which goes on sale on September 22nd and two weeks later in the rest of the World. This might give you a good laugh and will certainly demonstrate that the idea of the penniless artist working in a dim garret is not as outmoded an idea as you might believe. It's an interesting series but there is a surprising similarity between the studios of the artists who are still working in traditional media. Mess.

Talking of artists' studios we've been watching a TV series called Desperate Romantics which is about The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and their little foibles. I was a bit dubious about it at first but quickly became hooked. You can mostly forget about historical accuracy with this show as it's largely been turned into a "Carry On Painting" kind of romp: "Ooh Mr Millais; what big bubbles!". It's extremely entertaining and the three actors who play Rosetti, Millais and Hunt do a superb job. If you can catch (on the BBC iPlayer) it I recommend it.

Don't forget that Conan's Brethren, published by Gollancz, will be on sale in September and contains lots of lovely black and white illustrations. These Big Black Books have become very popular and are certainly good value.

Finally, it's my birthday this month. I'm not telling you how old I am, but it's a big one with a zero on the end and I shall be having a day off.

Les

July 2009

It's that time again, so the site has been updated with lots of new images from both Les and Edward including new work for the next Terry Pratchett calendar mentioned previously, and for fans of China Mieville, Ed's cover for Laser Books edition of The City and The City. If you thought China was good before, wait till you read this. "Extraordinary" doesn't seem to cover it. My words can't do it justice so I'll just urge you to find out for yourself.

While I'm still in a good mood I should mention that the pound is growing in strength, so the US dollar & euro prices will have to go up sometime soon. I'm not exactly sure when this will happen. Quite frankly we've been putting it off because it's such a big job.

If you read this newsletter regularly (and who doesn't I'd like to know) you might remember that I mentioned a "secret" project being developed in our hidden underground laboratory. I can now reveal that this project was, wait for it...

The Martian Chronicles: The Complete Edition

"Wait!" I hear you cry. "He's already done The Martian Chronicles; ages ago. What's his game? Does he take us for fools? Are we simpletons to be toyed with?"

Of course, you're right, (I don't mean about the "fools and simpletons" bit) but, alas, the Hill House version of the book never saw the light of day. It was a hugely ambitious project and there are a number of reasons why it never flew, and I only know some of them. I expect the rest will become publishing legend. I was resigned to the idea that it would never be published. I was very disappointed but these things happen from time to time.

It then came about that my old chums at Subterranean Press along with PS Publishing had decided to jointly publish Bradbury's masterpiece. After some deep and intense discussion it was decided that a series of new illustrations was called for and I was absolutely delighted to revisit the book with this in mind. Two of the images are included in the present update as a "taster" and the rest will be uploaded when the book comes out, which should be before the end of the year. You can also see them on Subterranean's website. I think the feel of the new paintings is quite different to the original series and it will be interesting to see how people react. Finally, finally, The Martian Chronicles will burst forth upon an breathless world. Well, I can't wait anyway.

And now, the rest of the news. Les and Edward have been nominated by the British Fantasy Society for their "Best Artist" award, which is splendid. I'm also informed that places at the World Horror Convention in 2010, in sunny Brighton, are going quickly. If you're thinking of going get booked now at www.whc2010.org. Just to whet your appetite, here is the cover for the World Horror Convention 2010 Progress Report No. 1

And here is the poster to advertise the World Horror Convention 2010 and Odyssey2010 (the Easter SF convention).

Les

June 2009

Edward has been getting up a head of steam this month working on a rather special project which, we hope, will be revealed soon. (That's just a teaser). He's also produced a painting for Postscripts Magazine no 19 for PS Publishing, based on Matt Hughes' story 'Enemy of the Good', which should be out later in the year.

Les, in the meantime, has been painting a cover for Cemetery Dance Magazine. This is a special issue devoted to William Peter Blatty and Les was extremely pleased to be asked to provide the cover art. Of course it meant watching The Excorcist a couple of times, for research purposes, naturally. It's a tough job that demands that you give up time to watch movies, but we all have to make sacrifices for our art. The magazine is due out in August.

We recently attended the Arthur C. Clarke awards ceremony and were pleased that the award went to Ian R. MacLeod for The Song of Time. This has a cover by Edward so we congratulated ourselves on our contribution to Ian's success. By some inexplicable oversight he forgot to mention the cover in his acceptance speech (just too excited perhaps) but he is forgiven as it's such a darn good book and a deserving winner.

Speaking of Ian R. MacLeod, Edward recently turned in a cover for the Czech edition of House of Storms, published by Laser. This book is sequel to The Light Ages and is well worth the wait.

The Spring edition of the online edition of Subterranean Magazine also has an Edward Miller cover.

Finally, my wife Val, who is a keen ( yawn ) genealogist ( yawn ) was delighted to inform me that Bram Stoker's family's information can be seen on the 1911 census. I hope you're as excited by this as I am zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Les

April 2009

I've just realised that there hasn't been a news update for quite a while. I don't know where the time goes. Here in our Secret Underground Lair, the year seems to be flying by faster than ever. Our plans for World Domination will have to be accelerated. Vultura! ready the Thermic Disintegrator!

I think I mentioned previously that the World Horror Convention is coming to Brighton in the UK in 2010. Further news is that Les will be Artist Guest of Honour along with the well known fantasy artist Dave Carson. Of course Edward will be represented as well and we hope to put on a good show. Sources tell me that places at the Convention are limited so it's a good idea to book early. It's the first time that the event has been held in Europe so it's got to be worth a visit. www.whc2010.org.

There is an interview with Les and Edward at Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews. The subject of World Domination didn't come up, but it might be worth a look anyway.

Les has, finally, finished illustrating Conan's Brethren: the Classic Heroes by Robert E Howard. Like the previous Chronicles of Conan it's edited by Stephen Jones and will be published by Gollancz in September 2009. It's an even bigger book than Chronicles of Conan and it looks like being a splendid production, although you may need to reinforce your bookshelves.

In the meantime Edward has not been idle and has been working on his contribution to the Terry Pratchett Discworld Calendar for 2010. Les has also started on his piece for the calendar which looks like being his best yet; so he says! This should be out in August.

Les has also finished a piece for the Centipede Press publication of Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King. Entitled "Low Men in Yellow Coats". Les's painting is taken from Hearts in Atlantis. The book will also feature all six of Edward's paintings for The Colorado Kid. If all goes according to plan this will be available in November 2009.

Speaking of that King guy, the artwork that Les painted for the UK movie poster for Graveyard Shift is to be used by Cemetary Dance as the cover for their forthcoming book Screamplays, a collection of spine-tingling scripts by Stephen King, of course, Richard Matheson, Harlan Ellison and others.

As if that's not enough Edward Miller's painting Atkinson Revenant is being used by Subterranean Press as the cover for the Winter 2009 edition of their online magazine. This looks particularly good; the designer has done a really nice job.

As usual there's a bunch of other stuff in the works which will come to fruition over the next months and assuming the World Domination thing doesn't take up too much time you'll be able to read about it here. Now, what did I do with the Opticon Scalometer?

Les

January 2009

Happy New Year.

We have been spending a good deal of time during December and the Holidays working on the update of new images to the website. Also, following the recent changes in currency exchange rates, the Dollar and Euro prices of prints and original artwork have been revised. This means that all Dollar and Euro prices are down (considerably), and some of the sterling prices of original artwork have been reduced too. So it's worth while taking another look at your favourite pieces of artwork as well as the new images.

The changes in prices of course are a reflection the state of the economy, which is looking ever more desperate by the day, and it remains to be seen how publishing will be affected in the coming months. Of course, hard times in the publishing houses might mean there are fewer covers for me to paint, but we take the view that any year that you survive is a good year. We've all got our fingers firmly crossed (including Edward) and it will be interesting to see what January 2010's newsletter will be like.

This update includes some new digital work. Although as I say elsewhere, I always feel that this is work in progress to some extent. I'm never quite sure when a digital piece is finished so some of these pieces may change between now and the next update. In the Black and White Gallery there are a few new pieces that might interest fans of Famous Monsters. Speaking of which, the death of Forrest Ackerman was announced recently; a sad loss for the many of us he influenced. I was introduced to Famous Monsters magazine by my chum Billy Herterich when I was about 10 and it was a defining moment. I don't know what became of Billy, or his collection of magazines. I wonder if he's still got them.

Well, take a deep breath and here we go into another year, in as uncertain times as I can remember. Whatever you're doing; Good Luck.

