La Maceta Unveiled! Deluxe Art Prints + Signed Pencils Offer!

Posted on April 27, 2020 by John Picacio

‘La Maceta’ Loteria Grande Deluxe Art Print, featuring art by John Picacio. 14″ x 22″.

Grateful for all the love for my latest Loteria Grande Card reveal — ‘La Maceta’ (The Flowerpot). I’ll be unveiling my new website design soon, but you don’t have to wait for that to order deluxe 14″ x 22″ art prints of ‘La Maceta’ and my other Loteria Grande Card offerings. These giclees are printed on acid-free Somerset Velvet fine art paper and signed in the lower right corner. I’ll be producing prints like this for all of my Loteria Grande Card artworks so far, including the ones seen here. If you want one, now is the time to score. I’ll be doing a production run this week! 🙂

Selected Loteria Grande Deluxe Art Prints featuring art by John Picacio. Each measures 14″ x 22″.

Each deluxe art print costs $135 with FREE shipping in the domestic US ($145 if you live in Texas, to cover sales tax). For shipping beyond the domestic US, please add $25.

BONUS OFFER: ALL ORDERS FOR DELUXE ART PRINTS RECEIVED BY THURSDAY, APRIL 30TH (11:59PM CST) WILL INCLUDE AN AUTOGRAPHED PENCIL as a ‘thank you’ gift. These are pencils that I’ve drawn down to the nub, creating various cover artworks and Loteria drawings over the years. Most of them are Faber Castells which I used to use a lot until I switched over to Palomino Blackwings.

This includes not just orders placed by this Thursday for deluxe Loteria art prints, but for deluxe art prints of my ASoIaF and book cover art as well (excluding STAR TREK, X-MEN, and NINTH HOUSE). To order — please email me at john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com and I’ll help you out. And then you’ll be able to Paypal me using the same email address, and you’ll be all set. 🙂

Thanks, all! Please stay well out there!

Selected 2019 Works

Posted on January 14, 2020 by John Picacio

For those seeking one-stop summaries of eligible work for the 2020 awards season, I hope this curated gallery is helpful. Here are a few of my selected published artworks from 2019 for your consideration.

‘Naked, Stoned, and Stabbed’ • Interior illustration for Bradley Denton’s ‘Naked, Stoned, and Stabbed’ • Client: Tor.com • Art Director: Irene Gallo • Editor: George R. R. Martin • October 2019 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes • (Art © 2019 John Picacio.)

‘Long Is The Way’ • Interior illustration for Carrie Vaughn and Sage Walker’s ‘Long Is The Way’ • Client: Tor.com • Art Director: Irene Gallo • Editor: George R. R. Martin • May 2019 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes • (Art © 2019 John Picacio.)

Interior poster illustration for Leigh Bardugo’s NINTH HOUSE • Client: Flatiron Books / Macmillan • Art Director: Leigh Bardugo • September 2019 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes. (Art © 2019 John Picacio.)

NINTH HOUSE

Posted on September 24, 2019 by John Picacio

I envy you.

Most likely, you haven’t read Leigh Bardugo‘s Ninth House yet. Congratulations. That means you have one of 2019’s most gripping reads awaiting you. Meanwhile, I have read it — and that means my favorite read of the year is now in my rear view mirror. But wow — WHAT a book.

This novel is going to be talked about. Oh boy, is it going to be talked about. And emulated. And adored. For many, it will be transformative. For me, it’s one of the finest books I’ve ever been associated with in my two decades-plus of illustrating major novels, alongside Miller’s A Canticle For Leibowitz, Pohl’s Gateway, and GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Unveiled here is my art for a very special promotional poster that will be included FREE in first editions of Ninth House, sold exclusively at Target stores. It features Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern, lost soul and sole survivor of a horrific homicide who is offered an extraordinary second chance — to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. Little does she know she is entering an occult universe of limitless power, secret societies, and the darkest forces imaginable. Wanna get your hands on NINTH HOUSE? Go here to find out how AND see where Leigh is touring. But if you want this limited-run poster with your first-edition book? Then HEADS UP: It will ONLY be available when you buy the book at a Target store, not online.

One more thing — Leigh is one of the rock stars of young adult fantasy, but please be advised that Ninth House is not a young adult book. This one contains some heavy moments for not only younger readers, but probably for some adults as well. Be warned, but for those that enter this world, prepare to be thrilled, as you discover a realm that walks beside you like a shadow.

So — on your marks. Get set. Be ready to haunt your nearest Target store on October 8th.

2019 Original Art Sale

Posted on September 20, 2019 by John Picacio

Heads up, Original Art Collectors — here’s a list of some of my prized original artworks available now. First come, first served. I suspect some of these will go very quickly.

Many of you are interested in the Loteria Originals. Eleven of them have already sold at the price range below, and I’m grateful that those belong in the collections they do. ‘La Campana’, ‘El Corazon’, ‘El Pescado’, and ‘El Nopal’ are available. Details below!

