Mateo A Arranz

When I was a kid/teen I saw live theatre as a thing for snobby rich people. It wasn't until I went and studied it in college that I realized how wrong I was. I'm not even sure how I came to the initial belief in the first place.

The use of LLMs and gen AI are the result of an obsession with output to the exclusion of all else. The process doesn't matter to them. The ability to communicate across time and space don't matter to them. Just the quantity of things they can try and sell you. It's immensely frustrating.

The solving of "those thorny problems" is the job.

That's the writing.

The more you outsource it to the plagiarism engine the more you lose your hard-won ability.

Artists are losing work, wages, and hope as bosses and clients embrace AI Visual artists, illustrators and graphic designers share their stories about how AI is being used to lower wages, degrade work and even replace it altogether, in this installment of AI Killed My Job.

Freelance illustration gigs drying up. Ad agencies using Midjourney instead of hiring human artists. Costume design turned over to AI wholesale. Good work vanishing.

These are the stories of working visual artists, who describe losing jobs, wages, and hope as their clients and bosses embrace AI.

I've been consistent on this beyond video games but all expression and art has the right to be hard to engage with. To be difficult and unpleasant. Books that make you uncomfortable on purpose, movies that make you want to look away, games that make you want to quit.

And if you only want to dip your toe in briefly, here's the perfect kiddie pool:

swordsandsorcerymagazine.com/loves-red-bl...

Glad I'm going down a rabbit hole here after Conan and Elric. Got a digital copy of Jirel of Joiry to check out soon and I just discovered @newedgeswordmag.bsky.social. I had no idea there was a modern magazine like this, it fucks? Downloaded the sample issue and am already showing it to my partner.

ANY GIVEN CASTING DIRECTOR: So the character’s a creepy little freak, who do we got

Miles away, Walton Goggins tilts his head like a dog hearing a frequency no one else can hear. He sniffs the air. A slow, genuine, but terrifying, smile fills his face.

An image to announce an open call for a new anthology entitled Encounters with Cryptids.

COVER REVEAL AND OPEN CALL!

Here's some news I've been dying to share with y'all. I've teamed up with @slimyswampghost.bsky.social to bring you ENCOUNTERS with Cryptids: An anthology of cryptid horror stories! Check out this fantastic cover artwork by @alandistro.bsky.social 🤩

Subs are open now!

The crowdfund for NESS 2025 is still live if you want more Jirel and other fantastic S&S tales, art, and articles! We just unlocked reduced shipping and are surging onward to a raise for writers: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Illustration by Andrey Garin: An elf stares you down as organic matter grows up along the right side of their face, discoloring their right eye, roots like veins running under their cheek....

Illustration by Andrey Garin: A man stands before a tall, medieval stone building whose roof seems to be floating magically away from it.

Illustration by Andrey Garin: A science fiction desert soldier steps down stairs into a dungeon whose walls are crawling with bio organic matter.

Illustration by Andrey Garin: A small, distant, lone figure stands with their back to us, looking ahead to the looming ruins of a futuristic cityscape.

WELCOME ANDREY GARIN!
Andrey will have new illustrations in this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Author picture of a hard working farmhand resting with his cat and a Del Ray Conan collection.

WELCOME CHRISTOPHER ROWE
@christopherrowe.bsky.social will have a brand new article in one of this year's issues. See more contributors, cool art, exclusives and more: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

A heavily armored warrior stands atop a battlefield clogged with bodies, lion flag waving at his back. A mean looking housecat is staring at us from a perch atop a shield.

A badass looking 70's style Sword and Sorcery warrior woman stands victorious over three slain thugs, the silhouette of an evil sorcerer looming over all from the background.

An evil looking plate mail hand holding an ornate, evil looking sword radiating pink lightning.

A 1970's style illustration with an ornate frame around the scene of a lone Sword & Sorcery hero riding through a night time winter setting on horseback, a seemingly pet or allied tiger trotting alongside. Looming over the scene are an elfin princess and a horned sorcerer.

WELCOME ALEXEY GORBOOT!
Alexey will have new illustrations in this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: https://buff.ly/42lhAp3

The Tenebrous logo, a profile of a skull w/a laurel around it, centered on an old ten-pence coin with a 10p in the bottom right. Red against black. FUCK AI HUMAN ART ONLY printed over it all.

