Rachel and Terry’s art book is available in three editions: An affordable paperback, a deluxe signed hardcover edition, and a very limited signed hardcover with a variant black and white cover. Each book pledge comes with a bonus signed print. Also, we have signed copies of Adventureman #1, the Adventureman vol. 1 collection, and Bomb’s Away sketchbook that you can add-on when checking out on our Kickstarter campaign. Visit here to learn more.
Thanks to you all for helping to make these books possible!
Our Flesk Holiday Sale is Now Live! Ends This Friday
Hi, everyone,
Our Holiday Sale books are discounted Flesk titles that have bumps, or light scratches on the front or back cover, or small dings to the corners. This is a great way to get Flesk books for 50% to 70% off of the cover price. Limited quantities are available. This sale runs until Friday, January 19, 2024.
We normally run this event at the beginning of December, but due to how busy we were packing and shipping the Arthur Adams and Brynn Metheney books, we just managed to find the time to dig out a batch of bumped books to offer at a discount.
Also, be sure to take a look at our updated Warehouse Finds. These are long out of print Flesk books that are available in limited quantities. I found a handful of copies of The Art of Frank Cho, the original printing of Naughty and Nice and The Big Tease by Bruce Timm, the Franklin Booth: Silent Symphony hardcover, The Art of Tyler Jacobson with a sketch, and more!
I’m slowly adding more books to the personal stock page. These books on offer include a variety of non-Flesk books from our personal library. Another 100 books will be added between now and the end of this month.
SHM Con: February 10, 2024 San Jose State University, California SJSU Student Union Ballroom A,B,C from 10am to 4pm
The Art of Rachel and Terry Dodson Kickstarter Campaign!
We are launching a new Flesk Kickstarter campaign on February 6th. We will reveal all of the details about the new Rachel and Terry Dodson art collection on that day. We’re thrilled to bring you this new book soon!
2023 was one of the best years ever for us. As you will see when looking at this top ten list there are a variety of titles that span multiple genres. The common denominator is that these are all exceptional people who make lovely works of art.
Ever since I started this publishing company in 2002 my goal has been to focus on the artist and the relationship. To serve others is what drives me, and I have maintained my passion for making books for all these years. Thanks to you, these artists and I can continue to live this dream.
For this top 10 list I have calculated the total sales by combining our direct Flesk website orders, event sales, Kickstarter pledges, and the sales made through our distributor.
1. The Art of Arthur Adams
The success of this book proved how eager people were for a proper overview of Arthur’s career. Arthur and I were surprised by the massive support during our Kickstarter campaign for this book. We’re still humbled by its popularity. I’ve been a fan of Arthur’s work ever since Longshot #1 came out. This has been a dream project, and Arthur is a joy to work with.
2. Carbon 5 by Mark Schultz
Considering this is the tenth collection we have published on Mark, it’s exciting to see the enthusiasm for his latest book. The prior collections were Various Drawings Volumes 1-5, followed by Carbon 1-4. We have published more books on Schultz than on any other artist. Mark uses these collections to showcase his latest drawings. Much of the art he produces these days is done for himself. He feels lucky to be able to draw what he likes, while having a forum to share these pieces with others.
3. Gilt by J.A.W. Cooper
Gilt and Carbon 5 are very close in sales. Carbon 5 had the benefit of coming out six months prior to Gilt. This is the latest collection that pulls together the most recent works by J.A.W. Cooper. We worked closely together to make an art object with this book. I feel this is one of the most unique and beautiful books we have published to date. It’s a thrill to work with Cooper and I marvel at their creativity and spirit. They are one of the most unique voices I have ever seen.
4. Barren Lands by Brynn Metheney
I’ve been wanting to work with Brynn for years. I’m thrilled that we had this opportunity to publish Barren Lands. Brynn wrote and illustrated this collection of stories that borders between reality and the bizarre. The whole process of working with Brynn was fun and enjoyable. The chance to work with an artist early in her career is very satisfying.
5. Franklin Booth: Silent Symphony
Released in 2022, this large collection that highlights Booth’s life and art is still going strong. This is the artist who originally inspired me to start publishing. What a thrill to be able to pull out the initial 2002 book, Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen, and then completely remake it from scratch with the help of Alice Carter. This served as our 20th anniversary book where we could celebrate Booth further.
6. Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm
The first edition of this collection on Bruce Timm came out in 2012. It was a best seller then and continues to be on our top 10 list over a decade later. People can’t seem to get enough of B.T. and I don’t blame them! Bruce is an absolute legend and wonderful to work with.
7. Al Williamson: Strange World Adventures
Thanks to the Cartoonist Kayfabe YouTube channel highlight, this book got a big boost. The initial sales when the book first came out were strong, then when this book review dropped it was seen by a new audience. This makes me happy, especially since this is one of the books that I am most proud of. Al remains one of my all-time favorite artists and I hope this collection does his career justice.
8. The Art of Brom
We released this book back in 2013 and it is still going strong! I feel like I am repeating myself, but when it gets down to it, all the artists who I work with are great people who are extraordinary. Brom’s accomplishments are remarkable. The sales for this book received a boost thanks to some deluxe edition copies that I found in our warehouse. We are officially sold out of all editions at this point.
9. Xenozoic by Mark Schultz
This book, collecting all of the Xenozoic stories written and illustrated by Mark Schultz, has had a variety of editions in print since 2010. This may be our most consistent and steady seller over our entire publishing history. Mark is also the only artist who has two books on our top ten list for this year. I recently re-read this collection and enjoyed it just as much as the first time I read the comics in the early nineties. The most common question we receive is when new Xenozoic stories will be coming? Whenever this happens, I’ll be the most excited fanboy out there.
10. Alkeme: The Art of Brad Kunkle
I’m pleased to see Brad’s book on the top 10 list again this year. This was published in 2023 and we love how it turned out. I first met Brad back in 2006 and can’t express how exciting it has been to see his career blossom and to cheer along as his success has grown.
This wraps up our top ten list. Thanks for reading and for our support over the years. As we step into 2024, we are entering our 22nd year of publishing! I’m eager to make a series of announcements all throughout the year to reveal what’s coming next.
I wish you all a fruitful, happy, and healthy 2024.
GILT by J.A.W. Cooper arrived at our Flesk warehouse a week ago. For those who placed a pre-order we are almost done packing and shipping all of your books and prints. You will receive an email notification along with a tracking number once your copy is in the mail.
As a reminder, we have made a detailed promotional page on our Flesk website that shows a video, along with interior book spread samples, and details about the editions available. Please visit here to learn more and to place your order. Thanks to everyone who supported this title. We look forward to your packages arriving safely in your hands.
Brynn Metheney’s illustrated book, Barren Lands, is a collection of personal stories and artworks that strives to document the natural phenomena of the American southwest. This title has over 80 drawings and paintings, and is 9 x 12″ with 112 pages. Metheney’s words and pictures will spark the imagination with secret revelations that blur the lines between fantasy and reality and are sure to entertain anyone with a curious mind.
This book is completely done and will ship in December 2023.
Brynn is an artist inspired by tall tales and the natural world. Her work focuses on the nuances of evolution and story-telling and where nature and humans fall in-between. Please visit our Kickstarter campaign page to learn more.
The Art of Arthur Adams is in transit from the printer to our Flesk warehouse. The shipper notified us that the books will arrive with us on or around October 25th. We will keep you updated and begin mailing immediately once we receive the pallets. We can’t wait to get these books into your hands!
Once we have shipped all of the orders for these three titles, we will announce the pre-order date for The Art of Rachel and Terry Dodson! This will be our first book coming out in 2024. We look forward to sharing more details about this exciting new collection later this year.
Our Barren Lands by Brynn Metheney Kickstarter Campaign Launches on October 10th!
We are incredibly excited to bring you Barren Lands by Brynn Metheney! This book is completely done and we are thrilled to welcome Brynn to the Flesk family. There will be a paperback and a signed hardcover available. The full details will be revealed on the 10th.
Barren Lands is a collection of personal stories and artworks that strives to document the natural phenomena of the American southwest. Brynn is an artist inspired by tall tales and the natural world. Her work focuses on the nuances of evolution and story-telling and where nature and humans fall in-between. She also loves a good monster story.
I look forward to sharing all of the details on October 10th!
Gilt by J.A.W. Cooper is now available for pre-order on our Flesk website!
This book has already been printed and is currently en-route to the Flesk warehouse. There are book tiers ranging from $49.95 to $395.00 to suit all budgets. The books will ship on October 10th.
We’ve made a detailed promotional page on our Flesk website that shows a video and lots of interior book spreads and details about the editions available. Please visit here to learn more.
A good friend of mine, Jim Reid, often provides me with sage life and business advice. One such Jim-ism–that I am paraphrasing here—is as follows: “Most people try to force things to happen when they would be better served to let things happen.”
I was spinning my wheels trying to force certain things to happen in 2021. I normally thrive when issues arise since I enjoy the creative process in overcoming them. But I was struggling with the reality of the supply chain issues that had driven up the costs of printing and shipping to unprecedented levels. As we entered 2022, I realized that I was not following one of Jim’s golden rules. I needed to ease back and abandon what I wanted to happen, and then to accept what was happening.
I aimed to reduce my anxiety and stress by focusing on what I enjoy doing most—making books. I was working from 10:00AM to past midnight each day all through that January and into early February 2022. We sent the Franklin Booth, Brad Kunkle, and Lupente books to the printer in February. Then Vicky and I focused on the Arthur Adams, and the Rachel & Terry Dodson titles. We were having fun again.