I also have my Tyrion Lannister Original Art available for all of you GAME OF THRONES and A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE lovers out there. 🙂

Email me at john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com if you want to score an original for your very own — OR if you have any questions.

Thanks for stopping by. On with the show!

(above) LA CAMPANA (The Bell) / Original Final Drawing

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 11″ x 18″ (drawing dimension) • 14″ x 21″ (full sheet dimension)

$5500 • Ships FRAMED AND MATTED • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

To purchase, email john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com with the subject line, “Original Art”. We’ll exchange emails and I’ll give the payment info so that we can finalize the transaction via Paypal.

SOLD! (above) EL CORAZON (The Heart) / Original Final Drawing

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 11″ x 18″ (drawing dimension) • 14″ x 21″ (full sheet dimension)

$5000 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

SOLD! (above) EL PESCADO (The Fish) / Original Final Drawing

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 11″ x 18″ (drawing dimension) • 14″ x 21″ (full sheet dimension)

$5000 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) EL NOPAL (The Cactus) / Original Final Drawing

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 11″ x 18″ (drawing dimension) • 14″ x 21″ (full sheet dimension)

$5000 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) TYRION LANNISTER / Original Final Artwork from the award-winning 2012 George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire Calendar

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 15″ x 20″ (drawing dimension) • 17″ x 22″ (full sheet dimension)

$3500 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) YODA: TEMPERANCE / Original Final Artwork

Graphite and gold acrylic on Strathmore Illustration Board (the gold shimmers across the whole surface, alternating through coppers and bronzes, as light shifts) • 11″ x 17″ (drawing dimension) • 18″ x 24″ (full sheet dimension) • 24.5″ x 30.5″ (framed dimension)

$3500 • Ships FRAMED AND MATTED • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) EVERNIGHT / Original Final Drawing

2019 Chesley Award Finalist!

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 15.5″ x 19.5″ (framed dimension)

$2500 • Ships FRAMED AND MATTED • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) KINGDOM OF THE SERPENT: DESTROYER OF WORLDS / Original Final Drawing for the cover of the Mark Chadbourn novel

Graphite on Strathmore 500 Bristol • 13″ x 18″ (framed dimension)

$2000 • Ships FRAMED AND MATTED • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) X-MEN: COLOSSUS / Original Final Painting used for the cover of X-MEN: THE RETURN

Greyscale Oils and Acrylics on Crescent Board • 10″ x 14″

$450 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) X-MEN: NIGHTCRAWLER / Original Final Painting used for the cover of X-MEN: THE RETURN

Greyscale Oils and Acrylics on Crescent Board • 7.5″ x 14″

$350 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) X-MEN: CYCLOPS / Original Final Painting used for the cover of X-MEN: THE RETURN

Greyscale Oils and Acrylics on Crescent Board • 10″ x 10.5″

$350 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) SAREK: SPOCK’S FATHER / Original Final Drawing used for the cover of STAR TREK / MYRIAD UNIVERSES: INFINITY’S PRISM

Graphite on Crescent Board • 8.5″ x 11″

$350 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) THE ANDORIAN / Original Final Drawing used for the cover of STAR TREK / MYRIAD UNIVERSES: ECHOES AND REFRACTIONS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 15″

$350 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) DAVID MARCUS: KIRK’S SON / Original Final Drawing used for the cover of STAR TREK / MYRIAD UNIVERSES: ECHOES AND REFRACTIONS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 12″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) VULCAN WOMAN / Original Final Drawing used for the cover of STAR TREK / MYRIAD UNIVERSES: INFINITY’S PRISM

Graphite on Crescent Board • 14″ x 11″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) JULIAN BASHIR / Original Final Drawing used for the cover of STAR TREK / MYRIAD UNIVERSES: INFINITY’S PRISM

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 12″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) TEROK NOR / Original Final Drawing used for the covers of the STAR TREK: TEROK NOR trilogy

Graphite on Crescent Board • 14″ x 10.5″

$450 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) MOONGLUM / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 14″ x 11″

$450 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) BURN / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 14″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) DANCER / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 14″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

(above) CRUEL FATE / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 14″

$350 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

SOLD! (above) DEMON / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 10″ x 10″

$250 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

SOLD! (above) MELNIBONE / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS

Graphite on Crescent Board • 11″ x 14″

$450 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

SOLD! (above) ELRIC / Original Spot Illustration Drawing for ELRIC: SWORDS AND ROSES

Graphite on Strathmore • 8.5″ x 11″

$200 • Ships flat and unframed • Includes free shipping within the continental USA • Please add $100 for shipping outside the continental USA.

Coming To San Antonio Pop Con!

