Category: Flesk Book Updates

We’ve had a nice batch of positive news coming out about Flesk books.

ImagineFX Magazine #60 features a five-page article on William Stout. Sample art and promotion for Hallucinations, Inspirations, and New Dinosaurs A-Z, plus more are included. There’s also a six-page article written by James Gurney titled, “The Science Behind Visual Perception” and an article on the 2010 Illustration Master Class organized by Rebecca Guay, plus lots more. Information on Imagine FX #60 can be found here, and the main website is here.

Charley Parker at Lines and Colors has, once again, written a positive book review of Al Williamson Archives Vol. 1. In regards to the quality of the art reproduction he writes, “It’s as if you were lovingly picking them up out of Williamson’s flat file drawer, discovering one long lost treasure after another.” His full article can be read here. While you are at it, be sure to check out Lines and Colors every day for a new posting.

James Gurney has been kind enough to plug our new book, Al Williamson Archives, on his daily blog Gurney Journey. You can read it here. Also, be sure to visit Gurney Journey often for interesting information on art, artists, techniques, shows and more.

The new issue of Hogan’s Alley came out last month. This issue, #17, includes a full-page Flesk Publications advertisement. There’s also a terrific oral history on Spongebob Squarepants, and an article on Jack Cole. You can pick up an issue wherever comics are sold. More information can be found on their website here. I’ve been a devoted reader of Hogan’s Alley since issue #4. I’m proud to have any add in this enjoyable magazine.

Thanks to everyone for helping to spread the word about our books!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

On the edge of a forest as old as the mountains, they still tell a tale deep into the night…

Flesk Publications is proud to announce the availability of The Legend of Steel Bashaw by Petar Meseldžija, a contemporary retelling of this classic Serbian folk tale. Includes over 60 illustrations in a 9 x 12” 64-page softbound edition for $19.95. ISBN: 978-1-933865-30-0. Visit the Flesk website for full details with sample pages and art by clicking here.

Excerpted from his interview on the Flesk website, Petar explains, “The Legend of Steel Bashaw is a tale about the wonders of life, the joys and pains of living; it’s about love, responsibility, dedication and compassion. It is a story which does not promote the sharp division line between good and bad, but rather sees these opposites as the indissoluble parts of the whole.” The full interview discussing the book, Petar’s painting techniques and more about himself can be read by clicking here.

The Legend of Steel Bashaw is Petar Meseldžija’s adaption of Baš Čelik. A folktale he first heard as a boy, it was given nightly life by Serbian storytellers illuminated by fireplaces and burning lamps. Built from the same impossible truths that the ancients used to craft all myths, this tale concerns itself with a kidnapped princess, the deeds of a heroic prince, battles lost or won, death and redemption. As with all the best stories, it also traverses lands real and imagined, ranging from the primeval forests of the Balkans to the kingdoms of the dragons and beyond.

But unlike most tellers of legends, Meseldžija knows there is a truth underlying this oft-told tale. He grew up with it and once held crumbling proof of that truth in his hands. It’s that experience which provided him with the main inspiration for this book, and it’s that same certain knowledge which informs every word and image in The Legend of Steel Bashaw.

Meseldžija has crafted a tale as vital as Beowulf, Homer’s Odyssey and the other great stories. His paintings bring his characters and their worlds to vivid life. The Legend of Steel Bashaw is his gift to the world, and it is a masterpiece.

Praise for Petar Meseldžija:

“Petar’s paintings show a love of gnarled trees, silken dresses, and living, breathing creatures. Each picture is a fresh surprise, winning us over so that we see the world around us in terms of his imagination.”
—James Gurney

“Whenever I’ve been lucky enough to stand in front of an original oil painting by Petar Meseldžija, I easily lose myself in the landscape of brilliant brushwork. An absolute master of pigment, Petar’s work can weaken the knees of a professional and drop him right into that imaginative world by a mere stroke. He’s just that good.”
—Gregory Manchess

To order The Legend of Steel Bashaw visit our Flesk Shop to order online by clicking here. The Legend of Steel Bashaw is distributed to the book trade by SCB Distribitutors.

Petar Meseldžija is available for interviews. Those interested can contact John Fleskes.

Full details on all of Flesk Publications titles and the most recent news can be found on our website, and my blog. Thank you for your support. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications
P.O. Box 3174
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
info@fleskpublications.com
www.fleskpublications.com
(408) 206-2346
Monday through Friday
11:00AM to 6:00PM PST

A few people have written me asking if there will be a hardcover edition to the new Xenozoic book by Mark Schultz. No, there is no hardcover edition planned. I will always list all editions of a new title on the product information page on my website when the book is first announced.

As far as the interiors go, this book features all of the stories written and drawn by Mark Schultz to date. These twenty stories are each accompanied by new title page illustrations. There are also a handful of new spot illustrations to decorate the first and final pages. I wrote a blog previously about the new cover art and Schultz’s coloring process that can be read here.