Between that February and the end of the year I did not send any books to the printer. I stopped making announcements for new books. I stopped putting pressure on myself to make 2022 a big and exciting year because it was our 20th anniversary. I realized that if I continued to send books to the printer–that if I tried to force things to happen–that it would hurt the business.
With the Booth, Kunkle, and Lupente books at the printer, and knowing we may not receive them for 8-10 months, I accepted that these would be the only books that I could release that year. This long wait affected my cash flow. I could only tie up a certain amount of money for a specific time frame. I knew what I had to do. And I was not looking forward to it.
I had a talk with Kathy Chu in early 2022. (Kathy, if you are not aware, worked here at Flesk starting in August 2015.) I showed her what money we had. I reviewed the current pricing for getting books made and that it was taking over 8 months for delivery (instead of the usual 3 months). I told her that I was unsure how long I could continue to pay her and highly recommended that she seek out a new job. We had plenty of projects going on. We had, and continue to have, so much goodwill from the community and our customers. We had everything going for us, except the ability to get our books printed and delivered.
Fortunately, I had savings, and the business carries no debt. I was able to pay Kathy until late-June 2022. After nearly 7 years of amazing work to help us succeed and grow, she was off looking for a new job. Kathy asked that I not say anything publicly at that time. She did not want anyone to feel sorry for her and Kathy is a private person. I wanted to respect her wishes. You’ll be glad to know that Kathy found a new job working for another publisher. She loves working in the industry and is doing well. I’m so happy for her.
As a brief segue regarding savings, I follow the advice from Jim Reid to always have $20,000 in a savings account to have available in case of an emergency. I treat this number as zero. Let’s say I have $23,000 in savings. I view my savings as being $3,000, not $23,000. Another Jim, James Bama, taught me the importance of not carrying debt. I believe in working and savings toward something, rather than borrowing and becoming weighed down by debt. Now, back to our main topic.
For the remainder of 2022, and the early part of 2023, Vicky and I kept the business running by selling our existing Flesk books. Plus, through warehouse finds, dinged book sales, and selling some personal stock. It worked. It worked because you all took care of us by buying books on our website. There was never a time when we were in trouble. Month after month we were OK. It felt rewarding to have the support of so many people.
Also, throughout 2022 and up until now, Vicky and I have focused on designing more books. We would finish a new title, set it aside, then start another one. We have completed over ten books that are ready for the printer. We have an additional 15 books in various stages of production. Four of these are almost done.
In the spring of 2023, we launched the Carbon 5 by Mark Schultz Kickstarter campaign. The success of this book served as a fresh starting point for us. Then, we launched the Arthur Adams Kickstarter campaign in May that exploded in popularity. (We still remain in shock at how many people pledged.) I still wake up in gratitude each day, especially when considering just how unpredictable the last few years were.
Currently, the printing and shipping costs have subsided back to realistic levels. Between the popularity of Arthur’s campaign and the production costs dropping, we are in an excellent position to start feeding the press again. It feels incredible to be able to start sharing what books we have ready, and to begin making announcements again. Letting things happen—thanks for the wisdom, Jim.
Here is the list that reveals the next six Flesk books that will be coming out between this fall and the spring of 2024.
The Art of Arthur Adams Release date: October 2023 This has been well publicized. This book was in development for approximately 4 years. It shows examples of Arthur’s work from 1982-2023. Each piece is accompanied with commentary by Arthur. I’ve been following Arthur’s work ever since picking-up Longshot #1 when I was a kid. This is one of those dream projects that I thoroughly enjoyed working on.
We have another book by Arthur that is completely done, except for the new cover that he will work on when the time allows. Also, the Monekyman and O’Brien big collection is well mapped out. We are hunting down some missing elements and bugging Arthur to draw a few new pieces for the book. We will announce release dates and more details once we have these two totally wrapped up.
Gilt by J.A.W. Cooper Release date: October 2023
Can you believe it has been since 2018 that we had a new book with Cooper (Pastoral)? And since 2020 since we released the Genesis collection? Cooper took 2 full years off from drawing any personal art. Now, Cooper is back! I’m very excited to share the details for this book. It’s unlike anything we have published before. The two tiger drawings are example of the edition that comes with an original drawings. We will begin to take orders and reveal all the details in late September.
Barren Lands by Brynn Metheney
Kickstarter launch date: October 10, 2023
It is always an honor for me to have an opportunity to publish a new artist for the first time. I have talked with Brynn at various events over the years. She’s such a great person and I love her art. As soon as I stepped down from Spectrum so that I could focus more on working with individual artists, Brynn was one of the first artists who I approached. Luckily for us, she had a few book ideas. Brynn was fun to work with and I’m so very excited to release this book soon. We are launching a Barren Lands Kickstarter event on October, 10, 2023!
