Welcome to our top 10 list of Flesk books sold throughout 2024! 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 success.
At the top of our 2024 list is The Art of Rachel and Terry Dodson. Luckily for us, we are friends with Rachel and Terry which made this a pleasure to produce. We made numerous visits to their studio, poured through stacks of original art, had regular ongoing talks about the direction of the book, and were able to gather commentary to sprinkle alongside the art. We love how this book turned out and feel pride in how we could showcase these two amazing people.
Coming up at number two is the massive ElfQuest Covers book. As soon as the first printed advance copy arrived in my hands, I did a “holy crap” out loud from the weight and feel of it. Turning the pages is like a memory book of not only the ElfQuest individual comics and stories, but also where I was at as each issue was released. We are very lucky to have had this chance to capture these covers in one big volume. Richard’s commentary is an endless array of the best desserts that one can consume. Working with Richard and Wendy is an absolute delight. They are kind and wonderful friends and an inspiration to us. This book also serves as Vicky’s first fully designed book. She did a great job making sure the covers and commentary were framed and highlighted properly. Our goal is to always serve the artist. On another note, the ElfQuest community was exceptionally supportive throughout the entire process, which we are also grateful for.
At number three is Portfolio by Mark Schultz. This book was another big hit. We took the large-format Portfolio book from nearly ten years ago, reformatted it, and added a whole bunch of new art. Talk about fun! I started to tinker around on this book one day when it seemed to take on a life of its own. The book kept growing and expanding until it became what it was. Being a long-time fan of Mark’s, I made the book that I wanted for myself. The easy to hold format is my favorite when sitting and looking at his art. This is another exciting opportunity to highlight a good friend and exceptional artist.
For number four, we have the number one title in 2023—The Art of Arthur Adams. Arthur is an absolute legend. It has been satisfying to see him gain so much attention over the last forty years. This book was a massive hit last year, and it’s wonderful to see how well it continues to do. This is a testament to Arthur’s amazing art. This was another book that was only possible by having Arthur’s blessing and help. We made numerous visits to his studio to gather the material and quotes to use throughout. This was another fun book to make.
At number five, and just squeaking into 2024, is Arthur Adams Preliminary Studies. While we were making The Art of Arthur Adams, we had access to piles of original preliminaries. We started to make this book slowly in the background. Before we knew it, we had a book made. We intentionally kept this at the same size and page count as a Manga book. (Arthur is heavily influenced by Japanese pop culture.) This format worked out perfectly since almost all of Arthur’s prelims are shown at the actual size. We also wanted something that was easy for Arthur to take to events. All-in-all, it proved very popular, and we had a blast making it.
For number six, we have Xenozoic by Mark Schultz. Even after having this in print for 15 years, it keeps moving year after year. I re-read Xenozoic recently and found it to be just as enjoyable and relevant as when I first read the series back in the early nineties. Gorgeous art is matched with captivating stories to make this a timeless story.
Frank Cho was missing from our list last year, but 2024 made things right again. Thanks to strong distributor restock orders, Pencil and Ink by Frank Cho is back on our top ten list. It’s always a pleasure to work with Frank. We have a bunch of new books in the works with him. He was a guest at over 20 shows last year and spent much of his time on the road. He has promised to travel less in 2025 so that he can focus more on personal projects—including some cool stuff that we will publish.
Numbers eight, nine, and ten are Pastoral, Gilt, and The Genesis Collection by J.A.W. Cooper. Gilt was on our list in 2023 and is now being joined by two new reprint collections. Pastoral and The Genesis Collection are back! I like having titles in print for as long as possible. Cooper was kind enough to design the two covers and we couldn’t be happier. Having this trio available is a delight. It’s no secret that I’m Cooper’s biggest fan. Their work is moving, extraordinary, unique, and majestic. We’re grateful to be able to work with Cooper and to have these books available.
I say this a lot, and I want to say it again. Thank you. Thanks so much for all your support as we enter our 23rd year of making books. Each time you get a book from us, you directly support the artist to make more art, and also help us to make more books. We hope you all have a terrific 2025 and wish you the happiest New Year!
Enjoy,
John
Flesk Publications
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Text copyright © 2025 John Fleskes. Photos by Vicky Lien and John Fleskes and © 2025 . Videos © 2025 Flesk Publications. Artwork © 2025 its respective artists. All rights reserved.