Les

December 2008

The last newsletter of the year has some absolutely splendid news. The World Fantasy Award for Best Artist was won this year by Edward Miller. Needless to say Edward is extremely pleased with himself and keeps breaking into an idiotic grin at inappropriate moments. No change there then. Joking aside, this is a truly great honour. The list of previous winners is an impressive one and for Edward to find himself in such exalted company is a bit staggering. There have been some really nice messages of congratulations from all sorts of people, including other artists, which only adds to the pleasure of receiving such a prestigious award.

Back on the work front it's also Edward who's been busiest this month. Most interesting to Fantasy fans will be the completion of the cover for Rats and the Ruling Sea, the second book in the Chathrand series by Robert VS Redick, to be published by Gollancz. Ed felt that it turned out rather well but the editor, Simon Spanton, referred to it as "gorgeous". That's what we like; a satisfied customer.

Work is underway for a website update in January. It's not definite yet how extensive this will be. However, because of the weak pound, there will be some changes to the Dollar and Euro pricing of artwork and prints etc.

The Christmas cards have been selling well but there are still some available if you want to surprise a very special friend.

Christmas is not far away and I can't believe its winter again. As Archdeacon Haynes remarks in The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral "I find I positively shrink from the dark months". I think I must have hamster genes as I have a distinct tendency towards hibernation. Fat chance of that. Still, spring will be here soon enough with warm, balmy afternoons when I can sit in the sun with a glass or three and a good book and...

Sorry, I was drifting off there.

Les

November 2008

Just in time we've made some Christmas cards available for sale. They're blank on the inside so you can add your own seasonal message. Just click on the link on the home page. Envelopes are included. If this is a popular idea we might add some more next year.

There's an interview with Les and Edward by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer at IO9.com. This is a very thoughtful appreciation of Les and Edward's work and is partly a result of our chats in Pilsen in the Czech Republic where we were on the receiving end of some very generous hospitality. I hope Jeff is feeling better by now.

Issue 37 of Imagine FX magazine is in the shops now and has a small feature on Les with a selection of images. The magazine mostly concentrates on digital art so it's nice for a traditional painter to be included. If you're at all interested in digital Fantasy Art then this is the place to look.

At last there is something to look forward to while the financial world collapses around us. In 2010 the World Horror Convention will be held in Brighton in the UK. It's the first time that this convention has been held anywhere but the US. Can you believe that? So the dates 25-28 March 2010 must go in your diary now. Brighton is the sort of place where you can't help but have a good time. You know you want to be there. The official website is being constructed at this moment so check www.whc2010.org frequently for more info.

Les

August 2008

Some interesting news has arrived at Edwards' Catacombs this month. Les and Edward have been nominated for no fewer than five awards.

They are:

• World Fantasy Award: Edward Miller nominated for Best Artist
• British Fantasy Award: Les Edwards/Edward Miller nominated for Best Artist
• Chesley Award: Best New Horror 18 (Terror Time) nominated for best cover paperback
• Chesley Award: Auriga (Subterranean Magazine) nominated for best cover – magazine
• Chesley Award: Father Chains from The Lies of Locke Lamora, (Subterranean Press edition) nominated for best interior illustration.

You can imagine how pleased both Les and Edward are. It's a good job you can't see their smug grins. Fingers crossed.

Between celebrations Edward has finished painting the cover for Vault of Deeds by James Barclay to be published by PS Publishing and launched at Fantasycon in Nottingham in September. James Barclay is always good value so it will certainly be worth checking out and he is Guest of Honour at the said Fantasycon.

There is some thought of having some Christmas cards printed for sale through the website. More on this in a month or so but if you want to nominate your favourite Christmas card from the site drop me an email.

Finally there seems to be a small problem with the search facility on the site. It still works but is behaving oddly. We hope to have this sorted out soon and hope it's not too inconvenient.

Les

July 2008

The major event to report this month concerns our chum Ariel (Darren). After splendid work building and maintaining this website he is off to pastures new. In fact he's landed a "proper" job and is naturally giving all his energies to it. We'd like to thank him publicly for all his work on our behalf and to wish him well for the future. He and his wife Jo are lovely people and will remain mates. Ariel says that he won't have to wear a suit for the new job, but I'm not so sure.

Of course, this means some changes for us in that we will be managing the website ourselves from now on. Quite how this turns out only time will tell, but if you're reading this then we must have got something right. Updates will probably be more frequent as we get into the swing of things and the News might change to a more irregular feature. We'll have to wait and see.

