{"id":245,"date":"2008-12-04T20:48:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-04T20:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johnpicacio.com\/onthefront\/2008\/12\/04\/james-cawthorn-1929-2008\/"},"modified":"2014-12-14T18:47:03","modified_gmt":"2014-12-14T18:47:03","slug":"james-cawthorn-1929-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/johnpicacio.com\/onthefront\/2008\/12\/04\/james-cawthorn-1929-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"James Cawthorn \/ 1929-2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p> $\"\"$ <\/a>Very sad news<\/a> \u2014 James Cawthorn, the fine sf\/fantasy illustrator best known for his seminal visualizations of Elric of Melnibone, died Tuesday. John Coulthart<\/a> eloquently commemorates Cawthorn\u2019s artistic contributions and his impact on the Elric saga. This quote from Mike Moorcock sums up that impact: \u201cJim Cawthorn and I have been inseparable for over twenty-five years, sometimes to the point where I can\u2019t remember which came first\u2013the drawing or the story. It is his drawings of my characters which remain for me the most accurate, both in detail and in atmosphere. His interpretations in strip form will always be, for me, the best.\u201d \n

As for my own thoughts about Cawthorn\u2013he and I never met, but because I\u2019m currently doing illustrations for Del Rey\u2019s new editions of the Elric series, I almost feel like we have because I\u2019ve studied his early Elric drawings so intently. When I visited Mike while preparing to illustrate the Del Rey edition, ELRIC: THE STEALER OF SOULS<\/a>, I kept pressing him for his favorite visual takes on Elric. He was reluctant because he wanted me to be free to follow my own unbiased path, which is typical of Mike\u2019s generosity. Finally, he pointed to the image you see here and said he would always see Cawthorn\u2019s Elric as the definitive interpretation. It\u2019s a testament to Mike and Jim\u2019s genius that Elric so explosively fires the engines of all creators who encounter him. My work doesn\u2019t look anything like Cawthorn\u2019s, nor does Yoshitaka Amano\u2019s, Michael Whelan\u2019s, Robert Gould\u2019s, or any of the other illustrators that have added to the visual legacy of Elric. We\u2019ve all tried to contribute our own unique vision to Elric. The angst, majesty, and power of the character never ages. Today, as Mike related the bad news of Jim\u2019s passing, I\u2019m working on more Elric illustrations for the forthcoming ELRIC: THE REVENGE OF THE ROSE. The goodness of Jim Cawthorn\u2019s Elric drawings will remain in my thoughts as I finish the rest of this work. Thanks for lighting that first match, Jim.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"