Mark Schultz and I have been talking on the phone over these last few weeks about his new books for 2016. In the works is Carbon 2, the latest home for his collected works to bring us up to date since his last Carbon collection that came out three years ago.
The second collection will be a deluxe edition for Storms at Sea. This will be a very limited oversized edition that will come signed by Mark. I wanted to release it last year, but time was an issue as I was juggling other projects.
Our plan is to offer the Carbon 2 and Storms at Sea deluxe editions as a set through a Kickstarter campaign. I’d like to have the books available in July for our summer season.
At the moment I’m focused on Spectrum 23 submissions and the judging event which will be held on February 27th. The Kickstarter campaign for Schultz’s books will commence at some point to be determined in the near future.
Click here to see all books available on Mark Schultz from Flesk.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Poster Artwork by Claire Wendling.
Hi, all,
With the Call for Entries for Spectrum 23 ending on Monday, January 25th I have written a series of submission tips. You can submit by mail or online! All artworks in all media embracing the themes of science fiction, fantasy, horror and the surreal are eligible. There is no unacceptable way to create art. Imagination and skill are what matters. Work chosen by the jury, including David Palumbo, Cynthia Sheppard, Kirk Thatcher, Charlie Wen and Terryl Whitlatch, will be printed in full color in the Spectrum 23 annual, the peer-selected “best of the year” collection for the fantastic arts.
Is there an advantage to entering my art online or by mail as a print?
The important thing to know right off the bat is that one option does not give you an edge over the other option. Both digital and print submissions get equal attention from the judges and you have an equal chance of getting selected regardless of how you enter.
For Spectrum 21 and 22, eighty percent of the submissions came in online. Out of curiosity I paid attention to the percentage of art that was selected in both the digital and print areas to see if one had an advantage over the other. They were both right in line with one another. One method did not visibly outweigh the other.
The jury views the digitally submitted art on individual 24″ screens (not projected to the group) and the prints are presented on tables. Each jury member votes anonymously and at his or her own pace. Discussion and grouping is discouraged (with the exception of the awards selections) to keep the selection process fair and truthful. To get into Spectrum you need three or more of the five jury member’s votes. It’s not easy to get in. Historically around eight to nine percent of the submissions make it into the yearly annual.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #2
Give Yourself the Best Chance to be Seen!
Take advantage of the artwork submission guidelines by submitting good quality prints or digital files. We can’t stress this enough. We want everyone to have the best chance to be seen by the jury.
If you are submitting online take advantage of our maximum size at 2000 pixels wide and/or 2000 pixels tall. (JPG file no larger than 10MB.) Each jury member uses his or her own large screen when viewing the artwork. Make sure your art fills the screen so they can take a good look at it! Don’t send in a small postcard sized thumbnail. Take the time to prepare a proper presentation.
For submissions by mail, I recommend sending in a print out of your art no smaller than 8.5″ x 11″ and no larger than 18″ x 24″. I think the best sizes range from 9″ x 12″ to 11″ x 17″. Yes, some people send in massive poster sized images. It’s just too big. Just like art displayed too small can make it hard for the jury members to view, art too big doesn’t necessarily mean you have a better chance. The print submissions are placed out on tables for the jury members to view and vote for individually.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #3
Dimensional Category Allows Three Views!
Anyone submitting to the Dimensional category is allowed to submit up to three views. If you are submitting a sculpture we recommend a full shot from the front, a side view and a back view or detail. We want the jury to see these multiple angles of your work so that they have adequate visual information to base their decisions. This is especially important if your art is considered for an award.
Another tip for this category is our recommendation to get a clear, in focus, quality photographs. Don’t take simple, quick snaps with your phone. If you do not have a good camera then take the extra time to find someone who does, light your piece well and make sure the details are visible in the pictures that you send us.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #4
Does my artwork have to be fantasy related to submit to Spectrum?
Yes: Spectrum’s focus is on “Fantastic Art.” HOWEVER keep in mind that focus covers a sweeping range of possibilities. Fantastic Art can be subtle or obvious, traditional or off-the-wall, painted, sculpted, done digitally or photographed: Fantastic Art chronicles places and peoples and creatures and events that aren’t or never were. Just as there is no unacceptable way to create art, there are no set rules that say one piece qualifies while another does not. Spectrum doesn’t define Fantastic Art: what YOU do and what the JURY selects does. We do not pre-screen submissions and we do not arbitrarily restrict the type of art that is submitted. We make sure every submission is viewed with fairness and an open mind by the jury. We embrace all art works in all mediums embracing the themes of science fiction, fantasy, horror, the surreal, fine art and more. Each type (and types that we may not have even thought of) is eligible for this show.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #5
How do I know that my submission arrived?
We take great care in reviewing the details of every submission that arrives. For online entries we check your online form and artwork to make sure your name, the art title and all other relevant details match. Once this is done we send an official email confirmation to notify you that your submission has been accepted. For submissions that arrive as prints in the mail, once you see that your payment has been processed you can rest assured that we have processed your submissions.
If we have any questions or if any art is missing we will contact you by email or by phone. We take great care in making sure all submissions look their best for the jury.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #6
What is the #1 mistake people make when submitting online?
Not labeling their art when posting it. A small percentage of people do not include their name or art title when uploading their art. In this case we send an email asking for clarification or new art files properly labeled. Please label your art by first and last name followed by the art title!
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #7
Can I submit fan art relating to Star Wars, Marvel or DC characters or my favorite super-hero or pop culture character?
Not unless you have the express permission from the copyright or license holder. We respect the artists copyrights and the companies copyrights. You can not submit works of art that infringe on the rights of someone else.
Spectrum 23 Call for Entries Submissions Tip #8
Don’t wait until the last minute!
Each year we get people contacting us the day after the deadline who had some sort of an issue or question that prevented them from submitting late in the night in the final hours. Don’t wait until the last day to submit, just to be safe, and to have an extra day built in if you have an issue.
We do not accept submissions after the deadline. There are no exceptions. The submissions deadline is Monday, January 25th at 11:59 PM PST.
Elfquest Coloring Book cover by Wendy Pini with colors by Laura Martin.The Art of Elfquest deluxe edition with slipcase.The Art of Elfquest trade and deluxe editions with its Kickstarter bonus rewards.
Hi, everyone,
The Elfquest coloring books have arrived! This was the last item that we needed to begin shipping the Art of Elfquest books to our Kickstarter supporters. The coloring books, three bookmarks, five postcards and two prints are all free bonus items to those who pledged for the book through our Kickstarter campaign. I love it when we can include so many free goodies! The Flesk crew and I will be packing and shipping books all week! I still like boxing books once in a while. We have about 700 packages to put together. I expect they should all be in the mail by early next week.
Those who pre-ordered the book through our website will also have their books shipped this week.
In the spirit of the season, and a bit of a forced break which is not too common for me, I felt the urge to sit down and write about those people who I am grateful for. After all, if I’m not doing something I get a little stir crazy.
This is in no means written in any particular order, but instead just as the names come to mind.
I am grateful to the artists who I work with and publish. Frank Cho, Mark Schultz, Jim Silke, William Stout, Craig Elliott, Gary Gianni, Richard and Wendy Pini, Arthur Adams and Joyce Chin, James Bama, Terry and Rachel Dodson, Bruce Timm, Bill Carman, Warren Chang, Daren Bader and Lance HaunRogue, Petar Meseldzija, Steve Rude, Brom, Dice Tsutsumi, Robert Kondo, and Al Williamson’s wife, Cori. Many of them I have been fortunate enough to become friends as we share a bond bound in passion while in life’s journey.
I am grateful to the Spectrum Advisory Board. These are exceptional people who serve as mentors and help guide the future of Spectrum and advise me in business and in life: Brom, Alice “Bunny” Carter, Mark Chiarello, Rebecca Guay, James Gurney, Charles Kochman, Iain McCaig, Virginie Ropars, Harlan Ellison, Tim Underwood as well as Cathy and Arnie Fenner.