The site has been updated with some exciting new images. There are a couple of new SF paintings. I was hoping for more but somehow they didn't materialise. Pratchett and Pern fans will find new stuff including the splendid Mrs Cake and The British Invasion has been added which, as you will recall, made it into the next Spectrum. Various other bits and pieces have been added around the site for you to hunt out. Just keeping you on your toes.

Les and Edward have been invited to a convention in the Czech Republic. It's called Parcon and is to be held in Pilsen from 22 to 24 August. Other guests are Jeff and Ann Vandermeer, Hal Duncan and Ian R MacLeod. Sounds like an adventure.

Les

May 2008

I can't believe it's May already. For some reason most of the last month, apart from a short week in Brighton, has been taken up with one painting. Poor old Edward has been relegated to the sidelines while Les spent far too much time painting 'Mrs Cake' for the next Terry Pratchett calendar. Just why this piece took so long is hard to say. There is a certain amount of detail in her hat, which is always time consuming, but it's possible that Les is just slowing down in his old age. OK, the truth is that it was such fun to do. There is a real kick to be got out of painting a character like this and it's always a good thing to make one's pleasures last as long as possible. The painting will be included in the next update, along with Edward Miller's piece, so you'll be able to judge for yourself if it was worth the effort.

Good news this month is that 'British Invasion' painting for the Cemetery Dance book has been accepted for the next edition of Spectrum. Artwork will be included in the next website update. If you don't know Spectrum, it's a yearly collection of fantasy artwork which is very highly regarded and always worth a look. It claims to represent the best work in the field, which it does, but, I'm sorry to say, it also has a habit of including some of the worst. The selection is made by a jury so what you really get is a reflection of their tastes. Still, in spite of an occasional tendency to rush headlong towards the Kitsch end of the market, it always has some really stunning work on display. If you're at all interested in fantasy art then you should hunt down a copy. I'm just pleased that they still accept real paintings and haven't been totally overwhelmed by the digital wave.

While I was at Orbital, the SF convention near Heathrow that I mentioned in a previous newsletter, I picked up a couple of copies of a magazine called Black Static. I was pleased to find that it runs a regular column by Chris Fowler, author of the excellent Bryant & May thrillers. Chris's views on the publishing and film industries are worth listening to. He knows whereof he speaks and is not afraid say what he thinks about the current state of both. I found myself raising a small cheer. At last someone who talks sense. If only the right people were listening.

Finally, I heard recently, via the BBC, so it must be true, that it's becoming the trendy thing to have your portrait painted. I've had some enquiries about this with regard to price, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to say that the starting price for a portrait is about £500. Of course it will depend on exactly what you want; a full length, life-size portrait in full evening dress with pearls and tiara would be a bit more. I get the idea that some people are put off the idea of a portrait because they think it must be fantastically expensive, but it doesn't have to be. It makes a great present and lasts forever.

Les

April 2008

A few days ago we returned from Orbital, the Easter Science Fiction Convention, held in a hotel near Heathrow Airport. The location is handy for us as we can just pack up some artwork and Altaf, our friendly cab driver, can whip us over there in an hour or so. I was a bit nervous about showing paintings at the art show as I have relatively little 'hard' SF and I felt I might not fit in. However, there was a distinct shortage of spaceships and futuristic cities and a definite bias towards what I think of as traditional Fantasy, so my dragon paintings fitted right in. It's been quite a while since we've been to a SF Convention so I'm probably out of touch.

I ran into a couple of old friends and made some new ones, including Paul Holroyd, an artist with a remarkable technique involving model making and photography. It seems very painstaking and he appears to have an endless supply of young women willing to pose for him in a condition which I can only call undressed. Lucky guy; apparently he's always on the look out for new models. Right.

I'm pleased to say that the Art Show was very well run although, as always, we could have used more room. The highlight of the convention for me, though, was the guy dressed up as Hal 9000 from 2001; very spooky. I didn't speak to him and now I'm wondering if he had the voice. "I'm sorry Dave I can't do that". Apart from that it was usual convention activity, i.e. sitting in the bar deciding where to have dinner. Or, if we got bored we could stand outside and watch the planes take off.

In between all this fun Les has taken some time out to deal with the ideas for spaceship paintings that have been accumulating since he produced the last batch, so you can expect to see a couple after the next update, depending on how they turn out. As I'm writing this there is complete chaos at the new Terminal Five at Heathrow, so I've a feeling this may feature somehow in one of the paintings. Unless we actually make time for this stuff it never gets done so the only way is to book in a definite stretch of time, and then try not to spend it playing computer games. Come to think of it there is any number of paintings waiting to be done so perhaps we could take some more time to do them. Oh, Val says 'no'.

We finally got to see Necronomicon in print and, although it's not exactly as planned, it looks very good and the drawings have reproduced well. It will be an essential addition to any collection. You might have to reinforce your bookshelves though. Projects like this never turn out exactly as expected but this one is pretty close and Gollancz have done a great job. I hope it sells bucket-loads.

Edward at last got round to painting The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic for the novella by Scott Lynch. It's a Gentlemen Bastards story to be published by Subterranean Press. This is something that's been on Ed's back burner for a while and for various reasons kept being put off, which is odd considering his enthusiasm for Scott Lynch's work. Now that it's done no doubt Subterranean will rush the book out in no time.

Les

March 2008

If things had gone according to plan this month's news bulletin would have been full of tales of warm and exotic places and would probably have included a liberal sprinkling of holiday snaps. However, though we were due to embark on our first ever cruise to celebrate Val's birthday, the cruise company decided to cancel the trip at extremely short notice. As you can imagine there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth and a few choice remarks about a certain F. Olsen. In order to console ourselves we took ourselves off to Bath for a long weekend and Val proceeded to strip the shops of every item in view. It may be a while before they can all re-stock, but it seemed to make Val feel better. Bath is a lovely place but if I hear one more reference to Jane Austin I may become insanely violent.

You may be relieved not to be regaled with tales of our time at sea. Surprisingly some painting did get done this month, in spite of the constant feeling that I should really be somewhere else. Les completed the cover image for Dragonheart, the new Pern novel by Todd McCaffrey. This was commissioned by Del Rey, the US publisher, and the UK publisher is going to use the same artwork. It usually happens the other way round so I'll be interested to hear if any Pern fans can spot the subtle differences in art direction when it is eventually published.

Both Les and Edward have submitted ideas for the next Terry Prattchet Discworld calendar for Gollancz but are still waiting for approval from Mr P. Apparently he's been in, of all places, Bath. I hope he didn't try to buy anything.

Edward has been toiling away at a cover for a collection of stories by Nancy Jane Moore, part of PS publishing's Showcase series. The painting illustrates a story called 'A Mere Scutcheon' which is an entertaining fantasy interpretation of The Three Musketeers. I think I detect the start of a long-running series.

On a more social note we've been pleased to see our chums Sara and Randy Broeker, over from Chicago for a week or so. One of the things we did together was to visit an exhibition of Victorian and Edwardian book illustration at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Initially I was keen to see the work by Aubrey Beardsley but what really blew me away was the stuff by Edmund Dulac. I'd only seen one or two pieces by him previously and a couple of his pictures in this exhibition were absolutely stunning. There's nothing like seeing the work of a master to thoroughly depress you. Oh well, it's good to have something to aim at.

Val and I also attended the launch of PS Publishing's Basil Copper: a Life in Books, compiled and edited by Steve Jones. It's a comprehensive look at Copper's entire writing career. I was mostly familiar with Basil Copper's writing through his horror stories; The Spider, The Great White Space etc. and was astonished to see just how prolific he's been. Anyone who has an interest in the history of the Fantasy genre would find this book fascinating. Oh, and it has some artwork in it.

Finally, while I try to keep these newsletters light hearted, I'm afraid I must end this one on a rather depressing note. When I was on a bus the other day a young lady offered me her seat. It was very nice of her, but it made me feel about a zillion years old. Honestly; young people nowadays!

Les

February 2008

Both Les and Edward seem to have been working flat-out since Christmas. Val has had to be particularly strict with both of them in order to avoid distractions such as eating and sleeping from interfering with the "Creative Process" or "Work" as it's known around here.

Les is particularly pleased with himself after producing a cover for British Invasion edited by Tim Lebbon & Christopher Golden, to be published by Cemetery Dance. It turned out to be a really interesting technical challenge and there will be lots of notes to accompany it when it's added to the website at the next update. Suffice it to say for now, that nothing's ever as simple as you think it will be.

Les is currently painting a cover for Dragon Heart by Todd McCaffrey. Unusually, this is for Del Rey, the US publisher, who seem to be a little in advance of their UK counterparts this time. We don't know, at this stage, if this painting will be on the UK edition or not. It's not possible to say how the picture will turn out yet but Les thinks he's gradually getting closer to a "real" Pern dragon (as Pern fans would say).