That feeling when you fall in love with a new-to-you artist; make contact; discover a Human w/similar artistic urges & ethics; create a mutual admiration society; &—vital to an indie press!—the $ they request to do what they do is right in your wheelhouse...

...what was I saying? Oh yeah, FUCK A.I.

Illustration of a flaming skull-headed demon with a sword of fire and a whip of smoke.

Illustration of a tired looking ork alchemist working over a frying pan in front of a furnace.

Illustration of a kenku, a little birdman fella, dressed like a medieval man-at-arms, the silhouette of a dark castle looming over the forest they're walking through.

Illustration of a D&D style grouping of strange fantasy characters hanging out in a dungeon, watching a rat man stab a knife through the palm of a lizardman.

WELCOME JUSTIN MCELROY!
@thoughtographic.bsky.social will have new illustrations in this year's issues. See more contributors, cool art, exclusives and more: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Backerkit "JUST LAUNCHED" header with "NEW EDGE SWORD & SORCERY 2025 IS LIVE" over top a Goran Gligovic painting of a warrior woman triumphantly bursting out of a giant snake, the sun boiling behind her, a lioness watching on. Bottom Header: Share this post to unlock bonus stories

THE CROWDFUND FOR NEW EDGE SWORD & SORCERY 2025 IS LIVE

Three issues - a Sword & Planet special - a New Jirel of Joiry story...

The more re-posts this gets, the more bonus stories will be added to this year's issues!

Go here to learn more and back the magazine: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Illustration of a mighty sorcerer holding one hand high - a foot above it floats a skull with a candle on top, burning brighter than any candle should...

Illustration of Red Sonja standing in a wintery forest scene, looking down at the body of a terrible best, her sword twisted in its ribs, steam escaping it's toothsome mouth into the cold winter air.

Illustration of Elric standing below a starry sky, his sword Stormbringer almost as tall his his own lanky self, staring us down with one eye visible.

Illustration of the Spanish explorer Acquirre, standing proudly over a slain rat of some considerable, bearish size, hand on sword hilt, looking ahead to new lands to pilfer from...

WELCOME BACK ARTYOM TRAKHANOV!
@vor-bokor.bsky.social will have new illustrations in this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: https://buff.ly/42lhAp3

Color illustration of a shieldmaiden with a cool scar over one eye, sword and shield held ready for combat, a comely maiden holding onto one of her arms.

Illustration of a woman dressed in 17th century swordfighter's armor, blade held high, standing in the middle of a modern office cubicle, papers flying all around her.

Illustration of a woman standing on the ocean floor, regal posture, wearing a golden swimsuit, regal crown, and holding a trident.

Illustration of a woman in full plate mail astride a horse, gazing at a humble maiden while reaching down to hold her hand. Around them stands a forest, and in the far background a castle.

WELCOME HELENA JANECIC
Helena will have original illustrations in one of this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: https://buff.ly/42lhAp3

WELCOME JAMES ENGE
It's true! We subtly spoiled this reveal yesterday, but yes you will find a new story by James Enge in our S&P issue! Sign up for the crowdfund launch alert here: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

Get Ready for New Edge Sword & Sorcery 2025 From Brackenbury Books - Get Ready for New Edge Sword & Sorcery 2025

We launch in less than one week! Sign up to be alerted the moment we do....you might win some original, physical art.

www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

BCS Authors Elsewhere:

Color Illustration of a brave knight, on foot with sword held high, facing a creature easily seven times their height, with strange tentacle arms, multiple faces, and other grotesquerie.

Color illustration of a warrior utterly dwarfed by what they face, a Godzilla-scale angel in the monstrous, "biblically accurate" mode.

Illustration: Side profile of two bald individuals close as if kissing but their faces are made up almost entirely of nested sets of teeth.

Color Illustration: A lone human sized person wearing a large headdress and carrying a long, gently curved staff walks just ahead of a giant creature broadly resembling an elephant, with four legs and two long tusks, but a monstrous, alien head featuring multiple mouths, tentacles, and even brains.

