Sci-Fi-O-Rama

Promotional Artwork for “Dragoncon 2008″ A Science Fiction and Fantasy event held annually in Atlanta US. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragoncon

Artwork via Roger’s own portfolio site: http://www.rogerdean.com/

Another good example of Roger Dean’s leftfield take on Sci-fi demonstrated here with some slightly Alien-esque artwork for the Computer Game “Obliterator”,   Another classic Psygnosis title which played as a 2d Platform Puzzle / Shoot-Em-Up. More information at http://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-st/obliterator

This is Roger Dean’s first piece of commissioned artwork for the legendary 80/90s Games House Psygnosis, and dates from way back to 1986. In addition to Roger Dean Psygnosis also used other Sci-Fi-O-Rama Favorites Tim White and Peter Andrew Jones examples of which I’ve featured earlier. Not all of the games were that memorable but the artwork certainley was and although some of it had been used before as SF Novel covers I think it’s fair to say that it reached a much wider and younger audience thanks to Psygnosis.  Read more about Psygnosis here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psygnosis

Cover for the 1987 Computer game Barbarian, published by Psygnosis, art unmistakably by Roger Dean.

Note that this is not actually the famous one-on-one ‘Barbarian’  Beat em up, but a different game from around the same era. The famous version was like an early version of Mortal Kombat with a special death move that triggered a funny animation; basically if you managed to decapitate your opponent a little goblin creature came and dragged the corpse away - oh and the box art featured Maria Whittaker (top UK Page 3 Girl) and erm Wolf (from Old UK gladiators)…

Two renderings of H.G.Wells Martian Tripods, from the novel “War of the Worlds” The menacing top Illustration is a close up of the cab, note the circling crows indicating an inert tripod - turned over by germs! The Second Illustration has a real sense of scale, three tripods under the aurora borealis and a violet northern sky

These images a part of a set that ran in Omni Magazine 1985, they are a co-production of designers Roger Dean, Martyn Dean, Tim White and Richard Clifton-Dey. The Illustrations were also re-licensed and used again by Psygnosis (who else!) for the 1987 Computer game “Terrorpods” and thats where I first came across them. Definitely in my all time top 5.

These Images are taken Courtesy of Dr. Zeus who’s expansive site is a homage to all things WOTW. http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/other/other.html

Roger Dean’s most famous for his otherworldly album sleeves for 70’s Prog Rockers YES, in the 80’s and early 90’s he also produced a number of of pieces of Cover Art for scouse Software House Psygnosis (mentioned elsewhere in this Blog). “Shadow of the Beast” was one of their most popular releases and featured - for the time - pretty slick graphics, including a lavishly animated main character and parallax scrolling. The gameplay wasn’t all that, it did however have a wicked atmospheric score from computer game music innovator David Whittaker.

Some of the Game Boxes came with a free T Shirt, now highly sort after, and boxes featuring the tshirt show up on ebay selling for north of £50 / $100. As a sucker for geek but knowingly cool rubbish I would pay that, but I’m betting its a shit fruit-of-the-loom job.