FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BOT CALENDARS!

Vancouver BC artist creates singular Bot calendar for 2023!

Figure 1 – Bot calendar cover

Since 2012, Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk has been making one-of-a-kind robot sculptures from “upcycled” metal parts. And now these “bots” are available in a calendar (Figure 1) with pictures and descriptions written by Lynne herself (Figure 2).

Lynne is an illustrator, cartoonist, and sculptor. She is a two-time recipient of the Canadian Prix Aurora Award for Artistic Achievement and her work has appeared in numerous publications including Amazing Stories Magazine, On Spec Magazine, Polar Borealis Magazine, Aurora Lights Magazine, Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine, Pulphouse, Dragon magazine, Dungeon magazine, and Science Fiction Review.

Figure 2 – Tim & January page

Lynne spent most of her childhood drawing dinosaurs and purple bunnies. Since then she has served as Art Director for three national magazines, started her own printing company, created a comic strip for cows, produced a science fiction colouring book and The Really Silly Cartoon Book, and illustrated a book about fish. She has also discussed composting toilets with Frank Herbert and penmanship with Harlan Ellison.

Lynne was recently interviewed. Some of the questions and answers were as follows:

  • How long have you been making bots? I started in 2012 with my first Bot, “Bee Bot,” which was made from a cake decorator and various kitchen items.
  • What else do you make?  I make a huge mess around my worktable that’s for sure! Besides that, I’ve been a professional illustrator and cartoonist since the early ’80s and I still do both, but the Bots are my primary focus these days. Some people have referred to my Bots as 3-D cartoons, and I like that comparison.
  • What brought you to making your very first bot? I wanted to make a science fiction Christmas wreath which would incorporate those little antique metal toy robots and rockets. Those were expensive so I decided to try to make my own robots. The process was so much fun that I never did do the wreath and my artwork took an entirely new direction.
  • What drew you to science fiction? Has it been a lifelong passion? My passion with SF started when I was little and scribbling purple dinosaurs. The dinosaurs were aliens to my mind. From another world. Soon after I was mesmerized by the Tom Terrific cartoons on TV, Sputnik was launched, and then the first moon landing took place. I started reading science fiction books around 1969 (like a good hippie) and have never lost my love for it. Science fiction inspires me. Most of my figural pieces come from my love of retro science fiction. I’d rather watch an old “B” science fiction movie than almost anything.
  • What reactions do you get to your bots? Often laughter—which makes my day. And frequently I see an initial reaction of wonder followed by a forensic peering closer and closer to see what parts I used to make up the whole.
  • What’s your favourite part of science fiction? I love the feeling of “what if?” I love science fiction writing that is eye-opening, intelligent, and still exciting and fun. Stories that question. These stories fascinate me, make me think. A good SF movie can do the same but, sadly, there are fewer and fewer of those these days.
  • Where do you find your pieces? Garage sales and thrift stores are my friends. Also, people give me stuff. The Habitat for Humanity store saves broken objects they can’t sell for me, a local bike shop saves old parts for me, and a lot of my friends give me a bag of parts from time to time. I think that people like to participate in the artistic process in this way. I love that.
  • What are you asked most often about your Bots?
    The question I am asked most often is, “Do your Bots move?”
    And my answer is, “Not when I’ve been looking.”

For more information, email Lynne at lynnetaylorf@hotmail.com. The price in North America is $20 US (in the US) or $25 CDN (in Canada) plus $5 shipping per calendar; outside North America, please query.

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