Signed two contracts today, checked over a proof of my soon-to-be-released novella and with any luck, put the finishing touches on illustrations for a comic.
One of the contracts in question was for my novella The Last Night of October, which Bad Moon Books will release this Halloween. I received a proof of the book today and man does it look sweet. The trade paperback edition will not only contain my creepy-as-hell story, but also three of my own illustrations and a killer intro by the Queen of Halloween, Lisa Morton! Luke Spooner of Carrion House has provided the breath-taking front cover art.
Signing the contract today really sets things in motion for its release on October 31!
The other contract was for a short story I wrote some time ago, called Only Son. It will appear in the e-magazine Voluted Tales, later this month.
Meanwhile I’ve been drawing like mad to complete chapter 4 of the comic series Allure of the Ancients: The Key to His Kingdom for Midnight Echo Magazine. the 10 page comic will appear in Issue 10, this November. You can view this special promo poster I made HERE.
Design work for the Horror Writers Association has also been coming through, which I’m really excited about because I’m getting my work out there to a much wider audience.
They recently unveiled the cover for the new e-book version of their previously published anthology Freak Show that I created (see below). I’ve also created new covers for another series of previously published HWA anthologies, but I can’t release them just yet.
I also whipped up a web banner for the 2013 edition of the Halloween Haunts blog series. You can see the one I created last year below.
All in all the last few months have been quite busy design-wise, which I’m very happy about, but I’m really keen to get back into the writing soon.
Earlier this year I was invited to contribute a few art pieces to a special publication to commemorate the screening of The Cabal Cut of Clive Barker’s film Nightbreed.
The Book of Tribes, which is limited to just 15 copies, arrived in the post today and it’s a gorgeous piece of work by Barker devotee, Steve Dillon, of Melbourne.
I created two pieces – a black and white ink drawing of some of the Nightbreed characters and a watercolour illustration to accompany one of Steve’s stories. Not only that, there is also artwork by some of the best artists from around the world, including art by the man himself, Clive Barker, Paul Kane, Matt Taylor and many more. The look and feel of the oversized book, with its leather cover and glossy paper, just took my breath away. I never dreamed I would share a table of contents with Clive Barker, so to say that I’m chuffed would be an understatement.
I’d like to congratulate Steve Dillon and all the people who created this wonderful book and for treating my artwork so kindly. It truly is a labour of love.
The screening, which was held in Melbourne on August 9, 2013 was apparently a success. Unfortunately I was unable to attend, but I’m still very honoured to have been a part of it.
Nightbreed is so much more than a horror film, it’s a film about discrimination, about the very nature of evil; how human nature can be so much more monstrous than any creature that lurks in the dark. The Cabal Cut will be screened around the world over the next few months. If you’re fortunate enough to have the chance to see it, then don’t hesitate. Let the Tribes of the Moon embrace you!
Below are some photos I took of the interior of The Book of Tribes. Enjoy.
The below artwork accompanies the awesome tale “Cement Shoe Cthulhu”, written by Derek Ferreira. I started off with a simple line drawing and then coloured it in Photoshop. The before and after are below.
There’s nothing more inspirational than seeing a new piece of artwork by your favourite artist. One of the artists I admire is Richard A. Kirk. He’s simply a master of the fantastical; his illustrations so intricate, and so beautiful in their grotesqueness that it takes your breath away.
Richard kindly agreed to be interviewed by me and I took my time with my questions. I wanted to be just as detailed inn my questioning so I could delve into just what makes this incredible artist tick. If you are already familiar with Richard, then this will hopefully help you get to know the man even more, if you’ve never heard of him (though you should!), then I envy you, because there’s nothing more wonderful than being in awe of an artist’s work!
Hello Richard, thank you for agreeing to this interview.
Photo by Michael F. Wolik
Many of your fans would already know you by your incredible artwork, but can you tell us a little bit about Richard A. Kirk the man and his journey. What influenced you to take up art and what art means to you?
