The Clanking City cover is up

[Rurik]

...but I like Mongooses approach to cover art - even if I don't like all the individual covers.

"On the cheap, and often with very little direction for the artist"? Each to his/her own, I suppose.

Well I have no idea how much they pay their artists, but if cheapness is a factor in the variety of styles in the books then so be it. I like the variety, and I like that it is not all standard fantasy clipart #2395742. That doesn't mean I like all the art, but I like that is a great variety. And some of it I like a lot - Runic Powers comes to mind.

The art direction has been poor at times - but that is no fault of the artist. The picture of Yelmalio in MoG is not a bad work - laughable as a representation of Yelmalio, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the work.

 

[The King]

Me I like the art and especially the cover art (logo and lay-out).

 

[Flaming Gummi Ork]

I have to say I do like most of the art for Glorantha because it is different and has a grittier feel to it. Kind of somewhere between high fantasy and dark fantasy. Also, I like the image of the defensive siege weapons firing.
FGO

 

[homerjsinnott]

Take a good look at the picture. You pretty much have to anyway, because it's a blur from any distance except right up close. Many of the details are nice, but as a piece of art the whole is nothing to write home about.

You seem to be confusing art with technical illustrating. Do Picasso and Monet not count as art worth writing home about because they didn't spend a lot of time trying to make their pieces look as painstakingly realistic as possible?

Art is subjective, so I don't really want to get into a discussion on what is 'good art' - because objectively there is really no such thing.

Role Playing 'art' has largely become generic in my eyes. Rendered so much more realistically than in the early days of the hobby - yes, todays RPG illustrator has much better technical skills than 20-30 years ago. But to me it has all become kind of the same, and often boring as a result.

I like that Mongoose takes chances on it's art. Sometimes it gets less than favorable reception (*cough* Lankhmar *cough*) but I for one like that it is not all formulaic. Hell I kinda like the Lankhmar cover - as a whole piece I like the composition and feel of it. Are the figures rendered as realistically as on most cover art? Hell No.

It may not be the best marketing, and I certainly seem to be in a minority judging from this and other boards, but I like Mongooses approach to cover art - even if I don't like all the individual covers.

And for the record I like the Clanking City cover. Not my favorite, but not bad at all.

Just to really put the cat among the urban flying vermin I liked the illos for RQ3 troll pack and troll gods [waits to be pelted with enogh veg for a large buffet]. I thought they evoked the base nature of trolls and that they looked how a 'civilised' troll might actually depict their race. As to this artist and his work, his Conan stuff is well detailed but this is not my cup of tea basically cause I imagine the CC as more 'Dark Satanic Mills' than
Starwars, it's too bright too clean. But as a picture it seems fine.

 

[The King]

Even daughter's of darkness' cover wasn't bad.

 

[Adept]

... with very little direction for the artist"? Each to his/her own, I suppose.

"Very little direction" is called 'freedom' and 'artistic license' and 'artistic interpretation' in the creative world.

If, for example, I say I want "A Dragonspeaker standing in front of an EWF city" - that should be enough for most artists to run wild. Detailing every. Single. Thing. In. The. Picture. steals any creative license.

Two things.

1) My fiancée is a very talented artist, and she wouldn't like that one bit. That means you don't really know what you want from the artis yourself.

2) That only works if the artist in question is very familiar with the setting he is illustrating. This is seldom the case.

 

[Adept]

The idea is great, and the bleak dystopian "magepunk" look is an excellent touch. The artist is just way too sloppy for it to earn more than two stars.

Sloppy? Please elaborate - if you're going to be insulting, it's best to back it up with something concrete.

Did you read the original comments at all? I did talk about the picture only working on the detail level. At any greater distance it's just a mess, or rather a dirty brown block. It looks like sloppy work.

 

[Adept]

Can you put up links to some of his covers?

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/common_incs/popup.php?id=conanhyboriasfinest.jpg

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/common_incs/popup.php?id=cnscreenl.jpg

Here is his website : http://www.epilogue.net/cgi/database/art/list.pl?gallery=15546

There is also these one though they aren't from him:

- http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/common_incs/popup.php?id=conantower.jpg

- http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/common_incs/popup.php?id=conanblackkingdoms.jpg

- http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/common_incs/popup.php?id=cnmessantial.jpg

Very Conan. In poor taste, as is appropriate

Appropriate to the setting, and better quality overall, I'd say.

