We are now taking pre-orders for our upcoming book Warren Chang: Narrative Paintings. All pre-orders placed by January 15, 2012 will come signed by Chang. Over the next few weeks I will begin posting new blogs about Warren, with a new interview and the story behind the making of the book. I also just received preview copies of Narrative Paintings. I’m absolutely delighted with how the book came out. I’ll get some pictures up soon.
For now, here are the book details and the official biography on Warren. Follow the links at the end of this post to learn more, to pre-order and to visit Warren Chang’s website.
Warren Chang: Narrative Paintings is the first individual collection of Warren Chang’s fine art. A gifted storyteller, Chang portrays the human condition in his paintings, often depicting the downtrodden and disenfranchised while at the same time celebrating the human spirit. He is perhaps best known for interiors and genre scenes depicting the fieldworkers of Monterey County in California, where he grew up. Additional paintings in this collection offer scenes from life, landscapes, interiors and an engaging series of self-portraits. Chang’s written commentary accompanies many pieces, providing a personal approach that complements his skill at painting and utilizes the techniques he developed during fourteen years of teaching drawing and painting. His talent as a teacher is further demonstrated through sketches and step-by-step procedures.
About Warren Chang
Warren Chang was born in Monterey, California, in 1957 and graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1981. After 20 years as an award-winning illustrator, he embarked on a career in fine art in 2000. He has been honored as a Signature Artist member of the California Art Club and a Master Signature member of the Oil Painters of America.
Chang’s work has been recognized nationally and been profiled in many art publications, including the covers of American Artist and International Artist magazines, accompanying a series of eight articles on instructional painting that he authored. He has been an instructor of drawing and painting for fourteen years, including three years at the Pratt Institute in New York City and currently at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and he conducts painting workshops nationally.
Perhaps best-known for his genre scenes depicting the field-workers of Monterey County, Chang portrays the human condition in his paintings and often depicts the downtrodden and disenfranchised while at the same time celebrating the human spirit. Additional highly regarded paintings include his scenes from life, interior scenes of artists, models and students, landscapes and an engaging series of self-portraits. All of Chang’s paintings represent a personal truth through his reflections of real life. Technique is subordinate to his ideas, as he channels an honest expression from within. This allows him to paint sincerely. A unique form of thinking prevails in his works, and each new painting represents a new discovery of himself.
His awards include “Best of Show” at the Salon International in 2003 in San Antonio, Texas; the Southwest Art Award of Excellence in 2008 and the Fine Art Connoisseur award for painting in 2009, both at the California Art Club’s Gold Medal Exhibition, held at the Pasadena Museum of California Art; and first place in RayMar Art’s Fine Art Competition in 2010. Chang is participating with the America China Oil Painting Artists League’s exhibition of contemporary American and Chinese realism at The World Art Museum in Beijing (2012), which is the first stop of a yearlong tour of major provinces in China. Furthermore, The Butler Institute of American Art will celebrate the art of Warren Chang with a solo exhibition in May of 2014.
Enjoy,
It’s an obvious crude copy of his art and not done by Dean. Looking at the other auctions this same seller has for sale, the pieces on offer look highly suspect to me. Whether this dealer is knowingly selling fake original art or has no clue what he is actually offering is not for me to say. This is a good example of why it is important to be careful when purchasing originals and to familiarize yourself with the artist before buying artwork so you don’t get duped.
Dean Yeagle has already filed a complaint with Ebay about this fake representation of himself being available. As of this writing it looks to have been pulled down, but as possibly sold to someone who unknowingly thought it to be genuine, unfortunately.
If you notice more fake artwork by this dealer or at any other time, I encourage you to notify Ebay.
If you are in the market for Mark Schultz original art, Mark urges you to check out these two items he has posted on eBay. The auctions are for a worthy cause: all proceeds go to the Benefit for Carrie Smurkowski. Carrie is a good friend of Mark and Denise’s who is battling cancer and facing horrendous medical bills.
You can access the auctions by going to eBay and “Mark Schultz benefit art,” or go directly to:
Naughty and Nice hardbound deluxe and slipcase. (Click on all pictures for larger views.)