Posted on February 13, 2019 by John Picacio

2019 San Antonio Pop Con Guests The 2nd Annual San Antonio Pop Con is almost upon us, happening at the downtown Central Library, this Saturday, February 16th, from 9am-4pm. As you can see above, the roster of artists and authors is EPIC — ranging from legends like Michael Moorcock and Gregory Manchess to bestsellers such as Kelley Armstrong and Shea Serrano, as well as fan favorites Nicky Drayden, Gonzalo Alvarez, C. Robert Cargill, and more.

And yes, I’ll be there too — bringing my latest Loteria Grande Cards, Posters and Prints — and I know many of you have been waiting to get your hands on the new ‘La Musica’ Loteria Grande Cards. I’ll have them in stock at Pop Con along with the debut of the brand-new ‘La Palma’ Grande Card! Loteria Grande Cards by John Picacio (Published by Lone Boy) Many of you have been requesting various giclee prints of my book cover art and Loteria imagery so I’ll have a limited supply of those large prints for sale, along with my limited-run Loteria Posters. Here’s a look at the ones that I plan to have available at Pop Con. Quantities are extremely limited. Artworks by John Picacio. If you see one that you want, I highly recommend that you vouch for it in advance. OR if you see an image on my website, and you want a print of that, please let me know by Thursday, February 14th at 5pm CST, and I’ll make sure you can pick it up at Pop Con. Giclee Prints are printed on thick art paper, sleeved in an archival bag with archival backing board, and signed by me.

I normally sell these for $100 to $125, but at Pop Con, they will be available for only $75 each. If you live in the San Antonio metro area, and have been waiting to get your hands on my Loteria merchandise — this is the chance you’ve been waiting for. Apologies that I’m not able to make this offer available for mail-order sales. This is only for sales that are picked up at San Antonio Pop Con this week.

For those that don’t live in the area — don’t worry. I’ll be making the Loteria Grande Cards available online soon, and everyone on the Loteria List will receive the email alert.

See you at Pop Con this Saturday, San Antonio!

Selected 2018 Works

Posted on January 10, 2019 by John Picacio

For those seeking one-stop summaries of eligible work for the 2018 awards season, I hope this curated gallery is helpful. Here are a few of my selected published artworks from 2018.

'La Musica' Art by John Picacio for his Loteria Grande Card series (Lone Boy)

'La Campana' Art by John Picacio for his Loteria Grande Card series (Lone Boy)

Cover illustration for A. Lee Martinez’s CONSTANCE VERITY SAVES THE WORLD • Client: Saga Press • Art Director: Michael McCartney• Editor: Joe Monti • July 2018 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes. (Art © 2018 John Picacio.)

Art by John Picacio for the Wild Cards story 'The Flight of Morpho Girl' (Tor.com)

‘The Flight of Morpho Girl’ • Interior illustration for Caroline Spector and Bradley Denton’s ‘The Flight of Morpho Girl’ • Client: Tor.com • Art Director: Irene Gallo • Editor: George R. R. Martin • May 2018 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes • (Art © 2018 John Picacio.)

Cover art by John Picacio for UNCANNY MAGAZINE #25 ('La Valiente')

Art by John Picacio for C. Robert Cargill's WE ARE WHERE THE NIGHTMARES GO AND OTHER STORIES (Harper Voyager)

Cover illustration for C. Robert Cargill’s WE ARE WHERE THE NIGHTMARES GO AND OTHER STORIES • Client: HarperCollins / Harper Voyager • Art Director: Owen Corrigan • Editor: Jennifer Brehl • June 2018 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes. (Art © 2018 John Picacio.)

Art by John Picacio for the Wild Cards story,

‘Fitting In’ • Interior illustration for Max Gladstone’s ‘Fitting In’ • Client: Tor.com • Art Director: Irene Gallo • Editor: George R. R. Martin • October 2018 • Media: Graphite Drawing / Digital Finishes • (Art © 2018 John Picacio.)

Art by John Picacio featured on the cover of A LARGER REALITY / UNA REALIDAD MAS AMPLIA, edited by Libia Brenda Castro (Cumulo de Tesla / Fireside Fiction)

Cover illustration for A LARGER REALITY / UNA REALIDAD MAS AMPLIA • Client: Cumulo de Tesla / Fireside Fiction • Cover Designer: Pablo Defendini • Editor: Libia Brenda Castro • August 2018 • Media: Oil / Acrylic / Mixed Media

LIES AND UGLINESS: THE ORIGINAL ART

Posted on September 13, 2017 by John Picacio

(UPDATE: This original artwork was for sale today — and it sold in less than an hour. WOW. Thank you and congratulations to author Mark Van Name for scoring this for his collection. Most importantly, we’ve chosen to donate a portion of the proceeds to Mexican earthquake relief, and are now deciding which charitable conduit is best. NEXT: I’ll have FIVE previously not-for-sale Loteria original artworks available for purchase, with portions of proceeds going to further help victims of recent natural disaster in Houston, Florida, the Islands and Mexico.)

