I’m still awaiting the limitation pages back from Hiro Kimura, he is working on the deluxe version “Joust” remarque’s at the moment so still don’t have them in hand, but everything is ready to go once they are back.
So it’s time for our second artist spotlight – this one is for the incredible John Enright!
I contacted John early on in the process as a prolific artist for Atari during the 2600 days, and he was responsible for Slot Racers, Flag Capture, and Outlaw Despite not having a title featured in Ready Player One, I was really keen to have a piece of art commissioned for the book in the original atari style as a mock-up RPO cover. I have yet to reveal this yet, but I was really pleased with it and will be bound into the book after the limitation page!
John was really excited to take on the challenge and be involved in the project, and had loads of really cool ideas when I approached him. He sent me over a biography of his career thus far which you can read below:
“John was painting as a young man and studying the master of renaissance art in Europe before he was 16, sketching directly from sculptures and paintings in museums and collections. He studied privately with artists to refine his skills in the classic mediums of oils, watercolour pastel and charcoal. After completing 4 years of training (BS) in a seminary selected by his parents, he was accepted to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California with advanced standing to second semester in illustration. It was there that John refined his work ethic and studied with world class artists who taught there part time. He then worked as an art director for three advertising agencies, then spent the next five years in freelance illustration. His first assignments were for the Film and Music industries and illustration for books and magazines.
His love for fantasy and science fiction were obvious in his sketchbooks and private collections of art he produced during that time. International publishers discovered his talent and began commissioning his art for licencing on collectors plates, puzzles, posters and many other products which now number over 500. John also worked in the Rock industry doing promotions for Bill Graham of Winterland productions on bands such as the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beatles, Beachboys and with Steve Wozniak on the US Festival Art – the largest rock concert since Woodstock. It has been his great honor to work with world class talents and art directors during his career as an illustrator, fine artist and muralist.
Atari commissioned John to produce 4 covers for their new game system and it was the genesis of a new era in digital gaming, on a worldwide scale.Since then John has worked with Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Apple Computers, Disney, Warner Brothers, Barnes and Noble and Hallmark – to name but a few.”
You can view John’s other work and contact details on his website https://www.artwanted.com/epic – you’ve gotta check it out, a very versatile artist indeed!
