Category: Art News

I am pleased to announce that Mark Schultz Various Drawings Volume Five will available in July 2011.

If you are curious as to the reason why the fifth volume did not come out in 2010, here it is. Filling up the 48-page book with Schultz art is not the issue. The problem lies in Mark Schultz being very particular as to what goes into the book, and his insistence that the art be new works that have been completed since the last volume. In this case, this would be since the summer of 2009. Older work, as splendid as they are, is not considered at the moment. Showcasing only Schultz’s latest and best works is the goal of Various Drawings.

You can view the details and sample art on the book information page on the Flesk website.

Enjoy,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications
Text © 2011 John Fleskes

Links:
Mark Schultz Various Drawings Volume Five details and sample art
Mark Schultz Various Drawings Volume Five – The Creation of the Cover!
Other Mark Schultz books from Flesk Publications

The Nucleus Gallery will have their opening reception for Poster Peepshow: The Art of the Pin-Up this Saturday, February 5, 2011. The exhibit will run until February 28. They will have a wide assortment of pin-up themed original artwork on display, including pieces from our recently published Jungle Girls book by Jim Silke. Also included is art by Craig Elliott. I am currently working with Craig on a new book collection of his artwork. Both Silke and Elliott will be at the reception on Friday evening. A book signing with Olivia De Berardinis will run from 6pm to 7pm that evening.

I’ll be there for the reception as well. See you at the show!

Links:
Poster Peepshow exhibit information
Gallery Nucleus
Jungle Girls by Jim Silke book details
Craig Elliott website

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications
text © 2011 John Fleskes

The Call For Entries is still open for Spectrum 18, but not for much longer. You still have time to submit your art in the Advertising, Book, Comics/Graphic Novels, Concept Art, Dimensional, Editorial, Institutional and Unpublished categories. Any published or unpublished art must have been finished or first published between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011.

For more details visit the Spectrum website here, or jump to the entry form in a PDF format here.

The annual Spectrum collection is dedicated to promoting the fantastic arts for contemporary artists. Submissions for Spectrum 18 will be voted on by Julie Bell, Nathan Fox, Gregory Manchess, Brandon Shiflett, Jarrod Shiflett, Boris Vallejo, and Shena Wolf.

I’m putting my package together right now. I’ll be submitting various works on the artist’s behalf that I have published. If the art is selected, I consider it a great advertising tool, a good way to promote the artist through increased exposure, and a possible opportunity to grab the attention of an art director or client, or a fan wanting a personal commission, to get them more work.

Good luck to those who submit their work!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

The latest Flesk email newsletter was sent out today. I’ve posted it in this blog entry as well. If you would like to join our newsletter for future notifications, you can click here to add your email address. Jungle Girls and our other Flesk books can be purchased at our online store.

Enjoy!

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

Jungle Girls is a celebration of that impossible, loony, glorious nonsense that Jim Silke somehow finds essential!

Jungle Girls unleashes over fifty never-before-seen images of the fabulous and provocative female inhabitants of the fictional world’s steamier climes, all created by that renowned modern master of the pinup, Jim Silke.

This sumptuous volume celebrates literature’s original “natural woman” in all of her varied and glorious incarnations. From earthy jungle goddesses and sensual jungle queens to bedazzling slave girls and haughty harem damsels; from resplendent tropical tramps and beguiling dragon ladies to brazen, semi-clad barbarian babes to Silke’s versions of the modern, bold, daring and dangerous beauties that prowl his imagination. They’re all here—including H. Rider Haggard’s She, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Jane and Hedy Lamarr’s Tondelayo. Each and every one of these delectable and decidedly dangerous beauties has been wholly captured— heart, body and soul—by Silke’s lush lines and brush strokes.

Jungle Girls showcases 52 all-new, simply stunning Silke illustrations, supplemented by an extensive selection of movie stills and other rare images from private collections, all of them carefully chosen to further heighten the reader’s enjoyment. As with all Flesk Publications, each and every page of this book will be reproduced, presented and printed on the best-quality paper to meet the highest, most exacting of standards, all to ensure that Silke’s “Jungle Girls” are presented to their best advantage.

