"I've always been attracted to the strange and grotesque and I suppose you could say that I've never grown up."
Les Edwards/Edward Miller
LES EDWARDS was born in 1949 in Walthamstow, East London. He began his illustration career immediately on leaving the notorious Hornsey College of Art in 1972, where he was told he would never be an illustrator. Despite that claim, he became a stalwart of the UK illustration scene, acknowledged for both his versatility and his professionalism.
Although best known for his fantasy and horror images, he has worked in a variety of genres and still actively seeks as wide a variety of work as possible. His paintings are to be found in private collections in both Europe and the US.
He has worked for all the major UK publishing houses and for many in the US. His work has included major advertising campaigns and movie posters for films including John Carpenter's The Thing and Clive Barker's Nightbreed. He has worked in film production, gaming, and music. He has illustrated two graphic novels based on stories by Clive Barker: Son of Celluloid, about an ambulatory cancer patient; and Rawhead Rex, which tells of the adventures of a baby-eating monster and has absolutely no connection to his own views on children. Both books were critically acclaimed.
Les has also taken to painting under the pseudonym "Edward Miller" in order to do a more romantic style. This work has also become popular, and Les now pursues both careers with equal enthusiasm. Edward Miller uses a different medium. Pieces under the Edward Miller name are often executed in acrylic paint on canvas panels as opposed to Les Edward's usual use of oils on smooth board.
Les is a seven-time recipient of the British Fantasy Award for Best Artist, has been nominated for a World Fantasy Award five times (Edward Miller won it in 2008), and for a Chesley Award on five occasions as well. He has also been the Guest of Honor at the 1995 World Science Fiction Convention and the 2010 World Horror Convention. An enthusiastic member of the British Fantasy Society, he may often be found reclining gracefully under a table at one of their many functions.
When he is not chained to his easel, his spare time is taken up by half-building plastic model kits and allowing them to gather dust in an appropriately artistic fashion, playing the guitar in a uniquely unmusical manner, and fencing – sport at which his enthusiasm is surpassed only by his almost supernatural lack of ability. He is also a major fan of ice cream.
Les lives with his wife Val near Brighton, England.