Edward, in the meantime, has been busy producing a cover painting for Laser Books edition of Hal Duncan's Vellum, a work of extraordinary imagination, and a painting for The Song of Time by Ian R MacLeod. This is a PS publication and another coup for Pete Crowther. It's hard to understand how he keeps finding such superb stories time after time. This is another gem and heartily recommended.

Other news this month is that Les's cover for Lovecraft in Britain has been nominated for an award by the British Science Fiction Association. This is not only good news for Les but also some well deserved recognition for publishers, the British Fantasy Society; an outstanding bunch of people. The idea for the painting came from editor Steve Jones so he should share in the credit, but he already has more awards than he knows what to do with. Vote now and vote often.

Finally, you'll probably notice that a couple of the artworks for Necronomicon have been sold already. Not that I'm trying to drum up trade, but if you're at all interested in buying one or more of these I should get in quick. The book is due out this month.

Val is giving me one of her looks so I guess it's time to get back to the easel. OK, OK, I'm going.

Les

January 2008

I can't believe we're at the beginning of a New Year. I don't know where the time goes, only that there seems to be a lot less of it these days. Just to get your New Year off to the perfect start the websites have been updated with some new stuff, thanks largely to a huge amount of work by Val, in spite of her recent computer problems, and the usual sterling effort by Ariel. I really don't know what I'd do without Val. (Well, I wouldn't be writing this for a start). Ariel has become worth his weight in gold. That's enough praise for him; he'll start putting his fees up.

You'll notice a major change to the site in that there is now a gallery dedicated to black and white artworks, which we have decided, after much deep thought and consideration, to call the Black and White Gallery. So if you are a monochrome maniac you know where to go. A couple of the images that were previously on the site have been re-scanned and I hope they look a little better. Also in the Black and White section you can see all the artworks from the new Gollancz Lovecraft book, The Necronomicon, which is on schedule for publication in early February. Despite some last minute changes by the publisher I'm still very excited about this book.

While I'm in Lovecraftian mode I should mention that, among other things, a painting for the cover of Lovecraft in Britain by Steve Jones has been added to the Les site and Pratchett fans might want to cast an eye over 'Ginger the Somnambulist' which was painted for the most recent Discworld calendar. There are also one or two additions to the Vintage Gallery that might be of interest.

New pieces on the Edward Miller site include 'Phantoms of Venice', which as I mentioned before, I was particularly pleased with, along with all the artworks for the Subterranean edition of Scott Lynch's Red Seas under Red Skies. One of the paintings for The Return of the Crimson Guard, an epic fantasy by Ian Cameron Esslemont, which will be published by my old chums at PS and the Edward Miller contribution to the Pratchett Discworld calendar has also been added.

Pern fans might like to know that I'm awaiting the manuscript of the new Todd McCaffrey novel so I'll be dusting off my dragon-coloured paints in the near future. There is also a Scott Lynch novella in the works for Subterranean, although I've only got the first two chapters to work on. Fear not, it features the Gentlemen Bastards, but that's all I'm going to say about it for now except that Scott seems to be on his usual top form with this story. I think I forgot to mention that we ran into Scott at World Fantasy and he was charming, though we didn't get to chat as much as I would have liked. Such is the Price of Fame. (His, I mean, obviously).

So, have a rummage around the updated site and see if there's anything you like. As always, feedback is very welcome. No, really!

Have an excellent 2008,

Les

December 2007

I must apologise to begin with for the fact that there was no Newsletter for November. I'm sure you were all deeply disappointed. Much of the time was taken up with preparations for our visit to the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs in New York State. Shipping artwork across the Atlantic takes a good deal of organisation, (thank goodness for Val), and if you want it to get there undamaged, careful packing is essential. We sent about twelve pieces between Les and Edward and I must admit I wish we had been able to have more on display.

We both enjoyed the Convention, hooking up with old friends and making some new ones.

Of course the highlight for me was the Art Show where there was a really friendly atmosphere and a sense of community among the artists along with some absolutely stunning work. It was great to meet up again with such fine artists as Tom Kidd, Donato Giancola, and Jill Beauman. I was also pleased to meet for the first time Charles Vess and Alan Clarke, who, considering the horrific nature of some of his work, was very charming and softly spoken. Oh, and someone told me Bob Eggleton was there. (Only joking, Bob).

Unfortunately we returned to real life with a bump when we arrived home to find that Val's computer had died. I spent what seemed like weeks getting it repaired and then trying to salvage her data. I'm sure many of you know how frustrating this is. Yes, she had a backup system, and no, it didn't work properly. (Thanks Maxtor) She is now up and running again, after much swearing and tearing of hair, but you can imagine that not much painting has been done around here.

One thing that was lost forever was her up to date address book so if you're expecting an email about the January website update and don't get one, please forgive us. We're not ignoring you; we've just lost your email address. We're working on the website update now and it should be live on the first of January.

Les

October 2007

We had some major fun this month at the British Fantasy Convention in Nottingham. The guests were Michael Marshall Smith, Steve Jones and Terry Brooks who were all good value and it seemed generally agreed that it was a fine convention. The MC was that fine upstanding young man Pete Crowther who was in splendid form. Phantoms of Venice, edited by David Sutton, was launched there and I must say it looked very stylish. Les was on a discussion panel with the glorious Anne Sudworth who expressed some very pithy opinions for someone who is normally so quietly spoken. We also visited what is probably the best Indian Restaurant in the Universe. Unfortunately Val came down with a cold at the beginning of the Con so her fun was a bit curtailed. Naturally she blames me.

Back in the real world we've been getting artwork ready to frame for the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga next month. Shipping the paintings over is going to be a major exercise and it's a problem to decide which ones to take and which to leave behind. We don't get to conventions in the US very often and it seems silly to go and not have any pictures to show.

Les has been polishing up the stuff for Necronomicon and has recently seen a mock up of the cover which looks gorgeous. This is going to be a great book, and I'm sure will please all Lovecraft fans and hopefully introduce some new readers to his work. Les now seems to have got the bug for working in line and is happily investigating various types of pen. Sad isn't it?

Edward, meanwhile, has been painting the cover for The Red Wolf Conspiracy: The Chathrand Voyage which is the first in a fantasy trilogy by Robert V.S. Redick. The painting has been remarkably well received by everyone so far and Edward is feeling a little too pleased with himself. The book will be published next year by Gollancz.

It's the party season for publishers at the moment and we always like to attend. So much business is done by e mail these days that it makes a pleasant change to talk to people face to face. We ran in to our old chum Chris Moore at one bash and are pleased to report that he's still the same cheerful, happy-go-lucky guy.

Sorry to say that the Summer Sale of Prints is now over...

Les

September 2007

The past month has been spent dog sitting for a friend of Val's. The dog in question is a 6 month old Miniature Schnauzer called Buster. Now, as a long time owner and connoisseur of Siberian Huskies I don't really accept that Miniature Schnauzers are genuine dogs in any real sense of the word, however I have learned some interesting new games. These include "Invisible Dog", "Spin the Puppy", "Buster Sandwich" and "Psycho Fuzzball". I'm still a little unclear about the rules of the last one.

Meanwhile, with the remaining shreds of my right hand, I've been busily engaged in illustrations for Necronomicon, a collection of the works of HP Lovecraft, edited by Stephen Jones. This will be published by Gollancz in January 2008 and will be the first time all of Lovecraft's fiction has been published in one volume. There will be eight or nine full page black and white line drawings and as much "page furniture" as I can produce in the time. I think this will be a major collector's item and anyone with an interest in the macabre will want to own a copy. The artwork will be on the website after the January update.

Other news is that there is an interview in the current issue of Rue Morgue magazine called "Through the Eyes of Les Edwards" in which I name names and lift the lid on the dark goings-on in the publishing industry. (Only joking)

I'm extremely pleased to say that both Les and Edward have been nominated for the Best Artist Award by the British Fantasy Society. I know it's an old cliché, but it's true nevertheless, that being nominated is a real honour. The awards will be announced at the British Fantasy Convention on 23 September and both Les and Edward will certainly be there. As there is to be an Art Show this year I hope to be showing some stuff although it will be mainly prints as transporting framed paintings to Nottingham from Ilford has turned out to be more difficult than you might suspect.

Even more good news is that Edward has also been nominated in the Artist category of the World Fantasy Awards. He is, naturally, delighted with this. Let's just hope he doesn't get too smug. This is his fourth nomination so keep your fingers crossed. Les and Edward will both be at the World Fantasy Convention which will be in Saratoga Springs, USA, between 1-4 November, and will both be showing in the art show. Ever the optimist, Ed is preparing his acceptance speech even now.

A small reminder that the Big Summer Sale of prints finishes at the end of September.

