Top 10 Flesk Books in 2025! Happy New Year!

Hi, everyone,

Welcome to our top 10 list of Flesk books sold in 2025. This ranking was calculated by the actual number of copies sold rather than by the total funds collected. The number of people holding a copy in their hands is our favorite way to measure the success of a title.

Last night, I flipped through some of the pictures that we took throughout 2025 and it made me realize how amazing the year was.

Vicky and I had the chance to see many of our friends throughout the year. We had a wonderful time meeting people at the handful of events where we exhibited. We released eight new books that we are very proud of. We even managed to take a pair of trips where we could fully get lost in nature and recharge. I’m grateful to everyone who makes it possible for Vicky and myself to make books on these amazing artists. I consider ourselves to be very lucky. We have all of you to thank for allowing us to continue to do what we love.

We have some big plans that we will be kicking into motion this month. We’ve also mapped out our book schedule for this year. I’ll share all of these details soon.

For now, I will offer some insight into our top 10 books in 2025. This helps to remind myself about the many positive things that happened over the past few years while also looking forward to what 2026 will bring.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year day with many more great days to come!

—John

#1 — The Art of Daniel Warren Johnson

When I first met DWJ I didn’t quite realize how big of a superstar he was becoming. As I read his comics for the first time, I had that same feeling wash over me that I had when first reading Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, and also Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier. It’s rare to have such an impactful writer/artist/storyteller all in one person. Daniel has cemented himself as one of the most defining creators of his generation. It was a blast to work with him to make this book. We are incredibly proud of how it turned out. The Art of DWJ easily took the number one spot this year. I expect it will continue to be popular throughout 2026. For those who want the signed hardcover, it will eventually sell out. Fair warning.

#2 — Portfolio: The Complete Various Drawings by Mark Schultz

This one surprised me since this book has been out since 2024. Portfolio was number 3 last year and moved up a spot for 2025! Our stock on the paperback, hardcover and signed hardcover are getting low. The success of this book has encouraged us to work on The Carbon Collection (coming in 2026). Our goal with Portfolio was to make a book packed with Schultz art at an easy to hold size. It has proven very popular and I’m thrilled to see it in the #2 spot! We’ve published more books on Schultz than on any other artist. He is a wonderful guy and amazing to work with.

#3 — Fiendish Monsters: The Horror Art of Bruce Timm

We released this book on December 2 and within less than a month it almost made the #2 spot. Bruce was very active in the design and tone of this book. The “Monsters” title and chapter titles were all hand lettering by him. He provided a bunch of commentary, and had his hand in each page of the design as well as the color adjustments for his art. It was an amazing experience to work with Bruce on this. It’s obvious to see how much passion he has for this genre. We’re currently working on the next book in the series that will collect his noir/crime/hard-boiled art. After that, we have a fantasy themed book coming. After these, even more collections are planned!

#4 — Xenozoic by Mark Schultz

Can we all take a moment to give Mark a standing ovation? Two books in the top 4 and this one has been in print from us since 2010! Xenozoic proves time and again that people love this series. The story is just as relevant today as it was when it was initially released. It is constantly being discovered by new people. We’re just about sold out of this latest printing and have some copies on our website. We’ll print more copies and restock our distributor later this year.

#5 — Franklin Booth: Silent Symphony

It feels so good to see this book continue to sell at a brisk pace. An absolute master of pen-and-ink, Franklin Booth’s drawings continue to make people happy. As many of you know, Booth was the subject of the first book that I published back in 2002. It was titled Painter with a Pen. Silent Symphony was meant as a 20th year celebration of our publishing books. I loved every minute of working on this book. It brings me great joy to see Booth capture the #5 spot.

#6 — Spectres by Tran Nguyen

I still remember seeing Tran’s paintings for the first time and being completely mesmerized. She has a grace to her works that constanlty moves me. It’s such an honor to work with her. This is her second book that we published. It’s filled with her captivating experimental paintings that I can’t get enough of.

#7 — The Last Battle at the End of the World by Jeffrey Alan Love

Jeff is one of the most unique and powerful storytellers out there. This is the fourth JAL book that we have published. Like the previous titles, The Last Battle at the End of the World has limited text, yet each page carries so much depth and wonder that adding more text would only be a distraction. I have yet to see anyone else who can tell a story the way Jeff can. A true individual and a wonderful person.

#8 — The Art of Arthur Adams

This book was a huge hit when it was released in 2023. It remains the biggest Kickstarter campaign that we’ve ever ran. We ran out of copies for our distributor, but still have some copies on our website. I’ve been following Arthur since the original Longshot series was released. Making this book was a dream. And like the others, Arthur is such a pleasure to work with.

#9 — Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm

Yay! A second B.T. book on the list! Like Mark Schultz’s Xenozoic, Bruce’s Naughty and Nice collection has been selling nonstop since its initial printing 15 years ago. I actually need to reprint this, along with The Big Tease. We will, but I need to wait until later this year when I can focus on them. I still love looking through this book and am happy to see it on this list.

