Author Archives: John Picacio

13 CALAVERAS FOR 2014

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Día de los Muertos is almost here, and the Calaveras have arrived. 

Calaveras (skulls) are icons featuring Muertos-inspired aesthetics and decoration. They’re everywhere this time of year — as food, as packaging, in our media, on our clothing, in our art, and in our stores. At its roots though, Día de los Muertos is a quintessentially Mexican religious phenomenon when the living not only remember the dead, but prepare offerings to them — including favorite foods, beverages, gifts, flower arrangements, and other ephemera. 

The great Octavio Paz best summed it up: “To the people of New York, Paris, or London, ‘death’ is a word that is never pronounced because it burns the lips. The Mexican, however, frequents it, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it; it is one of his favorite toys and most steadfast love.”

Día de los Muertos starts October 31st and ends November 2nd. It’s one of my favorite times of the year, and to celebrate, presented here are thirteen Calaveras, as the holidays approach.

 CRANIA ANATOMICA FILIGRE by Josh Harker
Witness the wonder of 3D printing. These remarkable plastic sculptures are available in three sizes. Even if your living room isn’t rocking a Día de los Muertos altar, these are so gorgeously cool.

KIKKERLAND DAY OF THE DEAD CORKSCREW
Created by Ariel Rojo and Stephanie Suarez as part of Kikkerland’s Mexico Design Challenge — I love the design here. Sangria-making just became even more fun. 

CALAVERAS PLAYING CARD UNCUT SHEETS by Chris Ovdiyenko
His popular Calaveras playing cards sold out, but his shop still carries reasonably-priced 22″ x 26.5″ uncut sheets. Check out his Calaveras shirts and woodcut prints too.

THE RISE AND FALL SUGAR SKULL PILLOW
Sugar skulls or ‘calaveras de azúcar’ are festive treats made from sugar and icing, offered as gifts to both the living and the dead during Día de los Muertos. Even if your home decor isn’t a holy shrine for ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, these pillows are pretty fabulous.

BLACK MILK ‘DAY OF THE DEAD’ LEGGINGS
Black Milk says they’ve discontinued these, but they’re still available via select vendors. 

LIMITED-EDITION JOSE CUERVO TRADICIONAL TEQUILA
These fabulous thermochromic packaging designs feature skeletons that come to life in full-color when chilled to at least 42 degrees. This color reveal designates that the tequila has reached optimal temperature. How great is that? The campaign originated in 2011, so these bottles may be hard to find, but some vendors may still have remaining stock.

ESPOLON TEQUILA
And if you can’t find those 2011 edition bottles of Cuervo — check out another tequila’s terrific packaging design. Inspired by legendary artist Jose Guadalupe Posada, Steven Noble’s illustrated labels for Espolon pay tribute to “the Mexican artists who inspired the world with true portrayals of the country’s rich history and complex everyday life.”

SKULL PAPER SNOWFLAKE
Sharpen your scissors — the award for “Coolest Muertos Party Decoration for Low Budgets” goes to Crafty Lady Abby with this ingenious tutorial for how to make your very own Skull Paper Snowflake.

FOLKLORICO CARTAS DAY OF THE DEAD LOTERIA-STYLE FABRIC
You won’t find this unique cotton fabric anywhere other than The Crafty Tree. Now you know what to gift that Loteria-playing, stamp collector in your life. 

SKULL CANDLE HOLDERS
Made by a family near San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, these clay candle-holder sculptures are ready for custom decoration. 3″ tall x 3″ wide” x 3-1/2″ deep. (Candle not included.)

WORLD MARKET MUERTOS PLATES (Set of 4)
I would eat off these year-round, not just for Día de los Muertos and Halloween.

GATO DE LOS MUERTOS T-SHIRT by Cayetano
South Texas artist Cayetano ‘Cat’ Garza is an Ignatz Award winner for his Year of the Rat comics work. I love his ‘Gato de los Muertos’ icon and if your wardrobe closet is full, you can rock his Gato as an iPhone case, tote bag, throw pillow, shower curtain or art print.

‘LA CALAVERA’ LOTERIA POSTER by John Picacio
Online ordering for this closes Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014 at 8pm CST. Get these while you can, folks. 🙂 No more online orders for them from my shop after that date.

‘La Calavera’ features art from my Loteria series — an 11″ x 18″ signed, limited-run poster on heavy cardstock. My ‘La Luna’ and ‘El Corazon’ posters are also available online until this Wednesday. Stock up while you can!


AetherFest 2014

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Good news for all Steampunk fans in the southern USA — AetherFest is coming to San Antonio! The historic (and reportedly haunted?) Menger Hotel is the place and it all happens on November 21-23, 2014. AetherFest is billed as “Texas’ premier Retro-Futurist convention, put together by fans for fans.”

