InCryptid. It's a big cast.: seanan

InCryptid. It's a big cast.

So as you know, I really, really love it when I can get artwork to go with my books, whether it be a fabulous cover or illustrations of the characters themselves. It's a silly thing, but it helps me focus. I can't get photographs of the people in my head, so I settle for the next best thing, and regularly bat my eyes pleadingly at artists of my acquaintance. I'm pretty good at it (the fact that I'm willing to pay fair commission rates helps), and so I wind up going back to the same artists again and again. One of my favorite artists is Bill Mudron, who did the cover graphics for my third CD, Red Roses and Dead Things. He's awesome!

Part of what makes Bill awesome is his uncanny ability to take a simple request ("Draw this person who doesn't exist for me, okay? Oh, and make it cool...") and turn it into something amazing. So when I started working with Bill this most recent time, I felt confident in asking for some pretty tricky imaginary people—specifically, Alice Price-Healy and her wayward husband, Thomas Price, and Sarah Zellaby and Arthur Harrington.

Alice is the grandmother of Verity Price, the protagonist of Discount Armageddon; Thomas is Verity's grandfather (naturally). Thomas has also been missing for oh, about thirty years now, thanks to a really poorly-considered energy exchange with one of the nastier local dimensional gateways. Alice refuses to admit that this could mean he's dead, and has been wandering through the various levels of reality looking for him ever since. She's maybe not the most stable cookie in the box.

Arthur Harrington—he usually goes by "Artie"—is Verity's cousin. His mother, Moira Harrington-Price, is the daughter of Alice and Thomas, and his father, Theodore Harrington, is surprisingly good at dealing with his wife's family. This is because Uncle Ted is the most mellow man on the planet (it's a survival trait). Sarah Zellaby is considered a cousin, since she was adopted by Verity's mother's adoptive parents (yes, these books will come with a family tree). She's not human, but no one really holds that against her.

Alice and Thomas! This definitely a "modern" shot of the pair, presumably after Alice has, you know, found him. And punched him a few dozen times for daring to go and get himself sucked into hell without leaving a note. Yes, those are Aeslin mice all over the place. And yes, Thomas is almost certainly more heavily armed than Alice is; he's just found of being subtle, and hopes to one day teach her the meaning of the word.

Sarah and Artie! Sarah's the one on the floor (naturally). They're both enormous geeks, although Sarah's more of a math and computers girl, since she has an instinctive attraction to numbers. The T-shirts utterly delight me in every possible way, what with Artie's "I'm a massive nerd, ask me how" Kate Beaton shirt, and Sarah's "yeah, I'm the team telepath" X-Men shirt. Also of note: Sarah's Space Invaders socks. SHE HAS SPACE INVADERS SOCKS. Oh my gawd. The laptop decals, also pretty sweet (dare you to identify them all). They both look fantastic. I am overjoyed.

Squee.

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seanan_mcguire

December 22 2010, 21:21:30 UTC 6 years ago

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Hee!

scifantasy

December 22 2010, 21:19:42 UTC 6 years ago

Laptop decals: Yeah, I can get them all. The integral took me a second, more because I was trying to figure out whether there was one specific reference. But--yeah.

Those are really fantastic pictures, though.

December 22 2010, 21:22:19 UTC 6 years ago

That, darling, is because you, like me, happen to be an enormous dork.

Next time Bill's free, I'm planning to get a Verity and Dominic shot to add to the stack (I'd get Alex and Shelby, but I'm not as clear on what she looks like just yet).

6 years ago

fluffworld

priscellie

kitrinlu

December 22 2010, 21:26:44 UTC 6 years ago

Squee! These are amazing pictures. Can't wait for the books!

I can only identify half of the laptop decals. I feel like I'm losing my geek cred here :(

December 22 2010, 21:30:22 UTC 6 years ago

Freakangels
Buffy
Batman
BPRD
Doctor Who
Math is awesome

dornbeast

tibicina

December 22 2010, 22:29:17 UTC 6 years ago

She actually said in the text of the post that there would be a family tree in the books.

kadharonon

December 22 2010, 21:49:40 UTC 6 years ago

Oh my gosh there is an Aeslin mouse on Alice's SHOE and it is giving me conniptions because of cuteness.

The scattered writing supplies in the second one are having the same effect, for some reason. That is a strangely adorable bottle of ink.

I think it's mostly the level of detail these have while still maintaining a smooth, cartoony style. Bill is clearly worth it.

December 27 2010, 16:08:59 UTC 6 years ago

He really, truly is.

yellowblackhaze

December 22 2010, 21:50:03 UTC 6 years ago

That's great, thankyou very much for sharing them with us.

December 27 2010, 16:09:07 UTC 6 years ago

You're welcome!

ladymondegreen

December 22 2010, 22:10:57 UTC 6 years ago

They look so good!

December 27 2010, 16:09:13 UTC 6 years ago

I squealed.

professor

December 22 2010, 22:52:23 UTC 6 years ago

Dear DAW:

Hurry up and publish these books. I will give you cookies. Thanks!

Love, Me

December 27 2010, 16:09:48 UTC 6 years ago

Dear

professor;

They've been sold. The only thing that makes them happen faster is if my book sales finally reach a point that lets me quit my job. So get people to buy more books.

Love, Me.

December 27 2010, 16:09:58 UTC 6 years ago

I'm so thrilled.

December 27 2010, 16:10:10 UTC 6 years ago

He's really remarkable.

hsifyppah

December 22 2010, 23:54:12 UTC 6 years ago

Those aren't space invaders, they're Red Robot socks! I may or may not be wearing an identical pair RIGHT NOW.

December 27 2010, 16:10:18 UTC 6 years ago

Awesome level...RISING...

aliciaaudrey

December 23 2010, 01:06:56 UTC 6 years ago

Awesome!

I wish my grandmother had a big gun and a katana.

December 27 2010, 16:10:28 UTC 6 years ago

Don't we all?

palmer_kun

December 23 2010, 01:59:59 UTC 6 years ago

That's a METROID in that jar!

The universe is doomed

December 23 2010, 03:17:01 UTC 6 years ago

Oh holy mother of god, you're right. It is a metroid.

Maybe it's a GOOD metroid? That will LOVE you?

jeffreycwells

December 23 2010, 02:24:44 UTC 6 years ago

This all is yet more evidence that these will be my favorite Seanan books yet, when they exist.

December 27 2010, 16:10:55 UTC 6 years ago

Because of the mice?

kat_merle

December 23 2010, 03:29:56 UTC 6 years ago

The mice make way more sense. I keep imagining Vixy's Mousie which amuses me greatly but is not quite the same

December 27 2010, 16:11:06 UTC 6 years ago

Noooooooo, not quite.

slothman

December 23 2010, 03:34:36 UTC 6 years ago

That’s a very salacious integral there!

the_s_guy

December 23 2010, 08:02:01 UTC 6 years ago

Indeed. It's probably sad that the first thing I did on seeing the laptop was solve the integral. And then giggle, because I am twelve.

December 27 2010, 16:21:22 UTC 6 years ago

As I announced here recently, the InCryptid books have been sold to DAW, and publication dates have not yet been made public. You can also check in with the InCryptid landing page on my website, where any and all relevant news will be listed.

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