Sci-Fi-O-Rama - Welcome to Sci-Fi-O-Rama! A visual scrapbook for cataloging inspiring Art, Graphics and Illustration with a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Slant.

Moebius arzach 1975 drawing lessspace

Moebius arzach 1995 drawing

Moebius: Transe-Forme @ Fondation Cartier

Moebius AKA Jean-Giraud Portrait 2010

Ok so this is something of a re-post lifted from the excellent designboom.com. Re-posting content in such verbatim fashion is something In which I tend to shy away from, but since it concerns quite possibly the worlds premier Sci-Fi Illustrator I’ve made an exception! We are of course talking of French comic artist/legend Jean Giraud, better known as Moebius and this article relates to his current exhibition “Transe-Forme” which is running now at Fondation Cartier in Paris until Saturday the 13th March, 2011. So as of time posting you have roughly a month too experience it.

Read the full article over at DesignBoom with a much larger selection of images of this simply stunning exhibition.

Many thanks to Manchester based Illustrator/Designer Ben Lamb for originally pointing me towards the article…

*** Quick amend thanks to Micheal Van

Official Home page of exhibition: http://www.moebius-transe-forme.com/

Check these videos from/of Moebius for exhibition http://dai.ly/e86lED

Hindu Deities – by Spectrum

Feb 7th, 2011 | Categories: Art | Illustration | Psychedelic | Religion

Ganesa - By Spectrum Design

Bala Krishna - By Spectrum Design

Krishna - By Spectrum Design

Maha Vishnu - By Spectrum Design

Kali - By Spectrum Design

Namaste! I’ve just returned from a 3 week break in South India, which I’d thoroughly recommend to anyone, such an amazing place and people. Amidst the traveling and odd bit of partying (thumbs up for Arambol North Goa and The Silent Disco near Palolem South Goa) I kept my beady eye out for bit’s to collect for the blog, and now own a substantial collection of outlandish Hindu graphic paraphernalia, including window stickers, postcards, labels and even (my fave) some super kitsch Lenticular Printed Artwork which of course, sadly am unable to scan

So here’s the first batch of my collection, I’ve tried my best to match the vivid, lurid colouring through scanning and tweaking, and whilst I’m sure these designs perhaps won’t be every readers ‘Cup of Chai’ personally I just can’t get enough of the relentless iridescence and saturation overdrive…

Here’s a bit more on each card and deity, I won’t attempt to explain the history or symbolism with each image as alas currently it’s a subject matter I know little about – so please feel free to post and explain more!

Top: This beautiful, tropical rendering is “Ganesa” (also spelt also spelled Ganesha or Ganesh) perhaps the most instantly recognisble of all the Hindu pantheon. Read more about Ganesa.

2nd Top: A portrait of “Bala Krishna” literally meaning “Child Krishna” or “Divine Child Krishna”. Read more about Bala Krishna.

3rd Top: This is “Krishna” often depicted as here playing a flute, he’s also known by many other names and titles including Govinda, “finder of cows”, or Gopala, “protector of cows”.

4th Top: The Cobra crowned ‘Maha Vishnu‘ or “Sri Maha Vishnu’.

Bottom: The Goddess Kali also known as Kalika is the Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva.

All images scanned from original postcards – produced by “Spectrum” for vzindia.com

I’ll run a future post with some of the gorgeous sticker designs, and create a full sticker set – but next up a special feature on a certain Austin TX based collective…

Flickr Round Up (4) Jan 11

Energy Zero

Lord of Light

Merlins Ring

Just a quick Flickr round up here, hopefully followed tomorrow (or very soon) by a larger special feature, then I’m off to India till the 5th of Feb. To the notes then…

Top: “Energy Zero” Sci-Fi Book cover art dating from 1976. Love this trippy janus-head inspired design. Artist unknown, please post if you know, via (as always) Mystique_123_2000

2nd Top: “Lord of Light” Psychedelic graphics with a lovely colour palette. Published in 1967 by double day, once again Artist/Designer unknown. Via another Flicker fave Wolfwings

Bottom: “Merlins Ring” Some out and out fantasy from 1975 in the form of a classic Ballatine book cover, first time I’ve ever seen a fire breathing swan, so naturally a big thumbs up. Image by surrealist artist Gervasio Gallardo via Nick Pope.