I received the Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm book printer samples last Friday. One of the most important things to me is hearing the artist’s blunt feedback concerning a new book. I sent a few copies to Bruce and had the chance to get his reaction. We are both very pleased and love how it turned out. Now I’m anxious for the book to hit the stores and to hear what all of you think. While we wait for the books to arrive at the end of this month I thought I would share some pictures, and also include some stories over the course of the production of the book.
“Can you watch the booth for a little while? I’m going to go see if Bruce Timm wants to do a book together.” This was my asking my right hand man, James Walker, at Comic-Con in 2009 to watch the Flesk Publications booth while I tried to track down Mr. Timm. I didn’t know Bruce beyond meeting him as a fan a few times to get his signature. As far as I knew he had no idea who I was. (I never assume anyone knows who I am, or should for that matter.) I walked over to the Naked Fat Rave booth where my pal John Fanucchi runs the stand. I knew Bruce does signings there off and on throughout the show. Bruce happened to be there, along with a line of about 50 people all wanting his attention. I asked John if he could introduce me to Bruce and he was glad to help by bringing me behind the booth. I feel when you present yourself to someone you only have two minutes to introduce yourself, make your proposal and impress someone. If they continue to talk to you beyond those two minutes and ask you questions then you are in good shape. If you keep talking after two minutes and they aren’t asking questions, well, then you aren’t doing so well. Realizing there was a long line of people waiting for autographs and that he was busy, I made my introduction and inquiry in one minute, and then asked if he would be willing to talk about the possibility at his convenience. I was flattered to discover he knew of my company and he agreed to talk in the future. All in all I took about three to four minutes of his time and he was back to signing books in short order. It happened quick enough where the fans weren’t giving me the evil eye for extending their wait time.
The hardbound edition is the copy opened in the back and the paperbound in front.
One thing I was plainly aware of from the start is how busy Bruce is, along with his status in the animation and comics fields. I wanted Bruce to know I was serious, yet also give him his space and not be aggressive. I have a massive amount of respect for who he is and what he has accomplished and just basically stayed true to who I am and followed my gut on how I should present the book proposal to him. Originally my idea was for a 64 page collection of his personal female art that could possibly be a series of volumes that would come out a year or two apart from one another dependent on how much art Bruce could produce, or was interested in drawing. My goal from the start was a book that was on Bruce Timm, not a book that revolved around the characters that he works on. I wanted to see “The Art of Bruce Timm,” not “The Art of Batman” by Bruce Timm.
By spring of 2010 Bruce started sending me art, and sending me extra art, and then additional art, and the pieces just kept coming. I was flabbergasted to see so much amazing art. The book kept growing, morphing and expanding. I found myself rethinking the book with designer Randy Dahlk several times and sending updates to Bruce for his thoughts. By Comic-Con 2011 I had a 304 page preliminary designed book to show Bruce at San Diego. On the Sunday of the show Bruce found some time to flip through the pages. I could tell by a few of his comments that we didn’t nail it. There were issues with the pacing of the book. I sent the dummy book to Bruce after the show to give him time to absorb the design and offer suggestions. Shortly after, I received an email from Bruce that basically put into words what I was expecting to hear. He expressed that book needed an extensive overhaul. Let me state how exceptionally well Bruce phrased his email and gave clear explanations regarding how the book could benefit from a redesign. He offered many examples and suggestions. Sure, I wish we impressed him more, but I was in no way disappointed. I was energized about the possibility of improvement.
Bruce Timm notes on book preliminary pages printouts. The designs and some art in the lower right hand corner were ultimately dropped.
These pictures (above and below) represent a small sample of the pages I had printed out for Bruce to look over. All of the red pencil notes are his giving me his preferences for which pages were working and others that could benefit from adjustments, with explanations why. When compared to the final book, you will see in both of these examples that there are many pieces and page designs that were ultimately cut from the book.
Some of the BT art along the right side didn't make the final cut.