In a playful tone Silke often refers to his fascination with jungle girls as “nonsense.” “Nonsense has been with us since the first bad joke was told, so the Jungle Girl nonsense that charmed my life in the early 1940s might just appeal to today’s young people, after all the video games and movies they enjoy today are almost all absolute nonsense," jokes Silke.

In reference to the gorgeous models that inspire his art, Silke shares, “Thank God for beautiful women, particularly those that pose for me."

When confronted by the possibility of distributors and retailers finding the cover artwork for Jungle Girls a bit too revealing Silke explains, "Looking at the book, now that it’s printed, it occurs to me that I spent an awful lot of time placing strings of beads on my gorgeous brown skinned girls in precisely the right place so the book could get past the censors."

Jungle Girls is 84-pages with two gatefolds at 8.5 x 11”. The softbound edition is $24.95, ISBN: 978-1-933865-32-4.

The hardbound deluxe edition is limited to 500 copies with jacket. Exclusive to this edition is a bound in plate reproducing an unpublished illustration. Each copy is numbered and signed. The cover price is $44.95, ISBN: 978-1-933865-33-1. Only 100 copies of this edition are left for sale.

About Jim Silke

Jim Silke served as the Executive Art Director at Capitol Records. He is the creator and editor of the magazines Cinema and Movies International, novelist (the Death Dealer series), and screenwriter (Sahara, King Solomon’s Mines, Revenge of the Ninja, etc.). His books include, Bettie Page: Queen of the Nile, Bettie Page: Queen of Hearts, Bettie Page Rules and Pin-Up: The Illegitimate Art. Silke has won many awards, including a Grammy for the cover of Judy at Carnegie Hall, an Emmy citation for AFI’s James Cagney Life Achievement Award, and citations from The Society of Illustrators, and the Los Angeles Art Directors’ Club.

Full details and sample pages for Jungle Girls and all Flesk Publications titles and our most recent news can be found on our website, and on publisher John Fleskes’ blog. Jungle Girls and our other Flesk books can be purchased on our online store. Thank you for your support! Feel free to contact us with any questions and interview requests.

I just received the original art for a commission from Petar Meseldžija titled “Unk!” Needless to say, I’m a satisfied customer. I laughed for quite some time when I first saw the piece. Petar told me he experimented with this drawing in using more tones than he normally has in the past. I love what he did.

My only direction to Petar was the elements I wanted in the piece. I asked for a tree (he does amazing trees), a giant, noble hero type and a woman. As far as the composition and direction I gave him no feedback. I’m not an artist, so why limit him with my imagination.

I’ve seen people give artists lengthy instructions and even stick figure sketches showing what they want for a commission. I would never do this. To me, when you commission and artist to do a drawing or painting you are not only getting an artists original work, but their creativity and imagination. I do everything possible to keep myself out of it. I’ve heard the argument that if you are going to pay money for a personal commission (and at times this can be a substantial amount) that they want to get exactly what they want. I understand this, but it isn’t my style. Outside of the subject matter, I don’t want exactly what I want, I want exactly what the artist envisions. (Art for publication is a different matter, as there are certain factors and goals in mind that an art director will want met. That’s another topic.)

Another thing is I want to make sure the subject matter is something the artist will get excited about, pushing them to do their best work, with creative freedom.

Petar has posted some notes, the initial sketch and big views of the art on his latest blog, which you can read here.

Thanks to Petar for doing this beautiful drawing for me! Oh, and by the way, Petar is taking on commissions. You can contact at petarmeseldzija@planet.nl for inquiries and pricing.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

I received the following press release from Joe Procopio announcing his foray into the publishing world. His company Picture This Press has debuted three new titles as a part of their Lost Art Books series.