I am grateful to the Spectrum community. All of the artists who take part in the Spectrum annual each year, those who attend the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live event and Spectrum Awards Ceremony and to its many fans. This is a beautiful community that I feel lucky each and every day to be a part of. I will continue to work toward a better community where we can share and grow together and keep the door open to all to enter.
I am grateful to Arnie and Cathy Fenner who saw something in me, opened their hearts and brought me into the Spectrum community as its current caretaker. The have all my love for being so good to me.
I am grateful to the dedicated and wonderful crew who helps run Flesk and Spectrum. This includes Keith and Rachel Silva, Josh Ford and James Walker who are the core regulars.
I am grateful to the many supporters of Flesk and Spectrum who buy our books which allows us to continue doing what we love. None of this could happen without you.
I am grateful to Colin and Kristine Poole who are far more to me than just the pair that creates the Spectrum Awards each year.
I am grateful to Greg Preston for his friendship and for helping to capture the Spectrum community through his brilliant and gorgeous photography.
I am grateful to my close knit group of friends who have stood by me for an eternity, offered their help when needed, and who have kept me grounded and balanced. This includes friends and mentors Jim Vadeboncour, Jr., Manuel Auad, Dick Swan, Art Lim and Jim Reid. And I have a few dozen old school friends in my private life that I grew up with that I can mention–you know who you are.
I am grateful to my coach Monica Carson who keeps me mentally and physically fit to take on all of life’s daily challenges while feeling great.
And most importantly, I am grateful for being blessed with having a terrific son, Ocean, who keeps me happy and full of youth by helping me to see all of the splendors of life that adults sometimes have a tendency to become blind to. Being a dad is something I am very grateful for.
It feels good to write this down as a reminder at how good the people in my life are and how much I appreciate them. Thank you all!
I was digging through our video archives and have pulled and posted these two new videos.
Here I host the Spectrum panel during Spectrum Fantastic Art Live held in Kansas City, MO on May 23, 2015. Colin and Kristine Poole discuss the creation of the new Spectrum Muse awards for the Spectrum Awards ceremony; Annie Stegg Gerard and Justin Gerard talk about their time as part of the jury for Spectrum 22; Iain McCaig and Brom share insights into being on the Spectrum Advisory Board; and I discuss the Spectrum annual.
This video gives you a lot of insight into how Spectrum works.
Iain McCaig sketches in a Flesk blank sketchbook at the Flesk booth during Comic-Con International in San Diego. The sketchbook/journal features a durable and flexible protective cover with a wraparound illustration by Iain McCaig. Available now at the Flesk website.
I am thrilled to make the announcement that Rebecca Guay and Virginie Ropars have joined the Spectrum Advisory Board. I also want to thank Cathy Fenner for stepping into a more active role in the Advisory Board 2016 session. Between these three, I am honored to have their help, guidance and support while serving as the director of Spectrum.
Please read the official press release for the full details.
Enjoy,
John
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: JOHN FLESKES/Director Spectrum Fantastic Art
http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com
408-206-2346
ANNOUNCING NEW MEMBERS TO THE SPECTRUM ADVISORY BOARD
Santa Cruz, CA, December 16, 2015. Director John Fleskes has announced changes to the Spectrum Advisory Board, including the addition of two new members. “One of the qualities that makes Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Art the preeminent annual for the creative community is the desire to continuously improve and look to those who I admire for their advice and guidance,” John says. “With that goal in mind I would like to welcome our new Advisory Board members Rebecca Guay and Virginie Ropars, who will help keep the enthusiasm, focus, and love for the artwork championed by Spectrum moving forward in the years ahead.”
Rebecca Guay is an award-winning illustrator, gallery artist, and educator; as the founder of the annual workshop The IMC and the online mentoring program SmArt School, Rebecca has had a profound impact on today’s fantastic art community.
