John Fleskes’ Blog

I have recently returned from the seventeenth annual Spectrum competition in Kansas City, MO. I was honored and privileged to be among the five-member jury this year, along with Bill Carman, Kerry Callen, Rebecca Guay, and Iain McCaig. While I will be writing a detailed blog about the event in the near future, for now you can view pictures and details on the Spectrum website here, as well as view the Spectrum 17 Award Winners here.

I will write more when I return from the Stripbeurs Breda show in the Netherlands.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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You have heard me plugging Mark Schultz and my visit to the Netherlands Stripbeurs Breda show coming up this March 6 and 7, along with the debut of our Mark Schultz sketchbook Blue Book. Now, I would like to further promote the exceptional guest list and other special show items I have learned about.

Mike Mignola, Adi Granov, Paul Renaud, Barry Kitson, Minck Oosterveer, Petar Meseldžija, and Geoff West of the Book Palace will also be there! The full guest list is posted at the show website here.

To top things off, there will be a special Hellboy comic exclusive to the show. Mike Mignola did this new cover that has been colored by Dave Stewart.

Paul Renaud will have a portfolio featuring new artwork. He’s doing amazing work on Red Sonja and covers for Marvel, to name a few projects. His website features a gallery, news, interviews and store with sketchbooks and original art for sale. There is also a Paul Renaud Message Board with some good topics worth reading here.

Minck Oosterveer will have a small very limited sketchbook The Unknown Minck Oosterveer. There will only be 111 copies! According to his website, you can have Minck hold a copy for you by contacting him through his website here.

Petar Meseldžija will be at the Uitgeverij Xtra booth for most of the show. He will have his new sketchbook and copies of the Serbian Edition of his The Legend of Steel Bashaw for sale. There will also be a small exhibition of his work, including some Giclee prints and an original painting. He will also spend an hour or two at our Flesk booth.

Another plug for Mark Schultz Blue Book. (I can’t help myself!)

So there you go. A fine list of artists and products all available at Stripbeurs Breda! And be sure to stop by De Stripspecialist when in Breda for the best in comics and books. I’ll post stories and pictures when I return!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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Convoy Surrounded, 1995, illustration for Dinotopia: The World Beneath. ©1995 James Gurney. All rights reserved.

The Delaware Art Museum is currently showcasing an exhibit on the Dinotopia paintings of James Gurney. The museum website states, “This major exhibition features over 60 works, as well as reference material, from three of Gurney’s books: Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time (1992); Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995); and Gurney’s fourth volume in the series, Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara (2007).” To learn more about the event, you can visit the Delaware Art Museum website by clicking here.

Furthermore, James Gurney posts a daily blog on his travels and appearances, book updates, thoughts, and generally interesting topics. You can find it by clicking here. It’s a good site to visit regularly.

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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I don’t have much to say today, so I thought I would share this new preliminary sketch by Mark Schultz. I’m sure looking at Mark’s art beats anything I could come up with. I will hint at this piece being for a new unannounced project from Flesk. More on that topic later…

Enjoy,

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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I mentioned in one of my previous blogs about the forthcoming portfolio on Frank Brangwyn from Auad Publishing. “Frank Brangwyn, R.A.: The Way of the Cross” is now available. I’ve picked up my copy and am enthusiastic to recommend this fine publication.

I’ve bought portfolios before, but none compare to the craftsmanship and printing found in Auad’s Brangwyn collection. Portfolio’s of this quality are generally reserved for high-end fine artists commanding a lofty sticker price, or are found in early 20th century printing. Few publishers today go through the trouble or invest this much energy into portfolios. Matched with the beauty of Frank Brangwyn’s work, this is a highly cherished item for me.

The following promotion text describes the item and how you can place your order:

Auad Publishing is privileged and honored to reprint these interpretation of The Way of the Cross by special permission from David Brangwyn. It was first published in 1935 by Hodder & Stoughton in a Deluxe limited 250 copies with a commentary by Gilbert Keith Chesterton. This reprint will be a very limited number especially designed portfolio with a 4 page essay by Dr. Libby Horner from England who is considered the world’s leading authority on this artist.

This edition is limited to 700 numbered plus 50 copies hors commerce (I to L). The plates measure 11×14” and printed in letterpress on Teton 80 lb. stock by D.T. Printing in, San Francisco with a sturdy portfolio-box by Regent Publishing Services Ltd.

Portfolio, 20 plates, 11×14″, $64.95 plus S&H: $10.00 via USPS Priority Mail. Overseas cost will vary depending the country and will be shipped enclosed in a padded envelope inside a hard cardboard for extra protection.

When visiting the home page of the Auad Publishing website, you can click on the portfolio image to view sample plates from the collection. I highly recommend this lovely edition!

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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Mark Schultz and Xenozoic Tales is on Facebook! Become a fan, share your passion, and learn about the latest Schultz news at his authorized Facebook page by clicking here. A special thank you to Fred Perry for creating and maintaining the page!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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For this being January, a month I typically think of as being slow for new art books, I have been pleased to add a nice stack of new titles to my library.

The first book I would like to mention is the new Black and White Images. This is the fifth collection in the ongoing series, which focuses on “The Golden Era of Pen & Ink Illustration” from 1890-1922. Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr. labors over each issue of the color ImageS magazine and these Black and White ImageS specials, to find dynamite art by both popular and forgotten illustrators of the past. Most of the artwork is pulled from his vast private collection.

