Post ECCC 2013

March 7, 2013 | Aaron McConnell

Photo by Georgia Ball (or was it Scott?)

I spent Emerald City Comicon with my son this year. With his help I was able to keep abreast of some of the happenings beyond my table. The next convention that he and I will attend together will be Stumptown Fest and if all goes according to plan he should have some of his artwork and comics available for sale, as well. At ECCC we both spent some time drawing behind the table. Below are some 13th Age commissions and you can find some of the drawings and photos by my son at his blog. My thanks to those who stopped by my table.

Tableau of Merch

February 28, 2013 | Aaron McConnell

Here’s a little preview of some items that I will be selling at Emerald City Comicon this weekend. You can find me at Table 2617 (or thereabouts) on the ECCC Level 4 Show Floor. The framed image depicting a mantis attack in this snapshot will be on sale in the Krab Jab Studios Art Exhibit “The Gathering” on the TCC Level 3. 13th Age will also be represented on one of the TCC Levels of the Gaming Show Floor.

See you there!

PS. The Diabolist original art in the right hand corner of this image is spoken for, but for the time being you can still request a similar commission.

First Image Reveal of 13 True Ways

February 22, 2013 | Aaron McConnell

Earlier today Rob Heinsoo leaked the first image from the yet-to-be-released supplement book 13 True Ways. You can read some details about the image at Rob’s Blog. This is a piece I drew only a couple weeks ago and even more recently Lee Moyer applied his masterful paints to finalize the image. I’m expecting to have a banner of this image near my table at Emerald City Comicon in one short week, so please take a moment and let it sink into your visual memory;-)

Emerald City Comic Con 2013 Art Book

February 19, 2013 | Aaron McConnell

I’m happy to announce that I have a drawing in the Monsters & Dames 2013 Art Book, available exclusively at Emerald City Comic Convention, March 1-3. This piece depicts an encounter between the Spider Cleric and a halfling rogue. The Spider Cleric is featured with an illustration in the 13th Age core book, but the spiders haven’t hatched from their eggs in the core book illustration. I suppose technically this image is a spoiler! But that is appropriate for the character. And speaking of characters, I’m still open for commissions between now and ECCC. Any of the characters that you have seen in my 13th Age Gallery or on the Pelgrane website or the 13 True Ways Kickstarter are fair game for commission requests. Yes, even the Devil of Fangs.

In addition to this image being included in the Monsters & Dames 2013 Art Book, it will also be a part of the ECCC Charity Art Auction benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital. The auction is held during the convention (maybe Saturday evening?), and not only will this image be available as an 11″x14″ print, I will also include the original drawing of the Spider Cleric. This is a charcoal drawing on 14″x17″ Strathmore paper.

Thanks for your interest and, again, I hope to see you in Seattle March 1-3!

Pre-order a 13th Age Commission for Emerald City Comic Con!

February 14, 2013 | Aaron McConnell

Emerald City Comic Con is coming up the end of this month, and the 13th Age crew will be there — Rob Heinsoo and our volunteer GMs will run demos, and I’ll be in the Artist Alley.

I’ve had to turn commission requests down within the past year due to my work schedule, but I’m making the time in the weeks leading up to the convention to do some!

If you’re interested in getting an original drawing of your favorite 13th Age Icon or character, please email me at aranmcconnell(at)hotmail(dot)com with “COMMISSION” in the subject line, to pre-order yours now.

Here’s what I’m offering:

A black and white single character sketch, full figure or head (like the icons below), 9″x12″ for $50.

Anything beyond that, such as a character along with an icon, is going to cost at least $75 and will depend on the complexity of the image. I think we’ll both be happiest with a straightforward concept that is boiled down to the elegant essence at the core of a character. The sketches at the bottom of the post were done with that sentiment in mind.

So, if you’re planning to be at ECCC please consider signing up for a demo of 13th Age and pre-ordering a sketch! Pre-ordering is the best way to ensure that you’ll be able to get a sketch.

