THE ART OF

THE ART OF

ARTBOOK DESIGN & PRODUCTION BY

ILONA EIJER

ARTWORK & GAME DEVELOPED BY

MAGIC DESIGN STUDIOS

ARTBOOK PUBLISHED BY
GEARBOX PUBLISHING AMSTERDAM
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Art of Have A Nice Death

Concept Artists & Illustrators

Nicolas Leger

Christophe Messier

Mary Glaid

Yann De Préval
06 THE CEO
Yang Lu

Adrien Fromenteil 12 EMPLOYEES

Artbook Project Management & Production by
Ilona Eijer
28 DEPARTMENTS
Artbook Design & DTP by
Ilona Eijer
54 INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION DEPARTMENT
Book published by
Gearbox Publishing Amsterdam B.V.
Herikerbergweg 181-292, Unit 4.3
68 PHYSICAL ILLNESS DEPARTMENT
1101CN Amsterdam
The Netherlands
78 ADDICTIONS DEPARTMENT
www.gearboxpublishingams.com

Game produced by 88 MODERN WARFARE DEPARTMENT

Magic Design Studios
1250 avenue Saint-maur
34000 Montpellier 100 TOXIC FOOD-PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
France

www.magicdesignstudios.com 116 NATURAL DISASTERS DEPARTMENT

All illustrations in this book are owned by Magic Design Studios. 132 INEVITABLE TIME DEPARTMENT

© 2023 Gearbox. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Gearbox Publishing.
The Gearbox Publishing logo is a trademark of Gearbox Enterprises, LLC. 144 SECRET ENDING
Have a Nice Death © & TM 2023 Magic Design Studios SAS.

Printed and bound in The Netherlands.

148 CODEX
Book is not for sale and only for promotional purposes.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
THE CEO
 09

DEATH
Occu p at ion : C E O & Co-Fou n de r o f D e a th I nc .

“This entity was created f rom the deepest void, and the

person known as “Death” has been around since the dawn

of time. His work in the universe started out as a small

family business, peacefully reaping soul after soul in the

time-honored tradition of ancient passing rites. Those were

the good old days. Back then, Death didn’t have to worry

about mundanities such as turnover or outsourcing.”

 11

PIT BOOK
O ccu p at ion : Th e Comp a n y ’s Co d ex

“Its heart and soul. The codex has gone by many names:

The Book of Doors, The Book of Void and The Tale of the

Final Passage. It is a remarkable work, which contains

answers to all of the universe’s unfathomable questions,

but only if it interests the book. It contains everything

about occultism, magical disciples and the flavors of

dog treats. It’s not a particularly serious book.”

EMPLOYEES
 15

PUMP QUINN
Occu p at ion : A ssis t an t I nte r n

“Ever since childhood, Pump has been a big fan of Death’s

career. A graduate of the Sepulchral School of Eternal Vanity

Management (SSEVM), Pump was set on an internship of

Death, Inc. Thanks to an endless amount of determination,

Pump found a place managing the agenda of Death himself!”

 17

PATRICK
Occupation: Receptionist

“When he was still alive, Patrick Thuggins became the

victim of a terrible prank at his company. Blind as a

bat, someone stole his glasses ‘for a laugh,’ and poor

old Patrick unwittingly overcooked his favorite dish at

the company cafeteria. He remembered to pierce the

lid with a fork, but accidentally heated it in the nuclear

reactor instead of the microwave.”

HARRIET
Occupation: Business Coach

“Great-great-great-to-the-power-of-n distant second

cousin of Death, Harriet could have taken up a similar

career, but she instead opted to try her luck at the

2098 Extreme Olympic Games before passing away in a

dramatic hang-gliding javelin-throwing competition.”

 19

JOE
Occupation: Office Manager

“This is what happens when you drink too much black koffee!

In fact, the koffee Joe drinks is now so strong, it once got

him in a chokehold. Well, not the koffee itself, of course, but

rather the sugar lump he likes to dip it in to warm himself up.

Since he’s incapable of focusing on anything for longer than

a second, he accidentally mixed up his usual cube of sugar

with a stock cube which expired three years ago.”

JERRY
Occupation: Union Representative

“Some people might assume he’s lazy! Jerry

knows he doesn’t have the toughest job out

there. Nevertheless, he’s the only one to put his

colleagues’ wellbeing f irst and to enforce a work-

life balance at Death, Inc. Heaven forbid anyone

confuse him with being an idiot, though!”

 21

MR. O’SHAH
Occupation: Health & Safety Inspector

“Tony O’Shah has never once smiled in his whole

life. And he’s not about to start now. Well okay,

he does smile sometimes, but only on those

rare occasions when his natural cynicism bears

witness to the irony of a truly scathing situation.

Like when a colleague f inds themselves locked

in the copy room for days.”

MARK
Occupation: Food Truck Driver

& Office Snack Manager

“When he was alive, Mark used to work on a cool

TV show bringing science to the masses. That’s

where he developed his particularly f riendly way

of talking to his customers. He drove the truck,

which served as a backdrop to the show; a funny

guy who was always ready with a wink

and a joke or two.”

 23

JOCELYN
Occupation: Flux Logistics Manager

“Jocelyn began her career as the second ever Death,

Inc. employee. She was hired right after the Cloak. The

CEO promoted her to the role of water clock, and then,

after numerous negotiations, she became Flux Logistics

Manager. It goes without saying that she is, single-

handedly, the heart and soul of the whole company. Well...

Although she is a bit scary, Jocelyn has always put this

trait to good use: Thanks to the right training and a big

smile, your elevator phobia is now a thing of the past!”

ORVILLE
Occupation: Junior R&D Operator

“Orville has been here a long while. His f irst job at

Death, Inc. was to shadow his great-great uncle Jacob

to learn the art of ancient blacksmithing. All in all, it

was a bit of a failure. He couldn’t f igure out how to

use the equipment, and the other employees at the

company weren’t always very kind with the enchanted

teenage cauldron. ‘You’re here to learn the ropes!’

Jacob used to grumble at him.”

 25

JACOB
Occupation: Technical Manager

& Associate Blacksmith

“Back when time began, Death forged his own Scythe

and enchanted it himself. Over the course of his travels

across the various planes of existence, he got to know

Jacob, a monstrous kiln f illed with molten lava. Jacob

accepted Death’s offer of a drink, and they started

swapping trading cards. Jacob was pretty happy, since

he’d assumed he was the only nerd dorky enough to A

Thousand Legends of Thousands of Rings.”

CLAUDE
Occupation: Assistant Accountant

“Claude Iscaut worked during his lifetime as a credit

analyst for a small company making stage costumes.

After thirty years of good and loyal service in accounting,

it was during his own leaving party Claude passed f rom

life to death. The disco ball, which overhung the dance

floor detached itself and came to f it into his cranial box.

His tomb is today constantly flowered with a thousand

colors, and with an epitaph the size of a person:

“May you f ind the way to Paradisco”

 27

MASON
Occupation: Referring Operator

“Tragically dead after slipping on a greasy pouch and

impaling himself on a signaling pole, Mason “Burt” Stanley

was an agent specialized in urban engineering. At the

time he arrived at Death Inc. the new soul could not be

authorized to the beyond if they were in possessions of

personal effects not authorized by the regulations of the

company. But, Mason had a great smile. Thus, Death Inc.

found Mason a job as a referring operator in the Industrial

Pollution Department. The only problem,

nobody seems to notice him.”

MURIEL
Occupation: Artist & Painter

“On Earth, Ms. Muriel the Reverent (we are

unable to conf irm whether that’s actually her

real name) was a highly controversial artist who

caused stir in the gossip rags wherever she went.

While intellectuals came to blows on TV sets,

Muriel simply went on smiling her enigmatic

smile. Her rare contributions were limited to a

few maxims of her own creation, which proved to

be as cryptic as they were convoluted.”

DEPARTMENTS
31
 33

Death Incorporated Design

The two f inal Death Incorporated logos

used in the game and for marketing

purposes. The logos are as sharp as

Death’s Scythe. The logo can be seen

above Death his desk.

35
37
39
41
43
45
 47

MINIONS
“Ghosts are at the very bottom of Death, Inc.’s

company hierarchy. These minions are more

commonly referred to as “diseasonal workers,” who

- like their colleagues created by the Sorrows - are

not subject to Death, Inc.’s undead worker labor

agreement. In that case, what are they even doing

here? To boost numbers in all departments,

without exception. Doing mundane tasks over and

over again causes flames to erupt f rom their face.”

 49

MINIONS
“When you think you can have a nice stroll in the company

gardens during your break, you’re up for a nasty surprise.

The black feathery beasts could be mistaken for their

living counterparts but these have vicious tempers and

are alarmingly stupid. The morticulturalists are singular

beings (de)composed of a thin slice of rotten flesh. Their

bodies have been stamped with a necromancer’s seal

enchanted by Death himself. Their job is to keep

the company gardens neat and tidy.”

OMEGA PUMP QUINN

Occupation: Mutant Quantum Aberration (Thanager)

“The Omega version of Pumpquinn is a category

3 quantum aberration and is not the only one, which

has been noticed at the company. It seems the Sorrow

known as Maxxx has the markings of a category 1

quantum distortion. In other terms, this is not the

Pump we know but an intruder created by

a temporal rift. It does seem that Pump

is even more passionate than ever.”

 51

LEON CLEAN
Occupation: Janitorial (Thanager)

“The spook known to the company under the name of

“Leon Clean” is said to have lived a full life during his

time in the mortal world. Leon is so strong and vigorous -

despite his total lack of life force - that he leaves the tile

shining brighter than ever. Apparently, he was a legend on

Earth: a man with a flawless, shiny bald head who could

overcome even the most severe grime with a little bit of

elbow grease and a winning attitude.”

WILL HUNG
Occupation: Budgetary Inspection (Thanager)

“One might assume Will is the dead body hanging

f rom the knot tied in the rope. He f inds this assumption

infuriating because Will Hung is the rope. He had the same

problem back when he worked in the docks in the land of the

living and hated when they confused him with someone else.

He allegedly tried to make himself stand out by strangling

some of his mortal colleagues, which earned him his place at

Death, Inc. Unfortunately for him, the situation didn’t approve

once he started working for the company.”

 53

BRAD
Occupation: Head of Security (Sorrow)

“A nice tie and a black suit, which rivals the Boss’s

own Cloak in terms of class and darkness... Brad

is a perfect f it for his job deciding which souls can

cross the ethereal threshold of Death, Inc. and

which should be ejected with a well-aimed kick up

the backside because their time has not yet come.

He loves being a gargoyle because it gives him the

clout he needs to kick ghosts’ butts.”

BARNABY
INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION
DEPARTMENT
57
59
 63

MINIONS
“The department is a treasure trove of magical and chemical

anomalies. The CEO’s necromantic creations have been

modif ied to be a better f it for Gordon Grimes’ projects. Blobbies

make up the bulk of the team and Petrolls are the colossal

version of them. When a Blobby or a Petroll doesn’t perform as

expected, Gordon Grimes reduces them to the blobs on the floor

named Splurty. On the more “lively”-side we have Seaglue: when

seagulls die in oil spill there is an 85.5% chance it will come

back to life as a Seaglue, Boomah’s are usually the reason

none of the employees want to visit the department”

 65

X4-H
Occupation: Uncontrollable Production (Thanager)

“A non-negligible quantity of an extremely toxic

substance was misplaced in 1959. Known as ‘Solution

X4,’ it is a complex mix of fungal acid, oleum, and the

terrifying Chemical X. Formulated to achieve peak

production capacity, its secondary effect on the cognitive

ability can be measured by the volume of drool produced

by a Blobby after mistakenly ingesting X4.”

R.J. BARRON
Occupation: Actuary Tycoon (Thanager)

“Richard John Barron, has earned countless scribblings

in company memos thanks to his flamboyant style and

hardened attitude, almost immediately took over the

role of the Thanager working with G. Grimes in Death,

Inc.’s industrial sector. This fast-talker is always trying

to manipulate everyone around him: His fortune was

founded on the questionable sale of bottled ‘clean air.’

This wager ended up being a great success on Earth.”

 67

SLYMA
Occupation: Mutant Radioactive Pet Barrel (Thanager)

“This barrel wasn’t always this way. Before its numerous

transformations, it was just your average cask, f illed

with nuclear waste of unrivaled toxicity, hidden deep

underground in the middle of nowhere. The serial

number engraved on the lower edge reads 5LYM4, but

some sharp-witted worker wrote over the 5 and 4 with a

permanent marker so it now says ‘SLYMA.”

MR. GORDON GRIMES

Occupation: Head of Industrial Pollution (Sorrow)

“At the end of the 19th century, the industrial

revolution changed the face of the world, and

young Gordon saw a unique opportunity to

cover himself in oil and glory. He dived headlong

into work…. and a vat f illed with the most toxic,

disgusting, and pestilent substances ever known.

Out came a putrid colossus, spewed out by the

metalwork factory that is still polluting the air

we breathe to this day.”

PHYSICAL ILLNESS
DEPARTMENT
71
73
 75

MINIONS
“Working for the company can be stressful. As Hector Krank is

concerned money is the main thing, even if that means working

f ifteen-hour days. That’s why most of his minions are known as

walking heart attacks: Heart Breakers. The rivalry between Grimes

and Krank is noticeable, the more minions are set to work at

Grimes, Krank will increase his Ulcermonner. Floplexil represent the

range of medicines, which caused doomed souls to die, and now

they wait for their chemical components to be recycled so they can

go back to work. All these diseases have negative impact on the

company, which is why the Nursurions were introducted.”

 77

DENZEL “KING” DENGUE

Occupation: Rapper, Actor, Influencer (Thanager)

“Davey Dawson, as he was known, was a highly influential

mosquito in urban circles. Originally f rom a reputable

family of culicidae, he initially spent two years working as

a doctor before realizing he could have an unlikely career

as a hip-hop singer. Davey had his f irst hit with ‘Suck It!’

under the pseudonym ‘Junior Juicy Palus.”

MR. HECTOR KRANK

Occupation: Head of Physical Illness (Sorrow)

“Hector didn’t wait for Death to hire him before getting

stuck into his work. He’s self-taught, a real self-made

crab, who single-handedly created a unique stench that

will plague all life for millennia to come. At the cost

of his poor little crustaceous shell, and by combining

cells in an entirely unnatural way, the terrible and

ignominious cancer was born.”

ADDICTIONS
DEPARTMENT
81
83
 85

MINIONS
“The recruitment for minions know as the “Sullied” is “special”.

What remains of a minion’s soul, when they get overwhelmed

with work, will be recycled into Soulary and the minion becomes

nothing more than an obedient blob. Until February 1, 2007,

employees were allowed to smoke on company premises. Since

then complains rained in about ash tray maintenance and

Death has declared anything smoke-related to be put under

the Addictions Department. All minions are distant victims of

the sorrow who manages them. Imposters were Earth’s souls

afflicted with compulsive obsession with nights out.”

 87

DR. HEISENBERG
Occupation: Chemist (Thanager)

“With his remarkably logical brain, Dr. Lambert Heisenberg

is notable among mortals for his ability to pass for what he

is not. During the 60s, he served as a psychiatric researcher

at Ashecliffe, mixing theories and smoking injunctions about

psychopharmacology. Sorcerer, charlatan, and architect

of lies, the doctor has a very impressive CV, hypocritically

extolling his virtues, to justify his place as Thanager

in the Addictions Department.,”

MAXXX
Occupation: Head of Addictions (Sorrow)

“Even amongst Death, Inc.’s most devastating Sorrows, the

organism known as Maxxx is a true abomination, which

raises more questions than it answers about the company’s

recruitment process. Rumors are rife concerning his life before

death: pathological collector of all liquid substances f rom

the surface, organized crime lord taken hostage by a private

militia, trainee chemist who got caught up in an unfortunate

experiment... so far nobody has guessed correctly.”

MODERN WARFARE
DEPARTMENT
91
93
95
 97

MINIONS
“The f irst minion recruitment was simple for the major. It

was an operation, which took place during World War I: you

only had to drop into the trenches to f ind hordes of new

recruits, called Veterans. Bombaras are little girls and highly

feared by employees as everyone knows the destruction they

leave in their wake. Bombarons are reformed World War I

pilots, sickly soldiers with deft hands. The zealous soldiers

spitting f ire are obviously called Roasters. Amidst the

belligerent minions of the department, Caderacts look the

most pitiful. These are mainly recycled minions resulting

in a nasty defect of only having one eye.”

