“It was loosely based on a character who’d rant at passers-by in the market square. I squidged a Polaroid, added running make-up and a cockade hat. Bish bosh, I had a jester!” How Mark Wilkinson’s artistic genius helped define Marillion’s image

Mark Wilkinson.

Mark Wilkinson’s vibrant art has been synonymous with Marillion since their debut single. In 2019 he spoke to Prog about creating the manic jester that helped launch his career in the 80s.

In 1982, Mark Wilkinson had been a freelance illustrator for four years after completing art college. Working primarily on book covers, early computer game promotional art and portraiture, he harboured a strong desire to get into the world of album covers, inspired by the likes of Mati Klarwein, who painted Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and Santana’s Abraxas, among others.