Thursday, August 13, 2015

An Art Book of Frightful Fiends

This post will be very different from the usual stuff I'm talking about on my blog. This time I'll be plugging a self-published book, something I usually do on other blogs, Facebook, etc. But, since my drawings ARE such a big part of my creative self, I think I should mention it here as well. This is the bok in question: "The Spectres of M R James."


Since last fall I've been re-reading the works of British scholar and author M R James (1862-1936), and entertaining myself with drawing images of the very imaginative ghosts, demons and monsters, who usually make their appearance during the part of the story where the "Jamesian Wallop" (so named by Will Ross and Mike Taylor of the M R James Podcast) occurs. This is the "booo" moment of the tale, and it's always a very effective one.


So, a good question is: Doesn't this book, then, ruin the whole story if you haven't already read it? It might, yes. On the other hand, the images and the quotes, which accompany each illustration, might also arouse your curiosity and prod you into finding and reading the whole thing.


At any rate, I made this book simply to entertain myself in the hopes that my enthusiasm may be infectious to those who are M R James newbies. It's a labour of love, and I enjoyed the work immensely.


The book is published through Lulu.com, and is 59 pages long, A5 paper size. I've made three earlier books via Lulu, and I'm generally very happy with the publishing arrangements. You upload your own book file, and set the price yourself. Depending on what paper size you choose, your book may or may not be eligible for distribution on Amazon and other venues. This book was entirely created in an A5 Word document, saved as a PDF file and uploaded in Lulu's online book-making machinery. All images are RGB JPGs in 300 DPI resolution. If all this reads like Swahili, Mandarin or Klingon to you, drop me a message, and I'll explain the process in more detail, and in simple English.

Now, if you after reading this blog post find that you can't possibly go on living without owning this little book, you can find it on Lulu right HERE.

And if you're wondering about if I've considered adapting any James story for a film, the answer is yes. I'm preparing the first one to be made this fall, with a short filmed poem almost completed.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Those are some very good illustrations! I have never heard of M R James before, but I will definitely check out some of his books now!

Mindi Flyth said...

I just saw the article about your Lovecraft Alphabet on the Onion AV Club! Congratulations! I've been a big fan of your work for a while, and it's great to see you getting some press attention.

Richard Svensson said...

Thanks, both of you! :)

1999mrstopmotionman: Do check out M R James -he's a great writer. No blood and thunder, but once that story hits its stride it's always quite engrossing. Also check out the BBC "A Ghost Story For Christmas" adaptations, some of which are on YouTube. Espaecially look for "The Ash Tree".

Ursula Hitler: Yes, that was a fun surprise! I helped get a few more subscribers ob YouTube.