John Coulthart
Encyclopedia
John Coulthart is a British graphic artist, illustrator
, author
and designer
who has produced book cover
s and illustrations, CD covers and posters. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Lovecraft
-inspired book The Haunter of the Dark: And Other Grotesque Visions (with an introduction by Alan Moore
).
He was nominated for a British Fantasy Award, for Best Artist, in 2005.
group Cradle of Filth
, Hawkwind
and Steven Severin
. He also created the poster and cover art for spoken word
albums by writer Alan Moore.
Within the field of literature, he also worked with Colin Wilson
and for a lavish Savoy Books edition of David Lindsay
's A Voyage to Arcturus
. He designed (and contributed an entry to) the anthology work The Thackery T Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. He has also produced numerous cover illustrations for Arthur Magazine
.
", "The Call of Cthulhu
" and "The Dunwich Horror
" to the page. He would have illustrated Alan Moore's prose work inspired by Lovecraft's writings, known as Yuggoth Cultures, had that project not fallen through.
He is also noted for illustrating the Lord Horror comic book written by David Britton
, also published by Savoy Books.
.
In 2006 he designed the film posters and the entire DVD packaging and menu interface for the documentary feature film The Mindscape of Alan Moore
.
Coulthart has also designed the cover art of the album "Steps of Descent", by the death metal
band Cyaegha
. The album is based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
He is currently working on illustrations for The Moon & Serpent Bumper Book of Magic by Alan Moore and Steve Moore
, for which he has completed the cover design. The book is due to be published by Top Shelf Productions
between 2009 and 2010.
Other future projects include Savoy's illustrated edition of The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
, Luvkraft vs. Kthulhu by Grant Morrison
, and The Soul.
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
who has produced book cover
Book cover
A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. Beyond the familiar distinction between hardcovers and paperbacks, there are further alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ring-binding, and older forms such as the nineteenth-century "paper-boards" and...
s and illustrations, CD covers and posters. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
-inspired book The Haunter of the Dark: And Other Grotesque Visions (with an introduction by Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
).
He was nominated for a British Fantasy Award, for Best Artist, in 2005.
Design and illustration
In the music field, he has designed promotional art and CD covers and packaging for the heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
group Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
, Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
and Steven Severin
Steven Severin
Steven Severin , is an English musician, composer, bassist and co-founding member of Siouxsie and the Banshees....
. He also created the poster and cover art for spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
albums by writer Alan Moore.
Within the field of literature, he also worked with Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
and for a lavish Savoy Books edition of David Lindsay
David Lindsay (novelist)
David Lindsay was a Scottish author now most famous for the philosophical science fiction novel A Voyage to Arcturus .-Biography:...
's A Voyage to Arcturus
A Voyage to Arcturus
A Voyage to Arcturus is a novel by Scottish writer David Lindsay, first published in 1920. It combines fantasy, philosophy, and science fiction in an exploration of the nature of good and evil and their relationship with existence. It has been described by critic and philosopher Colin Wilson as the...
. He designed (and contributed an entry to) the anthology work The Thackery T Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases. He has also produced numerous cover illustrations for Arthur Magazine
Arthur (magazine)
Arthur magazine, a free bi-monthly 50,000-copy periodical, was founded in October, 2002 by publisher Laris Kreslins and editor Jay Babcock. It has received favorable attention from other periodicals such as L.A. Weekly, Print, Punk Planet and Rolling Stone...
.
Comics work and adaptation
He has done much work based upon the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, adapting "The Haunter of the DarkThe Haunter of the Dark
"The Haunter of the Dark" is a horror story in the Cthulhu Mythos genre. It was written by H. P. Lovecraft in November 1935, and published in the December 1936 edition of Weird Tales...
", "The Call of Cthulhu
The Call of Cthulhu
The Call of Cthulhu is a short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in the summer of 1926, it was first published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales, in February 1928.-Inspiration:...
" and "The Dunwich Horror
The Dunwich Horror
"The Dunwich Horror" is a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. Written in 1928, it was first published in the April 1929 issue of Weird Tales . It takes place in Dunwich, a fictional town in Massachusetts...
" to the page. He would have illustrated Alan Moore's prose work inspired by Lovecraft's writings, known as Yuggoth Cultures, had that project not fallen through.
He is also noted for illustrating the Lord Horror comic book written by David Britton
David Britton
David Britton is a British author, artist, and publisher. In the 1970s he founded Weird Fantasy and Crucified Toad, a series of small press magazines of the speculative fiction and horror genres...
, also published by Savoy Books.
Other work
Coulthart has also provided card art for the collectable card game Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
.
In 2006 he designed the film posters and the entire DVD packaging and menu interface for the documentary feature film The Mindscape of Alan Moore
The Mindscape of Alan Moore
The Mindscape of Alan Moore is a 2003 feature documentary which chronicles the life and work of Alan Moore, author of several acclaimed graphic novels, including From Hell, Watchmen and V for Vendetta....
.
Coulthart has also designed the cover art of the album "Steps of Descent", by the death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Cyaegha
Cyäegha
Cyäegha is a fictional deity in the Cthulhu Mythos and first appeared in Eddy C. Bertin's short story "Darkness, My name Is" .-Summary:...
. The album is based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
He is currently working on illustrations for The Moon & Serpent Bumper Book of Magic by Alan Moore and Steve Moore
Steve Moore
Steven Dean Moore is a former Canadian professional ice hockey center, best known for receiving what turned out to be a career-ending injury as a result of an illegal hit by then Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi....
, for which he has completed the cover design. The book is due to be published by Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, New York....
between 2009 and 2010.
Other future projects include Savoy's illustrated edition of The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson
William Hope Hodgson was an English author. He produced a large body of work, consisting of essays, short fiction, and novels, spanning several overlapping genres including horror, fantastic fiction and science fiction. Early in his writing career he dedicated effort to poetry, although few of his...
, Luvkraft vs. Kthulhu by Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
, and The Soul.