Virginie Ropars is a highly respected and influential sculptor and educator based in Brittany, France who has been profiled by The Huffington Post and Art Doll Collector magazine among many others. Her work appears in galleries around the world and resides in major collections in the U.S., Europe, and Russia.
Rebecca and Virginie join the current board consisting of Brom, Alice Carter, Mark Chiarello, James Gurney, Charles Kochman and Iain McCaig. Spectrum co-founder and Honorary Lifelong Board Member Cathy Fenner has also agreed to step into a more active role for the 2016 session. Other lifelong members are Harlan Ellison, Tim Underwood, and Spectrum co-founder Arnie Fenner.
In conjunction with the new, we would also like to give our heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Advisory Board member, Irene Gallo, for her many years of hard work and assistance to Spectrum and her passion to our art and artists.
The Advisory Board assists the Director of Spectrum Fantastic Art in answering questions relating to growth, staying current in the genres Spectrum represents, identifying areas of neglect that require attention, encouraging discussion within the group to think outside of Spectrum’s area of experience when selecting jury members, aid in connecting Spectrum with schools or institutions, advising on how Spectrum can better serve the community and individual artists, and in general how to improve the annual, the competition, and its other outreach activities. The Advisory Board also nominates candidates and votes to determine the Grand Master Award recipient each year. Spectrum Advisory Board members are rotated on occasion to help keep the Spectrum’s outlook vibrant, fresh, diverse, and inclusive; any previous Advisory Board member can be re-invited for another term after a one year break at the Director’s discretion.
Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art is the award-winning and internationally renowned art book series established in 1993 by Cathy and Arnie Fenner. The contents of each book is determined by a competition that is open to all artists; a jury of peers—different each year—selects the best works from those entered for inclusion in the book and presents awards in eight categories. The deadline for entries to Spectrum 23 is January 25, 2016.
The prestigious Museum of American Illustration in New York City has hosted three exhibitions dedicated to Spectrum, shattering museum special-event attendance records. It is the sponsor of Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, a yearly convention devoted to creators of all disciplines and sensibilities. Spectrum is published annually by Santa Cruz-based Flesk Publications and is distributed globally by Publishers Group West.
Here are a pair of videos highlighting the Spectrum 22 book signing event which was held on Friday, November 13th at the Atelier Gallery in San Francisco, California from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. The signing was hosted by the Academy of Art University.
Thanks again to all of the artists who took time out of their busy schedules to make an appearance. The artists include Iain McCaig, Colin and Kristine Poole, Steven Russell Black, Alina Chau, Craig Elliott, Te Hu, Kellan Jett, Randy Gallegos, Jean Ji In Kim, Stephanie Law, Michael Manomivibul, Brynn Metheney, Sho Murase, Mark Newman, Karla Ortiz, Paolo Rivera, Dug Stanat, Josh Viers, Allen Williams and Alyssa Winans! Spectrum Founders Arnie & Cathy Fenner, plus the original Spectrum publisher Tim Underwood also made an appearance. I had an amazing time as well!
I have an update regarding the shipping dates for The Art of The Dam Keeper.
December 9th Update:
Over 100 boxes have been packed and will be shipped today. All 200 advance copies will be shipped by this Friday.
December 7th Update:
Dice Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo have signed the advance copies and print for the special pre-order edition. We are numbering the books and prints today and will immediately begin to pack them on Tuesday.
December 1st Update:
I dropped off the books and prints for the special early-bird signed and numbered version at Tonko House on Tuesday. Dice Tsutsumi and Robert Kondo will have them signed by this weekend when we will immediately begin to pack them. The first set of books will go in the mail next Monday.
For those who ordered the regular book, these will be arriving with us around the third week of December. We will start to pack and ship those immediately upon their arrival.
Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered the book. It’s proving to be quite popular. I’ll post more news as I learn more.
This year has proven to be our most ambitious and versatile to date. It’s also been one of the most challenging years to balance as I juggled my Spectrum and Flesk Publications duties.
