From beneath the alien sea of Subnautica to the Birrin of a galaxy far away, Alex Ries has worked on numerous projects. Now they are ready to announce their first-ever art book entitled, Other Worlds: The Art of Alex Ries! The acclaimed artist is teaming up with publisher Iron Circus Comics to bring this project to life. OTHER WORLDS: THE ART OF ALEX RIES
Ries is renowned for their work as a concept artist on Subnautica: Below Zero and as the worldbuilder behind The Birrin Saga. It’s no surprise that their artwork captivates with designs of aliens and worlds that feel incredibly real, thanks to their unique perspective grounded in informed speculative biology.
Read details from the publisher:
Now Spike Trotman’s Iron Circus Comics — the premiere publisher of award-winning, critically-acclaimed graphic novels in the American Midwest, which has raised nearly 5 million dollars via crowdfunding — is returning to Kickstarter to publish OTHER WORLDS: THE ART OF ALEX RIES, the first ever collection of personal and professional of the prolific Alex Ries, featuring iconic art from Subnautica: Below Zero, as well as never-before published pieces. OTHER WORLDS: THE ART OF ALEX RIES is a 300+ page hardcover that will include forewords by Jamie Beswarick and Greg Broadmore and extensive commentary from the artist himself.
Since his youth in rural South Eastern Australia, Ries has been deeply connected to nature and interested in science. His work as an artist explores the diversity of life on Earth, the possibility of life beyond it, and the balance between civilization and the natural world. His impressive work on Subnautica: Below Zero combined his knowledge of marine life with the creation of realistic alien creatures. Additionally, his personal project, The Birrin Saga, tells the story of an alien planet called Chriirah and its inhabitants.
Ries states:
Real-world natural history underpins a great deal of my work, and I have had the chance to portray real animals both living and extinct throughout my career. A particular interest in marine life, both living and extinct, was born through my experiences along the coastal regions of South-Eastern Australia as a young man.
Iron Circus Founder C. Spike Trotman says:
With a unique imagination, a timeless sense of wonder, and a detailed grounding in reality that gives it all life, Ries’s creatures and worlds light a lasting spark within the viewer.
He’s not the only one with great things to say as Andrew Baker, concept artist for Avatar: The Way of Water and Pacific Rim: Uprising adds:
Alex has an incredible ability to weave his understanding of design, world building, biology and story-telling into every piece of his work. I always find myself engaged and excited by his artwork and in particular, find the Birrin world extremely fascinating. Very excited to follow along with where Alex will take us next.
Trotman finished with an exclusive statement:
I left Kickstarter for the right reasons, originally, and now, I feel I’m returning for the right reasons as well. It was never about the site; it was about the decisions of the previous management. And I’ve been reassured by my conversations with KS brass, rank-and-file, and users, as well as their employment of and adherence to the recommendations of their Community Advisory Council. Everybody makes mistakes, but it’s not everybody willing to step back and recognize them as mistakes in the aftermath.
To find out more about the project make sure to check out their Kickstarter page as well as their X profile, Facebook, and Instagram!
