Why Do We Love Super Hero Movies?
There are no super heroes in real life – that’s why we go to the movies!
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We Can be Heroes
The conversation got me thinking about heroes and what characteristics are expected of a hero from generation to generation.
New York Movie
Edward Hopper’s New York Movie, though not a fantasy painting, inspires artist M. D. Jackson to write a fantasy story.
Winter is Coming
Winter is only one of four seasons but it can also be a feeling, a state of being.
H.R. Giger
Very few artists have had as big an influence on horror illustration and on the look of horror films as had Swiss artist H.R. Giger.
Do you Like Monsters?
That’s right, FAMOUS MONSTERS, Forrest. J. Ackerman’s beloved magazine that sported covers featuring wonderful portraits of famous monsters, most of which were painted by artist Basil Gogos.
Nighthawks
The iconic painting Nighhawks by Edward Hopper has inspired a wealth of imitations, homages, and now just a little bit of science fiction.
Bad Science Fiction and Fantasy Art
In order to understand what makes really good science fiction and fantasy art, you have to look at a few pieces of bad science fiction and fantasy art.
Separating the Art from the Artist
Suppose an artist or a writer says something that is loathsome or morally reprehensible? Can we therefore judge the artist’s work as having no value simply because the artist is a jerk?
The Art of Star Trek
Star Trek has been around since September 8, 1966. At forty-seven years old Star Trek is one year younger than I am. We grew up together. Star Trek and I were best friends.
What the %&*# is Perry Rhodan?
Perry Rhodan is a weekly German science fiction pulp magazine series that has run uninterrupted since 1961. That translates into over two thousand five hundred issues released so far not counting reprints, books and spinoffs. Lets let that sink in for a moment.
The Man in the Torn Shirt
This post is about powerful images and the way that they can become stuck in the public consciousness.
The Art of the Game
Illustration is also of paramount importance to another venue for science fiction and fantasy and that is as part of the packaging that goes along with role-playing and video games.
Walter Popp
I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about old science fiction art, particularly pulp magazine art and artists. My knowledge is not so vast, however, that there aren’t still some surprises and new discoveries to be made.
That Sense of Wonder
One of the things that the best science fiction does is to evoke a sense of wonder in its readers. The best science fiction should open our eyes to possibilities and make us think about our place in the universe, in space or in time.
I Can’t Compete with CGI!
When I was in senior high school (thirty looong years ago) I had an appointment with a career counsellor. I had an aptitude for art and was interested in science.. Based on these two pieces […]
Frank Kelly Freas
Science fiction is a literature of ideas. It is also a literature that tries to show us the future, although it is not often directly predictive, it tries to look ahead to show us the […]
Photographs, Fantasy, Cover Design and Neil Gaiman
Let’s take a break from looking at artwork. Let’s look at some photos instead. Most people like looking at photographs. Usually these are family photographs, sometimes in an album, sometimes projected on a screen with […]
What Gets Preserved?
The library of Alexandria was the largest and most comprehensive repository of knowledge in the ancient world. In 46 AD (according to some sources) it burned. Countless scrolls went up in flames, in some cases […]
Superhero Portraits, Making Sense of Senseless Destruction and Becca’s Bombshells
So it’s now summer where I am and it’s hot as… well, it’s hot. In conjunction with the sudden heat after two weeks of rain and thunderstorms I find that I cannot string two thoughts […]
What Dreams May Come…
Richard Matheson passed away on Sunday. By this time many have given their thoughts and feelings on Matheson’s body of work so I am inevitably going to re-hash what has been stated elsewhere by writers […]
Walk like a Zombie
Zombies are strange characters. Their current popularity is a bit of a mystery to me. I guess I’m one of the few who doesn’t “get” the attraction of the re-animated corpse. As an artist they […]
Mechanical Men and Women
It’s one of Science Fiction’s classic tropes and has been responsible for some of the most beloved characters in the genre — robots. Robots are almost pure design personified. The whole concept of a robot […]
Sexism and the SFWA
So there’s a brouhaha brewing around the Science Fiction Writers of America and accusations of blatant sexism within that organization. (Actually it’s more like a raging storm in some corners). The controversy surrounds the 200th issue of […]
The Mucha Influence on SF & Fantasy Art
You probably don’t know his name. You may not even know that there is a name behind the distinctive design, but you have very likely seen his work or a derivative of it. You will […]
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Recently a documentary had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival called Jodorowsky’s Dune. The documentary by filmmaker Frank Pavich, examines a very early attempt to make a movie based on Frank Herbert’s iconic science […]
Another Look at SF/Fantasy Record Album Art
Two weeks ago I wrote about science fiction album art and I focused on two bands; Klaatu and Hawkwind. This week I’m going to continue with the theme of album art but I’m going to […]
About Author
M. D. Jackson has been drawing since he could first hold a pencil. He has been writing for so long that he has, in fact, developed an alternate personality named Jack to handle the fiction.
His work has appeared in numerous magazines and on the front covers of many books as well as in the pages of Amazing Stories Magazine. You can also see a lot of it at his gallery.
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