Bruce Timm will be a guest at the Emerald City Comicon running this weekend from March 4-6, 2011 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Bruce will have an exclusive postcard flier announcing our upcoming book Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm coming this fall from Flesk Publications! These fliers are free and can only be obtained from Bruce directly at location E-01, where he can sign them, too!
The above two images show the front (top) and back (bottom) of the promotional postcard. The front artwork will be used for the finished book cover, which is still in development. Look for full details, the final cover, and sample artwork for this book on the Flesk website and this blog in the weeks to come.
I am honored to have this opportunity to work with Bruce Timm and publish this extensive look at his art chronicling the female form. This substantial collection will showcase over 250 full color and black and white images in a large 9 x 12” hardbound and softbound format.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is hosting an exhibit of original works and one-sheet posters by renowned artist Bob Peak.
Bob Peak: Creating the Modern Movie Poster features an array of pieces created for movie posters.
Promotional text for the Academy website reads:
“Artist and designer Bob Peak (1927–1992) has been hailed as the “father of the modern Hollywood movie poster.” His unique style of motion picture advertising imagery will be on display in the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery, where colorful, graphically complex original paintings done for iconic movie poster campaigns are shown alongside the final one-sheet posters for such titles as “My Fair Lady,” “Camelot,” “Superman,” “Star Trek – The Motion Picture” and “Apocalypse Now.” Multiple designs are presented for nearly 50 films from among the more than 100 campaigns he designed in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.”
There is also a video tour of the gallery online. The event runs from January 20 through April 17, 2011. Admission is free. Visit the links below for more details and for directions.
The Flesk Publications Booth Just Prior to the Show Opening on Wednesday Evening.
It occurred to me that I never wrote about our exhibiting at Comic-Con International in San Diego last July 2010.
As with the last couple of years, I spent the Wednesday morning prior to the show in Balboa Park. Designer extraordinaire, Randall Dahlk, joined me in visiting the gardens. I snapped pictures of some pitcher plants among other types of flora. I can get into a Zen-like state when photographing nature. I find it very relaxing. The quiet interlude was a welcome experience after preparing for the convention.
With the show starting Wednesday evening, we got put into the spin-cycle and hung on until our release on Sunday night. I don’t want this to sound bad, because it isn’t. However, most other shows allow small breaks here and there, and offer a chance to walk around and escape the booth. Comic-Con doesn’t offer this luxury for me.
John Fleskes at the Flesk Booth at Comic-Con 2010.
I did manage to escape the booth for a little bit on Sunday, but otherwise didn’t see the show. Because of this I don’t have any insight into the event itself. I am a little jealous of those that are free to run around. That’s the price of being a publisher. I actually have to go online and read blogs to view pictures and hear how the show went, even though I’m there!
The primary purpose of our setting up is to promote the books, artists and company. Selling books is also important, but that is secondary. Having the opportunity to meet new people that have never heard of us and talk with those who have is all very rewarding.
Mark Schultz Signing at the Flesk Booth.
As with previous years, Mark Schultz was kind enough to sign at our booth for two hours each day. The big news for 2011 is Schultz has given up his spot at the booth that he shared with Gary Gianni and Jim and Ruth Keegan. Instead, he will be at our Flesk booth. I’m trying to get a few more artists over for signing in 2011, too. I’ll announce them as they come on board.
Mark Schultz and James Walker II at the Flesk Booth.Randall Dahlk and James Walker II Helping at the Flesk Booth!Randall Dahlk and Musician, Chris Christensen.
One funny story is how Tron actor Bruce Boxleitner stopped by. We chatted and he bought some books. One of my helpers freaked out and asked me if I knew who I was just talking to? I said “no” to his dismay. I enjoy movies and TV, but rarely get the chance to watch them, as I am too busy on my own projects, family and life. The cast of Glee was signing a few rows from us on Sunday. I asked someone what the huge line was (blocking the aisle into our row) and the individual explained what it was. I thought to myself, “What is Glee?” I had never heard of it before. Unless 10 million people are watching and it has been on for five years, I usually don’t know about it. That’s how out of the loop I am with TV. I went back to my booth thinking, “Glee, what a show!”
