Rodney Matthews
Encyclopedia
Rodney Matthews is a fantasy
artist
and illustrator
.
In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son (Yendor is, of course, Rodney backwards). These paintings were accompanied by irreverent and light-hearted text written by Graham Smith, forming an episodic story about Yendor's journey. Despite not featuring any coherent plot structure, this whimsical book achieved cult status amongst fanatics of fantastic art due to Matthew's striking and surreal paintings.
melodic rock band Magnum
for whom he designed the art-work for Chase The Dragon
, The Eleventh Hour
, On A Storyteller's Night
, and Sleepwalking
as well as various compilations and reissues. He also designed album covers for Thin Lizzy
, Tygers of Pan Tang
(Crazy Nights
), Diamond Head
(Borrowed Time), Praying Mantis
(Time Tells No Lies, Predator In Disguise), Nazareth
(No Mean City), Scorpions
(Lonesome Crow
), and Eloy
(Metromania
and the picture disc for Time to Turn
).
More recently he worked on Magnum's later album, Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
, which was released in March 2007; this is the first Magnum studio album since 1992 to feature his art-work. He has also worked with the rock group Asia
. His most recent work to date is on The Immortal, a solo album by Magnum lead singer Bob Catley
, released in September 2008.
and science fiction
. He worked on the covers for the Witch World
novels by Andre Norton
and many of the novels by Michael Moorcock
who introduces a section in "In Search of Forever". He also worked as the artistic designer on Gerry Anderson's 1998 TV series Lavender Castle
.
He also designed the logo for the video game studio Traveller's Tales
.
Paper Tiger Books
have published several art books of Matthews' work, including In Search of Forever (1985), Last Ship Home (1989) and Countdown to Millennium (1997).
He also designed a set of characters that later derived in the animation series "Lavender Castle
". The project took several years to come to reality, making some 20 chapters.
In 2010, Rodney designed the illustrations for Marco Palmer's book The Fantastic Intergalatic Adventures of Stanley and Livingston, a fantasy novel aimed for young teenagers, in a world where plumbing is the centre of society. The two have been friends for a number of years. Marco Palmer is most famous for his comedy duo act with Rodd Christensen, who starred in the children's TV programme "Balamory".
Fantasy art
Fantasy art is a genre of art that depicts magical or other supernatural themes, ideas, creatures or settings. While there is some overlap with science fiction, horror and other speculative fiction art, there are unique elements not generally found in other forms of speculative fiction art...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
.
In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son (Yendor is, of course, Rodney backwards). These paintings were accompanied by irreverent and light-hearted text written by Graham Smith, forming an episodic story about Yendor's journey. Despite not featuring any coherent plot structure, this whimsical book achieved cult status amongst fanatics of fantastic art due to Matthew's striking and surreal paintings.
Album covers
Rodney has worked with a number of bands on album covers, the most notable of which is BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
melodic rock band Magnum
Magnum (band)
Magnum are a British progressive rock band from Birmingham, England. Formed as a four piece by Tony Clarkin , Bob Catley , Kex Gorin and Bob Doyle in order to appear as the resident band at The Rum Runner night club Birmingham...
for whom he designed the art-work for Chase The Dragon
Chase the Dragon
- Cover Sleeve :The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews."My original brief for Magnum's 'Chase the Dragon' album cover was given by Tony Clarkin, founder member of the band, who writes all the music and lyrics. In the first instance the record was to have been called 'The Spirit' and my rough...
, The Eleventh Hour
The Eleventh Hour (Magnum album)
-Cover Sleeve:The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews."The Eleventh Hour illustration was mostly the brain child of Magnum's Tony Clarkin, a likable 'brummy' of eccentric appearance. He came to my studio where we listened to lyrics and he scribbled out a little sketch indicating the figure...
, On A Storyteller's Night
On A Storyteller's Night
On a Storyteller's Night is the fifth studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum, released in 1985 on FM Records. The album is widely considered as Magnum's breakthrough album. This album features one of the Tony Clarkin's most thoughtful songs, "Les Morts Dansant" — a simple song in that...
, and Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking (Magnum album)
Sleepwalking is the ninth studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum, released in 1992.Following the decision to leave Polydor, Sleepwalking was recorded within six months, and is the first self-produced album by Magnum since The Eleventh Hour. Tony Clarkin was much happier acting as...
as well as various compilations and reissues. He also designed album covers for Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
, Tygers of Pan Tang
Tygers Of Pan Tang
Tygers of Pan Tang are a heavy metal band, formed in 1978 and originating from Whitley Bay, England. They are a notable band of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement...
