Brett Helquist

Brett Helquist
Birth date:	1966
Work for Lemony Snicket
Main jobs:	Illustrator
Stories:	A Series of Unfortunate Events
Main time period active:	1999-2006
Career highlights
Notable work on the outside:	Roger, the Jolly Pirate Bedtime for Bear Chasing Vermeer, The Three Musketeers, Capt. Hook A Christmas Carol Tales from the House of Bunnicula, The Chronicles of Green Knowe
Official site
Interview

Brett Helquist (born 1966) is the renowned illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and many other books for young people. Lemony Snicket incorporates Helquist into his writing, most notably in the Letters to the Editor, which include lists of items for Helquist to study in preparation for subsequent books. Helquist also draws his own portraits for the mini-biographies at the back of each book. As such, Helquist also exists in Snicket's universe.

Biography

According to his mini-biography, Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, but grew up in Orem, Utah (having moved there at age 11). Long interested in science, he started college as an engineering major, but soon realised that wasn't for him. While living in Taiwan, Helquist got a job as a textbook illustrator and came to know his true calling in book illustrations.

He now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife Mary Jane Callister, and their children. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.

Works illustrated

Brett Helquist illustrated all 13 books in A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Bad Beginning was the first book cover he had ever designed, and though he has since moved on to other projects, ASOUE remains perhaps his most recognisable body of illustration work.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village

The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End

Brett's art on display.

Helquist's illustrations for A Series of Unfortunate Events have also been used extensively in other merchandise like the audiobook covers The Blank Book and the various calendars. He's also created original illustrations for the box sets, like The Loathsome Library and The Complete Wreck.

He also provided illustrations in The Beatrice Letters, and the alternate (reversed) cover for Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (The Pony Party!), under the anagram Beth Quiltrest.

Other Snicket works

Even after A Series of Unfortunate Events ended, Helquist continued to work with Snicket on standalone books, such as The Lump of Coal in 2008.

External links

• Official website

• Brett Helquist at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Gallery

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Book 5

Book 6

Book 7

Book 8

Book 9

Book 10

Book 11

Book 12

Book 13

A Series of Unfortunate Events Book Covers

Bad Beginning Book Cover]]

The Bad Beginning or Orphans]]

Character Images

Violet Baudelaire

Klaus Baudelaire

Sunny Baudelaire

Count Olaf

The Bad Beginning Illustrations

The-Rubble.jpg

Marvelous Marriage

The Reptile Room Illustrations

Sunny Bites Dr. Lucafont's fake hand]]

Final image: Bruce and the herpetological society taking away Uncle Monty's reptiles.

A hint to the next book, The Wide Window.

Stephano.

Stephano from The Complete Wreck

The Wide Window Illustrations

The Enormous Androgynous Person slipping on an atlas book.

The Baudelaires sail through Lake Lachrymose while Hurricane Herman rages.

Violet sailing.

"Where can we get help in the middle of a lake?"

Aunt Josephine drowning.

The Baudelaires on the boat.

The fishermen that found Aunt Josephine's life jacket.

Final image: Mr. Poe watching Count Olaf and the Enormous Androgynous Person escape.

The hint to the next book, The Miserable Mill.

Captain Sham.

Captain Sham from The Complete Wreck.

The Miserable Mill Illustrations

Foreman Flacutono tripping Klaus.

Dr. Orwell's Office.

Shirley.

Sir.

Advanced Ocular Science by Dr. Georgina Orwell.

Charles almost being sawed to death.

Final image: Sir watching Shirley (Count Olaf) and Foreman Flacutono (Bald Man with the Long Nose) escape.

The hint to the next book, The Austere Academy.

Klaus and Foreman Flacutono.

Shirley.

Shirley from The Complete Wreck.

The Austere Academy Illustrations

Primary Image: Carmelita Spats with the Memento Mori archway in the background.

Vice Principal Nero's daily violin recital.

Mr. Remora, some staples, and Mrs. Bass.

Sunny bag.

Nero playing.

S.O.R.E.

Sunny sleeping on the salad in the cafeteria.

Final image: The Quagmires being abducted by Count Olaf into his car. Note the salmon on the car bumper, a hint to the next book.

Coach Genghis.

Coach Genghis from The Complete Wreck.

The Ersatz Elevator Illustrations

667 Dark Avenue.

Jerome Squalor.

Spiral staircase.

Violet slides down the stair rail in 667 Dark Avenue.

Cafe Salmonella Waiter

Esmé pushes the Baudelaires down the elevator shaft.

Esmé pushes the Baudelaires down the elevator shaft.

Violet climbing down the ersatz elevator.

Sunny climbs up the elevator with her teeth.

The Baudelaires discover a secret passageway between the elevator and their mansion.

Very fancy doilies.

Final image: The Baudelaires waiting outside Veblen Hall.

The hint to the next book, The Vile Village.

Gunther.

Gunther from The Complete Wreck.