The nominees for the 2012 Chesley Awards, celebrating science fiction and fantasy art, have been announced. The Chesleys are given by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists each year. This year’s ceremony will take place at the Chicago Worldcon, Chicon 7, August 30th—September 3rd.
Congratulations to all the nominees. Tor.com and Tor Books are particularly proud to have 4 nominations.
Best Cover Illustration: Paperback Book
Gallery
- Mitchell D. Bentley for The Alamo and Zombies by Jean A. Stuntz, Yard Dog Press, Dec. 2011
- Dan Dos Santos for My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, DAW Books (above)
- Justin Gerard for Heart of Smoke & Steam by Andrew P. Mayer, Pyr Books
- Lucas Graciano for The Goblin Corps by Ari Marmell, Pyr books
- David Palumbo for God’s War by Kameron Hurley, Night Shade Books
- Matthew Stewart for The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells, Night Shade Books
- Jon Sullivan for The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man by Mark Holder Pyr Books
- J. P. Targete for The Sword of Darrow by Alex & Hal Malchow, Ben Bella Books
Best Cover Illustration: Hardback Book
Gallery
- Tom Kidd for Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison, Subterranean Press. (above)
- Stephan Martiniere for Prospero Regained by L. Jagi Lamplighter, Tor Books
- Lee Moyer for Two Worlds and In Between: The Best of Caitlin R. Kieran, Subterranean Press
- Cliff Nielsen for The Tempering of Men by Sarah Monette & Elizabeth Bear, Tor Books
- Greg Staples for The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard, Subterranean Press
Best Cover Illustration: Magazine
Gallery
- Facundo Diaz for Clarkesworld July 2011
- Laura Diehl for Fantasy, August 2011 (above)
- Lee Moyer for Weird Tales, Winter 2010/2011
- Carly B. Sorge for Apex Magazine, September 2011
- Dariusz Zawadski for Fantasy, May 2011
Best Interior Illustration
Gallery
- Julie Dillon for “The Dala Horse” by Michael Swanwick, Tor.com (above)
- Scott Gustafson for Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe by Scott Gustafson, Simon & Schuster
- Ryohei Hase for “Narco Americano” by T. J. English, Playboy, February
- Greg Staples for The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard, Subterranean Press
- J. P. Targete for The Sword of Darrow by Alex & Hal Malchow, BenBella Books
Best Monochrome Work: Unpublished
Gallery
- Justin Gerard for St. George and the Dragon, pencil
- Stephen Hickman for Siegfried, ink on toned paper
- Jo?o Ruas for Migration, graphite on paper, vellum & acetate
- Raoul Vitale for The Yeti, pencil
- Allen Williams for Wood Nymph, pencil
Best Color Work: Unpublished
Gallery
- Stephen Hickman for The Hero of the Apotheosis
- David Palumbo for Through a Blood Red Veil
- Omar Rayyan for The Dragon and the Nightingale
- Eric Velhagen for Fantasy Feast
- Raoul Vitale for Turin and Glaurang (above)
Best Three-Dimensional Art
Gallery
- Gil Bruvel for Dichotomy, cupro nickel
- Thomas S. Kuebler for Baba Yaga, mixed
- Michael Parkes for Moonstruck, bronze
- Virginie Ropars for Autumnnalis Venenata, mixed (above)
- Vincent Villafranca for Robobike, bronze
Best Gaming-Related Illustration
Gallery
- E.M. Gist for Wandering Elf, Magic the Gathering: Tactics, Sony Online
- Lucas Graciano for Pathfinder Player Companion: The Humans of Golarian, Paizo Publishing
- Michael C. Hayes for Distress, 2012 Core Set Magic card,WotC
- Chris Rahn for Glissa, the Traitor, “Mirrodin Beseiged” Magic card,WotC (above)
- Matt Stewart for Creepy Doll, “Innistrad” Magic card, WotC
Best Product Illustration
Gallery
- Stuart Craig for production design for the Harry Potter films, Warner Brothers, 2011
- Lee Moyer for Check These Out, 2012 Literary Pin-up calendar, Worldbuilders, 2011
- John Picacio for George R.R. Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire, 2012 Calendar, Random House, July 2011
- William Stout for Zombies 2012, calendar, Andrews McMeel, 2011
- Michael Whelan for Gift from the Sea, Dragon*Con 2011 promo art & program book, 2011
- Michael Zug for IlluXCon 2011 promo poster, 2011
Best Art Director
- Matt Adelsperger for WotC
- Lou Anders for Pyr Books
- Irene Gallo for Tor
- David Palumbo for Night Shade Books
- Jon Schindehette for WotC
Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
I’ trying, but I cannot see any artistic values whatsoever in the cover for
The Alamo and Zombies…
@1 I agree. It seems almost like a joke entry in comparison to the others.
I have to laugh at seeing the cover to My Life as a White Trash Zombie here. It was voted the third worst romance cover in this year’s Cover Cafe contest. I see both sides. Artistically it’s lovely, but it really missed on the audience it’s supposed to be aimed at.
http://www.covercafe.com/contest/2011/WO-res11.html
@3 It’s not a romance novel. Not even close. Why on earth would it be in a romance novel cover contest??
There is some stunning art here. It was great to see works I’ve seen over the past year get recognized (Joao Russ, Justin Gerard, Julie Dillon), but I like what I’m seeing from artists who are new to me. Eric Velhagen, Roule Vitale, Laura Diehle, and others, sorry I’m late to the party.
Also congratulations to the ADs. I really like that Jon and Irene give behind-the-scenes looks at the artistic process whenever possible. I’ll have to look up the others in case they do the same.
@3 and @@.-@, I’m also wondering how that novel got listed under romance. Maybe there is (was?) an oversight in the metadata, leading to a different placement in stores.
To be fair, though, the author’s name got a type treatment suspiciously close to the one associated with Diana Gabaldon, so the link to romance novels isn’t impossible. Check the cover and the type for the sequel, Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues. It’s a little different.
@5 But it’s not listed under romance. Anywhere. It’s listed as urban fantasy and shelved in fantasy/science fiction. My point was that it’s silly for a completely non-romance book cover to be incuded in a “worst romance book cover” contest.
Beautiful. Thanks for posting these.