(Crazy Nights
Crazy Nights (Tygers of Pan Tang album)
Crazy Nights is an album by Tygers of Pan Tang.-Track listing:# "Do It Good" - 4:23# "Love Don't Stay" - 4:15# "Never Satisfied" - 3:46# "Running Out of Time" - 4:35# "Crazy Nights" - 4.34# "Down and Out" - 3:52# "Lonely Man" - 4:17...
), Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
(Borrowed Time), Praying Mantis
Praying Mantis (band)
Praying Mantis are an English rock band. Although a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, they pursued a musical direction more melodic and AOR-sounding than their contemporaries.-Career:...
(Time Tells No Lies, Predator In Disguise), Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
(No Mean City), Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
(Lonesome Crow
Lonesome Crow
-Personnel:Credits for Lonesome Crow adapted from Allmusic.Scorpions*Klaus Meine - vocals*Michael Schenker - lead guitar, backing vocals*Rudolf Schenker - rhythm guitar, backing vocals*Lothar Heimberg - bass guitar, backing vocals...
), and Eloy
Eloy
Eloy is a German progressive rock band, whose musical style includes symphonic and space rock, the latter theme being more prevalent on earlier albums...
(Metromania
Metromania
- Personnel :* Frank Bornemann — Guitar, Lead Vocals, Lyricist, Producer* Klaus Peter Matziol — Bass guitar* Hannes Folberth — Keyboards* Hannes Arkona — Guitar, Keyboards, Vocoder, Syncussion, Synthesizer Drums* Fritz Randow — Drums...
and the picture disc for Time to Turn
Time to Turn
Time to Turn is an album by German progressive rock band Eloy, being released 1982. The UK issue, on the Heavy Metal World-wide label, featured different artwork by noted fantasy illustrator Rodney Matthews.-Track listing:...
).
More recently he worked on Magnum's later album, Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
-Singles:Like Brothers We Stand Digital # "Like Brothers We Stand" [Radio Edit] — 3:31# "Your Lies" [LP Version] — 4:32-Cover Sleeve:The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews....
, which was released in March 2007; this is the first Magnum studio album since 1992 to feature his art-work. He has also worked with the rock group Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
. His most recent work to date is on The Immortal, a solo album by Magnum lead singer Bob Catley
Bob Catley
For the Australian politician, see Bob Catley Robert Adrian 'Bob' Catley is a British musician, perhaps best known as the lead singer of the rock band Magnum. He is also an accomplished solo artist.- Early years :...
, released in September 2008.
Book covers
Alongside his album cover work, he has illustrated a number of books and magazines, primarily fantasyFantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. He worked on the covers for the Witch World
Witch World
The Witch World by Andre Norton is a long series of fantasy novels set in a parallel universe where magic works and, at the beginning of the series, is exclusively performed by women. The series combines many traits of high fantasy and sword and sorcery. It begins with what is now called the...
novels by Andre Norton
Andre Norton
Andre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
and many of the novels by Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
who introduces a section in "In Search of Forever". He also worked as the artistic designer on Gerry Anderson's 1998 TV series Lavender Castle
Lavender Castle
Lavender Castle is a British stop motion/CGI television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It produced between 1996 and 1998 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International, Gerry Anderson Productions and Cosgrove Hall Films, and was first...
.
He also designed the logo for the video game studio Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales
Traveller's Tales is an English software house founded in 1989 and fully established in 1990 and based in Knutsford, Cheshire.It is part of the TT Games group—after the merger of publisher Giant Interactive and the developer Traveller's Tales—along with TT Games Publishing...
.
Paper Tiger Books
Paper Tiger Books
Paper Tiger is a publishing house started in 1976 by Martyn and Roger Dean, on the back of their success at publishing Dean's Views graphic album under sister imprint Dragon's Dream...
have published several art books of Matthews' work, including In Search of Forever (1985), Last Ship Home (1989) and Countdown to Millennium (1997).
He also designed a set of characters that later derived in the animation series "Lavender Castle
Lavender Castle
Lavender Castle is a British stop motion/CGI television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It produced between 1996 and 1998 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International, Gerry Anderson Productions and Cosgrove Hall Films, and was first...
". The project took several years to come to reality, making some 20 chapters.
In 2010, Rodney designed the illustrations for Marco Palmer's book The Fantastic Intergalatic Adventures of Stanley and Livingston, a fantasy novel aimed for young teenagers, in a world where plumbing is the centre of society. The two have been friends for a number of years. Marco Palmer is most famous for his comedy duo act with Rodd Christensen, who starred in the children's TV programme "Balamory".