Mark Wilkinson
| Mark Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 October 1952 Windsor, Berkshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Field | Album covers, comics, illustration |
Mark Wilkinson (born in Windsor, England on 3 October 1952) is a British illustrator. He is best known for the detailed cover art that he created for a number of British bands, most prominently the neo-progressive rock band Marillion in the 1980s. Though versed in a number of techniques, he is considered to be a master of the airbrush.
Biography
Wilkinson's first artistic creation for Marillion was the cover of their debut 12" EP Market Square Heroes (1982). Subsequently, Wilkinson's art work would be used on all of Marillion's albums and 12" releases through The Thieving Magpie (1988). When Fish left the band Wilkinson went with him, providing the artwork for several of his 1990s albums and singles.
In 1997, he collaborated with Bill Smith Studios (which had replaced him as Marillion's official art group) on the Best of Both Worlds compilation CD. The compilation included songs from the eras of the band with and without Fish, and the record label, EMI, decided it should also include artwork reflective of both eras.
Although Wilkinson will likely always be most closely identified with Fish and Marillion (in a similar fashion to Roger Dean's association with Yes or Paul Whitehead's association with Genesis) he has also done album cover and concert poster artwork for several other bands, including Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as miscellaneous pieces for Bon Jovi, Jimmy Page, the Who and Kylie Minogue. Outside of the music community, he has also done numerous book covers, advertisements, comic art (including a 1993 Judge Anderson episode in the Judge Dredd Megazine) and commissioned pieces.
In 2000, Fish and Wilkinson collaborated on a book, The Masque, which, in "back and forth" format, described the process by which the Fish and Marillion album covers were created.
Works
Album covers
Misplaced Childhood
Ram It Down
Album covers include:
- Marillion Albums
- Fish Albums
- Judas Priest Albums
Comics
Interior comics work includes:
- Judge Anderson: "Voyage of the seeker" (with Alan Grant, in Judge Dredd Megazine, 2.37, 1993)
Comics covers
Comics covers include:
- Judge Dredd Megazine #2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.27, 2.30, 2.32, 2.37, 2.48, 2.50, 2.63, 3.04 (1992–1995)
References
- Mark Wilkinson at the Comic Book DB
- Mark Wilkinson at 2000 AD online