Running a business is not easy. It involves hours upon hours of action, effort, decision making and the help of many to be successful. Every morning I wake up excited thinking about all of the things we can create during the day. Fortunately, I absolutely love my “job,” this art community and the books that we make. I’ve surrounded myself with smart, positive and wonderful people who share my passion for having fun and for making beautiful books.
We started off the 2015 by publishing two illustrated books with new stories. This includes Storms at Sea by Mark Schultz and The Book of Giants by Peter Meseldzija. Shortly after, Tribes of Kai and the supplemental collection Pridelands: Rival Tribes, an all-new graphic novel written by Lance HaunRogue and painted by Daren Bader, was released. These books are the result of years of work by these creators. It’s my pleasure to serve as the publishing vehicle to make these stories a reality to share with you all.
Soon after, Portfolio: The Complete Various Drawings by Mark Schultz debuted. I started thinking about this book a few years back. I knew that if we were going to recollect the five book Various Drawings series that we had to start from scratch and rethink everything about it. We updated all of the scans, printed everything bigger, added a handful of new pieces to fill in pages and completely redesigned the book in its new oversized format.
Monsters Attack!!! By Arthur Adams and Surrender, My Sweet by Bruce Timm were both big summer hits. Getting the chance to work with Arthur and his wife Joyce Chin to get Monsters Attacks!!! done in time for the San Diego Comic-Con show was a mad dash, but worth the effort. Mark Schultz offered the title suggestion. Mark said that it’s very important to add the three exclamation points in the title, which we made sure to do. I asked the designer, Arpad Terek, to give it a Japanese monster packaging feel, then Laura Martin colored the cover to give the book it’s final packaging.
With Surrender, My Sweet, Bruce Timm sent me his latest batch of new works and some layout guides, design ideas and copy notes to give this title a fresh look. I suggested to Bruce that we create a whole new series title and format for this year. We came up with the digest sized collection that proved suitable for the dimensions of the originals and offered a throwback to the paperbacks from the fifties and sixties. I’ve learned more about how to design from Bruce than from anyone else.
The Flesk blank sketchbooks were a bit of an experiment. I buy journals and sketchbooks often for writing. I thought, why am I buying these things–I’m a publisher, I’m going to make my own! I asked Frank Cho, Terry Dodson, Petar Meseldzija, Iain McCaig, Mark Schultz and Bruce Timm to provide some art and I got them made in the handy format that I like most.
The Art of Elfquest is our first of three books to celebrate the art and career of Wendy Pini. We should get our copies of the book anytime now. We will immediately begin to ship the books to our Kickstarter supporters and to those who pre-ordered the book direct from us when they arrive.
We’re hard at work on Elquest: The Art of The Story and Line of Beauty: The Art of Wendy Pini for next year. Did I mention how great it is to work with Richard and Wendy Pini? I can’t say it enough. I think it is safe to say that Richard is Wendy’s biggest fan.
The Nexus Chronicles is running behind schedule. It is almost done and we plan to send it to the printer soon. Just a few small details left to do. It’ll be worth the wait. The new release date is set for spring 2016.
Spectrum 22: The Best in Contemporary Art is available. We’ve shipped out the artist copies and pre-orders. We received our copies at the Flesk warehouse about a week before our distributor, which gave us a jump on our direct orders. Every artist that is included in Spectrum receives a free copy of the hardcover.
As Spectrum 22 makes its way into your hands, I’m already well into the planning stages for Spectrum 23 and working on the rough draft for the 2015 Year in Review. Spectrum is a tremendous amount of work, yet incredibly satisfying to be a part of. I’m already playing with some new design variations, too.
I hung out with Frank Cho for a few days recently. We got caught up on the next two projects that we will be working on together. We both have big things that we will do in the next 4 to 10 years. I’ve always been able to think we’ll into the future, as has Frank. I think he’s just getting started and can’t wait to see the future projects that he will be presenting to us.
