Month: December 2008

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Gianni Twenty-Thousand Leagues Super Deluxe Book with Original Artwork!

Gary Gianni’s new book adapting Jules Verne’s Twenty-Thousand Leagues under the Sea is now available.
I have posted the pencil preliminary artwork online that is available for the extremely limited super deluxe edition. Each piece of art is tipped into the book on a bound-in page following the signature limitation page. If you are interested, please send me an email providing me with your first choice, and second alternative choice.

http://fleskpublications.com/publications/gary-gianni-20k/sdlx.html

The price, artwork dimensions and page number of the book in which the art was used for is noted under each piece. The art is done in pencil on thick glossy art paper. Gary put a lot of energy into each piece. You will see they are highly detailed. You will find some to be large single panel splashes, and others that are sequential panels showing of his storytelling abilities.

Shipping is $15.00 for USPS Priority Mail with insurance and delivery confirmation within the US. For overseas orders, let me know your location and I will quote you a shipping price. Each book will be securely package for safe transit.

If you would like to be added to the list of people notified about these special book editions, please let me know. You will be contacted before the general public and have the opportunity to select artwork early on.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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Mark Schultz interview by Dwight and Swain at Sidebar!

There’s a new Mark Schultz interview available online at Sidebar. The cool thing about this talk is it is a sound file, so you can download and listen to it. I spoke with Mark about his experience being interviewed by Sidebar hosts Dwight Clark and Swain Hunt, and he told me they instantly made him feel comfortable, and asked smart atypical questions. He really enjoyed the experience. As a result, Mark feels this is his best interview to date.

Part one is online at their site and runs about one hour. This covers much of Mark’s influences. Part 2 will be posted in the near future, going into his upcoming projects, such as Storms at Sea, and Various Drawings Volume Four, both being published by Flesk.

Besides Mark’s interview, Dwight and Swain post informative and fun to read news on upcoming and new books, movies, comics, animation topics, and more interviews, such as one with Jim Starlin.

Sidebar: Four Color Conversations on Comics, Art & Pop Culture is definitely worth checking out on a regular basis.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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Gene Colan Event at Lee’s Comics a Success!

Gene Colan and Lee Hester

I was happy to make it to Lee’s Comics signing event with Gene Colan. Gene and Lee posed for the picture above. Lee has a solid reputation for organizing a fun day. Two last minute guest additions were Steve Leialoha and Joe Rubinstein.

Gene Colan, and his wife Adrienne, were friendly and a pleasure to meet. Colan is one of the few living legends of comics, spanning nearly 60 years in the field. Gene’s career at Marvel Comics alone is legendary. His artwork for Daredevil and Tomb of Dracula are personal favorites of mine. I was thrilled to get a few comics signed. I’m amazed at how good his art continues to be, despite his well-publicized health issues. You can help support Gene Colan by visiting the Lee’s Comics website for special signed items in which the proceeds go to directly to Gene.

You can read more about the event at Lee’s blog.
Gene Colan Retrospective

Also, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco has a retrospective of Colan’s work going on from November 15, 2008 to March 15, 2009. On hand are an amazing gathering of some of Colan’s key original artwork, including his cover for Iron Man #1 and Iron Man Sub-Mariner #1, and over forty other examples spanning his career. I picked up their exhibit catalog of the show during the signing at Lee’s comics, Gene Colan: Visions of a Man Without Fear. You can order copy from the museum bookstore at their website. It’s worth picking up. The design and reproduction are both very attractive.

Be on the lookout for news about a future signing at Lee’s Comics with William Stout. This will be in conjunction with the release of our upcoming book, Williams Stout: Prehistoric Life Murals. In the meantime, you can visit Lee’s store to see the entire line of Flesk Publications books.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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James Bama Interview in SoutwestArt Magazine – December 2008!

SouthwestArt

The new issue (December 2008) of Soutwest Art Magazine features an interview with James Bama in their “Legends of Fine Art” article. This is a rare opportunity to read Bama’s own words, as he usually turns down interview requests.

You will notice James mentions a new book coming out on his “realist paintings in other countries” in 2010. Flesk Publications will publish this collection of mostly unpublished works, ranging from his travels to China, Mexico, and Turkey, among others. These pieces are my personal favorite paintings of Bama’s. Brian M. Kane, James Bama, and myself started working on this collection just recently. Full details and a street date will be announced by fall 2009. Until then, you can pick up a copy of our retrospective art book on Bama’s illustration career, James Bama: American Realist.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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Jack Kirby Collector #51 Available from TwoMorrows! Cover Story

Jack Kirby Collector #51

John Morrow, of TwoMorrows Publishing, sent me a copy of the new Jack Kirby Collector #51. The cover looked familiar, but I wasn’t quite sure why, until I looked inside and saw my name included with the cover credit.

Back in 2004, while attending the San Diego Comic Con, I was walking by the TwoMorrows booth. John Morrow was talking with a gentleman while admiring the original art, now used for the cover of TJKC #51. Turns out, John had never seen this artwork before, and was talking to the owner of the artwork about getting it photographed for a future cover. I happened to have a Hasselblad camera with me that a friend let me borrow for the show. I was on my way back to my Flesk booth after shooting a few portraits. I’m a huge Jack Kirby fan, and love what John Morrow is doing with his magazines. John asked if I was willing to photograph the art. I was more than happy to help. I shot the art using natural light in the back area of the convention center, and then sent him the negative after the show. I’m glad to see he was able to use it, and to have had the opportunity to contribute.

On another note, I happened to see Mike Mignola and Guillermo del Toro together later on. I just happened to still have the camera with me and was able to shoot some pictures of them together. This was right after the first Hellboy film came out, and a very exciting time, I would imagine, for the both of them.

I lug a camera around just about everywhere with me. Sometimes I never use it, but other times it proves invaluable to have around, especially at shows.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications