ILLUSTRATION

A man in a cowboy hat and tattered leather duster steps through an open doorway that hovers impossibly a foot off the ground. A gun is holstered on his left hip. On close examination, the index and middle finger of his right hand are shortened to stubs. At his feet lies a thicket of vibrant red roses littered with human skulls. Straddling the doorway, the Gunslinger stands in awe of a massive, asymmetrical tower so tall that it blocks the sun. Traces of cloud sweep across the field of view and up the height of the tower, creating a hazy atmospheric effect that obscures the detail of the tower. Ravens circle the field just about the horizon.
  • Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 36" x 24"
    1998 / 2000

LEGENDS: THE GUNSLINGER

After Michael Whelan illustrated the first book in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, his artwork became synonymous with the story.

The author doesn't describe the tower in the early books of the series, but many of the main characters experience dream visions of the object of their quest. Michael offers one of his own for the frontispiece of LEGENDS, an anthology of prequels by best-selling authors published in 1999, which included a Dark Tower story by Stephen King.

(A special note: Michael substantially repainted his original in 2000, so it is different from the image that appeared in the book.)

PRINT AVAILABLE
  • Legends
    Robert Silverberg, Stephen King, et al (TOR)

  • Acclaimed writer and editor Robert Silverberg gathered eleven of the finest writers in Fantasy to contribute to this collection of short novels. Each of the writers was asked to write a new story based on one of his or her most famous series.

Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Powell's

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