Derek Riggs
Encyclopedia
Derek Riggs is a contemporary British artist best known for creating the heavy metal music band Iron Maiden's mascot, "Eddie the Head
".
, released in 1980 and Riggs went on to work with Iron Maiden throughout the 1980s and into the 90s, creating many of the band's famous album covers. In 1992, however, the band decided to accept contributions from other artists for their next album, Fear of the Dark, resulting in much less input from Riggs in recent years.
Riggs has also designed the cover of World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden, the self-titled debut album by the all-female tribute band, The Iron Maidens
, a piece which was inspired by the Killers
album, featuring a similar "Kinky Sex Shop" which featured in the Iron Maiden artwork.
He has also worked with Iron Maiden lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson
for his album Accident of Birth
, Stratovarius
for their album Infinite
, Gamma Ray
for their Power Plant album, Artension
on their 2004 album Future World, Gillman on their 2003 album Cuauhtemoc, and with many other bands and companies most of which are featured on his website.
Eddie the Head
Eddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...
".
Career
Riggs is self-taught in his art, both in his traditional painting and in his digital work. He also attended art school, but he was expelled after complaining about the course. Riggs' most famous achievement is his work with Iron Maiden and his creation of Eddie, the band's mascot and subject of their album and single covers. Riggs' first picture of Eddie was originally entitled "Electric Matthew Says Hello," and was actually painted for a possible punk cover. Iron Maiden's management came across it while looking through Riggs' portfolio, and asked him to add hair to the figure to make it look less punk-like. The resulting picture was used for the debut album, Iron MaidenIron Maiden (album)
*On the 1998 remastered release, the fade out of "Transylvania" and the intro to "Strange World" were moved to the end of "Transylvania".-Personnel:*Paul Di'Anno – vocals*Dave Murray – guitar*Dennis Stratton – guitar, backing vocals...
, released in 1980 and Riggs went on to work with Iron Maiden throughout the 1980s and into the 90s, creating many of the band's famous album covers. In 1992, however, the band decided to accept contributions from other artists for their next album, Fear of the Dark, resulting in much less input from Riggs in recent years.
Riggs has also designed the cover of World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden, the self-titled debut album by the all-female tribute band, The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden...
, a piece which was inspired by the Killers
Killers (Iron Maiden album)
Killers is the second album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 2 February 1981 in the UK, and 6 June 1981 in the US. The album was their first with guitarist Adrian Smith and their last with vocalist Paul Di'Anno, who was sacked after problems with his stage performance arose due...
album, featuring a similar "Kinky Sex Shop" which featured in the Iron Maiden artwork.
He has also worked with Iron Maiden lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
for his album Accident of Birth
Accident of Birth
Accident of Birth is a heavy metal album released in 1997 by Bruce Dickinson. It was published by Zomba Music.This is the second album made in collaboration with guitarist/producer Roy Z and is therefore much different from Bruce's previous Skunkworks album. It marks Bruce's return to his more...
, Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
for their album Infinite
Infinite (Stratovarius album)
Infinite is the eighth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released in 2000 through Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Timo Kotipelto – vocals*Timo Tolkki – guitar, engineering, production*Jens Johansson – keyboard...
, Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray (band)
Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent...
for their Power Plant album, Artension
Artension
Artension was a North American neo-classical progressive metal band, founded in 1993 by keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij.-History:It was sometime in '92/'93, when Vitalij Kuprij, who was studying classical music in Switzerland at that time, met Roger Staffelbach, a Swiss guitarist who was also studying...
on their 2004 album Future World, Gillman on their 2003 album Cuauhtemoc, and with many other bands and companies most of which are featured on his website.