WELCOME ADVENTURERS' TO THE INTERVIEWS AREA

Greetings lowly ones! to our Fighting Fantasy interviews area. If you ever wanted to know more about the artists, writers and editors of the Fighting Fantasy series, then this area is for you. The interviews page is an area of the site where we go behind the scenes of the series and interview many of those who contributed to its success. We have got many interviews waiting for you over the coming months.

In a recent interview with Cavern of the Snow Witch artist Edward Crosby we discussed his involvement with the Fighting Fantasy series in the early 80's, his past, present and future.

1) Where was you born Eddy? Was it in England? Where did you study art and when?

I was in Sri Lanka in 1962 but my family migrated to England when I was three years old.

After finishing Secondary school in 1978 I applied for a two year art course pre-foundation art course at Erith College, Kent. After that I went to Goldsmiths College in New Cross. This consisted of a one year foundation course and then a three year diploma in art and design. I graduated in 1984.

2) When did your main art career begin?

I would say 1984 when i did Caverns of the Snow Witch with Gary Ward. It was was my first big freelance job.

3) When did you first become associated with Fighting Fantasy and Ian and Steve?

It’s thanks to Gary Ward that I first became involved with illustrating one of the Fighting Fantasy books.

Gary was a classmate at Goldsmiths and although we were not into RPG we had a keen interest in fantasy art and SF. We both loved artists such as Boris, Frazetta, Giger and Chris Foss etc.

In 1983 Gary got some illustration work from White Dwarf magazine and he asked me to help out with them.

These were one colour interior illustrations. After a few commissions from White Dwarf, Gary visited Ian Livingstone in Acton and was offered “Caverns”. Apparently Ian was disappointed with an earlier attempt by another artist. Once Gary accepted the job he asked me to join him to co-illustrate it.

4) Who have you contributed to artistically? What publications?

I migrated to Australia September 1984 after finishing Caverns. I spent two years in Perth then I settled in Melbourne. In the late eighties I illustrated two picture books “Cat Crusoe” and “Thor outwits the giants”. At that time i did a lot of work for educational publishers.

5) You are well known for you illustrations in Caverns of the Snow Witch, which has an almost wood block print look. What made you adopt that style?

The illustration work Gary and i did for White Dwarf, had a very bold black line style. When we worked on Caverns we just continued and developed that, sometimes making it even more stylised and graphic. we weren’t really conscious of making it look like a wood block print. it just turned out that way.

one of the reasons why we went for that style was it had a very different look from the previous books. I think they really stood out.

6) Who are your main influences artistically and why?

There are so many things i am influenced by its hard to know where to begin.

I love surrealism, UPA animation art, British film posters, 1970’s TV shows, vintage picture books and toys, packaging, fashion, airfix illustration, the list goes on and on. As for artists here are some that have always inspired me - Salvador Dali, Syd Mead, Johannes Vermeer, Alma Tadama, Rene Magritte, Ralph Goings, Frank Frazetta and Jean Girard Moebius.

I began studying art and design a few years before computers became ubiquitous. At that time it was all about getting your hands dirty with real materials. From oil paints and x-acto knives to air brushes and ear shattering compressors.

It’s no surprise its these pre-digital artists who have always appealed to me. Its not only that they are great draftmens and make art that looks effortless. There is something about a brushstroke by Frazetta or inked line by Moebius which doesn’t not have the same resonance digitally.

I also love fantasy and trash cinema. Films like Alien, Jason and the Argonauts, Nosferatu, Danger Diabolik, Q The winged serpent and many more. More recently I have been getting into spy films of the 1960’s particular trashy James Bond spoofs such as Deadlier than the male, the Matt helm films, In like Flint and a wonderful Hong Kong movie called “Temptress with a thousand faces”.

7) What books have you contributed to recently?

most of my recent work has come from business and educational magazines. My style tends to be quite varied so adapt my skills to the job at hand. I would definitely love to do more fantasy work.

5) What paper, material did you use to create your distinct illustrations in Caverns of the Snow Witch?

The original illustrations were all completed in A3 size and drawn with pencil and black felt tip pens on cartridge paper. I would often do my roughs much larger. I remember drawing the centaurs at almost A2 size and reducing it with a grant enlarger we had at college. The felt tips we used were very ordinary and I suspect the ink would have faded by now. If I was doing the illustrations today I would definitely work with archival inks and and acid free paper.

Thanks Edward