John Fleskes and Spectrum Director Arnie Fenner.
I had the honor of having dinner with a group of people I admire. One special night was the Spectrum dinner hosted by Arnie and Cathy Fenner. William Stout, Brom, Donato Giancola, Angela Wheeler and Arlo Burnett all had a pleasant evening together. I had never met Brom or Donato outside of a brief encounter at a show. It was nice getting to know them.
On another topic, an interesting observation I made was how many people I saw at the WonderCon show earlier in the year that I normally only see at San Diego. This was following by noticing how many people I normally see in San Diego that didn’t show up. (And again who I saw at WonderCon.) It makes me wonder with the economy if some people are taking a year off from Comic-Con, and/or if certain fans are getting tired of the increasingly difficult and expensive arrangements to get to the San Diego show. I hear a lot of complaints from the people who have been going to San Diego for years, but the fresh new faces are ecstatic to be there. It’s no secret there is a changing of the guard in the attendance, but is this a bad thing? Not in my opinion. There are plenty of other shows that you can still attend that are geared more towards the hard-core comic fan, like WonderCon.
Furthermore, each year I hear more concerns expressed about Comic-Con not being solely about comics anymore. I agree that comics are not the main highlight anymore, but is this a problem? Does someone have to collect comics to be a legitimate attendee? No, I don’t think so. Do you have to buy Spider-Man comics to be a raving Spider-Man fan? Nope. Comic-Con is a place for comic book fans to buy comics and about enjoying the culture and experience of modern pop culture for those that do not. You don’t have to buy comics to be a fan of the characters that derive from comics. The programming guide, guests and theme of the show are still devoted to comics. This introduces the field to a whole new audience with each year, therefore promoting comics. To me, that’s a good thing. Like it or not, if you don’t go next year, there will be someone eagerly awaiting the ticket that is freed up.
For those continuing to make the pilgrimage to Comic-Con, see you in July 2011!
Last Friday I drove down to Southern California to visit with some friends and attend few events.
My first stop was a visit with my book distributor to the trade stores, SCB Distributors. It’s always good to meet with them to discuss how our books are selling, what the market is looking like, and brainstorm ideas about improving and growing. Ideas on the future of digital books is of great interest to me. The owner at SCB, Aaron Silverman, gave me some good tips that I will be applying in the near future. I’ll share those plans here in this blog once they are concrete and implemented.
Then I was off to meet up with Craig Elliott who, I had the pleasure of spending a few days with. For those that aren’t aware of Craig, I have some links at the end of this blog that will inform you of his art and person. He is a truly skilled craftsman. Craig works in film, is an accomplished fine artist, has a line of jewelry, and can build a home if needed. He’s one of those rare all around guys who can do it all. He has worked on Bee Movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog, Treasure Planet and many more films.
Craig and I went to the Pasadena Book Fair on Saturday. Bud Plant and Anne Hutchinson, plus Stuart Ng Books both had a booth at the show. I enjoyed getting the chance to talk to all of them. I also had the opportunity to meet the astounding artist Dean Yeagle. Craig was kind enough to introduce us. Then, I was surprised to bump into my friend Tom Peak, son of Bob Peak, along with Tom’s daughter. Tom filled me in on the new Bob Peak exhibit running at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which runs until April 17, 2011. Tom also shared the progress of the Bob Peak book he is spearheading. The collection is still in development. The Bob Peak website will have details once it becomes available.
That evening, Craig and I went to the Nucleus Gallery for the opening reception of “Poster Peepshow: The Art of the Pin Up.” The showroom was packed with people and beautiful art. Besides Craig Elliott, other artists featured and in attendance were Olivia De Berardinis, Jim Silke and Dean Yeagle. Silke was signing his new book that I published, Jungle Girls, along with his previous titles from Dark Horse. William Stout even showed up, but we completely missed each other in the large crowd. You can see pictures of the event on the Nucleus Gallery website. Our pal Mary from Stuart Ng Books even showed up. Nucleus has a terrific bookstore. They carry our Flesk Silke and Stout books. Plus, to top off a fine evening, Nucleus served cheesecake.
