Once Upon a Time: Some Contemporary Illustrators of Fantasy

by David Larkin (Editor, introduction)

The Edwardian era saw the flowering of the art of book illustration. Rackham, Dulac, Nielsen, Harry Clarke, Charles and William Heath Robinson, and others captured the world of folk lore and fantasy.
Here is presented the work of today's illustrators, from the same shores, who carry on the tradition with love and immense skill.
But today, the emphasis has shifted. The modern illustrator frequently provides the first concept of the book and its story. Words are added later, but these illustrators are the authors of tales where every picture tells a story . . .

56 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1976

Reviews

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Larkin’s series of slim volumes that explore a seemingly arbitrary selection of artists (ranging from golden age children’s illustrators like Arthur Rackham to modern surrealists like Salvadore Dalí) are always books I’ll scoop from the thrift store, so imagine my excitement when I saw this volume which explores a collection of contemporary fantasy illustrators! The cover boasts a lovely painting by one of my favourite fantasists - Brian Froud - so I was hooked from the beginning! Besides Brian Froud and Alan Lee, who have been favourites for years, I was surprised to find that I wasn’t familiar with any of the other artists from this book. They’re largely from across the Atlantic, but I haven’t seen a single one of their strange and whimsical creations contained herein nor did any of their unique styles remind me of book covers, animated features, or other design work. Obviously Larkin has filled the pages of this volume with largely unpublished work, which was a revelation and a collector’s dream for the pieces by Froud and Lee for me, but it makes me wonder what any of these artists got up to after the publication of this book. Clearly none went on the fame that Froud and Lee experienced, but maybe their illustrations are just hiding in UK-published editions of fantasy series, forgotten to time animated specials, or they’ve changed their art styles enough that my memory is just missing the mark. None the less, this was a fun little volume that Larkin has collected, in its turn away from the traditional and towards the (then) future of illustration!