*******************************

Like many of you, I’ve been trying to do my part to help Houstonians devastated by Hurricane Harvey, as well as Floridians and Islanders impacted by Hurricane Irma. The Mexican Earthquake victims have not left my daily attention, since that massive 8.1 earthquake struck on September 7th. They need our help there, even as they’ve been heroically offering their own relief assistance to the United States.

Sixteen years ago this week, Americans felt compelled to rally around our own. Whenever I look at this piece of original art, I think of 9/11. I had become a fulltime professional illustrator in April of that year, resigning my job in the residential architecture field. More than anything in the world, I wanted to be a professional sf/f book cover artist. It was a heady time. I was slowly building a pro art career, as publishing clients were beginning to take notice of my early cover and magazine work. That morning, I was sketching ideas for the cover of Brian Hodge’s collection Lies and Ugliness. The phone rang, and I heard my mother’s voice, “Are you watching?”

“TV’s not on.”

“A plane crashed into the World Trade Center. It’s on fire.”

“Oh my god. What channel?”

“All of them,” she said.

“OK. Love you. Bye.”

I watched a towering grey cloud billow across a field of blue, as my drawing hand went buzzy and tingly — and then the second plane hit. I don’t remember any work after that. What I do know is this cover idea was born on that terrible day because one of the morning’s thumbnails eventually evolved into the final artwork you see here. I’ve always called this artwork “Lies and Ugliness” because that’s the name of the book it illustrated, but those words and their synchronicity resonate more profoundly as years unfold.

In those fledgling days, I was experimenting across a wide range of media. I still have people ask me, “When are you going to do another shadowbox assemblage cover?” This cover was one of those, and the answer is “not anytime soon” because these were so time-consuming. I did my assemblage covers by hand, with traditional media. The drawing and painting wasn’t the time-consuming part. It was the search for found objects, the construction, and then the careful installation of the pieces. It added an uncertainty and vitality that was incredibly fun, but not the most efficient process either. I was learning lessons and working through my influences at that time — Cornell, McKean, Bantock, Rauschenberg, and so on.

In my 2006 art book Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio, I shared what I thought about the manuscript, and what I was thinking when I did this artwork, “Upon closer study, there was a common denominator: the exploration of faith and sexuality and their effects on the mundane and epic — especially their effects on the perception of the ‘truth’. In many of the stories, Hodge almost seemed to relish in the violent ideological collisions between the pagan and the Christian. There’s a mad love of ritual….”

I also described how the original was created. “I drew and painted the Christ figure in mixed media on masonite, and then positioned it into a homemade wooden box that was built and painted proportionally to the cover dimension. The gargoyle is a a found object that I carved, textured and painted to make it more fearsome. After carefully melding the painting and the gargoyle, the two were surrounded with silk roses, which I painted and touched up individually by hand to make them look just right.”

So here we are — sixteen years later — and I’d like to use this original artwork to help people in need, as best I can. I’m donating 10% of the proceeds from this one to the food bank or relief charity of the buyer’s choice. I’m also pricing this original lower so that it gives the best chance for a donation to occur. For example, my Loteria original graphite drawings (11″ x 18″) currently sell in the $5000 range, so the price listed below for this early shadowbox original is a rare bargain for my stuff — and these shadowbox originals almost never become available. 🙂

Dimensions: 12.5″ wide x 19″ high x 2.5″ deep

Weight: 7 lbs. (before shipping)

Price: Only $1500 (includes free shipping within the continental United States / please add $100 for shipping outside of the United States)

Contact: john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com — Email me with the subject line “Lies and Ugliness”. First come, first serve. We’ll exchange emails and I’ll give the payment contact info so that we can finalize the sale via Paypal. I’ll then donate to your favorite food bank or relief charity — and ship your artwork to you.

Good luck, all!

Deluxe Yoda Drawing For Sale!

Posted on December 15, 2016 by John Picacio

Heads up, STAR WARS fans!

I’ve got my ticket to see ROGUE ONE this weekend, and I can’t wait. To commemorate this awesome release, I’m making my very first STAR WARS original artwork available at a special reduced price for the first collector who grabs it. This is a unique collectible — an original proposal drawing for a potential series of tarot-inspired STAR WARS drawings. What better card for Yoda than “Temperance”?

Details as follows:

Title: Temperance (AKA “Feel The Force Flow”)
Dimension: 18″ x 24″ sheet size (11″ x 17″ image area) / Unframed
Media: Graphite and gold acrylic on Strathmore illustration board (the gold shimmers across the whole surface, alternating through coppers and bronzes, as light shifts)
Sale Price: $995 (includes shipping within the continental U.S. and reduced from $1495 list price)

Ships flat. Can only ship to buyers within the continental U.S. for this one. Shipping cost to locales beyond that is prohibitive.
Please email: john (at) johnpicacio (dot) com
Subject line: YODA!

Once I respond to your note and verify that the art is available, you can pay via Paypal at:
picacio (at) grandecom (dot) net

Note that there is only one of these, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
I’ll post a notification here when it’s sold.

May the Force be with you! 🙂

THE LAST ADVENTURE OF CONSTANCE VERITY

Posted on July 5, 2016 by John Picacio

A. Lee Martinez’s The Last Adventure of Constance Verity debuts today in hardcover from Saga Press, and I illustrated the cover art for this one. Here you see the final cover art, an enlarged detail of the final graphite drawing, and the finished cover with typography. The final drawing is 22″ x 28″and I had fun drawing Constance big.

Who is she? As the author says, “she’s Nancy Drew, John Carter, and a little bit of Doc Savage all rolled into one. She’s fought aliens, vampires, and dinosaurs. She’s been to the edge of the universe, the center of the Earth, and the beginning of time.” She’s done it all, folks. So what does someone this super want more than anything else? Read the book and find out. 🙂 A funny tale full of absurd humor and snark awaits you. Seriously, if you like your fantasy snarky — and so many of you do — THIS BOOK IS YOUR JAM.

There’s another good reason to pick this one up this week, and to illustrate that, I want to talk about the depiction of race on book covers. We’ve seen so many fails, face palms, and missed opportunities (understatement) when it comes to the depiction of non-white characters on book covers. When Saga Press’ editorial guru Joe Monti sent me the manuscript, I discovered there was very little description of Constance’s physical features. It was clear that this was done on purpose, and thus, I had to question how much I wanted to reveal her features on the cover, as I designed the character. I decided early in the process that I wanted to propose we not hide Constance, and that we not default her toward being an exclusively Caucasian character. I wanted her to be multi-ethnic. I wanted to see some Mexican@. I wanted to see some Asian. I wanted to see if I could create a character that could include more of us rather than only some of us.

For those that don’t work in publishing, I know this sounds like a perfectly innocent idea, but trust me, that this kind of visual proposal makes many sales/marketing/editorial/art departments VERY NERVOUS. There’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in publishing amongst many (but thankfully, not all) that says, “COVERS FEATURING NON-WHITE CHARACTERS DO NOT SELL.”

Let me say for the record — I would love for all of us — you, me, and the person next to you — to finally kick that ridiculous mentality from here to oblivion, never to return. We have a long way to go. We can do this though. Want to be a part of the winning?

Buy this book during its release week. Tell friends to do so. Spread the word. Shock the publishers and the bookstores, and send this book to a second printing in record time. Publishers love success, and other publishers love to copy that success. This mission is doable and IT SENDS A MESSAGE THAT NON-WHITE CHARACTERS ON COVERS DO SELL BOOKS.

And if you don’t care about race issues on covers? No worries — Lee’s book stands on its own with an action-packed story that will leave you wanting more Constance in your life.

Final note — this was a TEAM effort to allow me to draw Constance this way. I asked to do so, but you can thank Saga Press’ editorial chief Joe Monti, art director Michael McCartney, and the author himself for saying, “Sure. Why not?” Without all of them saying those three little words, Constance would be someone else, instead of being a little more of us.

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

Posted on December 16, 2015 by John Picacio

Here’s my final cover art for the 60th anniversary edition of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Earlier this year, Simon & Schuster / Touchstone’s senior art director Cherlynne Li approached me to cover-illustrate this classic Jack Finney novel, originally titled The Body Snatchers. First serialized in Collier’s Magazine in 1954, the book was collected by Dell into a single volume in 1955. Since then, it’s been re-packaged countless times. Hollywood has morphed it into four major screen adaptations, where the title was changed to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (which apparently caused publishers to retitle the book itself).

When I began brainstorming cover art concepts, I realized that even though I had never read the original novel or seen one of the films, I felt like I ‘knew’ the story. Sleepy American town is creepily assimilated by alien beings who take over people’s minds, one by one. The narrative is virtually an archetype at this point, but of course, it wasn’t enough to ‘feel’ like I knew the story. I read Finney’s text in its entirety and realized another thing. While very much a story of the 1950’s, Finney never intended the narrative to be a metaphor for the American paranoia toward Communism. I suppose that hysteria was what the early film adaptations played upon, but reportedly, that wasn’t Finney’s original intent.

Instead, the story seemed to be about a different kind of fear — the fear of loss and change — of losing the one you love the most, of losing your identity, and even completely losing yourself in a changing world. These aren’t just 1950’s themes. These are themes that resonate thunderously right now.

That was the eureka moment that inspired my cover art.

We live in a time of sweeping and sometimes terrifying change. Many of us are fighting against centuries of aggressive assimilation. We all seem to willingly allow ourselves to be assimilated daily by technologies of our making, and yet we’re all trying to hold on — to our loved ones, to our values, and to ourselves — to be something meaningful before our precious time is snatched away.

If there’s a reason to read a familiar story, it’s to be reminded how to summon the will to overcome our own challenges. It’s no wonder this book is still resonant as ever after sixty years.

For more on the book vs. film connections, check out Sandy Ferber’s review via FantasyLiterature.com.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE OF ART

Posted on December 13, 2015 by John Picacio

The Force is strong with you, San Antonio.

Yesterday’s STAR WARS: THE FORCE OF ART exhibition at the Centro De Artes in downtown SA was a celebration of all things Jedi and Sith, and it was a phenomenal event. Texas A&M University / San Antonio owns the facility and said it’s the most successful audience attraction that the building has had since the days of the Museo Alameda. It was a one-day art extravaganza sponsored by Alamo City Comic Con, and there was a line of fans out the door and down the steps before the show even opened.

Waves of huge crowds surged all day long, despite rainy weather and a busy holiday shopping season. I was one of the featured artists and presented a large-format conceptual sketch for a Yoda tarot card (pictured above). Artworks by Drew Struzan, Stephan Martiniere, Adam Hughes, Terese Nielsen, Tommy Lee Edwards, Scott Harben, Lawrence Reynolds, Mike ‘Comp’ Arguello, Adrian De La Cruz, Alfredo Lopez Jr., Gary Villarreal, and so many more made for a dynamite collection.

Apple De La Fuente and members of the 501st at Star Wars: The Force of Art in San Antonio.

This is the first time Alamo City Comic Con has ever organized and sponsored an art event of this type, and huge congrats to Apple De La Fuente, Austin Rogers, Wes Hartman, and crew for a bigtime success. Special thanks to Brandon Oliver, the 501st Legion, ACCC volunteers, and the South Texas Collectors Expo as well. Saturday’s show planted another seed toward San Antonio becoming a pop culture art mecca, and ACCC has already announced that they’re sponsoring their next museum celebration on March 19th celebrating ‘Batman v. Superman’.

It was a great day for San Antonio, and I think there are more great ones ahead for this kind of art in this city.

Art by Scott Harben.

Art by Stephan Martiniere.

Art by Mike ‘Comp’ Arguello.

Art by Drew Struzan.

Art by Lawrence Reynolds.

Art by Gary Villarreal.

Art by Adrian De La Cruz.

ACCC 2015: Amazing!

Posted on September 23, 2015 by John Picacio

Alamo City Comic Con was almost two weekends ago, but I’ve been so swamped by deadline work that I’m only now getting to post my thoughts on the event.

I exhibited in Artists Boulevard for the third year in a row and I can definitely say that with all of the road work I do in a given year, this show is one of my favorites anywhere, bar none. Why?

1) I don’t know what the attendance was this year, but last year, this con pulled 73,000 people. That was in only its SECOND year! The first effort garnered an amazing 35,000+. The attendance looked at least as big as last year, but it was hard to tell as the con had expanded to consume the vast majority of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. In terms of floor space, the show was bigger than ever. What I love is that this con is still in its early years, and it’s already experiencing exponential audience growth. Attendees are there for the comics, for the celebs, for the wrestlers, for the cosplay, for the toys, and most definitely — for the art. I can definitely tell that the art-buying audience is growing, and it still has a lot of ceiling to expand that audience even more. If the con keeps catering to those folks, I think it will grow in ways that a lot of comic cons never will.

2) There are a lot of things to love about ACCC attendees, but one of the best is that San Antonio LOVES Loteria. I’m talking to you, SA. All of you. THANK YOU for buying so many of my Loteria Grande cards and posters. THANK YOU for packing my Loteria session and making me run out of tablas because there were so many of you wanting to play the oldskool Loteria game. (Next year, I’ll bring even more!) And thanks to all of the Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones fans who bought my prints all weekend long. I had a blast visiting with all of you! Special shoutout to my Artist Boulevard neighbors: Chet Phillips, Scott Harben, and Lawrence Reynolds.

3) Last but not least — this con has an incredible staff of blue-collar demons and gold-hearted heroes. They’re gracious, professional, and they give their all to make a world-class event. I’m talking about Apple De La Fuente, Austin Rogers, Wes Hartman, Garrett Killian, Fred Bronaugh, Karla who runs the Volunteer Staff, and everyone who staffs, volunteers, and raises their game every year to make this con one of the best in the country. It’s astonishing what these people have built in three short years. Take a bow, Apple. Take a bow, everyone.

I looked at every one of these people after the show was over, and the only problem with them taking a bow is they all looked like they were going to keel over because they had given everything they had. So had I. It was a terrific weekend, and I’m already ready to do it better next year.

The 2015 Chesley Award Finalists!

Posted on June 15, 2015 by John Picacio

The Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists has announced this year’s Chesley Award finalists, and wow — I’m grateful and honored to be nominated for FOUR Chesleys! It’s a stellar list of art and amazing illustrators across all categories, and my thanks to ASFA voters for recognizing my work amongst such great company.

My nominated works are:

Best Cover Illustration / Hardcover
John Picacio • ENDYMION by Dan Simmons
(for the Subterranean Press limited edition, December 2014)
Art Director: William K. Schafer

Best Interior Illustration
John Picacio • Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza
(for the Tor.com story by Carrie Vaughn)
Art Director: Irene Gallo

Best Product Illustration
John Picacio • ‘La Calavera’ Loteria Card
(for Lone Boy)

Best Monochrome Work • Unpublished
John Picacio • ‘El Venado’
Medium: Graphite

Thank you to Irene and Bill for making two of these nominations possible. I’m also gratified to see that two artworks from my ongoing, creator-owned Loteria efforts — ‘La Calavera’ and ‘El Venado’ — are recognized this year. ‘Means the world to me. Thank you to Carrie Vaughn for writing a terrific Wild Cards story that inspired the art for Nuestra, and to George R. R. Martin for editing Wildcards, one of my favorite of all fiction universes. A mighty blast of Loteria karma to Leigh Bardugo — her Grisha Trilogy (and especially Shadow and Bone) is the waking dream that helped birth ‘El Venado’. I can’t wait for her new book, Six of Crows, releasing in late September.

The complete list of 2015 Chesley Award Finalists. Congrats, all!

Best Cover Illustration / Hardcover
Julie Dillon, Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology edited by Brandon Sanderson; Dragonsteel Entertainment, June 2014
Jon Foster, Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi; Subterranean Press, 2014
Todd Lockwood, The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan; Tor, March 2014
John Picacio, Endymion by Dan Simmons; Limited Edition, Subterranean Press, December 2014
Michael Whelan, Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson; Tor, March 2014

Best Cover Illustration – Paperback
John Harris, Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie; Orbit October 2014
Jon Sullivan, The Return of the Discounted Man by Mark Hodder; Pyr, July 2014
Raymond Swanland, The Lady by K.V. Johansen; Pyr, December 2014
Danielle Tunstall, Unseaming by Mike Allen; Antimatter Press, October 2014
Raoul Vitale, Nebula Awards Showcase 2014 edited by Kij Johnson; Prometheus/Pyr

Best Cover Illustration – Magazine
Julie Dillon Analog April 2014
Matt Dixon, Clarkesworld #90 March 2014
Wayne Haag, Interzone #253 July/August 2014
Patrick Jones, Analog March 2014
Jae Lee, Batman/Superman #14 DC Comics October 2014
Peter Mohrbacher, Lightspeed #48 May 2014
Dan Dos Santos, Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #3 Dark Horse, March 2014

Best Interior Illustration
Anna Balbusso and Elena Balbusso, “Ekaterina and the Firebird” by Abra Staffin-Wiebe; Tor.com, January 2014
Galen Dara, “A City of Its Tentacles” by Rose Lemberg; Lackinton’s #1 February 2014
Julie Dillon, Imagined Realms: Book 1 July/August; Kickstarter December 2014
Scott Gustafson, Classic Bedtime Stories; Artisan, September 2014
Karla Ortiz, “The Walking Stick Forest” by Anna Tambour; Tor.com May 2014
John Picacio, Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza; Tor.com October 2014

Best Gaming Related Illustration
Noah Bradley, Drown in Sorrow Magic card, Born of the Gods; WotC, Feb. 2014
Eric Deschamps, Ephara, God of Polis Magic card, Born of the Gods; WotC, Feb. 2014
Michael Komarck, D&D The Rise of Tiamat; WotC, Oct. 2014
Peter Mohrbacher, Pharika, God of Affliction Magic card, Journey into Nyx; WotC, May 2014
Karla Ortiz, Ghoulcaller Gisa Magic card, Commander 2014; WotC, Nov. 2014
Chris Rahn, Ajani the Steadfast Magic card, 2015 Core Set; WotC, July 2014

Best Product Illustration
Frank Cho & Brandon Peterson, Fast Food New York ComicCon 2014 art print
Donato Giancola, George R.R. Martin Song of Ice and Fire 2015 calendar Bantam, 2014
Patrick Jones, Conan The Conquered Illuxcon promotional art
John Picacio, La Calavera Loteria card Lone Boy
Raymond Swanland, One with the Light Limited Edition Giclee on canvas Acme Archives 2014

Best Color Work – Unpublished
Linda Adair, Dragonsbride oil
Michael C. Hayes, Alegretto oils
Reiko Murakami, Giving Name Photoshop
Mark Poole, Omens oils
Dorian Vallejo, Crossing oil on canvas
Annie Stegg Gerard, The Lady of Lorien oil on linen

Best Monochrome Work – Unpublished
Kristina Carroll, “Dragonslayer” charcoal
Sean Murray, “Gateway: The Storkfriars” graphite
John Picacio, El Venado, graphite
Olivier Villoingt, “The Soul of War” graphite & acrylic
Allen Williams, “Sphynx” graphite
Rebecca Yanovskaya, “Wisdom” ink & mixed media

Best Three-Dimensional Art
Dan Chudzinski, The Mudpuppy, resin & mixed media
David Meng, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King
Michael Parkes, Meditation, bronze
Forest Rogers, A Fish from Versailles, Kato polyclay
Virginie Ropars, Morrigan, polymer clay & mixed media
Vincent Villafranca, Modernity’s Squeaky Child, bronze & steel

Best Art Director
Lou Anders, Pyr
Shelly Bond, DC/Vertigo Comics
Irene Gallo, Tor & Tor.com
Jeremy Jarvis, Wizards of the Coast
Lauren Panepinto, Orbit Books

Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award
Kinuko Craft
John Harris
Gregory Manchess
Iain McCaig

The awards ceremony will be held at the 73rd World Science Fiction Convention in Spokane, WA on August 19-23, 2015. If you’re an ASFA member, make sure your dues are up-to-date! You have until June 30th at 11:45pm (East Coast time) to submit your final ballot. (NOTE: The final ballot is accessed with the “VOTING” tab in the red toolbar at the top.) If you’re not currently an ASFA member, join! It only costs a measly $35 and you gain full voting privileges.

I’ll be in Spokane for Worldcon. Congrats again to all of the nominees!

Austin, TX: Winter Is Coming!

Posted on June 4, 2015 by John Picacio

‘The Others’. Detail from the limited-edition A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE print art by John Picacio.

And so is Loteria! 🙂 Alright, Austin — so I know the temps are hitting 90 degrees right now, and it definitely doesn’t feel like winter. That’s for sure.

So where are my Austin-area Game of Thrones fans? You out there? If you’re glued to every episode like I am, then you know that the series finale is coming soon! BREAKING NEWS: I’ll be appearing in Austin the day before on Saturday, June 13th to talk about the show with fellow fans at Dragon’s Lair (2438 W. Anderson Lane), and I’ll have some of my limited-edition A Song of Ice and Fire prints at special prices for you.

In addition, you’ll have a chance to score my all-new Loteria Grande cards and posters too, and some lucky Dragon’s Lair customers are going to win cool prizes when we play the game of Loteria together that day! Never played Loteria? It’s easy. Think Mexican Bingo. Totally fun. Totally addictive. And it’s the best of times. For all who grew up playing this traditional game of chance with their family and friends (as I did), gather your homies (and any friends who love card games and tarot cards) and come play with me at Dragon’s Lair on Saturday the 13th. Let’s pack the house!

See you there from 12noon to 4pm, Austin!!

The SA Express on Loteria Fest!

Posted on March 27, 2015 by John Picacio

Can’t wait for tomorrow night at Salud Tequila Bar. The San Antonio Express-News has a writeup about Loteria Fest in today’s Weekender section. I’m hearing that we may have some Game of Thrones fans arriving in costumes inspired by my A Song of Ice and Fire artwork? So good. Cosplayers — bring it. All costumes welcome. And if you’re like me and you won’t be in costume, you’re still gonna have a blast.

Be there tomorrow night, San Antonio. Play Loteria. Enjoy the best tequila selection in town. Win prizes and get your Loteria Grande cards and posters + A Song of Ice and Fire art prints. I’m stoked. 🙂

UPDATE: My Loteria Grande ‘Once’ card sets will be available at the signing for only $20, while supplies last! Limited-run posters of my ‘La Luna’, ‘El Corazon’, and ‘La Calavera’ art are no longer available online but they WILL be available at this event for only $15 each.

And Game of Thrones fans — BONUS: I’ll have a special reduced price on my 17″ x 22″ signed and numbered A Song of Ice and Fire archival prints. These retail online for $125, but at Loteria Fest, they’ll be available for an exclusive event price of $80 each (including free archival bag and archival backing board). First come, first served, please. I’ll also have a limited supply of archival 11″ x 14″ prints (which are not available online) for only $25 each.

So if you or your friends are Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire fans — see you at Salud Saturday night!

‘El Mundo’: SPECTRUM 22 Selection!

Posted on March 25, 2015 by John Picacio

Hooray — my Loteria Grande card art for “El Mundo” has been selected for the Institutional category for Spectrum 22: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art!

I’m especially pleased to see this piece make the annual because “El Mundo” is my first official artwork featuring my daughter. Every time she spots the piece, she says, “There I am!”

She was thrilled when she heard the news last night, and I was too. Thanks, Spectrum jurors!

On The Front

What's new in the world of John Picacio?

Category Archives: Picacio Art

La Maceta Unveiled! Deluxe Art Prints + Signed Pencils Offer!

Selected 2019 Works

NINTH HOUSE

2019 Original Art Sale

Coming To San Antonio Pop Con!

Selected 2018 Works

LIES AND UGLINESS: THE ORIGINAL ART

Deluxe Yoda Drawing For Sale!

THE LAST ADVENTURE OF CONSTANCE VERITY

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS

STAR WARS: THE FORCE OF ART

ACCC 2015: Amazing!

The 2015 Chesley Award Finalists!

Austin, TX: Winter Is Coming!

The SA Express on Loteria Fest!

‘El Mundo’: SPECTRUM 22 Selection!