227 replies to this topic

[godzilladude]

For those that want to read some restored El Borak and don't want to wait another year to see it, Girasol Press has:

Blood of the Gods and Other Stories
Contains The Country of the Knife; Hawk of the Hills; The Daughter of Erlik Khan; Blood of the Gods; Swords of Shahrazar

1st Edition, Girasol Collectables, TPB, Spring 2005

Cover art by Joseph Clement Coll; edited by Paul Herman; all stories edited back to match original pulp appearance

You can see it at http://www.girasolcollectables.com/. Around $14.

FYI.

[deuce]

For those that want to read some restored El Borak and don't want to wait another year to see it, Girasol Press has:

Blood of the Gods and Other Stories
Contains The Country of the Knife; Hawk of the Hills; The Daughter of Erlik Khan; Blood of the Gods; Swords of Shahrazar

1st Edition, Girasol Collectables, TPB, Spring 2005

Cover art by Joseph Clement Coll; edited by Paul Herman; all stories edited back to match original pulp appearance

You can see it at http://www.girasolcollectables.com/. Around $14.

FYI.

Hey Paul! Thanks for the reminder on that one. That Girasol edition is very nice. The art by Coll is incredible.
Now, back to the Del Reys...

[evisceratedmemories]

I have bought everything up to date with the exception of the "Best Of" books...tho i think at some point i'll have to break down and get those as well...that being said i'll buy anything del rey puts out cause they seem to be the only new semi inexpensive howard books on the market!

[Jay@Paradox]

Since it is still some time before we get to see the El Borak/O'Donnell book from Del Rey on the shelves, here's a little treat for you. A sample piece of art of Kirby O'Donnell by Tim Bradstreet, who's doing all the b/w illustrations in the book. Jim & Ruth Keegan are doing the colors and we'll give you a sneak peak of some color work too, in due time.

[Strom]

Thanks Jay - awesome! Gonna be sweet

[deuce]

I've said before that I'm a long-time fan of Mr. Bradstreet (going back to his White Wolf days; prophetic, that). However, Kirby O'Donnell was known as the "False Kurd". In other words, like Sir Richard Francis Burton, he would put on the persona of being Muslim. Facial hair in Islam is a pretty major thing for men. Anybody ever heard the phrase, "By the beard of the Prophet"? Bradstreet's O'Donnell is clean-shaven. MOST Howard heroes were (clean-shaven, that is, NOT "beardless"). El Borak probably went about clean-shaven a lot of the time (but not always). Kirby O'Donnell seems to have been a bit different. That piece looks GREAT, but I think at least a moustache would be nice. Especially since it helps to distinguish the two "Oriental Adventurers" who are both Americans of Gaelic descent. Also, O'Donnell is armed with a salawar/"Khyber knife". That was a weapon that FXG was a famous master of. O'Donnell is noted for using the kindjal. Perhaps it would be best to switch that particular illo to a Francis X. Gordon yarn?
Lemme put it this way: How would y'all feel if there was a book of Conan tales filled with illustrations depicting him with a full beard and moustache?

My two Afghani rupees.

[crossplain pilgrim]

Hey, deuce! Way to stand up for truth and REH. I love the FXG stories and will be standing in line (if there is such a thing in cyberspace) for this Del Rey. Looking at the attached art, it seems to me there could be quite a bit of facial hair hidden by the burnoose.

[Sermon Bath]

This reminds me of how Jimgrim in the Talbot Mundy books would change his appearance radically by removing his
false teeth....I always got a chuckle out of that....my kind of hero!

[amster]

Since it is still some time before we get to see the El Borak/O'Donnell book from Del Rey on the shelves, here's a little treat for you. A sample piece of art of Kirby O'Donnell by Tim Bradstreet, who's doing all the b/w illustrations in the book. Jim & Ruth Keegan are doing the colors and we'll give you a sneak peak of some color work too, in due time.

That's an incredible piece of art. It looks like a photograph!

[Sermon Bath]

yeah, thats sorta the way I look when Im working undercover for the CIA...but please dont tell anyone...OK? Hey Amsterdamaged, thanks for the document you sent me...I'm gonna hit you back in a few days with a draft of a brand new, and very longish, Solomon kane yarn I just wrote...I think you'll dig it

[Hyborian Frog]

Jay, I love the art you posted! So this book will hit shelves sometime in 2009?

[Rusty Burke]

Jay, I love the art you posted! So this book will hit shelves sometime in 2009?

As I understand, it will be early in 2010.

Rusty

[Scott Oden]

User does his "happy-I-can't-wait" dance . . .

Seriously. Can't. Wait.

On a tangent, I also have serious artist envy . . . Bradstreet's O'Donnell would make a perfect Assad from The Lion of Cairo. Right down to the salawar.

Scott

Edited by Scott Oden, 15 April 2009 - 06:32 PM.

[Taranaich]

My two Afghani rupees.

It also helps distinguish him from T.E. Laurence. The best thing is it doesn't necessarily mean the art has to be abandoned: though you don't think it looks as much like O'Donnell as in the book (and I agree), why not just "re-label" it as an El Borak illustration? Put it as a plate at the beginning of the book. It would make a lovely, evocative opening piece.

That's an incredible piece of art. It looks like a photograph!

It looks like he might've had a photo reference. I agree, it's fantastic.

On a tangent, I also have serious artist envy . . . Bradstreet's O'Donnell would make a perfect Assad from The Lion of Cairo. Right down to the salawar.

You should totally contact him, see if he's available.

[Scott Oden]

You should totally contact him, see if he's available.

Already passed his name on to my editor

Scott

[Jason A.]

That's an incredible piece of art. It looks like a photograph!

It looks like he might've had a photo reference. I agree, it's fantastic.

Yeah Bradstreet is well known in comic circles for his use of photo reference. From what I understand he uses models and photographs them, then uses that as a reference. I believe there was a special feature on the good Punisher movie DVD with Thomas Jane which showed Bradstreet at work. He did all the Punisher Max covers for Marvel and did illustrations for the Punisher movie posters and DVD.

[Sermon Bath]

that sword rocks

[Black Indy]

that sword rocks

Yeah, the sword shown there looks like a Khyber knife, the weapon of choice among the Afghani hillmen. One nasty hunk of steel, based on the one I've got! Conan uses a "Zhaibar" knife in The People of the Black Circle.

The illos for the Desert book are going to be fantastic, based on the one shown. Tim Bradstreet is a great ink artist, one of my favorites. I talked technique with him a number of years ago, and he does use a lot of photo and model references. He posterizes the image by placing vellum over the photograph and then drawing it. Makes for a wonderfully realistic looking piece of art.
I can't wait for this book now!

[The Adventurer]

I was looking at the old Wandering Star website at the "upcoming projects" section and noticed that most of the projects announced have been picked up by either the foundation or Del Ray, really the only two left would be Dark Agnes and Brekinridge Elkins. Is Del Ray considering picking either of these up in the forseable future?

There are plans for at least one more Del Rey book after El Borak, but we haven't begun getting into any details for that one yet.

11 volumes seems like a very odd number for a series...it should be 12 (at least)

A 15 Volume series would be epic. There must be enough REH stuff for that.

As an aside, how are theses selling? Are they reaching Del Rey's expectations? (I suppose that any future volumes depend on this more than the actual desire to print the stuff)


TA

[godzilladude]

There's enough material to do 30-40 volumes DR size.