Long before NMS and Mean Machines existed I sat at home in my bedroom earning a few bob drawing fantasy art for various tabletop games companies and magazines. Most of my work was for Games Workshop in the form of Warhammer 40k. The success of this work earned the occasional stint for TSR and White Wolf but it was with GW that I did most of my work. Games Workshop was a cool and laid back company in those days. Not anymore it would appear. I found this out when I tried to secure some of my old artwork back from their evil dungeons earlier this year. I was up against the modern day equivalent of a castle wall with automated phones, personal assistants and legal departments throwing up every defence imaginable to prevent access to my old artwork. They were just too lazy to fish a few pictures out of a drawer and mail them to me. What was annoying was the fact that they placed an ad across the internet asking for artists to reclaim the material as they were clearing out the old artwork! They tell you to get in touch and then tell you to get lost when they change their minds. Any budding artists out there take note: Never send originals!
3 comments:
When I was researching the Mean Machines Archive and trying to get in touch with the old staff (yourself included) I did notice a few GW credits for 'Gary Harrod'. At first I assumed it was someone else, as I was a pretty big GW fan in the early '90s and didn't recall seeing anything that looked like your work.
The pics in that image look amazing, it honestly shocks me how talented you are mate. I still look back on your Ghostbusters and Gyoung artwork in MM fondly. In fact it was your doodlings that inspired me to purchase Gynoug and is one of the reasons I hold the game in such high regard.
The fact that you drew me for the MMA was amazing. I honestly could have been run over by a bus at that point and would have died happy.
Ok, ass-kissing over.
No, keep ass-kissing. It's great!
On another related note... Really thinking about picking up the pens again but just waiting for the moment when I can do it and not annoy all my clients when their work misses deadline. Not really sure what I want to draw just yet but it will be game related.
It would be amazing if you did pick up the old crayons again, but naturally I can understand that it's difficult when you have other professional commitments - gotta pay the bills, as they say.
Actually there's something I've been meaning to contact you about for a while. Email-age is coming your way.
Post a Comment