It’s been too long since I have attended an event that I was not a part of. I liked the relaxed feeling of not being responsible for anything. I had a great time.
Sunday I had the opportunity to spend some time with William Stout. Besides seeing how many different projects he is currently involved with, (second zombie calendar, CD covers for the Smithereens and Rob Zombie, and film design) we had the chance to go over a few future projects we will be working on together. (You will have to wait to hear about those later!)
Petar Meseldžija sent me a handful of pictures from his trip to IlluxCon on November 11-14, 2010 that he offered for me to share on my blog. He let me know he sold the thirty copies of The Legend of Steel Bashaw that I sent him for the event in the first hour and a half. He also sold all of the copies of the Serbian edition of “Steel Bashaw,” and many of the originals he brought along!
The following photos illustrate the pleasure he had in meeting with many fellow artists. The caption for each picture is written by Petar.
I would like to share some exciting news about Petar Meseldžija.
Petar will be making a rare U.S. appearance at Illuxcon this November 11-14, 2010 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He will take part in the Showcase Event that will be held from 7 pm until 11 pm on Friday, November 12th, and from 9 am until noon on Saturday, November 13th.
An original oil painting will be displayed and offered for sale (please see the image of the painting above). Also there will be a selection of Petar’s original Tarzan comic pages as well as the original drawings and sketches and a number of oil/acrylic illustrations on paper from his book King Arthur and the Knights of Round Table. All displayed work will be for sale. Beside the original work Petar will present a limited number of copies of his book The Legend of Steel Bashaw, recently published by Flesk Publications.
The Alternative Press Expo (APE) has quickly become one of my most anticipated shows. The breadth of artists and creativity in the room was astounding. This show allows for an easily accessible venue for artists and self-publishers to showcase their talent. An affordable entry fee, easy access and parking, and very reasonable table cost, make this a welcome event for those trying to gain exposure. The APE staff and organizers make the show pleasant and easy, which is a welcome experience when compared to some of the more hectic shows I set up at.
We had a busy spot near the front entrance. We were next to our friends at Stuart Ng Books. This show had an obvious increase in attendance compared to last year. There was also an additional growth of 50-tables over the 2009 show. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to learn about us, to see what’s new, and to those who bought a book or two. It all helps so we can continue fueling our passion and making more books.
The Friday before the show, I received copies of both Xenozoic by Mark Schultz and Inspirations by William Stout. We had them available at APE where a lucky few were able to pick up copies prior to their arriving in the stores. Our book distributor has them in the warehouse and is currently shipping them out. They should arrive at your local book and comic book stores soon (first week of November 2010).
The Xenozoic book was the obvious star of the show, garnering the most looks and purchases. Al Williamson Archives also did well for us. Inspirations and The Legend of Steel Bashaw by Petar Meseldžija had a great deal of interest, too. The Legend of Steel Bashaw was perused and purchased mostly by women―an interesting observation I noticed. Before my Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen book sold out, women were the primary purchasers at shows. It’s good to have a book that appeals to women again.
I broke away from my booth on Sunday to walk around. There were a lot of terrific artists at the show. Some were early in their career, while others were well established with a mature style. I enjoyed seeing a lot of animators there. Many are amazing, but don’t have much name recognition from working in a studio environment. APE is a smart move to build up their name.
I got to see Brett Warnock, publisher of Top Shelf, who along with Chris Staros puts out some of the best graphic novels out there. They have excellent packaging and a nice “feel” to their books. If you haven’t read Blankets by Craig Thompson or Essex County by Jeff Lemire, I highly recommend them. My new favorite title from them is the Johnny Boo line by James Kochalka. I read Johnny Boo to my four year old. So funny!
Judging by the reactions of the attendees with whom I had the pleasure of talking, the opening reception for Al Williamson: A Tribute at Marywood University’s Mahady Gallery on Friday, October 8, was an unqualified success. Based on numbers alone, with over 200 coming out for the event—a mix of comics fans, appreciators of popular art, fellow professionals and old friends—it would have been hard to imagine a more fitting celebration of Al Williamson, the man and the artist.
