Evil Grand Vizier
Hollywood cliche no.10: Dumb, fat senile monarchs always employ tall, sinister, treacherous, power-hungry, black-bearded sorcerers as advisers (grand viziers).
Evil Grand Vizier: Now, just in case anything untoward happens to you sire, just sign this will handing the entire empire and your daughter over to me… then drink this potion.
Monarch: Oh, alright.
The backstory to these silly illos
Ian Gunn, creator of these silly illos (illustrations), was a beloved award-winning artist based in Melbourne, Australia before cancer took him from us too soon.
Ian left a legacy including lots of great illustrations for club zines, books and even school textbooks. The Silly Illos that Dark Matter Zine has published are gathered here in one convenient location. Many of these illustrations are available for sale.
Victoria’s science fiction convention, Continuum, occasionally presents the Ian Gunn Memorial Award recognising the ‘unsung heroes’ of fandom. Recipients have worked in the background for years in obscurity without recognition. This award commemorates Ian’s selfless efforts to reach out to others, encouraging others and thereby building the science fiction community.
K’rin Pender-Gunn, Ian’s widow, gave Dark Matter Zine permission to republish Ian’s artwork. Thanks, K’rin!
