Illustrations for the Short Story Collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, 2012/2013
In November 2013 Golkonda published the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, edited by Hardy Kettlitz, illustrated with 14 drawings me me and a cover by the graphic designer benSwerk.Here the publisher’s announcement can be found, here und here two reviews and here all my postings with all the drawings from 2012.
Illustrations for “Der Hautobiograph vom Grosvenor Square” und “Blind Date” by Malte S. Sembten and a Portrait of the Author, 2012
The last two illustrations for the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten and portrait of the author.
The book is going to be published in mid 2013 by Golkonda, the cover will be designed by the highly esteemed artist benSwerk, who works regularly for Golkonda.
Altogether I worked exactly one year on this project. All 15 drawings can be seen here .
Illustrations for “Der Tag des Anthrax” (Anthrax Day) and “Telefonspiele” (Telephone Games) by Malte S. Sembten, 2012
Eleventh and twelfth illustration for the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, to be published in 2013. All illustrations here .
Illustrations for “Die Krakelkult-Kampagne” (The Scrawl Cult Campaign) and “Die armen Toten” (The Poor Dead) by Malte S. Sembten, 2012
Ninth and tenth illustration for the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, to be published in 2013. The first eight hier, here, here, here and here.
Illustrations for “Der Problemopa” (The Problematic Grandpa) and “Memory-TX” von Malte S. Sembten, 2012
Seventh and eighth illustration for the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, to be published in 2013. The first six here, here, here and here.
Illustrations for “H” und “Die rote Kammer” (The Red Chamber) by Malte S. Sembten, 2012
Fifth and sixth illustration for the short story collection Maskenhandlungen by Malte S. Sembten, going to be published mid 2013. There first four here, here and here.
Illustrations for “Brandopfer” and “Maskenhandlungen” by Malte S. Sembten, 2012
Dritte und vierte Illustration für die Kurzgeschichtensammlung Maskenhandlungen von Malte S. Sembten, die Anfang 2013 erscheinen soll. Nummer 1 und 2 hier und hier.
Edgar Allan Poe – Ultima Thule (Illustration for “Das Spukschloss” (The Haunted Palace) by Malte S. Sembten), 2012
“March 22.- The darkness had materially increased, relieved only by the glare of the water thrown back from the white curtain before us. Many gigantic and pallidly white birds flew continuously now from beyond the veil, and their scream was the eternal Tekeli-li! as they retreated from our vision. Hereupon Nu-Nu stirred in the bottom of the boat; but upon touching him, we found his spirit departed. And now we rushed into the embraces of the cataract, where a chasm threw itself open to receive us. But there arose in our pathway a shrouded human figure, very far larger in its proportions than any dweller among men. And the hue of the skin of the figure was of the perfect whiteness of the snow.”
Edgar Allan Poe, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838)
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“Im Gegensatz zu den modernen Zeugen war Poe aus seinem Todeserlebnis nicht angstfrei und sinnerfüllt hervorgegangen. Dazu genügte ein Blick auf seine fotographischen Konterfeis der letzten Jahre, bis hin zu jener Daguerreotypie Edwin H. Manchesters vom 9. November 1848, die Sarah Helen Whitman das ›Ultima Thule‹-Portrait‹ taufte — ›als sei er eben noch dem äußersten Weltenrand des Schreckens entrissen worden‹, wie sie es beschrieb – und mit vier Zeilen seines Gedichtes ›Dreamland‹ aus dem Jahre 1844 versah:
I have reached these lands but newly
From an ultimate dim Thule —
From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime
Out of SPACE — out of TIME.”
Malte S. Sembten, “Das Spukschloss” (The Haunted Palace)
Die drawing is an illustration for a short story collection by Malte S. Sembten to be published in 2013. My starting pont was the “Ultima Thule” Portrait of Poe, his novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and of course Malte’s short stories that includes references to both.
The image is a black ink drawing, drawn in negative, scanned and inverted with Photoshop, to get the white lines on black background. Because you don’t really get the picture while you are drawing, I scanned it several times to look at the interim results – fortunately, because only because of that the third version was preserved, which is maybe better than the finished one, though it is not quite what I intended, less light and “antarctic”.