Author: John Fleskes

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Robert Wagner writes introduction to The Prince Valiant Page!

The Prince Valiant Page by Gary Gianni has been dropped off at the printer. I don’t think either Gary or myself expected this book to take so long to put together, although both of us are extremely happy with it. The street date is set for June 15, 2008. I fully expect it to be in your local book or comic store by that time.

Besides the generosity of Mike Mignola writing a foreword to the book, we are honored to have Mr. Robert Wagner provide the introduction. Mr. Wagner only had three weeks to provide us with his written oration, and he came through like the seasoned professional that he is. Mr. Wagner, to our delight, wrote about his experiences while playing the lead role of Val in the 1954 feature film. It’s a wonderful piece, in which we are grateful to have included in the book.

And for those of you who don’t know, there will be 50 copies containing an original pencil preliminary by Gianni to one of the Prince Valiant strips. These will come in a special cloth slipcase. The art will be tipped into the book. I have not advertised this edition until now, but somehow the word got out there (which is great!). Forty copies are already reserved. If you want one, please send me an email. The books will be priced between $250.00 and $300.00.

Check out The Prince Valiant Page this June! For full details on the book, visit the Flesk website.

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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William Stout Completes Murals for the San Diego Natural History Museum!

William Stout Completes Murals for the San Diego Natural History Museum!William Stout has completed all 12 of his murals for the San Diego Natural History Museum. The final works have been hung and are available for viewing in the SDNHM Fossil Mysteries exhibition.

Stout comments on his monumental achievement, “This has been the most pleasurable of projects for me. I am so happy that I had the time and the opportunity to do my best work for the museum. I am optimistic in my hope that these paintings will stand the test of time and serve to inspire many, many future young artists and scientists that way that other muralists, like Charles R. Knight and Rudolph Zallinger, have inspired both myself and my friends in the world of paleontology.”

With the murals complete, William Stout and Flesk Publications are working together to bring these works into book form. Those unable to visit the SDNHM and people interesting in taking home the experience will be able to cherish his works time and time again in this volume. In addition, Stout’s previous mural assignments for Houston Museum of Natural Science and Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be included as well.

Check back at the Flesk Publications website in the coming months for full details and sample art. The book is slated for summer 2008.

For more information on the SDNHM, visit their website here. And, follow William Stout’s exploits and view his gallery of art at his website here.

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Super Deluxe Edition of Steve Rude Book Limited to Only 13 Copies!

Here’s a real treat for the most hardcore Steve Rude collector. Our upcoming book Steve Rude: Artist in Motion will have an extremely limited super deluxe edition. Only 13 are being made, with 12 of them for sale to the public. Each will contain a finished original watercolor bound into the book. These pieces are phenomenal!

These limited books will also have a special slipcase unique to these 13 copies. This will be a truly unique and special item. The prices will range from $300.00 to $500.00 depending on the artwork contained within. Certain pieces will have a higher value than others, depending on the subject matter. I provided Steve with no guidelines and he drew whatever he pleased. They came out exceptional.

If you want to have the opportunity to purchase one of these books, here’s what you need to do. Send me an email at info@fleskpublications.com. I will add you to the reservation list. So far, there are five people signed up. I will be posting the artwork contained in the books on our website in the coming weeks, along with the prices. I will then let the people select which artwork they would like based on when they signed up. The first person gets first choice, the second gets second choice, etc. I don’t expect these to last.

All proceeds for these books will go directly to the Rude family.

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Looking For Al Williamson Flash Gordon Originals

Mark Schultz, Randy Dahlk, and myself are working on a Flash Gordon book that will collect all of Al Williamson’s work on the character. The Williamson family is providing their support on the project, too.

We have been fortunate to find almost all of the original art, but are still missing a few items. We have some good leads on a few pages, but could use some help obtaining more. The artwork we require are original pages from the King Comics Flash Gordon #1, and pages from the King Comics Flash Gordon #5 for the story “Gods of the Beastmen.”

If you have any of these originals, or can help obtain scans from a friends or acquaintances collection, we would appreciate hearing from you. I will be certain to include you in the acknowledgments section and provide you with a free copy of the book once it is complete.

Please contact John Fleskes at 408-206-2346 or at info@fleskpublications.com. Thanks!

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Franklin Booth and Jordi Bernet books from Auad Publishing

There’s a new book on Franklin Booth available from my good friend Manuel Auad at Auad Publishing. The title of the book is Franklin Booth: American Illustrator. This book has no overlap with my book Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen. Together, they compliment one another.

Manuel also has a terrific book on Jordi Bernet. Jordi is just now starting to get some attention in the US. He’s an amazing artist who is popular in Spain for his Torpedo and Clara works, to name a few. I’ve always loved his mix of gritty and tongue-in-check illustrations.

Lately, Jordi Bernet has been doing work for DC Comics Jonah Hex comic series where he illustrated the first origin of Hex. He also did a nice fill-in story for a recent Spirit comic. I suspect Bernet’s popularity will continue to grow in this country.

If you are just learning about Bernet’s work, Auad’s collection of his art, much of it translated for the first time, will serve as a wonderful collection to any comic library. The book is 240 pages and contains 11 complete stories and many pin-ups.

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Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen Reprint

I have reprinted my inaugural title, Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen. It has been out of print for about half a year. I am pleased to have continued interest in the book. Besides being moved by Booth’s art, I am emotionally attached to this title as it is my first book, and it kick-started my publishing business.