I have enjoyed drawing from a young age. It filled a need to be creative, providing me with an outlet, a way to interact with those things that inspired me. It was a natural attraction. In the early years I would not have called myself an artist, drawing was just something I did. As I grew up it also became a way to interact with people. I’ve been doing it for so long it seems inextricably bound up with who I am. If I don’t do it, I don’t feel quite right. It’s how I think, how I observe, how I solve problems.
Which artists do you admire, or have influenced your creative process? Have you always been drawn to the fantastic and surreal?
Growing up I always spent a lot of time in libraries and my early introduction to art came through books. That is where I discovered Beardsley, Mervyn Peake, Odilon Redon and many of the other illustrators from the late 19th and early to mid 20th century. I’ve always been drawn to the fantastic in art and literature. Those early illustrators really enthralled me with their imaginations and their beautiful lines. Because of the deceptive simplicity, it looked like something I could do. Of course I came to realize that what they had done was anything but simple but by then I was hooked. I started by looking closely at their work and trying to emulate their effects. I am still constantly surprised by what can be achieved with a point on a piece of paper. It can open up worlds. Like a lot of artists of my generation, in high school I discovered many artists through Heavy Metal magazine and even Omni. Chief among these was Jean Giraud (Moebius). When I saw his work it was like my brain exploded. Here was a guy that could work with the simplest lines or the most complex compositions while bringing in humor, intelligence and vision. To this day he remains on of my favorite artists. I was very sad when he died, and sorry that I never got to meet him in person.
To me, your art seems to be an extension of nature; trees growing unnaturally – or supernaturally; creatures emerging into or from surreal landscapes. Is this what you see in the world around you?
The primary pleasure for me in creating art the ability to open up, and reveal imaginary worlds. Imaginary worlds are impulses of the human imagination, no matter how bizarre. It is the same impulse that leads us to create religions, dreams, music and all of the other projections of the human brain (it would be interesting to see what other intelligent creatures could imagine, like whales for example). Constructing these little dream tableaus is a way of conveying a narrative that I hope will resonate with viewers. Others might not know what the story behind a specific image is, but the human brain is associative and the images will trigger narratives in the mind of the viewer that I didn’t necessarily intend. This is an exciting exchange between artist and viewer.
Copyright Richard A. Kirk
You’ve mastered the long-forgotten technique of silverpoint illustration. Just how long does it take to create a silverpoint drawing and what does it entail?
Actually, I think it’s having a bit of a resurgence! Silverpoint is a technique that can be done very simply. Of course there are ways to make it complicated by making your own grounds from scratch, but I prefer to keep it simple. I use a basic technique of double coating an archival quality illustration board with W&N Permanent White Gouache. I draw into this ground with silver wire in a mechanical pencil. This works very well with my technique of detailed drawing. Due to the nature of my work, it’s a time consuming technique. Other artists will have different approaches to the medium depending on their style.
Artwork by Richard A. Kirk. Published by Earthling Publications.
The 25th anniversary edition of Clive Barker’s Weaveworld was recently released and is filled with your lavish illustrations. It’s clear you were the only choice to do the illustrations for that book. Did translating Barker’s visions come easily for you?
Thank you. Interpreting Clive’s writing has always been a pleasure for me. He is detailed enough in his descriptions that as an artist you have something rich to work with, but at the same time he is atmospheric enough to allow leeway. His horror is visceral, which suits my highly detailed style very well. Part of this comes down to the fact that Clive is an artist himself and he writes like an artist. Sometimes you will read a passage and it will be seared into your imagination. It sits in your imagination as something highly wrought but when you go back and read it, the passage will often be impressionistic. It is like a painting that from across the room looks epic and then the closer you get it becomes a series of powerful but extremely well placed brush strokes. Working with Clive is certainly an extraordinary opportunity for any illustrator.
You’ve also provided illustrations for Thomas Ligotti’s Death Poems. Is there any sense of trepidation when you set out to bring another author’s words to life through art?
Artwork Copyright Richard A. Kirk. Published by Bad Moon Books
The Ligotti book was a series of poems and I immediately abandoned any thought of interpreting them literally. It would have been impossible. What I chose to do instead was create images which the writing made me feel; images that took root in his poems and grew into something else. It seemed an appropriate response. With fiction the process is a bit different. You are more beholden to the author’s prose. I always read the text and try to develop a number of images in my mind. I then edit those images down to the essence of what I think the author is trying to say. That is a different kind of response. I don’t feel trepidation. If I didn’t resonate with the text then I would feel trepidation, but fortunately I have loved all of the books I’ve been asked to illustrate. If I was asked to do a book I didn’t like, I would turn it down. I have to feel I can bring something to the project and that is only possible if you can connect with the author.
I understand you represent yourself commercially. Obviously, you’re never short of work, but how do you find a balance between the business and creative aspects of your career?
I’ve been fortunate that one thing has rolled into the next over the years. My commercial and personal work kind of blend together, so I haven’t really worried about one or the other taking over.
You’re also an author in your own right, with your first novella, The Lost Machine, being published in 2010. Has there always been a writer in you as well or is that a side of you which only came to light in the past few years?
Reading has always had a big influence on my art so writing felt like a natural extension of my creative process. I have always written stories for myself but technology and the web have now made it possible for anyone with the perseverance to make books. The Lost Machine’s beginning came from a drawing I did some time ago. I wanted to write a story to go with it. In the end, the finished story had nothing to do with the drawing, but that is the creative process at work. So writing is at least in part an effort to bring out many of the visual and narrative ideas I have and give them a life in words. I also have a great love of books as objects. I find them aesthetically appealing. There is so much going on in the physical form of the book – decisions that are made. Each of the elements in a book has a story, the placement of front matter, the typography, the paper. It’s endlessly fascinating really.
Artists are proud of all the works they’ve created, but are there any that are your particular favorites?
My large drawing Chimera stands out in my mind. It is the largest drawing I’ve done and it was a bit of a battle to create. When you stand in front of it, there is a whole world in there. It’s the one I most enjoy looking at. I like the scale. I’m thinking of doing another one of that size. I am also proud of my novella The Lost Machine. It was another difficult project for a number of reasons but in the end I was pleased with the way it came out. The story and the illustrations work well together.
What are you working on at the moment and what can we expect from you in the future?
Artwork Copyright Richard A. Kirk
I am working on art for TOME II, which will be published in 2014. The theme is Melancholia so it’s right up my alley. There will be at least 2 full page images. Clive Barker will be interviewing me about my art and I will be contributing work to a TOME show at the Last Rites Gallery in New York in the fall. Later in the fall, I will be in the beinART group show at the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica. In the meantime I am polishing my novel Necessary Monsters and working on the illustrations. Who knows what the new year will bring!
Most of us remember the first scary movie or TV show we saw as a child, right?
I seemed to be exposed to scary films whenever I visited my older cousins or the neighbours. As they were in their teens they usually had something freaky going on the screen.
I recall seeing several scenes from A Nightmare on Elm Street and being absolutley terrified (the scene of the young woman being dragged up the ceiling and slashed to ribbons for one).
Another film was An American Werewolf in London. The scene of one of the travellers being ripped apart, and the strange scene in the hospital with the nurse being stabbed, still linger in my mind to this day.
That was the thing about horror movies back in the 80’s wasn’t it? The fact that there were so many of them.
I also grew up with Doctor Who – it was a science fiction show, yes, but during the Tom Baker years (my first Doctor), particularly the early seasons under the guidance of producer Phillip Hinchcliffe, many of the stories had a very dark undertone.
Many of the monsters scared the crap out of me, especially the Zygons, with their mishapen bodies and organic technology. Everything looked like raw meat.
Doctor Who scared me and taught me about fear as part of narrtive, and I think some of the techniques used in the stories of the early Tom Baker years stuck with me.
As far as TV goes in my teenage years, the only show that I truly couldnt do without was The X-Files. To me this sure was an extension of Doctor Who, but in a much more adult context. Who can forget the liver-eating monster Eugene Victor Tooms contorting himself into roof spaces to hunt for human prey?
I never missed an episode of The X-Files and again, the depth of fear and atmosphere exhibited in its early years definitely resonated with me and my own storytelling endeavours.
There are still some good horror-based TV shows running today. I regret to admit I havent watched The Walking Dead yet (I’ve read some of the comics), but I’ve enjoyed shows such as American Horror Story and Being Human – and of course, the new series of Doctor Who!
Horror films haven’t been so good for me though with too much focus on torture porn, but there are still a few really good gothic-style flicks around. Films I’ve enjoyed are The Awakening, Insidious, The Orphanage, Absentia, The Cabin in the Woods, the Fright Night remake, to name a few. This week I’ll be taking in a viewing of The Conjuring, which I’ve been dying to see!
What horror TV shows and movies have influenced your early horror development?
The weekend brought about the one year anniversary of the publication of my most recent novella – Vaudeville.
Published as an e-novella by Dark Prints Press in my home country of Australia, the tale centres on Anthony Young, who is in search of the truth about his father’s death. Demonic creatures, living in the woods on the outskirts of Anthony’s town, hold the answers and they’ll give them to him – in exchange for something unthinkable.
The monsters which feature in the tale – the All American Travelling Troubadours – are some of the nastiest antagonists I’ve come up with in a long while.
In the last year the e-novella has received some interesting reviews, mainly readers wishing it was longer.
Here’s what some reviewers thought (and I’m quite happy to share the not-so-good ones too, because I believe the reader makes up their own mind):
Apart from my three novellas, I also have several short stories in a number of anthologies.
There are two anthologies out right now, which feature some of my fiction:
Sex, Drugs & Horror, contains my story “Like Windows to the Soul”, a tale of a voyeur who is severely punished by a strange creature for his bad habits. The anthology is edited by James Ward Kirk.
There’s also my story “A Matter of Perception” in the anthology, A Killer Among Demons, which is now on sale in paperback.
So if you liked my novellas and want some more of my fiction, head over to my Amazon Author Page and see where you can find some of my tales.
And if you want some of my fiction for FREE, don’t forget to grab a copy of the first volume of Midnight Theatre: Tales of Terror over at Smashwords.
Since 2009, I’ve collected more than 120 rejections from publishers for short stories, novellas and novels I’ve written. 120 plus rejections!
Every would-be writer gets rejected; it’s part of the job. I think that if you want to be a good writer, be published and paid for it, you have to also be a not-so-good-writer. Let me explain. You have to learn how to be better and the only way to do that, in my humble opinion, is to occasionally feel the sting of rejection. Even Stephen King was rejected many times – and look at him now! To quote Batman Begins … “Why do we fall Bruce?”
To be rejected is also to know the elation of the moment when one of your stories is accepted. 120+ rejections since 2009 is a lot, yeah, but during that time I’ve also had three novellas published, with a fourth on the way this Halloween. By accepting rejection, I’ve put in the effort and strived to write better and it’s paid off.
Just last week a story that had been shortlisted for an Australian magazine, but didn’t make the final cut, was picked up for an anthology, edited by James Ward Kirk (more details on that soon). The week before, another story I wrote, which was short-listed for Blood Bound Books’ Night Terrors III anthology, was ultimately knocked back. It was disappointing yeah, but I reminded myself that you have to take the good with the bad, because if you don’t you’re always tempted to chuck it in. I could have done that with rejection #1, but I chose not to and slowly, things are happening. The other thing to remember too, is that while your story might not be right for one editor, it doesn’t mean the next editor won’t pick it up.
Right now I’ve got six stories out there in ether, being read for anthologies or magazines. I don’t hold much hope that all of them (or any of them for that matter) will be accepted, but just to know that I’m being read – being considered – being shortlisted – is enough to keep me going, keep me writing.
So whenever I get a rejection I just add it to the tally, resubmit or rewrite and ponder the next tale.
