Josh Kirby’s art has adorned hundreds of book covers – perhaps most notably dozens of Terry Pratchett novels, especially the bestselling Discworld series.
His body of work is far more wide-ranging, though – Kirby’s paintings have graced the covers of volumes by Ray Bradbury, Ian Fleming, HG Wells, Jack Kerouac, Herman Melville and Neil Gaiman, and he’s done posters for movies including the Star Wars franchise.
Now the family of the artist, who died in 2001, is looking for a philanthropist of the arts to keep the vast collection of original paintings together and make sure Kirby’s original artworks are preserved for posterity in one or more museums or galleries. (…)
Amazing artist - I still remember buying The Colour of Magic back in the 80s, largely because of the cover, which started a very long obsession.
I think you might be me. Did you buy it at Walden?
No - a second hand book shop in Paignton
Oh good. I was worried I may be running around out there without my knowledge. But agreed - that cover art kicked off a lifelong love of Pratchett’s work, to the point where, when Good Omens came out, I bought it despite half of it being written by some unknown named “Neil” something.
I started a little later. But he was the reason my eyes got drawn to ‘Reaper Man’ burried in a large basket of mark downs. And so I discovered the Discworld.