I’ll be Special Guest there, and none other than Michael Moorcock will be the Author Guest of Honor, along with Steve Jackson as the Gaming Guest of Honor, and more!

They’ve just released their programming schedule — and it’s loaded with retro goodness.

I’ll be doing several panels and programming events, highlighted by Loteria! on Saturday from 2p-3p where I’ll be conducting an hour’s worth of this classic Mexican game of chance (think Mexican Bingo) for fabulous prizes. Come on out, have fun learning a new game, and score cool sf/f loot!

MY AETHERFEST SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY

3pm: The Worlds of Michael Moorcock

SATURDAY

10pm: AetherFest Opening Ceremony
1pm: The Art of John Picacio
2pm: LOTERIA!
4pm: The Picacio-Moorcock Hour
5pm: Guest of Honor Meet and Greet
6pm: VIP Dinner

Additionally — AetherFest will be the last convention of 2014 where fans will be able to purchase my Loteria posters, including the new one, ‘La Calavera’.

Register now and be there for an amazing weekend, SA!

LA CALAVERA

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Presenting the final color artwork for ‘La Calavera’ — the latest in my Loteria series! In English, ‘La Calavera’ means ‘The Skull’. Those who own the 2014 John Picacio Calendar will notice that a progress version of this work is featured for the month of October. I retained the concept, but completely started over and overhauled the art from scratch. Here are the new improved pencils, created as the foundation for the revised final.

And for those who are unfamiliar with the game of Loteria, here’s the Don Clemente/Pasatiempos Gallo version for this icon, and as with all of my Loteria work, this is what inspired me.

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos is right around the corner, and a ton of Alamo City Comic Con attendees asked if my ‘La Calavera’ would be available as a poster.

Good news — for ONE WEEK ONLY — it is. 🙂 Previously, neither my ‘La Luna’ or ‘El Corazon’ Loteria posters were available for sale online.

They are now available via my website, and so is the new poster for ‘La Calavera’!

Each measures 11″ x 18″ and is printed on thick cardstock. Only 500 posters of each will be printed, and all are signed. The ‘La Luna’ and ‘El Corazon’ posters are already in reduced supply because of heavy sale during my summer convention appearances.

Heads up — deadline for all orders will be Wednesday, October 22nd at 8pm CST. After that, I’ll close online ordering for these items and process as many orders as I can before Dia de los Muertos.

All posters will be shipped in a protective tube. Prices include shipping. Unfortunately, I can only accept continental US orders at this time. 🙁 I’m unable to do shipping outside the US because of rising shipping rates, but also because it will take too much time to handle the customs paperwork for orders shipping outside the US. I’ll be doing fulfillment on this by myself, and in order to do it efficiently, I have to make some time-saving choices for this limited campaign.

Thereafter, these posters will also be available at the following 2014 appearances:

Saturday, October 25th: DRAGON’S LAIR, San Antonio (in-store signing from 10am to 2pm)

Friday, November 7th: WORLD FANTASY CONVENTION, Washington DC (at the Mass Autographing)

November 21st to 23rd: AETHERFEST, San Antonio (poster signing details TBA)

So for all that are traveling to WFC from outside the US, that convention is a great opportunity to score posters for yourself, and probably your only chance for the foreseeable. (If you’re not attending WFC, perhaps you might contact an attendee from your country who is, and ask them to acquire the posters for you?)

Thanks to all for the kind words about the Calavera concept featured in my 2014 Calendar. I hope you all enjoy the revised version as much, if not more! 🙂

Alamo City Comic Con 2014: What Next?

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Busy days since Alamo City Comic Con happened this past weekend. It was epic, with a reported 100,000 in attendance — in only the con’s second year. WOW.

Thank you to all who scored Loteria posters, calendars, and art goodies at my Artists Boulevard table there. It was a pleasure to visit with every one of you, and yes, there’s more Loteria news coming down the road from me soon. Stay tuned. 🙂

HUGE thank you to all who played Loteria in Ballroom B on Saturday night. We played over ten rounds, and gave away the most prizes yet. SO MUCH fun. That was the largest attendance I’ve yet experienced for a Loteria session, as we had close to 100 people who played or watched. The attendances seem to grow every time I do this. I’ll keep doing it into 2015, on all of my road appearances. 🙂 (Next stop — actually another hometown appearance — Aetherfest.)

Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about whether conventions are a viable marketplace for artists and independent creators, and I want to address some of that, in terms of what I’m seeing at Alamo City Comic Con.

To Apple, Garrett, Izzy, Fred and the entire ACCC team — take a bow, people. Seriously. I’m so impressed by what you’ve achieved thus far. MAD APPLAUSE for all of you. You’re doing it, people. You’re building an amazing beast, and it’s only going to get better.

I think this con has a chance to do some revolutionary things in the coming years — and perhaps develop models that can influence the future of conventions. I know — you don’t usually think of the word ‘visionary’ and ‘San Antonio’ in the same sentence, but when I look at what’s happening here, times are changing. San Antonio has never experience anything like this event. Granted, like many other comic book conventions, ACCC has headliners led by artists, writers, media celebrities and cosplayers. Nothing revolutionary there. I would say that the majority of the attendees are driven by an expectation that they’re going to rub shoulders with celebs and cosplayers. This is how they’re pre-conditioned, and if you look at the con’s VIP packages, they’re designed to build this expectation.

The good news is that this attracts attendees and families who wouldn’t normally attend if this were solely an event built around comic book vendors and toy merchants. The bad news happens when fans spend big money on VIP packages and then feel unfulfilled because the celebrities don’t fulfill obligations, they have a bad experience with the celeb, or a snafu happens that devalues the VIP from feeling….well, like a VIP. This has been a vexing problem in the first two years of ACCC but I think it’s also part of the growing pains of an event that is aiming for the moon. I think Apple and company realize they need to solve these problems, but I think the fact that this event is only in its SECOND year has to be factored. They’re learning, and they’re growing FAST.

Speaking as an artist vending in Artist Boulevard, the celebrities, the cosplayers, the VIP packages are all good for the ecosystem of the convention. If an artist or independent creator isn’t making money at a show like ACCC, it’s not the fault of those parties. Me — I did really well this year. As always, I want to do better the next time, meet more people, make even more money, and see more of my artist compadres make more money too.

The best news is that I see an untapped solution staring ACCC in the face that can improve matters for many parties at once — especially the Artist Boulevard folks — and it could be a potential gamechanger and value-added experience for not only this event, but other similar comic-centric events.

This year, ACCC presented “Preview Night” to its VIPs and all-weekend pass holders. Much like San Diego Comic Con’s Preview Night, this special 4-hour window from 5pm to 9pm on Thursday night allows those special passholders to glimpse the vendors and attractions before the rest of the weekend’s human tsunami crashes through the doors on Friday through Sunday. Basically, people who attend Preview Night are people who are paying extra for the privilege of a VIP experience.

What I saw on ACCC’s Preview Night was that my town doesn’t quite grasp the concept as there was light traffic and very light sales throughout throughout Artist Boulevard. It felt pretty empty, and it didn’t help that many vendors didn’t even open up for this window of time. During this time, most cosplayers and celebrities were also absent.

Hold on to that thought.

So basically, we have a wave of eager attendees paying a premium for an exclusive experience during the first four hours of the show, and we have a roomful of artist vendors who are eagerly trying to connect their products and projects with these attendees. We have a growing convention building its financial ledger on VIP passes.

For many of the VIP packages, being a VIP means standing in a long line for the privilege of paying a small fortune to celebs for a hasty signature, and maybe getting photographed with said individual. Even if that’s not my definition of being a VIP, I’m not gonna bash anyone who thinks it is. What I would suggest is that consumers spending quality time with creators, and getting memorable experiences with people who might remember them back is perhaps a little more ‘VIP’ than the aforementioned.

So let’s look at Preview Night and imagine if all of the Artists in Artist Boulevard showed up at 5pm and had pre-arranged with ACCC to offer something special to those VIPs… something exclusive and tangible for Preview Night attendees only. Maybe it’s a 20% discount on certain merchandise at their table for that night only…. maybe it’s a free exclusive promo not available any other time during the con…. maybe it’s a special buy-1-get-1-free deal only for Preview Night.

It’s up to the artist. Not every artist HAS to do it. But for the ones that do embrace the concept, Alamo City Comic Con could print a special listing in its Program Book that would celebrate Preview Night and list each artist’s booth number along with their special deals so that VIPs could seek out these exclusives like a rocking treasure hunt. ACCC could promote this info on their website two weeks in advance so that shoppers could make their lists.

It would take advance initiative from the artists, and coordination between them and ACCC. But look at the rewards that happen as a result — a booming, energetic crowd for Preview Night; a potential rocket boost to sales for artists in Artist Boulevard; new fans for those Artists; more Preview Night VIP passes sold for ACCC; AND maybe most importantly — attendees who feel like they got treated like VIPs because frankly, I don’t think the artists are going to be charging $80 for their autograph and photo (or at least, most of the sensible ones), and the VIPs get access to special deals that the rest of the con doesn’t.