WELCOME BACK DANIEL VEGA!
@thecodexnoirmatic.bsky.social will have original illustrations in one of this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: https://buff.ly/4jyKEQa

Write new worlds. Write beautiful places. Write angry people. Write imaginary beasts, futile quests, broken hearts, lifelong injustices, mysteries, love affairs, lost children, newfound purpose. Write anything that allows you to escape or heal or vent or rage or explore or reconcile. Write 🖤

The Soul Of A Construct | Neil Willcox Get more from Neil Willcox on Patreon

My gladiator story The Soul Of A Construct is up, for free. An obsessive fighter has to take on a partner and research an opponent. www.patreon.com/posts/soul-o...

Author portrait of Dariel R.A. Quiogue, a middle aged Filipino man wearing reflective sunglasses, with diving equipment in the background.

Book cover for Track of the Snow Leopard by R.A. Quiogue, featuring the titular animal snarling in a photograph.

WELCOME BACK DARIEL R.A. QUIOGUE!
Dariel will have a brand new story in one of this year's issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: buff.ly/4gL2xJA

WHY BACK THE CROWDFUND? Some people like to wait and get the thing after the crowdfund. Here's why you shouldn't do that... The following are EXCLUSIVE to the crowdfund: Free digital copies come with all physical formats of the magazine. You pay shipping separately from the cost of the issues themselves. Shipping is charged close to fulfillment, many months later, breaking the cost up into two smaller, widely spaced payments. You can help unlock an International Shipping Discount stretch goal that will make Canadian shipping $5 USD cheaper, and all other shipping outside America $10 USD cheaper. We did it last year, can you help us do it again? You can help unlock a bonus story for every issue by sharing the campaign on Bluesky! Discounted back issues make our crowdfunds the best time to complete your collection. Pledge to have your face drawn into a Sword & Sorcery illustration! That's right, there will be very few, very limited pledge tiers where you can get yourself drawn into a scene for one of our stories - you may be a guard, a pirate, a recently murdered wizard... The most active backer in our campaign's community tab will get free softcovers of all three issues, annotated with behind-the-scenes secrets written in the margins by our editor! All backers will receive a postcard of the cover art from issue 5, returning backers will get the same from issue 6, and those who back us in the first 48 hours will receive one for issue 7! Heck, THE VERY FIRST BACKER WILL BE MAILED A PIECE OF ORIGINAL ART from one of our 2024 issues!

Check out this list of NESS 2025 crowdfund exclusives, then sign up at this link to be alerted when it launches! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...

BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATION: A pale woman holds a glass of wine as she stands before you, looking you right in the eye. She wears an ornate dress with butterfly-patterned lace about the upper chest, shoulders, and neck.

BLACK AND WHITE ILLUSTRATION: Drawn akin go a photo negative, the tall trees of a forest are white and the spaces between them are black. In the very middle looms the fanged skull of what its height suggests is a giant...

COLOR ILLUSTRATION: Against a white backdrop stands a filthy little goblin, both hands holding tight onto a curved, crude blade that drips blood onto the ground.

ILLUSTRATION: A lone, heavily robed priestess, witch, or sorcerer looks down at the skeletal body of a fallen warrior who is still clutching their sword. She holds a wide rimmed bowl full of white liquid that she is carefully pouring down upon the dead warrior's skull.

WELCOME DAMIKI LALOO!
@gryme.bsky.social will have original illustrations in one of our 2025 issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: buff.ly/4jyKEQa

Cover art for New Edge Sword & Sorcery magazine issue six. In the foreground a lioness stares at a giant snake whose lone visible eye has gone bloodshot. This likely has to do with the powerful, dreadlocked black warrior woman bursting out of the snake's stomach, coated in gore, arms raised triumphantly, sword in one hand, framed by a huge, burning sun in the background.

BEHOLD THE COVER OF ISSUE #6 BY GORAN GLIGOVIĆ!
@gorangligovic.bsky.social is one of twenty-seven talented artists contributing to our 2025 issues. Sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: https://buff.ly/4jyKEQa

A selfie of author Steve Westenras sitting in his living room, wearing a toque striped in six different colors.

Book cover for "So Sing the Barrows" by Steve Hugh Westenra

Book cover for "The Wings of Ashtaroth" by Steve Hugh Westenra

Book cover for "The Erstwhile Tyle Kyle" by Steve Hugh Westenra

WELCOME STEVE HUGH WESTENRA!
Steve will have a story in one of our 2025 issues. See cool previews and sign up to be alerted when the crowdfund launches: buff.ly/4jyKEQa