Yesterday marked the fifteenth anniversary of Angus McBride’s spirit departing far beyond the sunset. Angus did so much to bring the past alive for history nerds of my generation. He was also an outstanding artist for various fantasy RPGs during the 1980s. Today, even McBride’s black-and-white sketches sell for hundreds of dollars. His paintings go for much more than that.

My time is short tonight. For a succinct account of McBride's career, it's hard to beat this one:

"Born in London to Highland Scots parents, Angus McBride was orphaned as a child when his mother died when he was five, and his father in World War Two when he was twelve. He was educated at the Canterbury Cathedral Choir School. He served his National Service in the Royal Fusiliers, and afterward got a job as an advertising artist.
Due to Britain's poor economic state immediately following World War II, McBride found it necessary to leave for South Africa. In Cape Town, he became a fairly well known and successful artist. However, he felt that he could not expand on his artistic plans in South Africa's small publishing industry. Consequently, in 1961, McBride moved back to England. He made his first works in educational magazines such as Finding Out and Look and Learn, World of Wonder and Bible Story. In 1975, he began to work with Osprey Publishing's Men-at-Arms series. As England's economy again suffered in the 1970s, McBride moved with his family back to Cape Town, and continued to work with British and American publishers. He continued to do realistic, historical illustrations for Osprey Publishing as well as other such work for other military-history publishers (Concord publications, etc.). In fantasy circles, McBride was well known for his illustrations for Iron Crown Enterprises' game Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP).
Although a few of his paintings are in oils, Angus McBride mostly preferred to work in gouache colors on illustration boards, making numerous detailed sketches of the composition before starting to paint.
Angus McBride died on 15 May 2007 [in Ireland]."

The breadth and scope of what Angus illustrated is mind-boggling. Everything from the Mesolithic to the early Twentieth Century. From the Hebrides to Polynesia to Tenochtitlan. He did it all and he did it well. The gallery below is but the merest sample of what McBride accomplished during a career that spanned over half a century.

The scene where Celtic envoys to Alexander the Great are asked “What do you fear?” They answered that they feared only that the sky would fall on them, the earth would split under them and the seas would rise and drown them. Alexander thought they would say that he was what they feared.

The death of the Gothic king, Theodoric, at the Battle of Chalons.

The Nazgul ride out from Mordor. This would make a great album cover.

Early Angus. Turks assaulting the Knights Hospitaller at the Great Siege of Malta.

Valaris the Ostrogoth roars out a challenge to the Romans.

Genghis Khan surveying his conquest.

Vlad Tepes teaching the Turk the meaning of respect.

One of McBride’s great covers for Rolemaster Games.

One of several Pancho Villa illos that Angus produced during his career.

A winged hussar sending a Turkish janissary to Paradise.

Rohirrim/Eorlingas taking out the orcish trash.

I’ve always loved this painting. Celtic mercs enjoying a cruise on the Nile with Egyptian whores trying to drum up trade in the background. Somewhat reminiscent of a scene early on in “Queen of the Black Coast” when the Argus passes by the mouth of the Styx.

Another favorite of mine. Scythians at the Sack of Nineveh in 612 BC.

Zulus. Angus spent a fair amount of his career in South Africa.

An unwilling sacrifice.

The last stand of Olaf Tryggvason.

Raise a glass to the shade of Angus McBride, sword-brothers. By way of a sorcery known only to a few, he made the past come alive.