So, why the new cover, and is there anything new inside the book?

I wanted the reprint to appeal to an audience that is not familiar with Franklin Booth. The original cover had Booth’s signature, which is not instantly recognizable or easy to read for the casual browser. Since I recently signed with SCB distributors, who are now placing our titles in the book trade, I felt it was a good idea to make the cover more readable.

I asked Randy Dahlk to update the design of my original cover, while keeping the basic look intact. The result is a more appealing cover, with warm rich colors. Randy found the color swatches from some books from the early twenties, which is during Booth’s prime.

The interior of the reprint is identical to the previous printings. I did not want those who supported me in the beginning to feel like they had to buy a revised edition, or feel cheated after buying the first one. Rest assured, if you have the first or second edition, you have the same guts.

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How we approach reproducing Mark Schultz’s artwork

Have you ever wondered how Mark Schultz and I approach the artwork reproduction for the Various Drawings series? It’s fairly simple. He has a specific way he would like his work showcased. This makes my job easy. I know the exact look he wants, and it follows my tastes as well.

You’ll notice the brush and ink pieces are printed without the paper showing and are very clean. The stock Mark uses for these finished works has little or no texture. The pencil pieces, drawn on a stock with character to them, are shown with the paper. This is a conscience decision on our part. We both like to see the grit of the paper. This technique, we feel, allows an individual to view the artwork as if they are holding the original.

Both Schultz and myself are excited to be wrapping up Various Drawings Volume Three at the moment. New to this volume are a handful of color works. Many incredible preliminaries are included as well. It will offer a whole new perspective to Schultz’s work, not seen in the previous two volumes. You can view sample images and the full book description on the Flesk Publications website. It will be available August 1, 2007.

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WonderCon 2007 and Mark Schultz

This year was my second time exhibiting at WonderCon as Flesk Publications. I have attended the show each year since 1994. During that time, I spent roughly a decade helping my good friend Jim Vadeboncoeur set up his Bud Plant Illustrated Books booth. With Jim’s retirement, I found myself longing to work a booth again, hence the fruition of the Flesk booth at WonderCon.

Not only do I enjoy attending the show, but also promoting and selling art books. I consider myself lucky to be in a position to share artist’s works that I admire. I also relish visiting with the creators in artist’s alley. The WonderCon guest list was impressive, with Gene Colan, Nick Cardy, Al Feldstein, Sergio Aragones, and Thomas Yeates all present. These are all some of my personal favorite comic artists.

Mark Schultz shared the booth with us again. He brought a stunning array of new artwork, with many pieces for sale. Schultz had a handful of finished graphite and carbon drawings that show a serious growth using these mediums. I can honestly say they are among his best works. Schultz really has grown comfortable with graphite over the last three years. This is a medium in which he usually reserved for loose prelims prior, but now explores as full finished graphite drawings. A handful of them were created just for Various Drawings Volume Three, which is slated for July 2007. We plan on debuting this latest collection at the San Diego Comic-Con.

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William Stout Murals at the San Diego Natural History Museum

Last November I took a trip with my family to San Diego. Besides the obvious reason of spending some relaxing time with my wife, son, and mother-in-law, I wanted to see William Stout’s murals at the San Diego Natural History Museum. Stout is nearing completion of twelve murals for the museum. To date, eight are finished, with the remaining four scheduled for completion in the coming months.

The Natural History Museum is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park. I have been attending the San Diego Comic-Con every year since 1994, and I never realized just 15 minutes away was this incredible park filled with 15 museums, concert halls, gardens, and the SD Zoo. The park was originally built to hold an exposition in celebration of the completion of the Panama Canal in 1915.

The Natural History museum is worth a visit, especially if you are a dinosaur enthusiast. Stout’s murals hang as backdrops to the skeletal displays, allowing you to visualize how these giants might have looked.

If you find yourself in the San Diego area, or attend the San Diego Comic-Con, I highly recommend a trip to Balboa Park, and the Natural History Museum.

Now for the rally exciting news. I will be publishing a book on all of William’s mural work. He will be writing the book to include his process and stages of each piece will be showcased! Visit the Flesk Publications website for details in the coming months!

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Jim Vadeboncoeur’s Images Magazine!

Images Magazine is back! After a sojourn away, while working on his Everett Raymond Kinstler book, Jim has just released his latest issue of Images Magazine. This eighth issue harkens back to the artist who initiated the first issue of Images, by featuring Heinrich Kley.

The Vadeboncoeur Collection of Images started from Jim’s desire to reprint a rare issue of Jugend from 1910. This magazine featured Kley exclusively. Jim found this issue of Jugend at an ABAA rare book show we were attending in San Francisco in early February 2001. At the time, we would never have suspected that this magazine would serve as a catalyst for Images, which then inspired me to do my Franklin Booth book and kick start Flesk Publications.

Coming back to the current issue of Images, we see a different side of Kley’s work. Before the satirical and whimsical style prevalent in most of our minds as the definitive Kley, there was an artist of industry, landscapes and architecture. These works are of great beauty and fine craftsmanship. They prove Kley’s adeptness at a wide range of subject matters and mediums. If you are expecting alligators dancing with scantily clad women, you still will not be disappointed by this rare artwork uncovered from the Vadeboncoeur collection.

To order Images visit Jim’s site at www.bpib.com.

Enjoy,

John

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Text copyright © 2007 John Fleskes.