Joe’s efforts are a welcome addition to any collector of early 20th century illustration and cartoons, as well as an important part of preserving artists of the past for recognition and rediscovery. I am excited by this news of a new company dedicated to preserving this field I am so passionate about. Good luck Joe! — John Fleskes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28 2010
Contact: Joe Procopio, joseph.procopio@lostartbooks.com, (240) 643-8714
To download a PDF of this press release: http://tiny.cc/w9tma

New publisher Picture This Press debuts with three titles on forgotten masters of graphic art
Lost Art Books series devoted to preserving early 20th century illustration and cartoons

SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND–Picture This Press, a new publishing house devoted to the graphic arts, has simultaneously released its first three volumes in its Lost Art Books series, an imprint that focuses on the illustrators and cartoonists who were nationally known figures in their day but have since slipped into obscurity. After several years of laying the groundwork for the press’ launch, gathering a vast library of material and developing a significant network of outside resources, The Lost Art Books imprint made its public debut last month at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland, joining the ranks of independent publishers passionate about these past masters of illustration and cartoon art.

The Lost Art of Zim–Cartoons and Caricatures revives for modern audiences the hard won wisdom of a founding father of American cartooning, Eugene ‘Zim’ Zimmerman. This centennial edition collects material from America’s earliest correspondence course on how to be a cartoonist. More than a simple collection of “how to” lessons, Zim outlines an entire philosophy of life for would-be cartoonists, sage advice from decades of experience. The book is rounded out with an introduction by Zim scholar Walter Brasch and a rare biography on the artist’s life.

The father of caveman-and-dinosaur comics gets the deluxe treatment in The Lost Art of E.T. Reed–Prehistoric Peeps with a comprehensive introduction by artist/writer Stephen Bissette (Swamp Thing). This strip, which first appeared in Punch magazine, was the first to stumble upon the comic goldmine of throwing prehistoric men and dinosaurs into anachronistic situations. It became hugely influential, and a clear line can easily be drawn from Reed’s Prehistoric Peeps straight through the decades to television’s The Flintstones. Reed deserves further celebration for the remarkable draftsmanship he brought not only to Prehistoric Peeps but also to the cartoons he produced as a parliamentary caricaturist and social satirist, all of which are examined in this volume, the first of its kind ever devoted to Reed and his work.

A neglected master draftsman finally receives the attention he deserves in The Lost Art of Frederick Richardson. This volume presents over a hundred illustrations from his prolific final years as a newspaper artist for the Chicago Daily News. All that is known about Richardson’s life can be found in the introduction by fantasy writer Ruth Berman and well-known mathematics and science writer Martin Gardner. This collection-the first of its kind in well over a century-will leave modern readers wondering what today’s newspapers might be like if they aspired to this level of enchantment and artistry.

Picture This Press founder Joseph Procopio along with his co-publisher Ellen Levy have a combined 35 years of publishing experience, having worked as editors and writers and directed publications departments for a variety of organizations. Matching this level of expertise with their passion for the material will result in many more books aimed at introducing modern readers to these great artists of the “golden age” of cartooning and illustration.

About Picture This Press is dedicated to broadening the appreciation and awareness of the artists who work in the fields of illustration, cartooning, graphic arts, photography, and poster design.

Lost Art Books, the flagship series from Picture This Press, collects and preserves the works of illustrators and cartoonists from the first half of the 20th century. Too many of these artists have gone under appreciated for too long, with much of their work uncollected or unexamined for decades, if at all. The Lost Art series of books aims to preserve this cultural heritage by re-introducing these artists to new generations of working artists, historians, and admirers of things beautiful.

Before I gush about Spectrum 17 edited by Arnie and Cathy Fenner [Underwood Books], I would like to share some of my experiences being involved as a jury member for this edition.

During the 2008 Comic-Con International in San Diego I had the opportunity to have dinner for the first time with Arnie and Cathy Fenner on the Saturday evening of the show. William Stout was present too, for a lively discussion and enjoyable evening. At one point, Bill stepped away for ten minutes. While he was gone, Arnie and Cathy asked me if I would be interested in being one of the five jury members for Spectrum 17? I was both surprised and elated. I consider Spectrum to be an invaluable resource to the field, and something I have enjoyed since its first volume. To be among the jury is an honor I could never have imagined as I first picked up Spectrum 1, or even Spectrum 15 for that matter.