The exhibit features over 60 pieces of Al’s original art and published material, chosen by Cori Williamson, mounted by Cori and Melissa Restuccia, and hung by curator Bob Schweitzer, who, with Marywood’s gracious permission, arranged for the exhibit by carving out a four-day period (October 8 through 11) from a previously scheduled exhibition.
Bob, who had presented work from Al’s collection at Scranton’s Everhart Museum back in 1986, noted the unfortunately limited number of days available and expressed interest in the possibility of a future exhibition featuring Al’s work with an extended showing. That would be good news for all those who could not arrange to be here this weekend.
Cori and son Victor were on hand to greet the various artists, art teachers, art students, musicians, bookbinders, merchants, Sons of the Desert lodge members and assorted bon vivants who came to celebrate the life and career of a man remembered as both a towering figure in comics and a dear friend. Many a story of Al’s fellowship, good humor and storied talent wafted through the rarified atmosphere, while those unfamiliar with his work were educated with framed examples of his mastery of graphic storytelling.
Cori chose representative pieces from all stages of Al’s 50-year career. Included were early pre-EC works, EC pages, a Classics Illustrated Prehistoric World page, many examples of Al’s Flash Gordon work from throughout his career, a representative showing of his Secret Agent Corrigan strips, Warren pages, Epic Illustrated work, Star Wars adaptations and examples of his Marvel inking over other pencilers.
A number of attendees specifically mentioned how much they enjoyed the many examples of Al’s preliminary work and sketches presented. There absolutely is something magical about the expressive freedom of line and design in the images Al created for his own use.
In addition to all the mounted artwork, Cori and Victor brought Al’s drawing table and an assortment of his working tools for display at the opening. Set in the center of the gallery with an empty chair, the simulated workspace served as the cartoonist equivalent of the aviator’s “missing man” formation—a fitting salute to a master who has moved on to the great beyond.
The jury for Spectrum 18 has been announced. This esteemed group of professionals includes: Julie Bell, Nathan Fox, Gregory Manchess, Brandon Shiflett, Jarrod Shiflett, Boris Vallejo, and Shena Wolf.
Bill Carman illustrated the Call For Entries poster, which will be mailed out at the end of October 2010. The deadline for entries is January 28, 2011.
You can see the step-by-step process of the poster at Bill Carman’s blog. He also offers a witty look into his brain and showcases his latest twisted (in a good way) works. The title of his blog is “My stuff because I’m too stupid to update my website.” You’ll know what he means if you try checking out his website, which he never updates and is entirely blank at the moment. Maybe it’s some sort of artistic statement. Only Bill can tell you. I’m a huge Bill Carman fan, and his art is pretty good, too. (Hi, Bill!)
One more thing. Spectrum 17 is going to be available soon! The Spectrum website has a video preview of the book. Take a look!
Meet Charles Burns in Person at Lee’s Comics in Mountain View, CA. The event is free and open to the public this Tuesday, October 26 from noon to 2:00pm. For directions visit the Lee’s Comics website here. Lee sent me the following details:
Charles Burns’ new book, X-ed out is now available! It looks fantastic! You can check it out at both of our locations. Make sure to pick up a copy, and make sure to attend our Charles Burns event and get it signed! This is a rare chance to meet one of the most accomplished comics creators of all time. I hope to see you here!
Charles Burns will be appearing at Lee’s Comics. Charles is famous for many works including Black Hole, which is widely considered one of the best graphic novels of all time.
Make sure to pick the Metro Newspaper later this week. There will be an article and interview with Burns by noted Bay Area pop culture scholar Richard von Busack.
We will be celebrating the release of Mr. Burns’ brand new hardcover graphic novel from Pantheon Books, X’ed Out. It is all original story and art that has not appeared before in any format.
Meet Charles Burns in Person
Free and open to the public
Tuesday, October 26th
Noon to 2:00pm
Lee’s Comics
1020-F N. Rengstorff Ave.
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 965-1800 www.Lcomics.com
