PulpFest 2018 is very pleased to announce that it will host a rare gallery showing of original art by Mark Wheatley. Held in conjunction with the convention — which begins Thursday, July 26, 2018 — the event will showcase Wheatley’s extensive array of illustrations for the new Christopher Paul Carey novel, SWORDS AGAINST THE MOON MEN.
Wheatley, the acclaimed writer-illustrator of the DC/Vertigo graphic novel BREATHTAKER, the cutting edge First Comics series MARS, pioneering WaRP Graphics mini-series BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT, ComicMix/IDW Publishing graphic novel series LONE JUSTICE, and other works, is also a longtime pulp collector. Active with The Burroughs Bibliophiles, he has contributed cover art and interior illustrations for THE BURROUGHS BULLETIN, THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PANTHANS JOURNAL, and EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS: THE SECOND CENTURY. With frequent collaborator Marc Hempel, Wheatley also created TARZAN THE WARRIOR and produced other Tarzan comic book series for Semic International, published by Malibu in the United States. Additionally, two new Wheatley illustrated Philip José Farmer books — TARZAN AND THE DARK HEART OF TIME and THE PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER CENTENNIAL COLLECTION — will be released by Meteor House at PulpFest 2018/FarmerCon 100.
Mark Wheatley has also painted covers for Norvell W. Page’s THE SPIDER: SATAN’S MURDER MACHINES and AMAZON NIGHTS by Arthur O. Friel. He adapted The Spider into a graphic novel and followed that up with his own pulp-inspired FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER for Image Comics. He has also illustrated the award-winning Rick Ruby series for new pulp fiction publisher Airship 27. His most recent pulp-infused project is a collaboration with G. D. Falksen entitled DOCTOR CTHULITTLE. Copies of the signed, limited edition will be available at PulpFest. Art from DOCTOR CTHULITTLE and several other pulp projects will also be on view at the convention.
SWORDS AGAINST THE MOON MEN is part of the new “Wild Adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs” series published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. Conceived as a continuation of Burroughs’ Moon novels, Christopher Paul Carey expands on the original series while remaining solidly true to the established lore of Edgar Rice Burroughs. “This was a great project to be a part of, and I can’t wait for everyone at PulpFest to see the art from it,” Wheatley told us. “As a long-time Burroughs fan, I can tell you that Christopher is an excellent author, very much to my taste. If I had any problem illustrating this book, it was that I was limited to eighteen pages of illustrations, and Christopher easily had a hundred great scenes in his manuscript!”
Wheatley drew and painted the illustrations for the book, using a combination of traditional and digital media. “I’ve been painting in Photoshop for over a decade, but I still prefer to draw in ink. So I rough out my composition in Photoshop, print that and ink over it, scan that back into the computer and paint!”
The inked originals will be framed and presented along with high quality, full size Giclée prints of the digital paintings, offering a unique chance to see the entire set of illustrations for the book all in one place. The showing is made possible because a single collector purchased all the art for the book, and is allowing it to be displayed for the public.
“I have had my art displayed in museums across the country, but sharing my art with pulp fans is connecting with my own clan. And there is nothing better than that!” Wheatley concluded.
PulpFest 2018 will take place July 26 – 29 at the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry, just outside Pennsylvania’s Steel City. PulpFest 2018 and its partner, FarmerCon 100, will honor both the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I AND the century mark of author Philip José Farmer. Also on hand will be the conventions’ Guest of Honor — Joe Lansdale — the author of over forty novels, numerous short stories, and co-author of TARZAN: THE LOST ADVENTURE, a novel left unfinished when Edgar Rice Burroughs passed away in 1950. All this, plus you can get ten dollars off the daily admission to Confluence. It’s taking place the same weekend as summer’s AMAZING pulp con! All you have to do is show your PulpFest badge at the door to Pittsburgh’s long-running science fiction, fantasy and horror conference.
You can join PulpFest by clicking the Register for 2018 button on our home page. And don’t forget to book a room at the DoubleTree while you’re visiting the PulpFest site. They’re going fast!
(Inducted into The Overstreet Hall of Fame in July 2017, Mark Wheatley most recently has continued his string of popular DOCTOR WHO covers for Titan, completed a set of STARGATE ATLANTIS covers for American Mythology, and provided the cover and interior illustrations for the new novel MAN OF WAR, by Heidi Ruby Miller from Meteor House. Prior to that, his work for CBS Television was featured on THE MILLERS, 2 BROKE GIRLS, and SUPER CLYDE, and the SQUARE ROOTS pilot for ABC.
In print Mark was featured in the acclaimed JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN from Dark Horse Comics, on the cover of the Meteor House release of EXILES OF KHO by Christopher Paul Carey, and his own well-received art book, STARS, which presents elaborate line art portraits of actors, musicians, and authors. With a track record that includes FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER, RADICAL DREAMER, RETURN OF THE HUMAN, HAMMER OF THE GODS, EZ STREET, SKULTAR, and LONE JUSTICE, Wheatley is an Inkpot, Mucker, Gem, Speakeasy, and Eisner award-winning creator. He has lectured at the Library of Congress, exhibited at the Norman Rockwell Museum, created set pieces for The Black Eyed Peas, designed for Lady Gaga, and contributed designs to ABC’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.)
