I remember trying to get in the mood of painting for the last time the albino sorcerer king, Elric. I took a clothes rail out of a closet for my sword and ran around outside slashing at weeds and lunging at the breeze. I began to feel quite majestic and imagined myself atop the ruins of the end of the world.
When I slipped into the pose that captured the feeling of the whole story, I knew that this sense of “freezing of action" was too important to lose; so, instead of setting up the pose for my camera and possibly losing its freshness, I rushed into my studio and drew it from memory.
This is probably my most famous painting of Michael Moorcock's legendary anti-hero Elric of Melnibone. Whenever I see it, I can't help smiling, remembering when Donald Wollheim told me that "green covers never sell books."
Of course, Don took a chance and used it for the cover. The rest, as they say, is history.
Additional images from STORMBRINGER
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You nailed it that’s for sure! The look on Elric’s face says it all! It’s always been my favorite book cover.
This is the first or second print I ever bought; in 1980. It started a collection that now numbers over 350 pieces.