It’s easy for someone to be sensitive about putting work and time into a book, then having to make a significant amount of changes. I’m not one of those people. I don’t take constructive criticism personally and look at them as an opportunity for growth. I got excited about charging into the book and improving it with Bruce’s suggestions. I took over the book from Randy. Randy had other obligations to attend to and I found it easier to just make the changes myself, rather than have Randy serve as an extension of my arm for me. It would probably take me longer to explain the changes than make them myself. Randy did good getting the basic template down. The rest could be wrapped up by me and Bruce. I dived in to redesign the book over the month of August and September. It’s fair to say the book was designed by Randy Dahlk, Bruce Timm and myself. There are pieces of all of us in there, but it really was Bruce who encouraged and pushed me in a positive way that got me stoked about redoing things until they were just right. Bruce really knows how to bring out the best in me and I feel like I gained a deeper sense of design over the course of these three months than the last three years. The things I learned will drastically change how I look at design and my approach for all books in the future. I’ve been publishing books for nearly ten years and I still feel like I am a student. I constantly work harder to improve the books I produce. It was quite the positive experience and an honor for me to have this opportunity to work with and publish a book on Bruce Timm.
These pictures show a grouping of printer proofs (above and below). These are made on the actual paper the book is printed on. I check colors, tones, values, shadows, darks and lights, a final check for typos, and anything else that grabs my attention at the time. This is my last chance to make any changes. Once approved the press specialist’s use them as guides to make sure the pages are printing per my approved specifications. I tell them what I expect in advance, then raise them to my level.
The Frankenstein busting out of the ice art can be found in the horror section.
Here is a copy of the Naughty and Nice hardbound edition out of the slipcase and sans jacket. This front image and the back side artwork are not found inside the book and are exclusive to the deluxe edition.
From left to right, the back of the paperbound edition, the back of the hardbound deluxe edition and the front of the slipcase for the deluxe edition.
Here’s another interior sample showing a few pages and the paperbound edition in front.
One final topic from me is regarding the interior art. The high majority of images are of nude women. One thing that was very apparent to all of us working on this book is our desire for all of the women depicted in the book to be classy, elegant, and in general for the book to be respectful to women and celebrate them in their natural form. You will not find any images in our eyes that would denigrate or be disrespectful to women, or classify them as victims. We gave this quite a bit of thought since we hope this will be a book that women can open and enjoy, not just men. I consulted with a few women when putting together the book. I actually pulled out one piece that a certain individual felt went a little too far, even thought it looked innocent to me. She made a valid point why she felt it inappropriate and I listened. Everyone has different tastes and ideas about what is appropriate or not appropriate. I think we did a great job and if someone disapproves, well, this isn’t the book for you and that is OK with me.
From start to finish this project was a terrific experience. I hope you have enjoyed this post.
I’ve made some updates to the Flesk Publications Online store.
Our upcoming book, Warren Chang: Narrative Paintings is now available for a special pre-order price. The book ships in mid-January. Click here for book details.
I also put up three original sketches by Adam Hughes up on Ebay. I bought a sketchbook by Hughes back in 2001 and have decided to sell off a few pieces. Here are images of the three pieces. Click on them to be taken to the Ebay auction, which ends on Sunday, December 4. All proceeds go towards future Flesk books. My Ebay user ID is “fleskpublications”
Be on the lookout for a new blog coming soon showing samples from the upcoming Bruce Timm book. I received my sample copies and am anxious to provide a sneak peak. It looks amazing!
The Art of Craig Elliott and its three covers. (Click all pictures for larger views.)
I received the sample copies of The Art of Craig Elliott from the printer yesterday. A stroke of good fortune is that Craig happened to be in my area and stopped by today. We went over the book together and gave it a close inspection, to both of our delight.
It’s not often I get to sit with the artist and view a book fresh from the printer right away like this. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into the creation of a book. Factor in the years Craig committed towards producing a body of work deserving of a collection, to Craig and me pairing up, then to having the book designed and written and printed. It can take two or three years from the initial idea to completion. When all is said and done it’s a rewarding feeling to be holding the actual book. Even with our working on this book over the course of this year and having viewed the pages and art on the computer screen frequently, seeing the actual book is like seeing Craig’s work in a completely fresh viewing. We’re both very pleased with the book; especially the colors and details that held up in all areas, including the darker shadow regions. Having Craig available to review the proofs and help make adjustments for the printer was a bonus. It was a close collaborative project between artist, publisher and printer.
The Art of Craig Elliott three variant jackets
I got to know Craig in 2008 at Comic-Con in San Diego on the Thursday of the show. Just prior to meeting Craig, I had a steady stream of people stopping by to show me unsolicited book proposals. Thursday is always our busiest day for answering questions and selling books, and not a good time to try and hold a long conversation with me. One person in particular was extremely aggressive about showing me his three ideas, all of which I had no interest in. He did not take “no” very well and was getting angry with me that I would not give him more time. After he left I turned to my friend James and told him I will not be looking at any more book proposals for the remainder of the show and to not direct anyone to me. Right on cue, up walks Craig Elliott. He asks me if he can show me his portfolio and wanted to inquire about the possibility of discussing a book project. Rather bluntly, I told him I was not reviewing portfolios or taking on any book proposals. Undeterred and with a friendly approach and smile he let me know that is no problem and went on to praise the books I have published and said some very flattering things about me that showed that he had an awareness of who I was and what my goals are. Then, he offered his portfolio to me again to view, just to share his work with me. I opened his portfolio and viewed “Caryatid Path” and immediately invited him behind the booth. He came around and we ended up chatting for about 30 minutes. Funny how I went from not wanted to see any portfolios or talk book proposals at all one minute, then the next I am sitting with Craig at length. It shows his professionalism as well as his creative ability to back it up and an honest to goodness friendliness.
The Art of Craig Elliott book boards sans jacket, red cover and back cover
Now that you have the back story about how we met, I’ll share some behind the scenes tales. The reason it took since 2008 for the book to be made is due to my previous commitments and workload. I can only take on so much work at a time and I am extremely grateful to be in a position to pick projects that truly excite and inspire me. I continued to stay in touch with Craig and beginning this year the book went into high gear. This is the first book that I published that was designed by the artist. I love what Craig did. He wove his art from page to page using words and unique background designs to create a truly expressive vision reflecting who he is. I always work closely with the artists when designing a book, but this was extra special in that Craig put so much of himself into the book.
The Art of Craig Elliott red and bra covers and opened gatefold page
The Art of Craig Elliott has four gatefolds that work in an interesting way that I have not quite seen before. It took us some time to figure out the proper sequencing, then making sure the printer could pull it off, so a good pre-communication to map out the book beforehand was imperative. What you will find is the landscape pieces that take advantage of the gatefolds look glorious at the large size, rather than being relegated to being printed small on a single page with a lot of open space at the top and bottom. I told Craig that since he was designing the book, given the time and expense it saves me or Randy designing it, that I would go ahead and put some extra funds into the book production. We have a nice hardbound book at 9 x 12 inches with the four gatefolds and hardbound boards more in the style of a museum book. We selected thick paper that would hold up well, especially when opening the gatefolds. We put a lot of time into the planning, look and feel of this book. It’s all quite exciting. A big part of the books that I publish is that they should reflect the artist. With The Art of Craig Elliott I feel we achieved this goal.
The Art of Craig Elliott topless and bra covers and opened gatefold page
I’ve mentioned the three covers in a previous blog. As a quick recap, there will be the topless cover, the bra cover and then the red cover. The bra cover will be the version available to the book trade. The topless and red covers you can get direct from us or Craig. Craig and I just sorted out what we will be doing for the special signed edition. The details will be shared soon and will involve a personal touch done to a few hundred copies of the red cover.
Craig came up with the idea of contacting Iain McCaig to write the introduction, which I am happy about. Iain’s aptitude in the arts and his writing ability is excellent. Big thanks to Iain for his willingness to be a part of the book. I am also grateful to Brom, Mark Schultz and Peter de Seve for their time in writing blurbs.
Now for the fun part which is to share this book with the public. The books are shipping to our warehouse from Hong Kong. I should have them by the third week of December and will immediately start shipping out the pre-orders. The book should start hitting the stores by the end of December.
Here’s a little special deal for those that read my blog. I thought I would try something new and offer a sale on Flesk books starting on Black Friday. Blog readers can take advantage of this right now.
Order any two books and get a third for free, equal to the value of the lower of the two cover prices. This does not apply to pre-order books and only books currently in stock. For example, order a $39.95 book and a $24.95 book, then you get another $24.95 cover price book for free. Also, you get free shipping! Just enter promotional code “fleskbf” during checkout and make a note in the customer comments specifying the free book you want. Order online here. Sale ends November 30.
Nov. 23 Update: Free shipping only applies to U.S. orders. International orders to pay exact shipping charges. You can email us for an exact quote based on the weight of the books you would like to order. And this offer can’t be combined with other coupon codes.
The Return of the Living Dead production designer, William Stout. Photo by John Fleskes.
Since its release in 1985, The Return of the Living Dead’s cult status among zombie filmgoers and inspiration upon subsequent zombie movies has continued to grow at a sharp rate. 2011 has proven that people can’t get enough of the film. A handful of sold out appearances of the entire cast and crew at horror shows and film events, the success of the book, “The Complete History of The Return of the Living Dead” that was released in early 2011, and with rave reviews for the new documentary, “More Brains! The Definitive Return to the Living Dead Documentary,” have all proven this film is not about to fade into the past anytime soon.
I took the opportunity to contact William Stout, who was the production designer of the film, to ask him some questions about his contributions to the film, and how he feels about the recognition he is receiving for work he did over 25 years ago. Stout opens up in the following interview to give us his insight into the film and even a new never before told story.
Flesk: You were the production designer for The Return of the Living Dead. Can you give me some insight into what a production designer does?
William Stout: The production designer functions as the eyes of the director. He is responsible for everything you see on the screen except for the performances of the actors. As production designer I oversee all of the set designs, creature designs, special effects, props, costumes, set decoration, storyboards, make-up and special make-up effects. I usually have about 1200 people working under my supervision.
Flesk: What type of role did you play on the film?
Stout: I directly designed most of the sets, the special effects shots, a lot of the set decoration and all of the zombies. I storyboarded several crucial scenes as well.
I’m a very hands-on production designer. I was under the gurney of the Half Corpse, for example, making her spinal cord flop around and ooze spinal fluid. I was on set every day of the shoot, which was easy when we were shooting interiors. I just had to step out of my office to be on set!
It was my idea to have a butterfly collection come alive at a crucial point in the film. I built it, cutting paper butterflies from butterfly books, then pinning them to a collection board. When it was time to shoot it, I was the guy behind the camera waving a clipboard at them to make their wings appear as if they were fluttering.
I have a cameo in the film as the alcoholic bum the punks step over in the beginning of the movie. I designed my own make-up and wardrobe! I was originally cast by the director to be the shopping cart bum who gets bitten by Trash (Linnea Quigley) but our producer nixed the idea. He figured (quite rightly so, I believe) that I had enough on my plate as production designer. I sculpted Trash’s face for that scene. I rarely sculpt — there are other people who are better and faster than I am — but Dan O’Bannon, the director, insisted.
Flesk: Did you ever expect for The Return of the Living Dead to become a cult favorite and receive the type on ongoing attention that seems to continually grow?
Stout: Not at all! I don’t care who you are in the Film Biz; no one knows if they’ve got a hit or a miss until they have that first screening with a real movie audience — and even then they might not know! It amazes me that The Return of the Living Dead is more popular now than when it was first released and that its popularity shows no signs of letting up. It’s the best movie ever made for a lot of people. That blows my mind, as I think everyone should realize that the 1933 King Kong is the best movie ever!
Flesk: What do you think it is about The Return of the Living Dead when compared to the many other horror and zombie films that have come out that makes this one stand out as such a cult favorite?
Stout: 1) It’s really scary. 2) It’s really funny. Very few films have ever pulled that off. The only other ones that immediately spring to mind are Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, a real favorite of mine, plus that great opening to An American Werewolf in London. Both films play the horror aspects very seriously, which creates a nervous tension that makes the funny stuff even funnier.
Flesk: How rewarding is it for you to have the recent group events with the entire cast of The Return of the Living Dead?
Stout: It’s a total blast! I’ve worked on over forty feature films, yet TROTLD is the only one out of all those films where I have stayed really close to the cast. We’re all such good buds; we love being with each other. To use a show biz cliché, we truly are like family.
Director Dan O’Bannon gave us a tremendous gift when he fought for — and got — two weeks of rehearsal prior to shooting. Since the film hadn’t been totally cast, I stood in for some of the roles during rehearsal. During those two weeks the cast and I all bonded as friends. I think it made the performances much more believable in the movie. These characters really feel like they have a past together.
Flesk: There was a recent book about the making of The Return of the Living Dead and now the new More Brains! documentary. Do you feel they both captured the process well and the stories behind the film?
Stout: Both the book and the DVD are terrific; everyone really did their homework. While not every great story regarding the making of TROTLD was told, between the book and the DVD, most of them were. Making that movie was a wild experience from start to finish, mostly thanks to Dan O’Bannon.
Flesk: When you were hired as the production designer I believe you were the youngest in film history to assume that role. Were you intimidated by the position and responsibility?
Stout: Yes and no.
Yes, because despite having already worked as a designer on several major films (Conan the Barbarian, Raiders of the Lost Ark, First Blood, Conan the Destroyer, Clan of the Cave Bear), I was always working under a top production designer. I paid attention on those films and learned as much as I could. TROTLD, though, was the first movie in which I was the guy who would be completely responsible for what ended up on the screen.
No, because I was young and pretty cocky. I thought I could do anything! I had also spent the two years previous to TROTLD as the production designer on an American Godzilla movie that, unfortunately, never got made. I gained tremendous confidence working on that film. On Godzilla I got to hire the cream of the Movie Biz’s top talent: guys like Rick Baker, Dave Allen, Dave Stevens, Doug Wildey and Stephen Czerkas, for example.
Flesk: How did you approach such a massive undertaking?
Stout: Fortunately, TROTLD’s line producer sensed how green I was. He assigned me Robert Howland as my art director. Robert was such a great, seasoned pro; he saved my designer butt on a number of occasions. I used Robbie again as my art director on Masters of the Universe. I miss him and his great sense of humor enormously. He died from AIDS after Masters.
Flesk: Were you ever concerned that the film would be considered campy due to the comedy infused in the film? Did you feel like you were creating a serious work at the time?
Stout: We took our little film — and its comedy — very seriously. Dan pushed the actors to go a bit broader than I would have but he knew exactly what he was doing. I don’t really consider TROTLD to be “camp” and, actually, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it referred to as being camp. Funny, yes; irreverent, yes; imaginative, yes; outrageous, yes; scary, yes. But camp? No. I think it’s just damn good. It accomplishes what it set out to do.
Flesk: Do you have a memorable story from working on the film that you can share?
Stout: Let me see if I can think of a TROTLD story I’ve never told before…
Because of the nature of the film, it could be pretty creepy on set. We were shooting at the downtown Los Angeles location of the Uneeda Medical Supply warehouse (actually a downtown loft apartment). It was beginning to get dark. While waiting for the lights to be set up, I began poking around our location. Amidst a small pile of rubble, I spotted an anomaly. It looked like there was some blond hair slightly sticking out from the top of a cardboard box. Upon closer inspection, it looked like the beautiful blond hair of a woman. I feared I might have just discovered a decapitated and clumsily discarded severed head. This was downtown L. A., after all, so it was in the distinct realm of possibility.
I sought out the police officer we had employed on set and brought him over to the box. He approached it very cautiously, drawing his weapon. With the barrel of his gun he nudged open the cardboard flaps of the box.
Inside was a very blond, very dead…longhaired cat.
Oh, the things one imagines when making a horror movie!
William Stout and Craig Elliott will be at the CTN Animation Expo in Burbank, California running November 18th to the 20th. Stout will be speaking at the Creature Design panel and will have a table with books, prints and original artwork. Elliott will have a new display of his animation and games design work, as well as books and prints. Sample pages from the upcoming Flesk book release The Art of Craig Elliott will be on hand. He will also be taking a limited number of commissions at the show. Stuart Ng Books will be present with a sampling of Flesk Publications titles for sale.
This write-up on my trip to The Netherlands in early September 2011 is a long time coming. Upon my arrival back home I was backlogged with books that needed to be completed, which required my focus and prevented me from sharing photos and stories earlier. Finally, I have a brief respite and can write about what was possibly one of my best trip / convention combination experiences. Click on all photos for a larger view.
Top row, left to right: Petar Meseldžija, Gary Gianni, Craig Elliott. Bottom row, left to right: William Stout and Mark Schultz.
Mark Schultz, William Stout, Gary Gianni, Craig Elliott and myself all travelled to The Netherlands for a little vacation, to attend my first Flesk event, “An Evening with Flesk Prime” and exhibit at the Strip Festival Breda 2011. Local artist Petar Meseldžija joined us once we arrived.
Mark Thelosen and Mark Schultz.
Before I begin, I would like to extend my most gracious thanks to our sponsors and friends Mark Theloson and De Stripspecialist store owner, Guido de Bue, for being our local contacts. They played a huge role in organizing the trip and making sure we were taken care of while there. Having these two gentlemen tend to our every need for one week, as well as have their responsibilities to the Strip Festival show, is something the entire Flesk group appreciates. One more person I want to point out for his help is Fons von Erp. He is a great guy who we were all grateful for his time.
Petar Meseldžija posing with his “The Bull Fight” painting.
Story time!
I flew in a few days early so I could adjust to the time zone and spend some personal time with my family, Petar Meseldzija and his wife Anita, and see some of The Netherlands before the events began. I’m glad I did this as it allowed me not only the time to adjust (it always takes me a few days), but also to shake off all of the lingering work that I left behind. I was roughly 2-3 days away from finishing the Bruce Timm book. Once I was on the plane I accepted the fact that I was heading towards a fun adventure and had to put my life and work back home on pause.
Upon landing we happened to bump into Craig Elliott at the baggage area. He also opted to arrive early. He wanted to visit some galleries before we met up in Breda on Wednesday. Petar, Mark Thelosen and Guido were there to provide a hearty welcome and transport us to our respective destinations. Petar guided us to his home for a two day stay.
Enjoying the hospitality of Petar and Anita for a few days was a delight. We toured Amsterdam, visited the Artis Royal Zoo, walked the streets, ate great food, enjoyed the Dutch culture and had long talks. Sure, Petar is an artist I have published, but our friendship goes beyond the professional courtesy. I find we have much in common and we can have all sorts of discussions about random topics that roll from one to another. We never seem to get bored or at a loss of words when we are together. He’s both serious and seriously funny.
On Wednesday afternoon I met up with the five artists in Breda in preparation for “An Evening with Flesk Prime” on Thursday night. I’ve documented this in detail in a previous blog post with pictures that you can read here.
Gary Gianni and William Stout viewing Petar Meseldžija’s “The Bull Fight” original painting.
Jumping forward to Friday, it was a day to relax and enjoy the downtown area of Breda. As with my previous trip to Breda in February 2010 with Schultz, I found the locals to be extremely friendly and warm. The overall pace was much slower than I am accustomed to. I tend to work at a fast (I’ve been told) and focused pace. This is just my pace, and I am comfortable with it. I found myself constantly holding myself back and doing my best to slow down to match the local speed limit. It took me a few days, but I started getting used to it. I rather enjoyed it actually. (That didn’t stop me from hitting the gas when I got back home though.) My point here is that if you want to relax and have some kind people to talk to, then I would recommend visiting Breda.
Craig Elliott preparing his prints and original artwork for the show.
Saturday and Sunday were spent at the Strip Festival in Breda. We had a large Flesk Publications stand courtesy of the event, and Mark T. and Guido. Guido did a remarkable job in having the booth completely set up prior to our arrival. We had an area for our entire line of books and a space for each artist, Schultz, Elliott, Gianni, Stout and Meseldzija, to sit. Once they arrived the crowd formed quickly and never diminished throughout the two days. Having all five artists together was quite remarkable.
An interesting aspect is our placement was next to large windows. I have never exhibited at a show with natural light before. It was a welcome pleasure to not depend upon artificial lighting. I found it helped the mood overall.
Petar Meseldzija imitating the expression of his latest giant.
As I mentioned before the local people are exceptionally outgoing and friendly. There is one difference between the U.S. shows when compared to our Breda experience. It seems like many people expected free sketches, whereas in the U.S. people expect to have to pay for them. Also in the U.S. many artists do not sketch. Each artist handled this differently in Breda. They all have plenty of convention experience to know how to handle this expectation. Most fans are excellent and were able to work with the artists to get what they wanted in a reasonable fashion. I did, however, see a few highly aggressive individuals try to get the best possible sketch out of each artist for absolutely nothing. Now, I’ve been to a lot of shows with artists and seen first-hand all the tricks and stunts people play to try and get a freebie, but a few things I saw in Breda were new to me. Rather than point out what happened I would like to share my thoughts on the matter.
William Stout drawing the Crypt Keeper in a copy of the book “Tales From the Crypt: The Official Archives”
An artist is a working professional. Their artwork is not only a passion and something they love to do, but also their income. Just like whatever anybody else does for a living is an income. I don’t think it is fair to ever expect an artist to give you a free drawing. Is it right to ask any professional, for example, a dentist, doctor, lawyer, computer tech, car mechanic, plumber or any other person with a specific skillset for their services for free; Especially if you don’t even know that person? Where does the assumption that an artist owes you a free drawing come from? Let’s use some common sense here. That sketch can be worth a lot of money. I’ve seen people who beg, or use unsavory tactics or get highly aggressive, who may get a sketch then flip the art on Ebay. The artists know this. Here’s a simple rule. Be prepared to pay, and ask and don’t expect.
If you really want to support an artist give them payment for their services. I want to reiterate that the people who I am talking about are very few. The vast majority are understanding and gracious. It’s those few that were the cause for much discussion after the Breda show and they can affect the situation for the whole.
Another aspect of the expectation of free sketching that I feel can hamper an overall fan experience is that when artists are sketching full time it makes a handful of people really happy, but a potentially large group is unable to squeeze in and get a quick signature or say hello for a few minutes, or even be introduced to the work for the first time–especially when considering a sketch can take 15 or minutes to produce. If you are third or fourth in line, that’s a lot of wait time just to get a signature or meet someone. That’s it from me on this topic.
Gary Gianni sketching in his book “Into the Land of Shadows.”
On another subject, due to Guido’s efficiency in setting up the booth and his unwavering energy level and assistance in getting helpers at the Flesk stand, it freed me up to actually relax and do other things at the booth. One thing I managed to do was film each artist while drawing. I have roughly four hours of sketching footage that I will begin posting on the Flesk Publications website once the new video friendly site goes live. I also took a lot of pictures, a few of which can be found on this blog. I also got about an hour long interview with Petar about The Legend of Steel Bashaw and many other subjects. I can’t wait to share it.
Petar Meseldžija drawing a barbarian.
The show ran very smoothly. I was happy to see both Geoff West of The Book Palace and the many exciting projects he is working on, as well as Nick and Arno from Alca in Paris. I was also happy to see many familiar faces from the “An Evening with Flesk Prime” event that was held a few days prior. What a great group of people.
Craig Elliott shows off his latest commission.
On the Saturday night of the show the event organizers invited Stout, Schultz, Gianni, Petar, Elliott, myself and our families that came along to an exclusive private dinner with all of the show guests and their invitees. It was a memorable evening of lively discussion and exceptional food. On behalf of all of us, we were all grateful for the invitation and had a wonderful time. We are all touched by the hospitality and kindness of the organizers and all they did for us over the course of the weekend.
A bonus for me was seeing Paul Renaud again this year. Paul was also at the dinner on Saturday evening and we had the chance to catch up, share our thoughts on the industry and discuss all of our likes and dislikes in an open discussion that stimulated my perception of certain subjects. I always feel like I’ve come away more enlightened after talking to Paul.
Mark Thelson, Petar Meseldžija and John Fleskes at the Flesk Publications stand.
The show ended up being very successful in that we all got to spend an intimate time together in a lovely country. It was like being on a vacation together and no part of the journey felt like work. Usually at shows like Comic-Con in San Diego, we all might spend five days together, but we are so swamped with work, talking to people and running the booth that we don’t get to interact that much. I don’t know how many times Schultz and I have stood side by side for two or three days, then called each other after the show is over just to get a chance to talk. Strip Festival Breda was unique in that we could give the fans and patrons time and we still had time for each other. This was definitely a plus.
On Monday, Schultz, Gianni and I all met up at the Rijks museum to see the Rembrandts, among other masterpieces. Going to a museum with an artist is always an educational experience. They appreciate certain qualities of the art that I am not aware of, or even think about, and communicate them to me in a fascinating way.
Later that evening we all went out to dinner with Petar and Anita before going our separate ways. Afterwards, I spent another few days at Petar’s home. We had long discussions, and I viewed many of his originals, then talked some more. Petar read aloud his first draft of his new illustrated story “The Giants” and showed me many of the drawings he has worked up for it. I had a great time.
Then, before I knew it, I was back home; The trip being a pleasant memorable dream. I jumped right back into wrapping up the Bruce Timm and Craig Elliott books, both of which are being printed right now.
