January 2010 – John Fleskes

January 29, 2010

Cool Books to Kick-Start the Year–ImageS, The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens, and Jordi Bernet!

For this being January, a month I typically think of as being slow for new art books, I have been pleased to add a nice stack of new titles to my library.

The first book I would like to mention is the new Black and White Images. This is the fifth collection in the ongoing series, which focuses on “The Golden Era of Pen & Ink Illustration” from 1890-1922. Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. labors over each issue of the color ImageS magazine and these Black and White ImageS specials, to find dynamite art by both popular and forgotten illustrators of the past. Most of the artwork is pulled from his vast private collection.

One thing I find interesting is Jim’s persistence in finding oddball and unique pieces by popular artists. For instance, he often seems to find a few samples of an artist’s earliest works. These may not be the best examples of their art, but they are insightful in that they prove that not everyone is a genius when they start, and that their later magnificent works are a product of much practice and labor. I enjoy these glimpses at an individual’s humble beginnings.

Jim performs a generous service in preserving these master illustrators works in high quality accessible editions. Black and White Images #5 keeps in the tradition of his delving into the past to find exceptional artists. To start with, there is a stunning title page piece by Desfontaines from L’Image#11 from 1897. There are also some beautiful examples by John R. Neil, James Montgomery Flagg, and Will Crawford (reproduced from a batch of originals lent to Jim by Fred Taraba). Furthermore, there is a reprinting of the art for The Haunted House from 1899 by Herbert Railton–a gifted architectural illustrator. There is a Gustave Dore reproduction from an original art photogravure portfolio from 1868 (if you have only seen the terribly poor reproductions in modern paperback books on Dore, this will be a pleasant surprise for you). A nice batch of pieces by Daniel Vierge from L’Image #4, are a welcome addition as well. You will also find Everett Shinn, T.S. Sullivant, and Harry Roundtree and many, many more, that await you in this latest ImageS collection.

To learn more about ImageS, you can visit the official website here. You can order your copy direct from Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., or from Bud’s Art Books.

The next book I want to mention is the new special deluxe Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures by Dave Stevens. This was a dream project for designer, Randy Dahlk (our favorite designer who has handled many of our Flesk titles). Randy has been telling me for years that he wanted to design this book, and when the opportunity arose, IDW editor Scott Dunbier made sure it happened. I couldn’t be happier, not only for Randy to get to design his dream book, but also that IDW put so much energy into it. They did a beautiful job. The exquisite coloring and the oversized deluxe edition with the 100 extra bonus pages in slipcase is a stunning package. I can’t think of any other publisher that would have given this book the all-star treatment that they did. Besides the deluxe edition, there is an affordable trade hardbound edition that contains the complete story. Get them both! Also, you can go to Randy’s “Retro Randy” blog to see design variations for the Rocketeer book cover and read his thought process behind them. You can buy this book from your local comic or book store.

Then there is the new Jordi Bernet book from the Spanish publisher, El Jueves. Bernet: 50 años de viñetas (50 years of drawings) is a huge hardbound collection at nearly 350 pages, measuring 9.5 x 13 in. As the title suggests, it features a wide range of samples of his art over the coarse of his career. Bernet is, without a doubt, one of my favorite black and white contemporary brush artists working in comics. His work is just fabulous. He can jump between humorous cartooning with Clara de Noche, to the grittiest of approaches with Torpedo. His current work on Jonah Hex is my most anticipated comic, with its all too sparse releases featuring his work. I don’t know where you can by the book, but here is the El Jueves website with some details.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

January 19, 2010

Flesk January 2010 News!

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported us in 2009! With our transition into the New Year, I have put together my most aggressive business plan to date for 2010. This includes an increase in the number of books I will publish over the course of the year, a score of signings and events, and more great news to share!

Mark Schultz Blue Book Coming Spring 2010!

To begin with, Mark Schultz and myself have had the pleasure of being invited to the Stripbeurs Breda show in the Netherlands. The show will run March 6-7. Courtesy of the show organizers, Flesk will have a booth with an assortment of all of our books. Inspired by our first trip to Breda, I have worked with Schultz to print a special sketchbook “Mark Schultz Blue Book” containing an assortment of his preliminary drawings for Storms at Sea and miscellaneous pieces culled from his personal sketchbook. We will debut this item at Stripbeurs Breda, followed by WonderCon in April. These will be available for direct order from us once I return from the Breda show. The cost is €7 at the show, and $10 US postage paid in the US.

In other news, William Stout will be signing his latest collection Dinosaur Discoveries at Stuart Ng Books on February 13 from 2-4:00 PM. They are located in Torrance, CA. You can visit their website for directions and to see what other art books they carry at: www.stuartngbooks.com.

Wondercon in San Francisco is coming up on April 2-4. Mark Schultz will be signing each day at the Flesk booth. William Stout will also be present, signing at his own booth throughout the show. Both artists will have original art and books for sale.

The James Bama Sketchbook and Harvey Dunn books are both nearing completion. They will be available this spring. Full details on them are available on our website.

The Spectrum “Call for Entries” deadline is this Friday, January 22. You still have time! You can send in your artwork using Priority Mail or expedited service for guaranteed delivery. For full details on the submissions guidelines and details, visit the Spectrum website at http://spectrumfantasticart.com/.

William Stout Hallucinations Coming Summer 2010!

William Stout Inspirations Coming Fall 2010!

Two new art books on William Stout are in development for a summer and fall 2010 release date. “Hallucinations” features his best work in the fantasy arena, while “Inspirations” collects his fantastic women pieces. Both are 48 pages in full color. Softbound and limited signed hardbound editions will be available.

Be sure to check out my blog every couple of weeks for the most detailed news. Thanks again for your support!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

January 16, 2010

Further Proof Mark Schultz is Working on “Storms at Sea”

I figure there are a few people out there who are curious about the status of Mark Schultz’s upcoming illustrated novella Storms at Sea. With this in mind, I flew out to visit Mr. Schultz to see exactly how far he has come in completing his ambitious project.

This picture above is photographic proof of Mark’s efforts. Here, he is using his Wolf carbon pencil to work on the details of his latest piece. The script is complete, and the artwork nearly halfway done. The finished pieces look amazing. This book will be well worth the wait. A release date will be set once Mark completes all of the artwork.

Mark happened to have his original cover art for Death Rattle #8 (first published Xenozoic Tales) on loan from the owner. I asked Mark if he could pose with it, as well as with the Storms at Sea art he was working on. This picture appeals to me as it shows Mark’s first published comics work, and his most recent artwork, together.

This picture is a detail from one of Schultz’s Xenozoic Tales original art pages. There was this great panel with these tiny intricate figures. I was mesmerized with how he was able to draw the characters so small by using a brush. I pulled out my macro lens and took this shot. This picture greatly magnifies the original art to show the delicate brushwork on a larger scale.

My visit to New York and Pennsylvania, during the first week of January, was for three main reasons. I was able to meet with Walt and Roger Reed at Illustration House, in New York City, to go over the final details for the Harvey Dunn book. This title is on track for its July 2010 release date. Then, Mark Schultz and I visited with the Williamson’s to go over options for our next Al Williamson book. (More on that in a month.) And, I was able to spend time with Mark to plan out his next two books, outside of “Storms at Sea.” (Full details on these soon!) What I can tell you now is that I will have a few exciting new Al Williamson and Mark Schultz projects to announce next month!

I also had the pleasure to visit with Brad Kunkle. He is a wonderful guy and terrific fine artist. Brad is working on a new series of paintings that will be available for viewing at his one-man show at Arcadia Fine Arts in New York City this spring. Go check out his website here. He’s absolutely amazing!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

January 13, 2010

William Stout Book Signing At Stuart Ng Books, Saturday, February 13!

William Stout will be signing at Stuart Ng Books on Saturday, February 13, from 2:00-4:00 PM. Stuart will have plenty of copies of Bills new books, Dinosaur Discoveries, New Dinosaur Discoveries A-Z, and his previous release, Prehistoric Life Murals, available.

This is also a great opportunity to visit the new Stuart Ng Books showroom. They have moved to a bigger and better showroom at 20655 S. Western Ave., Suite 104, in Torrance, California. They are located just off of the 405 freeway. For directions and to view an online catalog of books available from Stuart Ng, you can visit his website by clicking here.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

January 11, 2010

Spectrum “Call For Entries” Art Submission Deadline Coming Up: January 22, 2010!

The “Call For Entries” deadline for submitting artwork for Spectrum 17 is fast approaching. The due date is January 22, 2010.

Spectrum is an international invitation for artists, art directors, publishers, and representatives to submit published or unpublished artwork, first published or completed between January 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010. Each submission is shown to a five-member jury, who select the best pieces for inclusion in the Spectrum Annual collection. The Call For Entries submission form, and full details, can be found at the Spectrum Fantastic Art website by clicking here.

Why submit works to Spectrum? With each passing year, the Spectrum Annuals further cement themselves as the premier showcase for the best in Fantastic themed art. Artwork selected for inclusion reaches a large growing audience of fans, art directors, publishers, and editors. This exposure can help raise the awareness of your name and works. Publishers and art directors use Spectrum to stay aware of new and current artists. Personal information is provided, so interested parties can contact the artist for assignments or other opportunities. Fans can contact you for commissions or to purchase original art. It also builds upon reputations through consistent appearances.

As an admirer of the Fantastic genre, Spectrum is a book I highly anticipate each fall. It allows me to see many works that I might have missed throughout the year. It’s full of surprises. I flip through current and older volumes often.

As an example of how Spectrum is useful to me, when I was working on my first book, Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen, in 2001, before I was officially a book publisher, I used the Spectrum Annual to obtain Gary Gianni’s address. I wrote him a letter requesting his assistance with my book, and for a blurb from him. I never realized this initial correspondence would lead to my publishing three of his books, to date. In another case, Spectrum 16 showcased an artist I am especially impressed by, and who I was previously unaware of. At the moment, we are discussing a book of his paintings for fall 2010. (More on the name of the artist and the book soon!)

There are a lot of benefits if your artwork is selected for inclusion in Spectrum. I encourage artists to head on over to the Call For Entries webpage and consider submitting your finest works for the Spectrum 17 competition.

Remember, submissions do not guarantee inclusion. You are up against the best artists and artworks of the year.

Good luck!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications