Blanche was somewhat vague on his personal details, allowing that he was born in 1948 on an unspecified British council estate, and gained his love of art whilst studying at college in the 1960s. He was drawn to science fiction and fantasy imagery, especially after reading The Lord of the Rings, but was told his interest would not lead to any kind of commercial success.
"Epic 40,000" (1997) depicts battles on an even more gigantic scale than standard 40K.
Staying true to his personal brand, he worked as a taxidermist in a Georgian manor house (as you do) before noting the explosion of science fiction and fantasy publishers in the 1970s, inspired by the success of Tolkien and the "New Wave" of authors spearheaded by the likes of Michael Moorcock. He relocated to London and got involved in the publishing industry with the help of artist and publisher Roger Dean, contributing to magazines and book covers, including some pieces for David Day's Tolkien Bestiary (1979).
"Amazonia Gothique" (1986) was Blanche's irritated reaction to the dominance of "bikini chainmail" and other illogical armour for female warriors in the SF and fantasy genres. This piece proved inspirational and influential on GW's Warhammer 40,000 line.
Blanche had already gotten into collecting and painting metal miniatures for wargames, so the chance to work for Games Workshop in 1977 seemed too good to pass up. He began illustrating covers for White Dwarf Magazine, and drew the localised British cover for Games Workshop's reprint of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set. He continued to juggle book and magazine work with Games Workshop, but the relationship grew closer in the early 1980s. He created the cover art for the first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle in 1983 and worked on dozens of sourcebooks and magazine articles for the game.
In 1986 he was made Art Director at Games Workshop in Nottingham and played a key role in establishing the look and aesthetic of the Warhamer 40,000 universe. He personally drew hundreds of pieces of art inspired by the setting and commissioned more as Art Director. His work for Games Workshop is notable for its sheer longevity; he only officially retired from the company in 2023.
"The Emperor of Mankind" (2008) may be Blanche's most famous single painting, a rare depiction of the Emperor of humanity sitting immobile on the Golden Throne on Terra, as he has done for ten thousand years.
His work for GW did not prevent him from working elsewhere, and he provided some iconic cover art for the Fighting Fantasy game book series as well. He also provided art for the local thrash metal band Sabbat.
John Blanche's artwork was powerfully influential on multiple generations of British science fiction and fantasy fans. His style was inimitable and his skill extremely impressive. He will be missed.
It's probably most fitting to leave on a quote from Warhammer 40,000's most notable writer of fiction, Dan Abnett:
"For me, John Blanche will always be the master. His extraordinary, grotesque vision informs everything we do."