Mark Schultz is currently working on an all-new 60 page Xenozoic story to re-introduce the series to new readers while setting the stage to finish the last storyline cliffhanger from 20 years ago. I’m not joking–I’ve seen the first five pages. It’s happening! We are not making any promises or setting any schedules. It will come out when Mark is done. This initial new story could take anywhere from 2 years (that’s when Mark thinks he will be done) to 4 years (that’s when I think it will be done) for Mark to complete. He’s finished the thumbnail drawings for the entire story and done a series of new character and environment designs. I’ve seen these, too. I ain’t kidding!
Moving on to a new topic, each year, one of the benefits of being the Spectrum director involves choosing who to contact to create the Spectrum Call For Entries poster art. I’ve been lucky so far in that my first artist choices for Spectrum 21-23 have said yes. Generally, I start thinking about a few names early in the year, then let their art percolate in my head for a while and then narrow the list down to one person. Contacting Android for Spectrum 21 and Victo Ngai for Spectrum 22 were clear and quick choices. For the Spectrum 23 poster I wanted to look outside of the typical Spectrum field and find a fresh voice. I asked someone who is a contemporary legend and who is highly regarded by professionals and fans alike, while being a constant source of inspiration. I got the chance to meet Claire Wending during a rare U.S. appearance at the Big Wow Comic fest in San Jose, CA. It was the highlight of the show when I had the chance to meet her in person and ask her if she could produce the art. The poster was mailed to the 5000 people on our mailing list in early October. All you have to do is sign up on our website to receive one for free in the U.S. For our international friends we have an online PDF that you can download.
Imagery From the Bird’s Home: The Art of Bill Carman is one of those special dream projects. Bill and I served on the jury of Spectrum 17 together and we got along well and have kept in touch ever since. This book was designed by Bill and perfectly captures his art. I could say this about all of the books that I’ve published, but this is one of my favorite books.
Our latest book is The Art of the Dam Keeper. It is a behind the scenes collection that serves as a time capsule to the Academy Award nominated short animated film directed by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi. Chapter introductions and interview material with Robert, Dice and the essential crew who worked on the film, plus a wide assortment of drawings and art are gift wrapped together in this charming and unique collection. Furthermore the formation of Tonko House and a glimpse into future projects are covered.
The history behind this book began when I inquired with Dice Tsutsumi if he would be willing to be a part of the jury for Spectrum 22 in July 2014. A few months later, in October 2014 I met Dice for the first time in San Francisco during the APE event at Fort Mason. I knew that Dice had left Pixar earlier that year, that he and Robert had completed their first film together and were touring the film circuit, and that they had formed Tonko House. I asked Dice if they had thought of making an art book for The Dam Keeper and if they would be willing to work together on one? He and Robert agreed, and production begin in earnest during the summer of 2015. We are all very pleased to offer this book. It’s a personal one that captures the heart of Tonko House and gives the viewer a genuine look into the beginnings of this new journey for Tonko House.
For 2016, I’ll be working just as hard as in 2015. We have the pair of Wendy Pini books to finish. I’ll also be intensely involved in the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live show in San Francisco. As Arnie Fenner always tells me, it’s all about details, details and more details!
I’ll have some new books to announce next year. I’m turning down all book proposals, and putting new projects on hold until I get caught up on my current obligations. I prefer to letting the books take their own time and not setting schedules. Personally, with the exception of Spectrum, I prefer to not set schedules. I think this is one of the reasons why I get along with the artists who I work with so well. None of us like deadlines. But somehow we still manage to get books out. Go figure?
We know that the folks at Tonko House are amazing, but we are still floored by the incredible response during The Art of The Dam Keeper book premier today at the Tonko House booth during the opening at CTN. We sold all of the advance copies in less than three hours. We had the privileged to meet nearly 200 enthusiastic people who share our passion for what Tonko House is creating. Thanks to everyone who visited. The Dam Keeper fans are the greatest!
Mark Schultz and I have been talking on the phone over these last few weeks about his new books for 2016. In the works is Carbon 2, the latest home for his collected works to bring us up to date since his last Carbon collection that came out three years ago.