The Art of Rachel and Terry Dodson
Kickstarter date: Early 2024—TBA
I’ve been very lucky to have had a friendship with Terry and Rachel for years. We’ve made trips together and visit each other when we can escape our work schedules. We share a passion for nature and the outdoors. They are lovely humans. Vicky and I had a blast making this book and spending time with them. I love being able to highlight friends. This book is done, and we’ll launch a Dodson Kickstarter campaign in early 2024.
The Complete Genesis Collection by J.A.W. Cooper
Release date: March 2024
This book was released in 2020 and sold out quickly. I suggested to Cooper that I wanted to keep it in print. We revisited the book and made some updates for the re-release next spring.
Pastoral by J.A.W. Cooper
Release date: March 2024
The original large format printing of this book was back in 2018. We reformatted the book to the handy 7.5 x 10” size, made some changes, and added some new pieces. This will be released at the same time as The Compete Genesis Collection next March.
We have more books that are done, but I am not ready to announce the release dates or details. I’ll give you a tease though. We have a two-volume set that relates to Elfquest by Wendy and Richard Pini. The new Jeffrey Alan Love graphic novel is almost ready. It’s in the final design stages. We have a new edition of Ambedo by Tran Nguyen and a new book of her studies. The big Comics three volume set by William Stout continues to be in development. Also, future books with Daniel Warren Johnson, Mark Schultz, Gary Gianni, Bruce Timm, Frank Cho, and more!
I’ll share more details about the future once we are ready. Once again, it’s you that makes these books happen. Thank you so much for allowing us to publish the works of these extraordinary artists.
I’m always happy when I’m greeted by a fresh batch of Flesk orders when I arrive at the office. The first thing we do each day is to take care of any orders and customer emails. It could take us two hours or ten hours depending on how busy of a day it is. Once we are caught up on office work, we shift our focus to making new books. I like the variety of the day.
Someone once asked me why I pack books instead of leaving it to someone else. Actually, her exact words were, “Don’t you have minions for that?” The simple answer is that I like it. Packing books, knowing that the packages are going to people who allow us to continue this business is rewarding. I look at the names on the order forms and offer a mental thank you to the person. Some names I’ve seen since I started the business 20 years ago, which is pretty amazing.
This picture shows most of the books and prints that were ordered today. I like seeing the mix. There’s Bruce Timm, Allen Williams, Wendy Pini, Mark Schultz, Tyler Jacobson, Franklin Booth, Frank Cho, and Terry Dodson. I had one copy of a signed Craig Elliott book that I added to our website. I realized after someone placed the order that it had a dinged corner. So, I refunded the book cost and mailed it to him for free.
Packing books is fun and it makes me happy thinking of people opening the packages once the books arrive at their homes.
There is just 1 day left to join our Arthur Adams Kickstarter campaign. This forty-year retrospective on the comic-art career of Arthur Adams comes with a gatefold of the cover art, plus nearly 200 drawings and sketches. Each book pledge comes with a bonus portfolio that includes a signed envelope containing five prints–one of which is signed. You also get two bookmarks.
A huge thanks to everyone who has made this upcoming book a big success! We already have the book at the printer and have approved the proofs. We can’t wait to get Arthur’s retrospective into your hands.
Brynn Metheney will be exhibiting at Monsterpalooza this weekend in Pasadena, California. We will be announcing the details about Brynn’s first book from Flesk soon! You can visit Brynn at this show to see her amazing art in person.
Wendy Pini–Celebrating 45 years of Elfquest!
Did you know that 2023 marks the 45th year anniversary of Elfquest? So exciting! Richard and Wendy Pini are making some appearances this year to celebrate. To start, Wendy will be appearing all three days at áyA Con this June 9-11, 2023. This event is located at the McNichols Civic Center Building in Denver, Colorado.
This will be our first time exhibiting at this show and we’re bringing a variety of art books with us. We’ve heard a lot of great things about this show and look forward to seeing everyone there!
Four artists who we are actively working on new books with will be making special appearances.
Daniel Warren Johnson, who is the artist for this fun Murder Falcon cover, will be at the Felix Comic Art table signing all three days. We’ve been working hard on his upcoming book to have the first pass available to show Daniel when we see each other. Pretty exciting!
William Stout and Mark Schultz (Xenozoic and Carbon art book series) will be with us at our Flesk table throughout the event. Both will be signing and have an assortment of original art with them. We have the massive three-volume Stout Comics retrospective in development, and something planned with Schultz, too.
We’re also fortunate to have Jeffrey Alan Love (Thousand Demon Tree and Notes From the Shadowed City) with us at the show. Jeff will be signing between our table and the Felix Comic Art area. We have a new book with Jeff that is getting very close to being done.
Between now and the show we will be continuing to work on these new books. I’m looking forward to seeing these artists as much as you all must be!