#10 — Ambedo by Tran Nguyen

Along with Mark Schultz and Bruce Timm, Tran Nguyen has the honor of having two books on our top ten list! As an intersting aside, back when Tran was at SCAD, she took a class that Mark was teaching. Small world! Ambedo is a new edition with a new cover. The previous edition had a small print run and sold out quickly. I’ve always been eager to bring this back to print and am so happy we did. It’s another lovely book that I am honored to have published.

I’d like to also mention Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea Revealed by Gianni and Mignola. The initial pre-orders did really well for this title too. I’m sure this will be on the top 10 list next year once the distributor sales reports are made available to us.

I’m sure you are eager to hear all about what we will be releasing in 2026. I’m just as eager to share! I’ll save the details for a future newsletter. At the moment we are putting the final touches on the William Stout Comics Volume One book. I’m looking at the calendar and will lock in a Kickstarter launch date in late-January or early-February. I’ll get that date finalized soon to share with you all.

Enjoy,

John

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Text copyright © 2026 John Fleskes. Photos by Vicky Lien and John Fleskes and © 2026 . Videos © 2026 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2026 its respective artists. All rights reserved.

Book Update: The Thousand Demon Tree by Jeffrey Alan Love

Hi all,

Look what arrived today! Our printer sample copies of The Thousand Demon Tree by Jeffrey Alan Love. The version with the red spine is the signed edition that is already sold out. The regular hardcover edition can be pre-ordered on our Flesk website. The books are slated to arrive at our Flesk warehouse on August 25th. We’ll start shipping the Kickstarter pledges and pre-orders at that time.

Learn more or pre-order online here:

https://www.fleskpublications.com/jeffrey-alan-love

Enjoy,

Book Update! Carbon 3 by Mark Schultz

Hi, everyone,

Mark Schultz’s Carbon 3 printer book samples have arrived! Shown here is the hardcover limited signed edition which is sold out thanks to you all!

The paperback edition is still available on our Flesk website:

https://www.fleskpublications.com/books/mark-schultz-carbon-3

I had the chance to show these to Mark before he flew back home after San Diego Comic-Con. We’re both thrilled with how well they turned out!

The extra bit of good news is that the printer was able to get these done in time to ship with Jeffrey Alan Love’s The Thousand Demon Tree book. Both are scheduled to arrive at our Flesk warehouse on August 25th. We’ll ship the Kickstarter orders and the Flesk online store pre-orders as soon as they arrive. If you pledged for both Jeff and Mark’s books we will ship them together.

Around August 14th we will send out an update that will give you a chance to include more Schultz books with your order.

More updates coming soon.

Thanks again!

Enjoy,

The Spectrum 25 Call For Entries is Open!

The Spectrum 25 Call For Entries is Open!

This is an invitation to all professional and student artists, art directors, publishers and artists’ representatives to submit entries to the 25th Annual Spectrum International Competition for Fantastic Art. All artworks in all media embracing the themes of science fiction, fantasy, horror and the surreal are eligible for this show. Fantastic art can be subtle or obvious, traditional or off-the-wall, painted, sculpted, done digitally or photographed: There is no unacceptable way to create art, and there are no set rules that say one piece qualifies while another does not. Imagination and skill are what matters. Work chosen by the jury will be printed in full color in the Spectrum annual, the peer-selected “best of the year” collection for the fantastic arts. Click here to submit.

The Spectrum 25 Call for Entries poster art is by the revered illustrator, Scott Gustafson. This poster mails for free in the U.S.A to our Spectrum mailing list. If you would like to receive a poster you can fill out the online form here.

The Spectrum 25 jury is comprised of a five member panel of some of the most exceptional artists working in the industry today consisting of Terry Dodson, Tyler Jacobson, Tran Nguyen, Karla Ortiz, and Chuck Pyle.

“I am delighted to have this esteemed group of renowned artists as the jury for Spectrum’s twenty-fifth anniversary,” shares Spectrum director, John Fleskes. “I am honored to have gathered this exceptional group. Each is respected by their peers, gives back to the community, and are celebrated by art admirers for their superb works. Additionally, they cover all of the aspects that make Spectrum great: its diversity and core message that all are welcome. They embrace all methods and categories featured within Spectrum by artists from all over the world, while having a profound knowledge of the industry. They have my full trust when selecting the works for inclusion into Spectrum 25, along with the silver and gold recipients who will be recognized during the Spectrum awards ceremony held in the spring of 2018.”

For over twenty-five years the Spectrum annual has been a showcase for the best and brightest creators of fantastic art from around the globe: it serves as an invaluable resource book for art directors, art buyers, publishers and agents world-wide. Hundreds of copies are sent out gratis with the intent of generating additional work and exposure for the artists selected for inclusion in the annual. The circulation of Spectrum far exceeds those of other annuals and resource books; we deliberately maintain a price that makes it affordable for every budget. Our purpose and singular agenda is the promotion of the art and artists. We believe that Spectrum functions as a cost-efficient promotional forum and provides a bridge between creator, client, and aficionado as well. Spectrum is all about facilitating opportunities for creators, about growing the audience for imaginative work in all its forms, without pretension and without prejudice.

The largest of this field’s competitions is also the toughest to make; the act of entering art does not guarantee inclusion in the book. Not everyone gets in. The “excellence bar” is raised every year: the job of the jury to make selections gets increasingly difficult. Not being selected is not a personal criticism of the artist, but having your work chosen by the judges is of significance. Join with us to help celebrate twenty-five years by making this volume the best yet: considering the excellence of the work in the previous twenty-four books, it will be no small task, but we’re confident you all can do it.

For more information on Spectrum please visit spectrumfantasticart.com.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

 

Spectrum 24 Launch and Signing Event at Sketchpad Gallery in San Francisco!

Hi, everyone,

Saturday, December 2nd, from 2:00-5:00pm, come join us for a Spectrum 24 book signing and release party at Sketchpad Gallery in San Francisco!

Sketchpad Gallery is proud to celebrate Flesk Publication’s release of Spectrum 24, the definitive annual of fantastic art and illustration. Come join us for a Spectrum book signing event and celebration featuring some of the most talented artists working today!

Spectrum is the premier showcase of imaginative fantastic arts, featuring artists from the comic, film, horror, illustration, sculpture, conceptual art, fine art, and videogame genres. We are so excited that over ten featured artists will be in attendance, to meet fans and sign copies of Spectrum.

Confirmed artists include Paolo Rivera, Armand Baltazar, Gal Or, Tiffany Turrill, Choo Waiji, Dug Stanat Art, Alyssa Winans, Tanner Griepentrog, Chris Koehler, Kellan Jett, Steven Russell Black, Jonathan Wayshak, Te Hu and more!

Refreshments will be provided!

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/381701595614989/

Sketchpad Gallery website.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

SFAL Update!

Hi, everyone,

I’m continuing to work on the many details relating to SFAL and the Spectrum 25 awards ceremony. There is much that I am excited about sharing, although it’s still a bit early to release any of the details. This is an event that I care deeply about, and one in which will remain focused on the artists and this mighty creative community.

Thanks so much for your patience from the entire SFAL team!

I’ll post the news here on this blog just as soon as information is available.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

Spectrum 24 Book Signing Event at CTN Animation Expo!

Hi, everyone,

The Spectrum 24 book signing event will be on Saturday, November 18th, 10:00AM-11:30AM at the CTN Book Bar. The Book bar is located at the rear of the Exhibitor Pavilion in front of the convention center.

So far we have 14 artists participating! This includes Akihito, Daren Bader, Julia Blattman, Wesley Burt, Alina Chau, Jeremy Fenske, Burton Gray, Matthew Levin, Andrew Leung, Erik Ly, Brynn Metheney, Matteo Marjoram, Ryan Richmond, Uriah Voth.

http://ctnanimationexpo.com/

We hope to see you there!

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

J.A.W. Cooper Book Release Party at La Luz De Jesus Gallery!

Hi, everyone,

The J.A.W. Cooper book release party is this Saturday! Come celebrate with us at La Luz De Jesus Gallery (Wacko) in Hollywood on Saturday, Nov 4th from 7-10pm! Cooper will be there to sign your books. You can bring your books or buy them at the event.

Click here to learn more.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

 

Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea Studio Edition Kickstarter Campaign Ends Thursday

Call of Cthulhu sample art by Gary Gianni.

MonsterMen Sample art by Gary Gianni.

Hi, everyone,

We’re in the final stretch of our Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea Studio Edition Kickstarter campaign! It ends tomorrow!

There has been five stretch goals unlocked since we launched the campaign a month ago. Lots of bonus material and free goodies are now included.

This book, which is written by Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni, and with art by Gary includes the Hellboy story with it’s thumbnails and preliminary art. Now, it also includes additional pages including a MonsterMen story, plus a bonus The Call of Cthulhu book illustrated by Gary. There are prints also!

You can visit the campaign page for full details.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign! Click here to visit the Kickstarter page.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.

Spectrum 24 Artist Copies Shipping!

Spectrum 24 artists! Here’s a nice surprise for you.

We’ve mailed out 300 packages today with your complimentary copies. Another big batch of books goes out tomorrow. Last year I gave away over 500 hardcover copies to artists, students, and professionals, all with the incentive to get your work in front of as many industry people as possible to get you recognized for the fine work that you do. In addition, it’s my hope that you get commissions and/or work out of being in Spectrum as well.

You all should start to receive them soon. I look forward to your comments when you do!

Thank you all so much for being a part of Spectrum. Whether you are an artist featured in the book, someone who has submitted, or a fan who purchases the book, you have my utmost gratitude for supporting us so that we can highlight and build upon this amazing positive community each year.

Enjoy,

John

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Text and photos copyright © 2017 John Fleskes. Videos © 2017 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2017 its respective artists. All Rights reserved.