 99

CAMILLE FLAGE
Occupation: Living Weapon (Thanager)

“Camille is a gifted mechanic and metal work was a

source of comfort, especially during dark periods such

as World War I. Surrounded by enemy soldiers, she

was able to hold her position for several days before

dying of hunger and thirst one winter evening. Ms.

Flage aimlessly roamed the area around the entrance

to Death, Inc. for a really long time, looking for

something to eat. She was convinced that she would

return to her work as soon as she’d had a bite.”

MAJOR PLISHKAN
Occupation: Head of Modern Warfare (Sorrow)

“On the surface, Warren Plishkan was nothing short of a

calamity. At Death, Inc., he’s a large-scale catastrophe.

“Large-scale” is a bit of a misnomer, given that he’s

only 4 feet tall standing to attention (which is to say,

all the time). Drawing inspiration f rom the greatest

khaki-kitted, medal-adorned scoundrels of all time, little

Warren set out on a journey f rom which there was no

return; Hitching a ride on a Death & Taxes 850 warhead

guaranteed him a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

 TOXIC
FOOD-PROCESSING
DEPARTMENT
103
105
109
 111

MINIONS
“The candy holders are called Sweetarts, will you get bubble

gum, sour candy or ash flavor? When you try to peek inside,

you’ll get a sucker punch-flavor in return. Hambelurghers are

not particularly regarded as nice to work with. Since eating

you is usually f irst on their to-do list. Waldo Boxes are the

packaging for the Waldo’s Burgers. Hara-Kola are experts in

dueling sabers and martial arts. Since they weren’t allowed

to wield katanas they had to do make do with straws. When

you mix sodium, sugar, spice and a dose of X4 chemical you

get Waldo’s flagship candy: Bubbaboom. It’s bites out your

face and takes control over your body. Lastly Fry, a small

potato strip sad f rom being left over.”

 113

CANDICE
Occupation: Event Facilitator (Thanager)

“Lucy Fruit is a highly trained actress who decided to

specialize in the art of clowning when she entered the

Conservatory. On stage she f ills out her act with acrobatic

gags. This sort of training doesn’t come cheap, so to pay

for it she works as an event facilitator at a children’s club

on Wednesdays and during vacations. As a bonus, this has

also made her an expert at dealing with a diff icult crowd.”

PIERCE GÖRSKE
Occupation: Personal Development Coach (Thanager)

“In his lifetime, Pierce was determined to enter the Guinness

Book of World Records by becoming the f irst martial artist

to hold the record for most burgers eaten in less time than it

takes to say, “These f ries are too greasy”. He was well on his

way; in 1988, he defeated the one nicknamed “Lucy Wheeler”

in the international Championships. He got as far as 22.476

Waldo Patties eaten, but a toothpick planted too deep in the

bun bested him by perforating his stomach.”

 115

WALDO
Occupation: Head of Processed Food (Sorrow)

“With the resounding success of voracity curses, the concept

of “starving to death” has come back into style, declaring a

new millennium of horrors to decimate the living. Always at

the foref ront of innovation, Death is turning the problem on

its head by taking inspiration f rom the 20th-century food

processing revolution. The fast food chain Waldo Burger

made its fortune by offering cheap sandwiches made of fat,

sugar and salt, scented with delicious chemical aromas

that deadened all manner of reason.”

NATURAL DISASTERS
DEPARTMENT
119
121
123
 125

MINIONS
“Stormy, a floating eye, serves as a spare host vessel after

minions suffered a second brutal death when the work

room was destroyed by a gas leak. Do you know what

it’s like to have a large stone for a head? Rocksters are

mute because their vocal cords have been crushed to

stone. Flambush are these deathlike treants with f iery

crowns. The Drowned are the result of anyone who dies

in an earthy storm. Throughout the department it’s not

unusual to see minions struggling against the wind, like

the Tempestilient. Magmaboy was a project that ended

in disasters a few times. Imamura wanted a volcanic

explosion in a minion under her control.”

 127

MINIONS

Dustin Relocation

This minion was originally designed to be in the

Natural Disasters department, but has been

relocated to the Time department due to its Time

concept, its fast moving nature as well as

the wink to the sands of Time.

 129

HORACE
Occupation: Energy Market Analyst (Thanager)

“In life, William Horace Steroshall was a remarkable

opera singer. The hot-tempered vocalist held a loathing

for the journalists that had written scathing reviews.

One evening, when he was about to play Wodan in

Wagner’s Das Rheingold, he was hit by an enormous

lighting strike where he stood as he was settling a

dispute with his director. How ironic for the God of War

to be struck down in the middle of an argument.”

 131

MS. IMAMURA
Occupation: Head of Natural Disasters (Sorrow)

“Sixty-six million years ago, Death had a big problem on his

hands regarding dinosaurs. It was a struggle to maintain

the balance between life forms and the flux of the universe.

After an interview held on the fly, Ms. Catherina Imamura

was hired to the company. Her f inal test to see her contract

made permanent was with one snap of her f ingers as

Imamura bombarded Earth with solar winds, whipped

oceans into f renzy and made meteors rain f rom

the sky giving Death, Inc. it’s f irst break.”

INEVITABLE TIME
DEPARTMENT
135
137
139
 141

MINIONS
“Pendulus are the Knights of Chronology’s flying squad.

They help their colleagues, the Tempus, transport

documents. The Tempus have the responsibility for

sorting and handling large quantities of documents

related to time data processing. Destinatus are the elite

of the order, ready to collar any troublemakers in the

Time department. The Kookoo are made f rom the waste

materials collected here and there.”

 143

THE BRIDGETS
Occupation: Mail Department (Sorrow)

“To manage all the sprawling mail, you need one

dedicated to each company: the three charming

clerks Bridget, Bridgette and Mary-Bridget

boast that they are the cream of the crop when

it comes to knowing all Death, Inc.’s conf idential f iles

by heart, f rom the tips of their steely scissors. They like

being part of the three “Bridgets,” the f iery shrews that

don’t shy away f rom any administrative formality.”

TIME
Occupation: Head of Time (Sorrow)

“A majority shareholder in Death, Inc., Time has been

with the company when it was founded. He had been

working alongside Death, and the two grew very close.

They shared the same interest and lightheartedness

such as sarcastic comments and dark humor. The

conflict began when Life kept Death at arm’s length

over their career plan. It would have worked out of either

of them could leave their ego behind for a minute.”

 LIFE
INCORPORATED
(spoiler alert)
 147

LIFE
Occupation: CEO of Life, & Co-Fo u nd e r o f D e a th I n c .

“Hard as it may be to believe now, Life and Death actually

used to work together. Their companies, Life, Inc. and

Death, Inc. were inextricably linked. A shared branding

project known as Eternity & Universe was also in the works.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan in the vicious,

hyper-competitive world of business. Life was extremely

productive, too much so in Death’s opinion. She was churning

out living beings faster than he could reap them. The balance

was off and, inexorably, Death grew discouraged. He was

convinced management wasn’t really his thing.”

CODEX
 151

WEAPONS
Anywhere Death goes, the Scythe follows. The two are

inseparable. It is the physical incarnation of Death’s supreme

power, and Death alone can wield it. This legendary weapon

can cut through time, space, and the elements. Legend has

it, this scythe gives off the most awful noxious gases, can

summon lightning, and even make a nice cup of koffee,

all at a snap of skeletal f ingers.

 153

COLLECTIBLES
155
 ACCIDENTS
DEPARTMENT
(cancelled for v1.0)
159
161
 Credits
Artists
Nicolas Leger

Christophe Messier

Mary Glaid

Yann De Préval

Yang Lu

Adrien Fromenteil

Special Thanks
Mérédith Alf roy

Asena Yilmaz Aydin

Philipp Roth

Benoît Bouchez

© 2023 Gearbox. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Gearbox Publishing. The Gearbox Publishing logo is a
trademark of Gearbox Enterprises, LLC. Have a Nice Death © & TM 2023 Magic Design Studios SAS.

Book is not for sale and only for promotional purposes.