The Comics Bulletin website has posted both and interview with Mark Schultz by Jason Sacks, and a book review of Xenozoic.
I’m not sure that “Book review” is the appropriate term since Danny Djeljosevic and Jason Sacks do so much more than simply review the book. They use a unique discussion approach of sharing their thoughts about Schultz and his epic story. Danny and Jason offer a very detailed and clear understanding of the art and story within, as well as share interesting opinions about the collection, all the while bouncing thoughts off of each other. Whether you are familiar with Schultz or new to Xenozoic, this discussion review will grab your attention and be worth your while to read. They obviously invested a lot of time into this review.
Secondly is the Schultz interview by Jason Sacks. Jason met up with Mark and me at my Flesk booth at Comic-Con in San Diego on the Friday afternoon of the show. I sat next to them as the interview was being conducted. I was very impressed with Jason’s knowledge of Schultz and the comic field as a whole. He asked great follow-up questions without skipping a beat. He questions were clear without hesitation. Jason is good at what he does.
The Spectrum Fantastic Art website has recently announced that the Spectrum 19 Call For Entries is now open. This year’s poster is by Rebecca Guay, who in my opinion produced an stunning and beautiful work of art.
Spectrum Fantastic Art co-director Arnie Fenner posted a blog about the back story and creative process of this latest poster on the Muddy Colors blog. You will find some variations and thumbnails showing alternate versions.
Interesting enough I was at the Spectrum 17 dinner Arnie mentions when Bill Carman, Rebecca Guay and Iain McCaig all volunteered to do the Spectrum 18, 19 and 20 posters, respectively. I’ve enjoyed seeing how that evening of good conversation has led to the two posters so far, with still a third to come.
The Spectrum 19 jury consists of Scott Gustafson, Peter de Sève, Jeremy Cranford, Jon Schindehette, and Dawn Rivera-Ernster. Visit the links below to learn more about Spectrum and for entry information.
Petar Meseldžija will be at Illuxcon 4 running from November 3-6, 2011. Petar will have original paintings and drawings on display and for sale, as well as copies of The Legend of Steel Bashaw and Flesk Prime. Petar is a good friend and phenomenal artist. He is a delight to converse with. If you are fortunate enough to make the show you’ll definitely want to make a point to meet him.
Today’s blog post diverges away from art and books to focus on my first and foremost passion—surfing.
Kelly Slater 11 Time ASP World Surfing Champion
I spent the day on Wednesday at the Rip Curl Search at Ocean Beach in San Francisco to witness a monumental event in surf history. With beautiful blue skies, perfect weather in the low seventies, no wind to slight off-shore winds, and perfect head high waves, I was present to see Kelly Slater claim his 11th ASP World Title. This is the first time a World Title was handed out in the mainland U.S.. I’m stoked to have had the opportunity to bear witness. A big congratulations goes out to Kelly Slater on his unprecedented amazing achievement.
Owen Wright. Current #2 rated surfer in the world.
I also had a great time taking over 400 photos over the last two days, and am looking forward to more excitement when the contest continues.
Nov. 4, Update: It turns out that due to an ASP oversight in computing the ratings, they were premature in announcing Kelly Slater as the 2011 World Champion. He stills needs to make it through one more heat this year to clinch the title. The only way he would not win the title is to never win another heat this year and for Owen Wright to win the final two ASP World Tour events, then for the pair of them to have a tie-breaker heat to decide. This is very unlikely and the chances are high we will see the “real” awards ceremony in San Francisco again in the coming days. I’m all for it. I had a blast the first time around. A second ceremony will be all the sweeter. There’s nothing like a little drama to spice things up.
Kelly Slater officially wins his 11th world title
Nov. 6, Update: Kelly Slater officially won the World Title on Sunday! Congratulations again!
Gabriel Medina wins the Rip Curl Search 2011
Nov. 7, Update: Congratulations to Gabriel Medina for winning the 2011 Rip Curl Search event in San Francisco!
Gabriel Medina, winner, and Joel Parkinson, runner-up, to Rip Curl Search 2011Rip Curl Search 2011 trophyTaylor Knox, the fittest 40 year old on the planet
I have been going over the printer proofs for The Art of Craig Elliott over the last week. I had extra copies made so both Craig Elliott and I could both go over them. The proofs allow us to review colors, values, ink densities, contrast, saturation and more, and give us a final chance to correct any mistakes or make any last minute modifications.
With the first set of proofs we found the book to be coming out too dark overall. I went in and lightened the middle values throughout, then had the printer supply a second set of proofs, which looked far superior. At that point I gave the full approval to print the book. The printer then uses these proofs as guides to make sure the final book matches our wishes.
I’m very excited about this book. Craig’s fine art is stunning. With Craig’s personal touch throughout the entire process, from the art, to the design and writing, this book serves as a personal extension of who he is.
The Art of Craig Elliott bra coverThe Art of Craig Elliott topless cover
There will be three covers for the book. The first cover featuring the woman on Craig’s “Music” painting wearing a bra will be the version sent out to Diamond Comic Distributors and our trade book distributor. The topless version of “Music” will be available direct from us, or for direct wholesale orders. This was the original cover to the book, but since the topless version was a little too risqué for the distributor, Craig went in and put a bra on her. We both think this worked out better in the long run by allowing us to have the clothed and topless cover.
The Art of Craig Elliott red cover
There is also a third cover featuring a woman with red sweeping hair. This cover will only be available direct from Craig or through Flesk and not available for wholesale to the book trade. Stay tuned for an extra bonus that will come with 250 copies of this edition. It’s a way of thanking those who order this version direct from us. If you already pre-ordered one of the “Music” versions through us you can swap for a different cover at any time. Just send us an email and we’ll take care of it.
With the book going on the press any minute now I will have an official street date very soon. I’m still thinking this book will be available at the end of December.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section of this blog.
A few days ago Craig Elliott and I went through the proofs for his upcoming book, The Art of Craig Elliott. Craig made a short video which shows some of the pages from his book and he discusses the proofs and artwork contained within.
This book represents Craig’s personal fine art. It is a 9 x 12 inch 68-page hardbound book with four gatefolds. The Art of Craig Elliott will be available in late December. Links to read about more details and to pre-order the book can be found below. You can get it now for the pre-order price of $24.95. Once the book is out the cover price will be $29.95.
I’ve just added the “Evening With Flesk Prime” giclee print to the Flesk online store. Full details follow.
Held on September 8, 2011, “An Evening with Flesk Prime” was a private event held with five of Flesk Publications brightest stars in an evening of food, drink, conversation and illumination. A select few guests joined Craig Elliott, Gary Gianni, Petar Meseldzija, Mark Schultz and William Stout in a dinner prior to Strip Festival Breda 2011 which afforded the appreciator of fine illustration a chance for relaxed one-on-one repartee in an atmosphere of convivial wining and dining.
Guests received a special signed giclee print honoring the evening. Signed by the five participating artists this exclusive giclee print is strictly limited to an edition of 50, with only 25 being available for sale to the public.
This giclee, was created with archival inks and premium stock watercolor paper. The print measures 17 x 24 inches and is signed by Elliott, Gianni, Meseldžija, Schultz and William Stout.
The Spectrum Fantastic Art website has announced that Spectrum 18 will be available very soon from your favorite bookseller. Arnie and Cathy Fenner have posted a video flip-through of the book giving us a glimpse of who is included in this latest collection of the best in contemporary fantastic art.
In addition, Spectrum has announced that advance registration for Spectrum Fantastic Art Live is available on their website. Three day passes are only $40.00 and single day passes will be available at the door for $20.00. Spectrum Live will be held in Kansas City, Missouri with special guests Brom, Mike Mignola, Iain McCaig, Phil Hale and Andrew Jones.
I’ll have a Flesk booth at the show. Joining me will be Gary Gianni, Petar Meseldzija, Mark Schultz, William Stout. Craig Elliott will be there as well with his own booth. (That’s the entire Flesk Prime group!) I’m excited about being a part of this inaugural new event that focuses on the artists. As the show nears I will have some surprises to share.
The Art of Bill Carman exhibit and sale will be held at the Animazing Gallery in New York City this October 23 to November 30, 2011. You can meet Bill at the artist reception on October 22 from 6-9:00PM.
Bill is a spectacular artist. His paintings are little gems filled with vibrant creativity. Follow the links below for more information about the show and on Bill Carman.
Craig Elliott, James Walker and John Fleskes at the Flesk Publications APE 2011 booth
I had a great time at APE!
I truly enjoyed my entire time spent at the show. Being only a two day event, and local for me, keeps things simple since I don’t have to plan far in advance or be away from the office for very long. The typical APE attendee is hip and sophisticated that allows for a good engaging conversation. Plus the show is mellow which allows me the time to talk at length on a more personal one-on-one basis when compared to a busier show like Comic-Con. I don’t mind a bustling engagement, but I like the balance of a convention like APE that provide a bit of a break from the more intense nature of a larger event. Due to my work schedule, I don’t have a lot of time to chit chat in emails and on the phone, making an event the best place to get my attention. The shows helps me gain valuable feedback to see how people perceive me and Flesk so I better understand what needs to change and what is working well.
Mary from Stuart Ng Books. Stuart was our welcome neighbor next to us and they carry a wide assortment of the best art books.
One thing I learned came from two separate groups of people. The first group to enlighten me was a group of students. The second was from a dinner party on Saturday night. (This included Stuart Ng, Craig Elliott and more.) I found out there is a perception that is shared among these students and a few of the people I spoke with at the dinner. They communicated with me their belief that the individual artist books I publish have to be within a certain vein. Here are some of the terms I heard: realism, award-winning, high-caliber, fine artist and intimidating. They confessed they didn’t think I was interested in cartoony, stylistic, super-hero or alternative art, or even younger artists—which happens to be far from the truth. I have a wide range of interests that I will reveal in future blogs and books I publish. I have no intention of limiting the types of books I publish to a specific genre. You can expect some diversity in the future. As an example, a goal of mine, which I began pre-planning last year, is to start a new line of animation artist books. I’ll take a few years to start getting a steady stream of animation titles out, but it is going to happen.
Craig Elliott
Craig Elliott was kind enough to join me this year. Besides being an amazing visual development artist and character designer working in the animation industry, he has a dynamic range of skills that appears in various ways. At APE, Craig had a selection of prints focusing on his personal fine art celebrating real woman in all of her glory with curvy, healthy features that appeal to both men and many women. Craig was there to show off his portfolio, sketch for people, sell prints and his jewelry, and promote our upcoming book, The Art of Craig Elliott. He is perhaps the kindest person I know. I enjoy spending time with Craig knowing (hoping, really) that some of his good nature will rub off on me.
Craig Elliott
I took note on what was selling the best at APE. This year was a surprise. And it would not have happened without the enthusiasm of George Cwirko Godycki. George is an instructor and highly-creative artist (I picked up three of his originals) at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He takes great interest in the work of Petar Meseldzija. George was rounding up students and praising The Legend of Steel Bashaw all weekend long. Thanks to George, if you add to the title already being popular on its own, it was our obvious top seller.
This leads me to an interesting story. All books that I publish are a risk. When you are investing your time and money into anything and expect to make some money off of it (in my case so I can keep publishing more books), the project is a risk. There are people out there that will tell you, “It’s like printing money!” and other such beliefs, but you really can’t say for sure until you have actually made the effort.
A year ago at APE, I had just released Petar’s The Legend of Steel Bashaw book. I told Petar very few people know who he is and we would have to build his name here in the states. This was the riskiest book I have published since Petar had hardly any built in audience and practically no name recognition. I sold only 18 copies of the book to Diamond Comics Distributors and a couple copies at APE last year. The book, in all intents and purposes, was a major bust. Never had a book I published sold so poorly. However, I foresaw this happening and knew we would have to push and hand sell The Legend of Steel Bashaw one copy at a time. I was confident that the word would get out there, albeit slowly. I told Petar to be patient and good things would happen. I felt (and still do) that he is too dang good for people not to notice his work. Here we are a year later, The Legend of Steel Basahw is my bestselling book at APE, and sales are picking up through the distributors.
A typical big publisher will release a book and if it does not sell well immediately, it will remainder and dump the book, write it off as a loss, stop promoting the title (and artist) and move on to the next possible big hit. What I believe in is following your gut, making a great book, and then doing whatever you have to do to share your passion about the artist and sell that book over the long term. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see Petar’s star rising. He is a wonderful person and he deserves it. I’ve told Petar that once The Legend of Steel Bashaw makes its money back, then we will do an art collection. That has given him ample motivation to promote his book on his end. I also learned that many students praised Petar’s ongoing blog on his own site as well as the one on Muddy Colors. (Links can be found at the bottom of this blog.)
Runner up for the top selling spot was the Bruce Timm Naughty and Nice Teaser. People are going nuts with anticipation for the upcoming main Timm book, as am I. Our Flesk Prime book also did well, especially given that Craig Elliott was there to sign them.
One of the things I enjoy about APE is discovering a new artist whose art will blow me away. APE is an affordable show to set up at and caters to new artists that may not get the chance to exhibit and gain exposure elsewhere. You will find all types of interesting creative people. There are fun discoveries all throughout. Here is a list of a few standouts whose works I thoroughly enjoyed either seeing for the first time, or revisited based on my seeing them last year; Brittney Lee, Liana Hee, Genevieve Tsai, Glenn Kim, Michael Manomivibul and Emonic.
Chris Diaz took portraits of many of the artists, creators and publishers (including myself) at the show. He posted a slideshow worth watching on Vimeo, a link that you can find at the end of this post.
Shelly Wan was exhibiting with Eidolon Fine Arts. I like to remind her about how absolutely amazing her work is. I remember her coming by my booth in San Diego in 2006 and her showing me her art for the first time. I firmly believe she has a bright future.
The Flesk Publications booth with James Walker at the helm.
I believe APE will grow and become the place for newcomer artists to get his and her feet wet. I believe it is a very important show in terms of initializing yourself into exhibiting, gaining confidence in talking to people, showing off your art to the public, getting feedback and promoting yourself. If you are a new artist and want to grow this is the place to do it. It does take patience though. Don’t expect a whole lot the first year, but try it for three years and go from there. Be committed and make it work. Take advantage of what is there. Here is an example of what I mean. I walked the show on Sunday and found some people behind their table who looked tired, defeated, bored, or lacking in spirit. This has prompted me to offer some unsolicited advice to those who are new to exhibiting. I know it isn’t always easy to be energized, but try and be welcoming without being aggressive. Don’t worry if people buy something or not. I never do. If someone comes by it is an opportunity for me to chat a little bit and possibly reinforce a current relationship or start a new one. Be genuine. Keep it natural to who you are and don’t force anything. But, do look like you want to be there and don’t sit there staring at the ground when people come by. I’m not saying I have the process down perfect, and I know it isn’t always easy. I was shy when I first exhibited. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. But I kept at it until I gained the confidence to engage with people at shows. Quit when you are at home, not at the convention.
My last topic will be about the people who run Comic-Con, Wonder-Con and APE. There has been a lot of flak that they have received about the direction of Comic-Con and that they don’t care about comics anymore. I am here to tell you that is absolutely not true. If you ever get a chance, talk to these guys and you will see how dedicated and passionate they are about comics and the arts and how hard they work to make these shows possible for us to exhibit at and raise awareness of this field we all love so much. Next time you see a Comic-Con staff member, be sure to thank them.
On behalf of Craig Elliott, my friend James Walker who helps me out at the shows, and myself, thanks to everyone who came by our booth at APE!
See you next year. William Stout has confirmed he will join us for 2012!
