Back in 2012 we released Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm. The original printing is shown at left. The revised Big Pocket edition is shown at right. Both sold out quickly.
People have been asking for years if we would reprint this book. Well, good news, we will bring this book back back in print in the fall of 2021. We’re currently wrapping up 5 other books before we can turn our attention to Naughty and Nice.
We’ll be using the Big Pocket cover, which is our favorite image of the two options. The new printing will be 9 x 12″ and we will have a hardcover and paperback edition. More news about this coming in the spring of 2021!
Al Williamson’s Strange World Adventures book update!
While working on the book we realized that the previously advertised book dimensions of 9 x 12 inches was too small. We increased the size to 9.75 x 13 inches to give the book some more breathing room for the art and text.
In addition, we are fortunate to have a new foreword by William Stout and an introduction by Rick Veitch. Both of these gentlemen were friends with Al and wrote heartfelt tributes about Al.
Back in the spring of 2002 I published my first book, Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen. Early next year I will begin working on a revised edition to have available in the spring of 2022. What better way to celebrate our 20th anniversary than to revisit the book that started it all!
I came across a box recently that is filled with additional Booth material that I have gathered over the years. For instance, I have a fascinating unpublished article that was written by one of Booth’s students. I spoke on the phone with him about 15 years ago when he was well into his nineties. Soon after our call he mailed me his essay with his permission to publish it one day.
By taking my time throughout 2021, I feel this will make for a special new edition that will be enjoyable to work on at a leisurely pace.
If you have any neat obscure Booth material that you would like to share with me to use in the revised book,please let me know. I may already have it, but maybe not?
At the moment, we’re wrapping up 5 new books on other artists. I’ll be making many new announcements as the months go by.
William Stout is a famously diverse artist of international renown in many fields: themed entertainment and motion picture design (specializing in science fiction/fantasy/horror films), comic book art, book illustration, poster design, CD covers, public murals, and dynamic yet accurate reconstructions of prehistoric life. His endeavors in the fields of movies and comics have gained him a loyal following, making him a popular guest at comic book, science fiction and horror movie conventions around the world.
FLESK: What experience do you hope viewers have while looking at your art?
STOUT: I think that having an emotional impact is far better than appealing solely to one’s intellect. I want the viewers of my work to feel awe, or experience beauty, or share empathy, or feel sad because of a depiction of gross societal unfairness, or laugh at the subversive humor that runs through most of my work.
Peter Green (from Legends of British Blues)
FLESK: Much of your art features an array of more-than-human imagery. What is it about human reality combined with metaphysical elements that speaks to you?
STOUT: For me, the art that I strive for needs to excel in three combined areas: the physical, the spiritual and the intellectual. If I capture all three in one picture, I’m a happy guy.
FLESK: What emotion tends to guide your creativity the most?
STOUT: Fear! Like a lot of artists I know, deadlines are a great source of inspiration. Waking up to a feeling of deadline terror really motivates me. I am also terrified that my next piece won’t be good enough to bear my signature. I never want to let myself or my followers down.
In my work I often like to capture a sense of breathtaking awe. I feel elation when a picture is going well but some panic and dread when it’s not. Since my goal is to always do the best that I can, I know that through due diligence I will probably end up with a decent piece at the very least.
20-20-20 (from the Music Book)
FLESK: What is your favorite fantasy subject to illustrate?
STOUT: That would be anything organic in nature. I hate using a ruler. I’d much rather draw ancient ruins and old Victorian homes than skyscrapers. I love illustrating animals as well as humans. During non-COVID times I host a figure drawing workshop on Sundays at my studio. Right now, though, I’m missing all of my lovely naked gals…
FLESK: How has your artistic style changed over the years and where do you see it heading?
STOUT: My artistic styles have always been all over the place; I call it “the slow path to fame”. If you desperately desire to be famous, then do the same thing (or draw the same character) over and over and over. I treasure my ability to duplicate a wide range of styles. I don’t want my pictorial problem-solving capabilities to be limited by just one or two or a small handful of styles. I always let the problem dictate the visual solution.
FLESK: Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to share some information about?
STOUT: You bet! Somehow, I’ve been busier than ever during the COVID-19 quarantine. I guess it’s because I mostly work at home anyway. I have been primarily focusing on the completion of three of the books that will be part of my multi-volume autobiography (William Stout – Prehistoric Life Murals was the first volume): one on all of my comics work, one on all of my music-related work and one on all of my underground comix work. Later, I’ll be putting together a book (or books) on all of my designs for film (I’ve worked on over 60 movies).