With the exception of two stories, “Green Air” (11-pages) and “The Rules of the Game” (10-pages), all of the artwork has been reproduced from the originals. These other two stories were scanned from original proofs. I should mention that if anyone owning original art pages for either “Green Air” or “The Rules of the Game” would be willing to scan the pages for us for future editions, both Mark Schultz and myself would greatly appreciate your time and help. You will be listed in the acknowledgments section and receive a free copy of the future edition. The “Green Air” story was sold through Heritage Auctions in November 2006. Unfortunately we were unable to get scans of sufficient resolution for reproduction prior to the sale of the individual pages. Those willing to help can contact me here.

I’m very excited about this Xenozoic book and having all of Mark Schultz’s material to date all in one big 352-page volume. I have approved the proofs and the book is currently being printed and bound. It is on schedule for its early November 2010 release date.

For more details on the book, please visit our website here.

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

The new Flesk Publications online store is now open for business! You can shop for our latest books and pay securely with a credit card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The store will be made public through the home page of our website on August 23, 2010. Visit our shop by clicking here.

From now until Sunday (August 17 to August 22, 2010) you can get a free copy of Mark Schultz Blue Book if you place an order through the Flesk online shop. As with all things new, there is bound to be some tweaks and adjustments needed to make the store easier to use. If you have any feedback, I’d sure like to hear from you.

We’ll have all of our Flesk titles still in print available. We’ll also occasionally list out-of-print books that we may have one or two copies left of.

The full link to the shop is here: http://www.fleskpublications.com/shop/. You can visit our contact page to get a hold of us by clicking here.

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

When we initially conceived this new Mark Schultz Xenozoic book, Mark decided he wanted to color his cover art himself. What he ended up doing was hand coloring his art using watercolors on a separate board, and then doing a series of technical steps to make it all fit together.

To begin, the original brush and ink art was scanned into the computer. It was then printed out on clear acetate. This black and white art overlay was set over an art board and taped at the top edge allowing for easy lifting to view the board with or without the art guide.

Using the overlay as a guide for where the line art would reside, Mark flipped the acetate guide over and colored the art board underneath. He could easily set the art over the watercolors to make sure he colored the proper areas. When asking Mark more about the process, he provided me with the following additional details:

“I printed a 15% gray image of the blackline art on the board to be colored. This matches the acetate overlay image and is the guide I follow as I’m applying the color. When I flip down the acetate overlay, I can see what the color looks like together with the blackline, as it will appear when printed.”

Once the hand coloring was complete, the color art was scanned and placed underneath the brush art in Photoshop. Mark drew the cloud shapes in pure black using a brush, then this was scanned and the color adjusted on the computer, then added to the art digitally.

After the cover artwork was complete, Mark informed me that he was not quite satisfied with the cover design. He gave me a quick synopsis of what he wanted to do, then he and designer Randy Dahlk tweaked and adjusted the design to what you see above as the final cover for the book.

Xenozoic is currently at the printer. It will arrive in the stores around mid-November 2010.

Enjoy,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

Flesk Publications has three upcoming titles listed in the August 2010 Previews Catalog. Orders are due by August 14, 2010. See our full-page ad on page 285. The three titles are Xenozoic by Mark Schultz, Jungle Girls by Jim Silke and Inspirations by William Stout.

Previews order codes are the following:

AUG10 1027 – Xenozoic Complete Coll TP (page 284)

AUG10 1254 – Jim Silke Jungle Girls SC (page 338)
AUG10 1255 – Jim Silke Jungle Girls LTD SGN HC (page 338)

AUG10 1261 – William Stout Inspirations SC (page 339)
AUG10 1262 – William Stout Inspirations S&N HC (page 339)

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

There is a couple of nice write-ups on William Stout’s Hallucinations online. The First can be found on Charley Parker’s Lines and Colors blog. You can read his posting by clicking here. Second up is by James Gurney on his daily Gurney Journey blog. You can find Jim’s comments by clicking here.

If anyone has seen another review, please let me know. I’ll share the link.

As for the hardcover edition of Hallucinations—it is sold out! With only 500 limited signed copies at $30.00 I’m not surprised. I warned people ahead of time with my prediction that it wouldn’t be available for long. If you would like a copy of the limited William Stout’s Inspirations, the companion volume focusing on Stout’s female fantasy renderings, you can pre-order a copy direct from us now. The books will ship in early November.

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

Harvey Dunn: Illustrator and Painter of the Pioneer West and The Legend of Steel Bashaw are listed in the July 2010 Previews Catalog. Orders are due by July 10. I appreciate all of your help by letting your local comic shops know about the availability of these books.

Here are the Previews order codes:

JUL10 1228 — Harvey Dunn: Illustrator and Painter of the Pioneer West (page 348)
JUL10 1275 – Legend of Steel Bashaw (page 355)

Click on the title names for full details on the books. Both are in full color. The denoted “PC” in Previews for partial color is incorrect.

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications