John Blanche Has Passed Away

[soviet]

I have a framed canvas print of the Black Templars piece that was used as the cover for 40k third edition. It stands pride of place over my workdesk.

The Sons of Horus army I'm making are all stood on big blocky bits of rubble, like the Templars in the picture.

I met John Blanche at Games Day once and he gave me some insight into using artists inks and so forth. He was friendly and helpful as well as being a fantastic creator.

 

[SteveC]

Sometimes, especially with artists, I don't know the person by name, but when Isee examples of their work, you know who they are instantly. That's me. I am the right age, and had the right interests that when I started to look at his work, I knew immediately.

I hope that his family understands that there are a lot of people out there who really loved his art and his art style. I send off all of my condolences and hugs to them. I am so sorry to hear about this.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Never played Warhammer, but I loved his Fighting Fantasy work and, weirdly, the cover of a box of Citadel Miniatures he did the art for.

At a time when so much other fantasy art felt like the least ambitious sort of RenFaire cosplay, his stuff was otherworldly and baroque, but it all seemed like it fit together, like there was a strange world where all of this was happening.

 

[RealAlHazred]

Never played Warhammer, but I loved his Fighting Fantasy work and, weirdly, the cover of a box of Citadel Miniatures he did the art for.

At a time when so much other fantasy art felt like the least ambitious sort of RenFaire cosplay, his stuff was otherworldly and baroque, but it all seemed like it fit together, like there was a strange world where all of this was happening.

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Except for the 3rd image, the rest were used in the Sorcery! series, either for specific encounters or to illustrate magic spells in the Sorcery! Spellbook. If you get a chance to play them, it feels like the world he illustrated, a weird and wonderful world next door. I wonder if Mr. Jackson did some of the encounters starting from his art pieces? I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Except for the 3rd image, the rest were used in the Sorcery! series, either for specific encounters or to illustrate magic spells in the Sorcery! Spellbook. If you get a chance to play them, it feels like the world he illustrated, a weird and wonderful world next door. I wonder if Mr. Jackson did some of the encounters starting from his art pieces? I wouldn't be surprised.

I love that the watchman in the next to last image, the first encounter in the series, has the extremely weird/culty thing of "I'm a watchman, so my aesthetic has to all be eyes," which feels crazy in our world, but is just the sort of thing that makes sense in its own fantasy world context.

Don't sleep on the Fighting Fantasy books, folks.

 

[Scribe]

I've been thinking all day, not sure if this is a 40K quote, or one appropriated.

"When a man's efforts enter the greater work, he lives forever."

Seems appropriate though either way.

 

[Mannahnin]

I knew Games Workshop distributed early D&D rulebooks in the UK . . . but I didn't know they published early D&D rulebooks in the UK . . . neat!

To my recollection they only did so with the 1977 Holmes Basic rulebook, which substitutes several other pieces of art in addition to the cover. It's become a serious collector's item.

 

[humble minion]

Oh damn, he was an absolute titan. So much of his later work was based around Warhammer with its very distinctive imagery that it’s easy to forget that imagery is so heavily based around designs and concepts of his original creation.

Absolute legend of modern genre art. Almost nobody is more influential.

 

[RealAlHazred]

I love that the watchman in the next to last image, the first encounter in the series, has the extremely weird/culty thing of "I'm a watchman, so my aesthetic has to all be eyes," which feels crazy in our world, but is just the sort of thing that makes sense in its own fantasy world context.

Don't sleep on the Fighting Fantasy books, folks.

Actually, he's the Sightmaster Sergeant, and their thing is ridiculously good eyesight. So, I guess it's just Truth in Advertising.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Actually, he's the Sightmaster Sergeant, and their thing is ridiculously good eyesight. So, I guess it's just Truth in Advertising.

In out world, good accountants don't walk around in suits covered in dollar bill symbols.

The sergeant -- and his order, presumably -- are making some big aesthetic choices.