In 2013 Bloomsbury announced plans for an illustrated Harry Potter series with brand new art from award winning illustrator, Jim Kay. Earlier today, the publishers gave us an official release date of October 6th, 2015 as well as a first look into the artwork of the series:
On getting the job, illustrator Jim Kay says he felt “an explosion of delight, followed instantly by an implosion of brain-freezing terror.” “The story is everything and so I want to bring what I can to really show the depth of Rowling’s stories, to their best” – Artist Jim KayThe past two years have seen the publication of new editions of the Harry Potter series in both the United States and in the UK. New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, Kazu Kibuishi, created new covers for each of the seven Harry Potter books for the Scholastic editions in 2013. In 2014 award-winning artist Jonny Duddle designed new covers for the Blomsbury editions, which also included a brand new map of Hogwarts castle and grounds, and a new biography of J.K. Rowling.
While we don’t yet know much about the new editions, like exactly how many illustrations there will be in each book, or whether the books will feature any new material, the 2015 editions are the first to ever offer an abundance of color illustrations.
“It’s like a spell that jumps from person to person, recasting itself as it goes. I want to keep that spell going, perhaps adding my own little twist, if possible.”“To design the characters, the clothing, the architecture and landscapes to possibly the most expansive fantasy world in children’s literature, well let’s just say I’m extremely excited about it. However, I am also mindful of the huge responsibility this represents. I want to make sure I do the best job I possibly can.”
An illustrated Harry Potter book will be released each year in the US and UK starting with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in October. What do you all think of the new art? Any scenes you’d particularly like to see illustrated?
NOTE: All quotes from Kay come from the guardian.
I can’t wait for this to come out!
That’s some incredible art! I know a couple HP fans in my household who are going to want to check that out (myself included)