The last time I attended a convention was PAX in Seattle last year and it was a good time. At one point, Lee Moyer and I were both at the table drawing collaborative sketches based on suggestions from fans of 13th Age. The two examples shown at the top of this post are The Leviathan, described to have a “lobster-esque body with the torso and head of a man, braided beard and eyes without pupils,” and an “11 year old sorcerer girl with ties to the Elf Queen.”

We were able to work on suggestions like these at PAX because the “commission craze” hasn’t really caught on there like it has at ECCC. At the Comic Con word is out that artists are willing to do sketches for money…surprise, surprise. The pre-order concept has been a popular solution for the artists who want to do more commissions than they can accomplish in a single weekend.

Thank you, and I hope to see you in Seattle!

aamcconnell.com

The 13th Hour

September 21, 2012 | Aaron McConnell

Yes, this is a page marker for the time being. I just wanted to take note of the last exciting 13 hours of the Kickstarter for 13 True Ways. It really took off yesterday and I think it has exceeded anyone’s expectations at this point. Below is a sketch that I penciled and Lee Moyer inked at PAX. This was based on a fan’s suggestion for a 13th Age adventurer, and I’ll add some additional info and more sketches to this post a little later. For now I need to get back to staring at the thrill-a-minute kickstarter page. Kidding! That kind of vanity would be akin to the Lich King…well, a few icons could be guilty of that I suppose…but not me, I’m just a lowly scrivener;-)

Devil of the Fangs

September 17, 2012September 17, 2012 | Aaron McConnell

Devil of the Fangs: When the Blessed Emperor pacified the Midland Sea, most of the terrible giants of the deeps swam out into the Iron Sea. But some of the great krakens moved onto land. They converted their deep magic into river magic and became the river devils, armored squid-like monstrosities capable of heaving themselves from one river to the next, always avoiding their ancient home. The very worst of the river devils made deals with the Diabolist to become devils in truth. The most terrifying river devil of this age is the Devil of the Fangs. The Devil torpedoes through the river networks that give it its name in a squid-like form before heaving itself onto land with tentacles shape-changed into taloned arms.

General Ironicus, one of the backers of 13 True Ways, was able to generously offer his support at the Diabolist Pledge Level, and the illustration above is the preliminary sketch of his monster that has been seamlessly integrated into the 13th Age universe. These are the final days for the successfully funded 13 True Ways kickstarter and therefore the final opportunity to be directly involved in the creative side of the book. Imagine the street cred you’ll get when all the kids are playing the hot new game 13th Age, and you can brush your knuckles against your sports jacket and say you personally contributed to the 13th Age universe. Kickstarter…where dreams become reality. Wait a minute, I’m proselytizing 13th Age not Kickstarter, but in this case the degrees of separation are minor. Many thanks to those who helped fund the book, and thanks for your consideration as we attempt to meet our stretch goals.

Here’s the pencil sketch of the Devil of Fangs before I started working on it in Photoshop:

If you want to read more about the conception of this monstrosity go here: Kickstarter Update #12.

Sneak Peeks

September 6, 2012 | Aaron McConnell

Just a quick post to confirm that PAX was a great experience for me. I witnessed a lot of enthusiasm for 13th Age while I was there. People coming out of the demos seemed smitten. It is reassuring to know that I’m not the only one who wants the Kickstarter to succeed. There are many people who already feel passionate about this game. Lee and I did some collaborative sketching that I hope to share in the near future, but in the meantime there’s a new post by Rob Heinsoo on the Kickstarter, and he was kind enough to include this preview of a 13th Age page:

In addition, I took the display of prints that I had with me at PAX down to Guardian Games in Portland this afternoon. They are currently on display in the gaming area. So, on your way to storming the castle maybe you can take a moment’s pause to browse my modest exhibition.

PAX, Prints, and more!

August 31, 2012August 31, 2012 | Aaron McConnell

Starting today, Friday August 31, I am attending PAX Prime in Seattle, Washington to assist the Fire Opal Media folks promote 13th Age and the expansion book 13 True Ways currently kickstarting. What is PAX Prime? Your Answer.

I’ve brought 40 prints with me for sale at the Gamma Ray Games booth. There are ten 11″ x 14″ prints each of the 4 images I’ve shown here, and Lee Moyer and I will be available to sign them from 2-4pm on Friday and Saturday.