It’s even more effective because Preview Night really is the time when artists and vendors have more visibility as cosplayers and celebs don’t arrive until later in the weekend.

I think it’s a major opportunity for ACCC, and could be a way to elevate even higher in their third year, while cleaning up some of the VIP PR hiccups of the first two years.

That’s my two cents for now.

I see HUGE things for this show, and I’m grateful for Apple and the entire team who are making San Antonio into a rising force amongst the Geek Kingdoms.

Cheers, all. See you next year!

Alamo City Comic Con Print Sale!

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Alamo City Comic Con is this week in my hometown — and to celebrate, I’m offering a special flash sale on ALL of my archival prints for all attendees of ACCC, and this includes all volunteers and staff who are working hard to put on this great event.

Starting today, through Wednesday, September 24th — all ACCC attendees, volunteers, and staff can pre-order ANY 17″ x 22″ archival print in my shop — for only $55 each.

And yes, GAME OF THRONES fans — this includes my A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE signed archival prints. Yes, that’s a savings of over 50% from the online retail price on those — and yes, this offer is ONLY for ACCC attendees.

Why do this?

Simple — it’s a win-win.

I save shipping, handling, and extra materials costs because this event is happening in my hometown. I pass those savings (and then some) to ACCC attendees, who score archival prints of my art at a bargain price.

How do you get yours if you’re attending ACCC? Easy.

1) Email me at john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com, and let me know which 17″ x 22″ prints you want reserved for you at ACCC. Deadline for reserving is Wednesday, September 24th at 9pm CST. (DO NOT order through the webshop to score this special ACCC price.)

2) You pay at the show, when you pick up your prints. I’ll be located at ACCC in Artist Blvd at Table B42. Or if you feel compelled, you can pay me via Paypal and I can give you those details via email.

3) Buyers are encouraged to bring their own protective sleeve or tube to the show. Prints at reduced price do not include protective bag or board.

4) All prints must be picked up and paid for at ACCC. No mail orders allowed, for this special price.

5) And again — this offer is only for attendees of Alamo City Comic Con, and only for a limited time. Please note that this special price only applies to archival prints and not original artworks.

Aside from the prints that you folks reserve — I’ll only be bringing a VERY small handful of prints to the show. Those prices will be higher than if you reserve yours in advance, and there’s no guarantee the one you want will be there. So — all aboard, ACCC attendees, volunteers and staff! Reserve your prints in advance, and save big money, while you can! 🙂

See you at Artist Blvd / B42 at ACCC this weekend!

Alamo City Comic Con!

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ACCC is coming, San Antonio. ‘You ready? 🙂

I’ll be there, starting on Preview Night, at Artist Blvd. / Table B42. This is your chance to get your exclusive limited-run Loteria posters featuring my ‘El Corazon’ and ‘La Luna’ artwork. These are not available online, or through any retail outlet.

So if you live in SA or the surrounding area, and have been watching as San Diego, Detroit, Atlanta, and London grabbed their share on my road appearances in those towns — now’s your chance, San Antonio. Each poster measures 11″ x 18″ and is printed on thick cardstock. Special price for SA too — only $15 each — OR score both for only $25!!

How many of you out there grew up playing Loteria, or grew up hearing about it? Well — Saturday night is your chance at Alamo City Comic Con. We’re going to play Loteria together, as I’m hosting an hour’s worth of games, and I’m bringing the tablas, the cards, the pinto beans, and the prizes for you, including 2015 A Game of Thrones desktop calendars!

Saturday, 6pm, in Ballroom B — bring family and friends because everyone who plays Loteria that night gets a free Loteria promo card, featuring my art, as a thank-you for being there!

See you soon, SA.

The Facts of Life

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I met Graham Joyce in 2000 at the World Fantasy Convention. He was one of my favorite writers. Still is.

I first heard his name four years earlier. It was my first visit to Michael and Linda Moorcock’s house. I was there to meet Mike because I was doing my first book cover gig — for the 30th Anniversary edition of his novel BEHOLD THE MAN. I was sitting in his studio sanctorum with Ben Ostrander and Rick Klaw, and Mike had just finished writing a review for The Guardian. The subject was a novel called REQUIEM by Graham Joyce. Mike had high praise for it, and I remember writing the name down in my sketchbook.

I bought REQUIEM shortly thereafter, and Mike was right. Graham was good. I started collecting Graham’s books. I was a newbie cover artist, in the embryonic stages of building a career. When WFC came to Corpus Christi in 2000, I barely had enough money to attend, but I did, and Graham was one of the first people I wanted to meet.

For those that didn’t see my Facebook post today, here’s a brief recap of what happened — but I also want to share something extraordinary that I haven’t yet shared elsewhere…

Virtually no one knew who I was at that convention. I had never met Graham, and I went to see him talk. I waited until everyone exited, and showed him my portfolio. He took the time to visit with a total stranger like me, and treated me like the center of the world. A few minutes later, a bald man with dark-rimmed glasses ran up to me in a hallway, and said, “Graham Joyce just told me I needed to meet you!” And that was Lou Anders, who has been my best friend since that fateful moment. It was Graham who brought us together.

But that’s not where the extraordinary ends…..

I saw Graham at the end of the con. We were parting ways. I told him about that first time that I heard about him, when Mike was reviewing his book, and when I was working on BEHOLD THE MAN. He said, “BEHOLD THE MAN?? When that one first came out, back in the day……that was the one that made me want to be a writer.”

Graham said, “Did you really mean that you could show me around after the con?” I said, “Sure, man. Where do you want to go?” I figured Graham wanted to find some dinner. He said, “How far away is this place where you live?”

“About three hours,” I said.

“Is Halloween good around San Antonio?”

I said, “It’s alright, but in Austin, it’s bonkers. Sixth Street. You’d love it.”

Thirty minutes later, one of my favorite writers in the world was riding shotgun in my Saturn coupe as I sped us north to my home in San Antonio. Graham stayed at my house for two terrific Fall days, and yeah, we spent a rollicking Halloween night on Sixth Street together. Better than that though — I took him to meet Michael Moorcock that same evening, and Graham was so happy. Mike meant the world to him, and it was one of my favorite Halloweens ever. Linda was there. So were Rick Klaw and Brandy. It was the best of times.

Years went by, and Graham was always the cool rogue and the great statesman, and he did it effortlessly. He was one of those pillars that defined a generation of the fantasy field for me and my friends. He was always there at WFC, with a word of advice about how to handle a tough situation, or a word of encouragement — with a lot of laughs. I can’t think of the World Fantasy Convention without thinking of him.

He passed away today after bravely battling lymphoma cancer. He was a friend, and one of my favorite people.
I will never forget him..

Dragon Con 2014 Schedule!

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Holy cats — Loncon3 is barely done and it’s already time to lift off for Dragon Con!

I’m a guest there this year, but I’m especially stoked to experience the full weekend because Worldcon and DC do not overlap for the first time in a few years. Awesome. 🙂

Let’s do this, Atlanta. Here’s where you can find me — AND where you can score your limited-run Loteria posters. 

I’ve printed 500 posters each of my ‘La Luna’ and ‘El Corazon’ Loteria artwork, and supplies are dwindling, thanks to Detroit, San Diego, and London where I’ve appeared so far this summer. These posters are 11″ x 18″ and are printed on thick cardstock. They’re $20 each and are not available online or via mail order. They’re only available at my summer / fall road appearances.

So if you’re coming to Dragon Con (or know someone who is), check out my schedule below for where and when to get ’em on Saturday, Sunday and Monday).

FRIDAY

MAKING ART INTO A CAREER
5:30pm • Hanover A-B (Hyatt)
A panel of pro artists debate the nitty-gritty of the business of art, with real-world advice given on how to make it as an artist.

SATURDAY

LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING + A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE PRINT SALE
11am to 12noon • The Missing Volume (Booth 328, 329, 330 / Level 2 / AmericasMart Yellow section)
* See map below for location (the red star marks the spot for The Missing Volume’s booth)!

SUNDAY

LOTERIA! (AKA MEXICAN BINGO)
1pm • Vinings (Hyatt)
Hugo Award-winning artist John Picacio will host several rounds of this fun, easy-to-learn, and fast-moving game of Mexican Bingo. Cool prizes awarded to the winners! (Limited number of Loteria posters will be available for sale here.)

All attendees who play Loteria on Sunday will receive a FREE giant Mexican Tarot card featuring art by me!

GETTING STARTED AS A FANTASY ARTIST
7pm • Hanover A-B (Hyatt)
A team of professional artists provides answers to questions about filling portfolios, finding art directors, and submitting work.

MONDAY

LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING + A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE PRINT SALE
1pm to 2pm • The Missing Volume (Booth 328, 329, 330 / Level 2 / AmericasMart Yellow section)
* See map for location (the red star marks the spot for The Missing Volume’s booth)!

Good Times, Loncon3!

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Wow. I’m three days from Dragon Con, and I haven’t even summed up my final thoughts on Loncon3, the Hugos and everything that happened in London.

That’s Art Life for you…..deadlines, deadlines, deadlines, and it’s been nonstop since I returned home.