 

[The King]

In Conan, you have only human races as sentient, excepted some elder races and you also have scantily clad women.

Thus all the difficulty is to depict beautiful babes in distress. This is easy with today's digital drawing but it's still hard to paint them.

As to the Conan, there is some hints at mythology that are very pleasant to discover once we have learnt the power of myth with Gorantha.

What is formidable is that Howard did created a world and a story (The hyborian age to explain and give much credibility to his stories (which often involve the rulers themselves). And apart from the violence inherent to Howard stories you can discover many things behind the scene.

 

[Vivamort]

Pretty harsh art criticism. Personally I liked the cover but art appreciation is in the eye of the beholder of course. I do agree that AH had some pretty good artwork on some of the RQ III books though. Then as now, my decision isn't influenced much by the cover appearance...."Daughters of Darkness" kind of illustrates why choosing a book based on the art is a bad idea (no pun intended).

 

[Adept]

I don't mean to be overly harsh. The cover is ok. I just feel that the artist (and Mongoose) could do much better.

The covers of "River of Cradles" and "Sun County" should set the standard one is shooting for. Those are beautiful, and "just so" for the setting of the books.

 

[Exubae]

I don't mean to be overly harsh. The cover is ok. I just feel that the artist (and Mongoose) could do much better.

Actually disagree... Its about right for the clanking city... a mucky depressing, grey whole of ... greyness... stone and bronze...
Only problem with it is a bit blury from a distance.

Still the GtSA's pic would probably have been a better cover its more distinctive.

The covers of "River of Cradles" and "Sun County" should set the standard one is shooting for. Those are beautiful, and "just so" for the setting of the books.

It would be nice to see cultural stereotypes in native costumes splattered about the books or on the covers... the afore mentioned books did add to the flavour of the world...

All the Mongoose covers (and internal art) have been cool, nice to look at, balanced, etc ... but edge towards vanilla fantasy rather than blatant Glorantha (other than the cover of Magic of Glorantha).

 

[The King]

Beyond the cover discussion I would pretty much like to know what content do we have to expect. Is this only a description of the city or are there other things like adventures?

 

[Vivamort]

I don't mean to be overly harsh. The cover is ok. I just feel that the artist (and Mongoose) could do much better.

To be fair, I don't think your criticism was overly harsh, I've just noticed in the time I've spent lurking around reading the board that the artwork on MRQ products in general seems to take a pummeling.

The covers of "River of Cradles" and "Sun County" should set the standard one is shooting for. Those are beautiful, and "just so" for the setting of the books.

I agree totally. I've bought nearly every RQ and Glorantha product since 1978 or 79 (everything from White Bear & Red Moon to HeroQuest) and that artwork IMHO was some of the best.

To echo The King, I would also like to know a little more about the content as well. I've just taken the plunge and ordered my first bunch of MRQ books and I'm intrigued by the Clanking City.

 

[The King]

I reiterate my question: What is to be found in this book? Only background and history or also an adventure?

 

[Trifletraxor]

I reiterate my question: What is to be found in this book? Only background and history or also an adventure?

No adventure, only "scenario hooks" from what we've been told earlier.

Too few words/page and pages in total for both apparently.

SGL.

 

[The King]

too bad.
Why aren't there any Glorantha specific scenarios?

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

I reiterate my question: What is to be found in this book? Only background and history or also an adventure?

Zistorwal, presented as a city to live in and adventure through, whether as a loyal citizen or spy after some neat secrets.

too bad.
Why aren't there any Glorantha specific scenarios?

There will be when they replace the traitorous cur who was down to write them.

 

[richaje]

I reiterate my question: What is to be found in this book? Only background and history or also an adventure?

Zistorwal, presented as a city to live in and adventure through, whether as a loyal citizen or spy after some neat secrets.

I just look forward to Aaron's depiction of the automated prayer wheels and combinatory engines.

Jeff

 

[Dead Blue Clown]

I reiterate my question: What is to be found in this book? Only background and history or also an adventure?

Zistorwal, presented as a city to live in and adventure through, whether as a loyal citizen or spy after some neat secrets.

I just look forward to Aaron's depiction of the automated prayer wheels and combinatory engines.

Jeff

I'll email you the whole thing, hang on a few.