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2025Friday 26th September 2025OnlinePanel 3Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

Eldritch Aesthetics: The Diminishing Role of Gothic and Unknowable Horror in 40k

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Game designer Rick Priestley has described the original Warhammer setting as a portmanteau-world: a universe inspired by real world history, folk stories, and fantasy literature, particularly the works of J.R.R. Tolkein and Michael Moorcock. Priestley’s subsequent science-fantasy game, 40k, took the same approach: drawing liberally on roleplaying games, comics, science fiction novels, and movies, as …

2025Friday 26th September 2025OnlinePanel 3Fulgrim vs Ferrus Manus (c) Games Workshop

Skulls, Gothic Futures, and the Weight of Iron: Visual Aesthetics and Design in Warhammer 40,000

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The Warhammer 40’000 universe is immediately recognisable through its distinct visualgrammar: gothic arches, excessive skulls, layered plate armour, cathedral starships, andbaroque insignia.  This presentation examines the design and visual aesthetics ofWarhammer 40’000, exploring how these elements construct its oppressive “grimdark”identity and sustain immersion across miniatures, artwork, and digital adaptations.Using visual culture theory (Mirzoeff, 1999) and …