Mark Zug
Encyclopedia
Mark Zug is an artist and illustrator who is known for his work with the Septimus Heap
series and Harlan Ellison
's adaption of I, Robot
. He has illustrated many collectible card games, including Magic: The Gathering
and Dune
, as well as books and magazines. He lives in Pennsylvania.
submarines, imaginary cars, races of ancient astronauts, starships inspired by then-fresh Star Trek
etc. Turning continuously to fiction for inspiration, he discovered the authors Frank Herbert
and Tolkien as a teen. Then giving his art a perhaps-needed break after high school, he started working as a class-A machinist at a nearby factory while experimenting with a musical career.
and illustrators of the Brandywine School
. He attended art school for 2.5 years (no diploma) and capped his tutorial by ghost-painting western novel covers and penciling historical comic strips on the side. His first big break came in 1992 illustrating Harlan Ellison
's I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay
, for which he also did 160 pages of fully painted comics. He fulfilled a long-held dream illustrating Frank Herbert
's Dune universe - in the form of Last Unicorn's collectible card game of the same name, which proved a springboard into the burgeoning world of game illustration.
, Diana Wynne Jones
, Hilari Bell, the Dragonlance
series, Star Wars
comics, the magazines Popular Science, Dragon, Dungeon, Duelist, Inquest, Star Wars Gamer, Amazing Stories, and graced many fantasy game products and brands like Shadowrun
, Battletech
, Dune, and Magic: The Gathering. His work is included in the book Masters of Dragonlance Art.
His first work with children's novels was illustrating the cover art and the inside pictures for the Septimus Heap
series by Angie Sage
. He has illustrated all five released novels.
was acclaimed, saying that "Mark Zug's black-and-white drawings repeat strategically, offering a visual underpinning to the characters and story line."
Septimus Heap
Septimus Heap is a series of fantasy novels featuring a protagonist of the same name written by English author Angie Sage. Six novels, entitled Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren and Darke, have been published, the first in 2005 and the most recent in 2011...
series and Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
's adaption of I, Robot
I, Robot
I, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
. He has illustrated many collectible card games, including Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
and Dune
Dune (card game)
Dune is a collectible card game produced by Last Unicorn Games and Five Rings Publishing Group, and later Wizards of the Coast. Set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, the game pits two or more players against each other, each in control of a minor house vying for entry in the...
, as well as books and magazines. He lives in Pennsylvania.
Biography
Artist Mark Zug has been drawing from his childhood. He discovered his passion for painting to bring to life things not available to the senses - dinosaurs, superheroes, Jules-VerneanJules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
submarines, imaginary cars, races of ancient astronauts, starships inspired by then-fresh Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
etc. Turning continuously to fiction for inspiration, he discovered the authors Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
and Tolkien as a teen. Then giving his art a perhaps-needed break after high school, he started working as a class-A machinist at a nearby factory while experimenting with a musical career.
Rise to prominence
In 1985 he returned to art and started painting in oil, inspired by Frank FrazettaFrank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
and illustrators of the Brandywine School
Brandywine School
The Brandywine School was a style of illustration and an artists colony in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, near Brandywine Creek, founded by artist Howard Pyle at the end of the 19th century...
. He attended art school for 2.5 years (no diploma) and capped his tutorial by ghost-painting western novel covers and penciling historical comic strips on the side. His first big break came in 1992 illustrating Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
's I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay
I, Robot
I, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
, for which he also did 160 pages of fully painted comics. He fulfilled a long-held dream illustrating Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Dune universe - in the form of Last Unicorn's collectible card game of the same name, which proved a springboard into the burgeoning world of game illustration.
Present
His works have appeared on the covers of famous novels by famous authors like Tanith LeeTanith Lee
Tanith Lee is a British writer of science fiction, horror and fantasy. She is the author of over 70 novels and 250 short stories, a children's picture book and many poems. She also wrote two episodes of BBC science fiction series Blake's 7...
, Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones
Diana Wynne Jones was a British writer, principally of fantasy novels for children and adults, as well as a small amount of non-fiction...
, Hilari Bell, the Dragonlance
Dragonlance
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of popular fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job application...
series, Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
comics, the magazines Popular Science, Dragon, Dungeon, Duelist, Inquest, Star Wars Gamer, Amazing Stories, and graced many fantasy game products and brands like Shadowrun
Shadowrun (2007 video game)
Shadowrun is an online only first-person shooter video game, developed by FASA Interactive for Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. It was later cracked to work on Windows XP, confirming speculation that it was intentionally limited to Windows Vista. The game features a buying system which is greatly...
, Battletech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
, Dune, and Magic: The Gathering. His work is included in the book Masters of Dragonlance Art.
His first work with children's novels was illustrating the cover art and the inside pictures for the Septimus Heap
Septimus Heap
Septimus Heap is a series of fantasy novels featuring a protagonist of the same name written by English author Angie Sage. Six novels, entitled Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren and Darke, have been published, the first in 2005 and the most recent in 2011...
series by Angie Sage
Angie Sage
Angie Sage is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, and Darke. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children's books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spook series.Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her...
. He has illustrated all five released novels.
Critical acclaim
Mark Zug has received quite a few accolades for his visually stunning artwork. His work in the Nancy Yi Fan novel SwordbirdSwordbird
Swordbird is a children's fantasy novel written by Nancy Yi Fan. A prequel, Sword Quest, was released January 22, 2008. A sequel, Sword Mountain, based on Sword Mountain, home of an eagle tribe mentioned in Sword Quest, is to be published in early 2012.- Plot :The story begins with Turnatt, an evil...
was acclaimed, saying that "Mark Zug's black-and-white drawings repeat strategically, offering a visual underpinning to the characters and story line."
Awards
Mark Zug has won a few awards for his outstanding works- 2001 - Jack Gaughan AwardJack Gaughan AwardThe Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist honors the memory of Jack Gaughan. Because Jack felt it was important to encourage and recognize new blood in the field, The New England Science Fiction Association, Inc., presents the Gaughan Award annually to an emerging artist chosen by a panel of...
for Best Emerging Artist - 2005 - Chesley Award for Best Gaming Related Illustration (2005)
- 2010 - Illie Award for "Helium" presented at IlluXCon