Similar to Simon Stålenhag and the Tales from the Loop RPG, the art of Johan Egerkrans forms the basis for Free League’s RPG Vaesen. Specifically his collection of the same name (2017), which focuses on creatures from Scandanavian folklore. 

If I were to make an illustrator spectrum, I’d plot Egerkrans somewhere between Tony DiTerlizzi and Mike Mignola. He shares the former’s ability to make his subjects appear both whimsical and dangerous simultaneously. You can see something of Mignola when Egerkrans’ shifts into stylized minimalism. I love his palette (so much golden light, as though this fairy world exists in a perpetual autumn sunset) and his willingness to forgo detail for drama (those slivers of red light in the illustration of the drake are straight delicious). All the art is beguiling, and unified by a sort of light and airy Daniel Cohen-style field guide approach to the subject. Catnip for me, basically.

The book itself is worth mentioning. It feels very nice in the hand. This is partly the choice of coarse woven cover cloth, which feels cozy and old fashioned (Love that shade of blue, too). The interior paper stock is nice too — it feels almost supernaturally airy. Egerkrans has two additional books, Norse Mythology and The Undead. Both combine the tactile pleasure of nicely made books with his gorgeous art and mysterious narrative style. A fourth, entirely dedicated to Dragons, should be coming soon. (And if that’s still not enough, you can more of his art in the Ruin Masters RPG!)