Art appreciation

A few weeks before my birthday last year, Yazzle Dazzle rather bluntly asked me over coffee what I wanted for a present because she was totally devoid of ideas and didn't want to buy me something crappy that I'd feign delight at then bin as soon as she turned her head. I subsequently gave her a list of items (seriously, I hadn't been waiting to be asked at all), and on that list was a book called The Three Paradoxes by a chap called Paul Hornschemeier. To cut a long story short, she bought it for me, and I then read it in one sitting. It was wonderful. I've since read another of Paul's books, Mother, Come Home, which struck such a chord with me that it actually elicited an emotional response - thus putting it in the same category as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (the scene where Spock dies just … y'know, gets me … right *there*) and A Confederacy of Dunces, which is the first book that ever made me cry with laughter.

Anyway, shortly after reading The Three Paradoxes, I discovered (via the Fantagraphics Books Flog, I believe) that Paul wrote a blog of his own, and it's subsequently become a must-read on my daily travels around the tinternets. And it was while I was reading his blog a few weeks back, that I discovered that Paul was accepting commissions for a limited time and at an exceedingly reasonable price ($50 for black 'n white, $100 for colour).

I had to have one.

And so, me being, well, me, I asked Paul if he'd draw me his interpretation of Star Trek.

Then I sat back and waited (not literally sat back and waited for the last few weeks or so, I mean; I do have some semblance of a life you know).

So this morning I'm faffing about at work making a cup of tea and having a water cooler moment for one when our delightful production manager, AKA Queen of the office and the lady I once appointed minister for partying, strolls in carrying a load of post. Somehow I knew today was the day, and I tore into the stack of letters sending bills and unwanted stationary catalogues flying in all directions.

And there it was: a large cardboard envelope addressed to moi. I returned to my desk in a state of giddy anticipation, and carefully opened the package.

I knew it would be great, but the drawing I found inside exceeded even my hopes and expectations.

I think you'll agree that Paul totally nailed Kirk and Spock here (sorry, the 'prime universe' Kirk and Spock for any new-to-the-franchise fans who might only be familiar with this year's movie), and if anyone from IDW Publishing sees this can I suggest you ask him to do at the very least a variant cover, if not an entire Star Trek comic book of his own? Just my two-pence worth…

Anyway, as the first piece of original artwork I've ever bought, this is setting the bar waaaaaaay high and I'm chuffed to bits with it. I now intend to spend some quality time perusing some art shops in search of the perfect frame…