Les

August 2007

The first thing to mention this month is our shiny new search facility. We've had a lot of requests for this so here it is thanks to some sleepless nights on the part of Ariel. Just click on image search and away you go. Just like a real website. If you find any bugs don't hesitate to get in touch; Ariel will be delighted.

I'm pleased to say that the Summer Sale of Prints has been well received. Val is managing to keep up with demand, just about, but I think the owner of our local Post Office is wondering what's going on. Perhaps he'll consider giving us special rates. Then again, perhaps he won't

All the artwork for Scott Lynch's Red Seas under Red Skies is now complete and some of the images can be seen at www.subterraneanpress.com. I know I banged on about this before, but the Gentleman Bastards series is well worth your attention.

You can see the painting for the cover of Stephen Gallagher's Plots and Misadventures at www.subterraneanpress.com as well. Gallagher, the author of the stunning Nightmare with Angel, among many others, doesn't need any introduction from me, but just in case you haven't read him; do so now, at once, without delay.

Also this month, Edward delivered the cover for Phantoms of Venice by David Sutton. Ed tells me he is particularly pleased with this piece and at least one person agrees with him as the artwork has already been sold. You can see it at www.screamingdreams.com. I hope you agree with me that the designer has done a particularly classy job on this. If only it were always so.

Next year's Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collectors' Edition Calendar, published by Gollancz, will have images by both Les and Edward. Les has taken inspiration from Moving Pictures, and - at the suggestion of TP himself - Ed has painted an image from Wintersmith. If all goes to plan I guess the calendar will be available just before Christmas and, no, it's not far away!

See you next month.

Les

July 1st, 2007

After a certain amount of badgering from various quarters, not least webmaster Ariel, (he's very strict), here's an attempt at a newsletter to keep you more or less up to date with events in the Les Edwards / Edward Miller multiverse. The plan is to write the news column on a monthly basis (yeah, right...)

There are some new images on both sites this month, including some 'vintage' stuff rescued from the catacombs. Monty Python fans might be interested to see the album cover for The Final Rip Off which dates from 1987 and was pretty much 'art directed' by Terry Jones.

If you've been thinking of buying a print for ages but are still making up your mind to take the plunge, then now's the time to do it. As it's summer (allegedly) we're holding a "summer sale" on all prints until September 30th - prices have been reduced by 20% across the site.

Speaking of prices, as we've now started to show them in Euros as well as UK Pounds and US Dollars it gave us the opportunity to reconsider some of the finished artwork asking prices. You will find that a number of pieces have been reduced in price. Only a few have become more expensive... honest.

On the subject of new work mention really must be made of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Scott Lynch is one of the best things to happen to the fantasy genre in a long time and Subterranean Press has published a version illustrated by Edward Miller with a cover and four interior pieces. If it hasn't sold out you can find a copy at www.subterraneanpress.com but even if you can't find the illustrated version, read the book anyway. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Ed has also been commissioned to illustrate the sequel - Red Seas Under Red Skies - and you can see the cover on the Subterranean site (although it hasn't been added to Ed's own site just yet).

Pern fans will find the cover of the new Todd McCaffrey novel Dragon Harper in the Fantasy Gallery here on the Les Edwards site. The dragon is slightly different in this one after some input from fans and Todd himself. I hope I'm getting a bit closer to the 'proper' look. The book is not due to be published until January 2008 so you'll just have to guess what it's all about until then.

Also added to the Les site are some pieces done for Resolution Asset Management via their advertising company RPM3. Each painting depicts a Superhero representing one of the four boutique companies. As you'll see each character was painted individually and then digitally added to the scene. Good fun!

Finally I must mention that those fine people at PS Publishing (strong, manly Pete and the alluring and sophisticated Nicky) have published three editions of Steven King's The Colorado Kid. One is illustrated by Edward Miller with a cover and five interior paintings. The original artworks have all been sold but you can see them in Ed's Noir gallery and get more information regarding the books at www.pspublishing.co.uk.

This prompted me to visit the crypt once again and blow the cobwebs off a cover for King's The Dead Zone from 1983 - which is just a little spooky - and a poster painted for the movie Graveyard Shift in 1991. You'll find them in The Les Edwards Vintage and Horror galleries respectively.

Let me know what you think about the newsletter idea and if you'd like to see anything particular included in future editions. You know, horoscopes, recipes, soft furnishings, an agony aunt page, that sort of thing...

Les