** Note that I’ve finished tinkering with the site design, check the cheesy logo hover state.

Kelly Freas (2)

Kelly Freas - Rhapsody In Black

Kelly_Freas_The_Lion_Game

Frank Kelly Freas - Our Childrens Children

Kelly Freas - Mayenne

Kelly_Freas_Mirror_Image

Kelly_Freas_On_the_Symb-Socket_Circuit

Happy New Year! here’s the first post of 2011 on Sci-Fi-O-Rama. Before I start regular readers may notice some minor aesthetic changes, I’ve altered the design slightly to make use of a header menu as to optimize space. I’ve also added (fixed) a google ad to the bottom of the sidebar – I hope this isn’t too obtrusive – it’s there just to help cover the cost of the bandwidth. So then on with the post and here’s a selection of psychedelic edged female portraiture from the late American artist Frank Kelly Freas (Aug 1922 – Jan 2005).

Frank Kelly Freas (also just Kelly Freas) enjoyed a career over 50 years working at the pinnacle of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Art, including providing countless covers for the magazines and books, such as Astounding Science Fiction/Analog, Mad, DAW, Signet, Ballantine Books . It’s also worth noting that early in his artistic career Freas painted pin-up girls onto the nose cones of bombers for the US Military, and it’s an echo of that inspiration I’ve chosen to focus on, here’s the notes on the selected images:

Top: “Rhapsody in Black” – This sultry beauty I featured in a book jacket context back in August, via research mining I’ve since discovered this larger version of the original painting, I have to say one of my favourite pieces posted in 2010 hence it’s appears again. What I also find most interesting here are some of the shared character traits with the other Illustrations: luscious lips, graceful swooping eyelashes and perfectly formed “Ski Jump” noses.

2nd top: “The Lion Game” – This 1973 DAW Paperback book covers serves a great demonstration of Freas’s super confident brush stroke work…

3rd top: “Our Children’s Children” – Cover art for an edition of the 1974 Clifford D. Simak SF Novel, the plot concerns refugees from 500 years in the future arrive through time tunnels – and hard behind them come ravening monsters… I like the sound of that I have to say!

4th top: “Mayenne” another gorgeous DAW cover with those trademark eyelashes, this one from 1973. Via Flickr user Bmaginnity

5th top: “Mirror Image” This Daw Cover dates from 1972, again via Bmaginnity. The plot of this book sounds good, a neat SF spin on American cold war paranoia of the time focusing on alien impostors and secret invaders; in this case the “amorphs”, who are indistinguishable from us, are themselves convinced that they are human…. Read more on Michael G. Coney at Wiki

Bottom: “On the Symb-Socket Circuit” – This flame haired impish enchanter takes the focus of another classic DAW cover, again dating from 1972. Love this one, close in tone to the work of Leo & Diane Dillon. Via Flickr user Bmaginnity

For Further Reading: Check out the official Kelly Freas Site http://www.kellyfreas.com/ or the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kelly_Freas

More Images: a Flickr Search http://bit.ly/gTuygR

Ian Obermuller – Self Absorb ep.1

Dec 4th, 2010 | Categories: Animation | Illustration | Sci-Fi

Ian Obermuller - Self Absorb

I was pretty much blown away with this charmingly atmospheric SF indie animated short, sent to me recently by it’s creator Seattle based Designer/Animator Ian Obermuller. This first episode in a planned series revolves around an amnesiac lost in an alien jungle where he encounters a mysterious doctor and his strange companions…

Self Absorb is an extremely quirky blend of cartoon visuals, black humour and general weirdness – love it! especially the vocal FX. The Animation and imagery were created using a combination of After Effects, Illustrator and of course Photoshop.

Find out more about Ian over at his blog: http://www.diskmountain.blogspot.com/. This Video is via Vimeo, here’s the source http://vimeo.com/17044348 .

← Older Entries

Newer Entries →