A few bulletpoints:

1) Great job by the Loncon3 team to assemble one of the best Worldcons in recent memory. Great job by Sara Felix, Colin Harris and team on one of the best art programming tracks I’ve ever experienced. Take a bow, folks. Well done!

2) Thank you to all who came to my programming and especially everyone who packed the room for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (nice job, Irene Gallo, Joe Abercrombie, Greg Manchess, and Maurizio Manzieri) — and a big shout to ALL who came and played Loteria on Sunday. You showed up big time, London. I wasn’t sure how Loteria would fare in the UK, and wow — that was one of the most fun lightning rounds of Loteria I’ve ever done.

3) Thank you to all who scooped up the limited run Loteria posters I brought with me. That was the only time those will be available in Europe. Atlanta and San Antonio — it’s your turn soon!

4) Chris Foss — I know you’re a legend but it was a blast visiting with you and Imogene after-hours. It was a pleasure interviewing you onstage (that was a breeze), and man, I hope that’s not the last time we cross paths. That was my first time interviewing someone on a big stage with big audience. So much fun. Best to you and Imogene — holler anytime.

5) I did not get to spend enough time with the BWB this year (schedule was so manic), but the time that I did have was stellar as always. Met Elio and Linda for the first time (great people), and to Mr. X, Xray, Regina, Jo, Raya, Andi, Ben, Dave, and everyone — you know where to find me. 🙂

6) So many good chats and visits including GRRM, Parris, Joe Abercrombie, Emanuele Vietina, Silvia Bernardi, Steve Saffel, Eddie Schneider, Joshua Bilmes, John Berlyne, Leigh Bardugo, Maurizio Manzieri, Dave McCarty, Rian Hughes, Colin Harris, Seanan McGuire, Liza Trombi, Paul Cornell, and I-know-I’m-forgetting-a-ton-of-folks-but-yeah-apologies-deadlines.

7) The Hugos: Happy for you, Julie Dillon! Congratulations, and congrats again to all of the Hugo Award winners and nominees. I won Best Professional Artist in 2012 and 2013, and while I intend to keep working and improving every year, it’s VERY good for the award that it recognizes the full spectrum of what is happening in sf/f art, in any era. From 1980 to 2005, only four people won the award in the Best Professional Artist category. Since my first nomination in 2005, this category has seen five different winners, and a host of new names joining the nominee list. Well done, Julie!

8) And also, congrats to the Chesley Award winners this year!

Best of times, London. Thank you for everything. I’ll see you down the road soon. 🙂

Loncon Schedule + Loteria Posters In London

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Here’s where you can find me at the World Science Fiction Convention in London.

Also — for all in attendance that are trying to score Loteria posters for yourselves, here’s what you need to know:

1) I’ll have a limited number of ‘La Luna’ and ‘El Corazon’ posters available directly from me, at selected signing appearances at this event. See below for those times (i.e., the events denoted, “LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING”). Posters will be first come, first serve.

2) Each poster’s edition is limited to 500 and they’re printed on thick cardstock.

3) Posters will be £12 for one, and £20 for both. Cash only, please. US Currency accepted too.
4) And this might be the most important note: these are not available via mail order. They’re exclusive to my road appearances. So basically, London — this is the only event where these will be available in Europe. If you’re not attending Dragon Con or Alamo City Comic Con later this year in the US, then Loncon3 is your lone opportunity because these posters may be sold out once those two cons are done. Good luck, all!
On to the schedule!
FRIDAY
The Art of John Picacio
(FREE GIANT MEXICAN TAROT CARD
TO ALL IN ATTENDANCE!)
Capital Suite 4
12pm to 1:30pm
Artist in Residence Table (LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING)
Art Show (see programme for exact table location)
3pm to 4:30pm
Kaffeeklatsch
London Suite 5
5pm to 6pm
Chesley Awards + Reception
Capital Suite 9
7pm to 9:30pm
SATURDAY
Artist in Residence Table (LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING)
Art Show (see programme for exact table location)
10am to 12noon
An Interview with Chris Foss
Second Stage
1:30pm to 3pm
Autographing (LOTERIA POSTER SIGNING)
Autographing Space
4:30pm to 6pm
The Art of Westeros
Capital Suite 7 + 12
6pm to 7pm
SUNDAY
LOTERIA! (PLAY MEXICAN BINGO!
HAVE FUN! WIN ART PRIZES!)
Art Demo Space
10am to 11:30am
Book Covers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
w/ Joe Abercrombie, Irene Gallo, Gregory Manchess, Maurizio Manzieri & John Picacio
Capital Suite 4
4:30pm to 5:15pm
(FYI: This item is being shortened to 45 minutes at the suggestion of the moderator, so that panelists and audience may have time to prep for the pre-Hugo Ceremony festivities, as needed)
Pre-Hugo Gathering and Photo Call
Quayside Bar and Cafe
6pm to 8pm
The Hugo Awards
8pm to 11pm

San Diego Comic Con 2014

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It’s been a week since Comic Con and my schedule still hasn’t recovered yet. Still cranking on deadlines here, but I promised some words and pics from the event — here you go.

Thank you, SDCC International — this was my first time as a Special Guest, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever worked harder at a Comic Con. It was tremendous fun, and an honor to do so. My thanks to everyone who made it possible — Fae Desmond, Janet Goggins, Maryelizabeth Hart, Steve Lord, Katherine Morrison, Val Ontell, Tommy Goldbach, Robie Elrod, my con PA Olivia, and many more that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Spent a ton of time in the Special Guest area, visiting with fans and signing stacks of stuff. It was fun watching people get excited about what I’m doing with Loteria, and that was a theme throughout the weekend. I did an amazing Kickstarter panel brilliantly hosted by Craig Engler, and shared with Jane Espenson, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Brad ‘Cheeks’ Bell. I even won an Inkpot Award. 🙂

So many inspiring, insightful people, chats both driveby and extended — Pierce Watters, Todd & Rita Lockwood, Cosmo Eisele, Dave Stevenson, Jason Felix, Donato Giancola, Stephen Martiniere, Chris Roberson, Allison Baker, Jennifer Heddle, Allen Spiegel, Charles Kochman, Ed Schlesinger, Colleen Lindsay, Diana Gill, Anne Groell, Anne Sowards, David Moench, Leigh Bardugo, Seanan Mcguire, Raya Golden, Joe Hill, Dave McKean, Dave Palumbo, Travis Lewis, Allen Williams, Carl Potts, Jimmy Palmiotti, Lee Whiteside, Sam Park, and again so many more that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

It was a joyous time, and even though it’s been 22 years since my first Comic Con, and I’ve been a part of countless cons so far as a pro, there’s still nothing quite like this event anywhere in the world.

I won a 2014 Inkpot Award!

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HUGE weekend at San Diego Comic Con International.

Words and pics about it forthcoming, but while I’m cranking on client deadline here upon return to studio, I wanted to acknowledge something amazing that happened on Saturday.
I was on stage Saturday for ‘Spotlight on John Picacio’, and about to launch straight into my slideshow, when I was suddenly asked by a gentleman named Adam if he could first say a few words at the podium. He read an intro, and then out of the blue, he announced that I was being presented with a 2014 Inkpot Award, ‘in recognition of achievement in science fiction / fantasy art’.
Totally caught me off guard, in the best possible way.
Wow.
The Inkpot is Comic Con’s annual award given to professionals in the fields of comics, science fiction / fantasy, art, literature, TV, film, animation, and related fields of pop culture.
I’ve been attending SDCC, off and on, since 1992. It’s a place where some of my career aspirations were born, and I’ve spent much of my adult life working to make those dreams real.
Thank you for this honor, Comic Con. It means the world.
And THANK YOU to all who attended SDCC, volunteered to make it happen, and ran it like the world-class event it is.
More words and pics on my 2014 SDCC soon.

SDCC 2014 Exclusives + Schedule!

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Alright, San Diego: let’s do this! I’m an SDCC Special Guest this weekend, and I’ve got exclusive goodies for you.

I’ll have two limited-run, special edition Loteria posters — ‘El Corazon’ and ‘La Luna’. Print run was limited to 500, and they’re 11″ x 18″ on heavy cardstock. Only $20 each. These will not be available online! To score yours before they’re gone — stop by my table in Artists Alley (HH-09) during the hours posted below.

Bonus Note #1! The first 100 people that arrive at my table get to roll the dice and win a free Loteria Grande prototype card, featuring my color art on the front and pencil art on the back.

Bonus Note #2! I want to see as many of you as possible at my “Spotlight” panel on Saturday. Everyone who attends receives a free Loteria Grande card. Sign up via the SDCC app and the more of you that schedule my event on your “MySched”, the better I can get a count on how many cards I need to bring for you. 🙂

My complete public schedule:
THURSDAY, JULY 24
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
9:30am to 12noon
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
2pm to 4pm
“How To Kickstart Your Dream Like A Pro”
(with Craig Engler, Jane Espenson, Jimmy Palmiotti, Brad “Cheeks” Bell, John Picacio)
Room 25ABC
5pm to 6pm
FRIDAY, JULY 25
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
9:30am to 12noon
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
2pm to 6pm
SATURDAY, JULY 26
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
9:30am to 12noon
“Spotlight on John Picacio”
Hugo Award-winning book cover artist and Comic-Con special guest John Picacio (A Song of Ice and Fire, Elric of Melnibone) is one of science fiction/fantasy’s most acclaimed American cover artists. Join him for this lively slideshow and Q&A, where he unveils the process behind his art, including A Song of Ice and Fire, Loteria, Elric, and sneak peeks at his latest works. If you’re a fan of the art of Westeros, Mexican Tarot, book covers, comics, and/or the future of sci-fi/fantasy art, this is the place to be. Bonus: Everyone who attends will receive a free giant Loteria prototype card featuring art by Picacio!
Room 4
1pm to 2pm
Special Guest Autographing
Sails Pavilion / AA19
2:30pm to 3:30pm
SUNDAY, JULY 27
Loteria Poster Signing
Table HH-09 in Artists Alley
9:30am to 12noon

Detcon Rock City

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Way to go, Detcon — you rocked. Congrats to Tammy Coxen, Helen Montgomery, Kim Kofmel, Anne Gray, Dave Gallaher, Murray Moore, Tim Miller, Don Wenzel, Evelyn Baker, Deb Geisler, Ben Yalow, Lisa Hertel, Steven Silver, Jesi Pershing, and all who worked so hard to make this a great weekend. Tricia Noble and team ran a smooth-running Art Show, and pictured here are two of my favorite guest liaisons ever — Lisa Leutheuser and Joe Saul.

Lisa and Joe co-hosted a rolling Pirate Party that roamed the halls of the con hotel on Saturday night, and they even tied for a show prize for ‘Best Party’. 🙂

Thanks to all who attended my programming items and bid for my artwork in the Art Show. A special shoutout goes to everyone who played Loteria on Friday and scored my new limited-run Loteria posters!

For many, many months in advance, hard-working people pour their hearts and souls into making a successful con like this one. It amazes me how much work it takes — and then how fast it’s all over.

It was an honor to be Artist Guest of Honor at this NASFiC, and Detroit — with everything you’ve been through in recent years, and continue to endure — you can be especially proud of how great and resurgent this NASFiC was.

Convention Exclusives Debuting at Detcon!

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They’re HERE — and they’re heading your way, Detcon!

I’m debuting two limited-run, special edition Loteria posters — ‘El Corazon’ and ‘La Luna’, and they’ll be convention exclusives at my appearances this summer. There are only 500 of each and they won’t be available for purchase online.

Detcon — you’re getting first crack at these two posters, featuring art from my Loteria series. They measure 11″ x 18″, and are printed on thick cardstock — only $20 each!

Where and when you can get them this weekend:

FRIDAY

* 2pm / Loteria! with John Picacio
(Nicolet B)

Multiple rounds of the traditional game of chance, Loteria, hosted by John Picacio, featuring cool book and art prizes for the winners.

Loteria posters will be first available for sale after this event ends, most likely outside of Nicolet B until approximately 3:10pm.

* 8pm to 10pm / Mass Autographing
(Ambassador Salons 1 and 2, 3rd Floor)

Your second chance to score Loteria posters, available at my signing table

SATURDAY

* 12pm to 2pm / Autographing
(Ontario Exhibit Hall (Exact table location TBD))

* 2pm / Kaffeeklatsch with John Picacio
(Kaffeeklatsch 1)

Last chances to score Loteria posters at Detcon!

After that — San Diego Comic Con — I’ll have some coming to you. More details later on that.

Here’s my full Detcon programming schedule! Can’t wait. 🙂

THURSDAY

* 4pm / Richard Powers, SF’s Master Surrealist
(Makinac East)

* 8pm / Opening Ceremonies
(Ambassador Salon 1)

FRIDAY

* 10am / Art of A Song of Ice and Fire
(Ambassador Salon 1)

* 12pm / Future of Art and Artists in SF/F
(Ambassador Salon 1)

* 2pm / Loteria! with John Picacio
(Nicolet B)

* 6pm / Who Is That Artist?
(Nicolet B)

* 8pm / Mass Autographing
(Ambassador Salons 1 and 2)

SATURDAY

* 11am / The Art of John Picacio
(Ambassador Salon 1)

* 2pm / Kaffeeklatsch with John Picacio
(Kaffeeklatsch 1)

* 4pm / Good, Bad, Ugly — SF/F Cover Art and Design
(Makinac East)

SUNDAY

* 11am / Artique Roadshow
(Nicolet A)

* 2pm / Closing Ceremonies
(Ambassador Salon 1)