Fast forward to February 27, 2010 when the jury convened in Kansas City to view and make our selections for Spectrum 17. I wrote a blog in March detailing my adventures as a jury member, which can be read here.

I received my copy of Spectrum 17 a few days ago. It’s exciting and interesting to see how the combined private choices of five individuals formed this collection. I was the only jury member who was not an artist. During our debates when selecting the pieces for awards, I found it interesting to see how artists looked at the art compared to my own viewpoint.

Flipping through the book, I notice there are many artists I was completely unaware of prior to our viewing the submissions in February, but now find them to be among my favorite contemporary artists. The two standouts for me are Eric Fortune and Sam Weber. These two do absolutely phenomenal work. I can’t praise both of them enough. If there was a Best of Show selection for the book, my vote would have been for Sam Weber’s “Absinthe Drinker.”

Other artists I was previously unaware of who stood out to me are Victo Ngai, Yuta Onoda, Chris Buzelli, Android Jones, Joe Quinones, Steven Tabbutt, Heather Theurer, and there are many more. Artists I am familiar with that I was happy to see new works from are Gregory Manches, Donato, Justin Sweet, Michael Kaluta, Craig Elliott, Frank Cho, Peter de Seve, Claire Wendling, Charles Vess, Scott Gustafson, Art Adams, James Gurney and plenty others.

One aspect I enjoy about Spectrum is there are plenty of well-known professionals in there. But even better, a large selection of artists that don’t have the big name recognition are included in this beautiful showcase. I get just as much of a kick discovering new artists as I do seeing new works by those I am familiar with.

Also, with the amount of periodicals in the marketplace it would be very difficult to see all of the material you can find in Spectrum. I dig seeing all of the art in one place.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Spectrum 17 jury event, the announcement was made that I would be a part of the Spectrum Advisory Board. I am deeply honored by Arnie and Cathy’s invitation to join the Advisory Board. I can only hope to live up to the expectations they have for me. Since its onset, I eagerly anticipate each new collection as the definitive yearly showcase of the fantastic art genre I am so passionate about. The concept of their mission to “promote and provide exposure to fantastic artists” has turned into a worldwide phenomenon. I am privileged and humbled to play a small role in keeping Arnie and Cathy “in line.”

Other board members are: Rick Berry, Brom, Mark Chiarello, Leo Dillon, Diane Dillon, Harlan Ellison, Irene Gallo, Bud Plant, Tim Underwood, and Michael Whelan.

My first role as an Advisory Board member was to place my vote for the Spectrum 17 Grand Master Award. We were each requested to provide a list of three names for consideration. The individual must have made a significant contribution to the field, and proved to inspire and influence both readers and fellow artists. As one of the artists I sought out to publish for his outstanding achievements, casting one of my votes for Al Williamson felt natural. I knew full well my association with Al and his family and my publishing two books on his works would appear as favoritism to some, but that doesn’t bother me one bit. There are ten advisory board members and two directors who took part in the voting process. If Al didn’t deserve the award, then someone else would have been selected.

Once Al was selected, Arnie then asked me to write a piece to accompany Al’s Grand Master Award section for inclusion in Spectrum 17. A week after I turned in the text, Al passed away. As much as I knew Al was in poor health, it still shocked me.

I have had a wonderful opportunity to play a small role in this year’s Spectrum of which I am grateful. I am thankful to Cathy and Arnie for allowing me the privilege.

To learn more about Spectrum and read information on the Call For Entries, you can visit the Spectrum website here.

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications
© 2010 John Fleskes

The Call For Entries submissions for Spectrum 18 is now open! The Call For Entries posters are currently being mailed out. You can visit the entry information page on the Spectrum website for a PDF version and for further details. What is Spectrum? Find out by clicking here.

This year’s poster is designed and painted by a favorite of mine, Bill Carman.

The Spectrum 18 Jury (from top, l to r): Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Shena Wolf, Nathan Fox, Gregory Manchess, and Brandon & Jarrod Shiflett

And be on the look out for Spectrum 17 arriving in the stores any day now!

Enjoy,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications