PAX BRITANNIA

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Mark Harrison - cover artist

It's been a while since I posted a piece focused on a particular artist, so I'm making up for that fact now with this post about Mark Harrison.

I first came across Mark's work through legendary British comic 2000AD. He's illustrated everything from Durham Red to Pulp Sci-Fi but I particularly remember his visceral art for Gordon Rennie's Glimmer Rats.

However, roughly eight years after Glimmer Rats I found myself working with Mark myself. He realised the cover for Unnatural History - featuring a duel atop a steam train and a T-Rex with St Paul's Cathedral in the background - and since then has produced every Pax Britannia novel cover (including Al Ewing's El Sombra and the forthcoming Gods of Manhattan).

You can visit Mark's own website here, and see his other novel covers, alongside his comic artwork and concept paintings for computer games.

Meanwhile, here are his six Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novels to date in their full gruesome glory.

Enjoy...

Unnatural History

Leviathan Rising

Human Nature

Evolution Expects

Blood Royal

Dark Side

Win! Win! Win!

Just another reminder that I'm currently running a competition to Win a walk on part in Dark Side the next Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel. It's in support of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and you've got until next Sunday to enter.

So far, those people who have already entered have raised a fantastic £77. But wouldn't it be great if we could make the Pax Britannia contributions top £100?

Come on, you know you want to have your name immortalised in print! I mean, who wouldn't?

If you haven't entered the competition yet, don't be put off - any donation will do, no matter how small. After all, it is for charity. Just remember to tag your donation with the comment 'Jon Green sent me' to qualify.

To find out how to enter, click here.

Good luck and (if you've already entered) thank you.

Dr. Johann von Lithos

Like these?

Then you're bound to love Dr. Johann von Lithos' steampunk-flavoured site which has everything from a film trailer for authentic version of H G Wells' War of the Worlds through Steampunk Faeries to milliner's plans for you to make your own top hat!

Enjoy...

Thursday, 15 April 2010

The 20 Most Recommended Steampunk Novels (apparently)

Although I can't help noticing that the Pax Britannia books are notable by their absence from this list.

Of those that have made it, I've read a fair few - most recently Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. And Tim Powers' The Anubis Gates is simply sublime.

War of the Worlds - Steampunk style

Now this looks cool (cooler than Tom Cruise's effort anyway)...

I'm a Steampunk

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Pax Britannia concept sketches

I've been meaning to show these off for a while but what with one thing and another.... Well, you know how it is.

Anyway, a while back Simon Parr (a.k.a. Pye Parr) produced some concept sketches for Pax Britannia completely off his own back. He's also the man who came up with the very cool PB logo.

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted some of these concepts in the Pax Britannia video (which you will also find at the bottom of this blog post). However, I've never properly shown them off in all their glory, so here they are.

Please note that all of these images are copyright (c) Rebellion Developments Ltd 2010, and are reproduced here with permission.