I’ve also finished translating and illustrating Pablo Neruda’s book Stones of the Sky, and have completed the second book in my blues series. That one is entitled Legends of British Blues and contains 111 full color portraits and bios.
I was talking with the Flesk crew here today and went over what we will be concentrating on during these next two weeks. I’m not sure how other businesses run, but what I do know is that I run a business very differently than most.
For instance, I am very open with Vicky, Kathy, and Lauren about what is going on now, and how what we do today will help us to achieve our 5 year goal. I think you have everything to gain by being open and sharing the current and future plans so that we can all see where we are heading together.
During this two week period we will focus on two new books that are very far along. One is the Edwin Austin Abbey book, the other I will announce in mid-November. We actually have two other books that are at midpoint stages to work on as well. Then there is accounting and bookkeeping to get caught up on, along with wrapping up some long overdue items for our wonderful book distributor, PGW.
Little by little, we get all sorts of neat things done. Never as quickly as I may want to, but it all gets done when the time is right.
I currently have the best team that I have ever had. It makes it pretty hard to fail with Vicky, Kathy and Lauren here helping. Also, with all of those who buy our books, I wake up grateful every day that we are getting through this really tough year thanks to you all.
Spectrum 27 with the Spectrum award prototypes by J. Anthony Kosar and his team at Kosart Studios.
The 16 silver and gold award recipients for Spectrum 27 will have their awards mailed to them in December. There was a delay in making the awards due to a combination of the pandemic and 2020 challenges, but rest assured they are in production at Kosart Studios and will be ready soon.
Spectrum 27 will be arriving at your favorite book and comic stores on November 10th!
With the absence of shows this year Kathy and I channeled all of our energy into editing and designing the best Spectrum that we could possibly make. This is a book that we are exceptionally proud of. We can’t wait for you to get your copies and to hear what you think.
Thanks again to all of the artists who submitted to Spectrum 27 and for making this such a wonderful collection. We’re honored that we could have played a role in Spectrum during these last 7 years.
Kathy and I almost forgot what one another looked like. We took off our masks for all of 30 seconds to take some pictures of us with Spectrum 27. We’ve had masks on each day at the office since the pandemic started. We look forward to being able to see you all again once the shows can safely resume again.
Tran Nguyen is an award-winning illustrator & fine artist. Born in Can Tho, Vietnam, she currently resides in the peachy state of Georgia. Nguyen’s paintings are created with a soft, delicate quality using colored pencil and acrylic on paper. She’s most known for her paintings of whimsical women and their melancholic landscapes, which often possess an air of fantasy and surrealism. She creates illustrations for published media such as magazines, books, wine & beer packaging, animation, advertising, and mural work. Her clients include VH1, Tiger Beer, World Wildlife Fund, and she has showcased with galleries across the world.
FLESK: What experience do you hope viewers have while looking at your art?
NGUYEN: I’d like viewers to feel some form of re-assurance that everything will be okay no matter what they’re going through in life. Or simply getting a tinge of creative inspiration from it would make the illustration a success.
FLESK: Much of your art features an array of more-than-human imagery. What is it about human reality combined with metaphysical elements that speaks to you?
NGUYEN: There are layers beneath human reality that isn’t visually apparent, but exists, so I like to give these layers physical form and showcase the two together in the same image plane to create a sense of surrealism. Reality is so much more extraordinary than it appears.
You Must Not Miss by Tran Nguyen
FLESK: What emotion tends to guide your creativity the most?
NGUYEN: Most probably melancholy and its near opposite, contentment.
FLESK: What is your favorite fantasy subject to illustrate?
NGUYEN: My favorites are fluffy, feline beasts such as massive tigers or shield maiden-esque characters with an Asian twist.
FLESK: How has your artistic style changed over the years and where do you see it heading?
NGUYEN: My artistic style started out far more bizarre and surreal, but these days, it’s toned itself down. As my personal narrative has become grounded, my execution of the subject has gotten more realistic. In the near future, I plan on revisiting those weird and whimsical subject matters as well as scaling back the tightly rendered forms.
FLESK: Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to share some information about?
NGUYEN: I have a ton of personal projects that’s been on back burner for years and one of it is creating a luxe silk scarf featuring one of my illustrations. I finally have the time to bring it to life and I’m excited launch the project on Kickstarter in early October 2020.
Ambedo by Tran Nguyen. Art book retrospective published by Flesk.
