Pleasing Illustrations of M.R. James

Although M.R. James continues to occupy a prominent place in world literature with his masterful ghost stories, he doesn't command the weird rockstar like popularity of H.P. Lovecraft in artistic depictions mostly appearing online. Fortunately, James, like Arthur Machen and other greats of the classic weird, has commanded attention from artistic devotees who have seen fit to illustrate the author. Ranging from simple caricatures to eerie portraits that would be right at home in the pages of an antiquarian ghost story collection, the images below are a sampling of the illustrated M.R. James.


This amateur portrait from the gallery of comicprints on Deviant Art is a bare bones and realistic depiction of James lifted from a famous photograph. The black and white simplicity of this picture would almost make it suitable as a stencil for urban art. Imagine the bizarre shock of seeing a graffiti version of M.R. James in a back alley or bus station!


Another realistic sketch of M.R. James graces the cover of this biography. Probably inspired by another photograph of the writer, this depiction nevertheless gives a very authentic portrayal of the scholarly James. With spectacles, tie, and a very proper looking English style, James looked exactly like you imagine many of the hapless antiquarians in his tales to appear. At least as much, if not more so, than the grim New England academics who populate H.P. Lovecraft's stories, and are often idealized and semi-autobiographical versions of Lovecraft himself.


The venerable Andrea Bonazzi, who has created appropriately edited the photos of many weird writers, also did this creepy modification of M.R. James reading in his study. Though fantastic, James looks quite at home in this library with the collection of antiquarian oddities on the table behind him. Note the specter at the window in the background for a truly Jamesian effect.


Lastly, how could I leave out one of the best live action depictions of M.R. James? British actor and storyteller Robert Lloyd Parry is a spitting image of the ghost story maker. Here, Parry as James comes nearly face-to-face with the horrible secret of "The Ash-Tree." Parry also delivers a fine performance as a storyteller of James' work. He is currently on tour across Britain and the United States, and a DVD of his dramatic Jamesian narratives will be forthcoming.

-Grim Blogger