One thing I find interesting is Jim’s persistence in finding oddball and unique pieces by popular artists. For instance, he often seems to find a few samples of an artist’s earliest works. These may not be the best examples of their art, but they are insightful in that they prove that not everyone is a genius when they start, and that their later magnificent works are a product of much practice and labor. I enjoy these glimpses at an individual’s humble beginnings.

Jim performs a generous service in preserving these master illustrators works in high quality accessible editions. Black and White Images #5 keeps in the tradition of his delving into the past to find exceptional artists. To start with, there is a stunning title page piece by Desfontaines from L’Image#11 from 1897. There are also some beautiful examples by John R. Neil, James Montgomery Flagg, and Will Crawford (reproduced from a batch of originals lent to Jim by Fred Taraba). Furthermore, there is a reprinting of the art for The Haunted House from 1899 by Herbert Railton–a gifted architectural illustrator. There is a Gustave Dore reproduction from an original art photogravure portfolio from 1868 (if you have only seen the terribly poor reproductions in modern paperback books on Dore, this will be a pleasant surprise for you). A nice batch of pieces by Daniel Vierge from L’Image #4, are a welcome addition as well. You will also find Everett Shinn, T.S. Sullivant, and Harry Roundtree and many, many more, that await you in this latest ImageS collection.

To learn more about ImageS, you can visit the official website here. You can order your copy direct from Jim Vadeboncoeur, Jr., or from Bud’s Art Books.

The next book I want to mention is the new special deluxe Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures by Dave Stevens. This was a dream project for designer, Randy Dahlk (our favorite designer who has handled many of our Flesk titles). Randy has been telling me for years that he wanted to design this book, and when the opportunity arose, IDW editor Scott Dunbier made sure it happened. I couldn’t be happier, not only for Randy to get to design his dream book, but also that IDW put so much energy into it. They did a beautiful job. The exquisite coloring and the oversized deluxe edition with the 100 extra bonus pages in slipcase is a stunning package. I can’t think of any other publisher that would have given this book the all-star treatment that they did. Besides the deluxe edition, there is an affordable trade hardbound edition that contains the complete story. Get them both! Also, you can go to Randy’s “Retro Randy” blog to see design variations for the Rocketeer book cover and read his thought process behind them. You can buy this book from your local comic or book store.

Then there is the new Jordi Bernet book from the Spanish publisher, El Jueves. Bernet: 50 años de viñetas (50 years of drawings) is a huge hardbound collection at nearly 350 pages, measuring 9.5 x 13 in. As the title suggests, it features a wide range of samples of his art over the coarse of his career. Bernet is, without a doubt, one of my favorite black and white contemporary brush artists working in comics. His work is just fabulous. He can jump between humorous cartooning with Clara de Noche, to the grittiest of approaches with Torpedo. His current work on Jonah Hex is my most anticipated comic, with its all too sparse releases featuring his work. I don’t know where you can by the book, but here is the El Jueves website with some details.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone who supported us in 2009! With our transition into the New Year, I have put together my most aggressive business plan to date for 2010. This includes an increase in the number of books I will publish over the course of the year, a score of signings and events, and more great news to share!

Mark Schultz Blue Book Coming Spring 2010!

To begin with, Mark Schultz and myself have had the pleasure of being invited to the Stripbeurs Breda show in the Netherlands. The show will run March 6-7. Courtesy of the show organizers, Flesk will have a booth with an assortment of all of our books. Inspired by our first trip to Breda, I have worked with Schultz to print a special sketchbook “Mark Schultz Blue Book” containing an assortment of his preliminary drawings for Storms at Sea and miscellaneous pieces culled from his personal sketchbook. We will debut this item at Stripbeaurs Breda, followed by WonderCon in April. These will be available for direct order from us once I return from the Breda show. The cost is €7 at the show, and $10 US postage paid in the US.

In other news, William Stout will be signing his latest collection Dinosaur Discoveries at Stuart Ng Books on February 13 from 2-4:00 PM. They are located in Torrance, CA. You can visit their website for directions and to see what other art books they carry at: www.stuartngbooks.com.

Wondercon in San Francisco is coming up on April 2-4. Mark Schultz will be signing each day at the Flesk booth. William Stout will also be present, signing at his own booth throughout the show. Both artists will have original art and books for sale.

The James Bama Sketchbook and Harvey Dunn books are both nearing completion. They will be available this spring. Full details on them are available on our website.

The Spectrum “Call for Entries” deadline is this Friday, January 22. You still have time! You can send in your artwork using Priority Mail or expedited service for guaranteed delivery. For full details on the submissions guidelines and details, visit the Spectrum website at http://spectrumfantasticart.com/.

William Stout Hallucinations Coming Summer 2010!

William Stout Inspirations Coming Fall 2010!

Two new art books on William Stout are in development for a summer and fall 2010 release date. “Hallucinations” features his best work in the fantasy arena, while “Inspirations” collects his fantastic women pieces. Both are 48 pages in full color. Softbound and limited signed hardbound editions will be available.

Be sure to check out my blog every couple of weeks for the most detailed news. Thanks again for your support!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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I figure there are a few people out there who are curious about the status of Mark Schultz’s upcoming illustrated novella Storms at Sea. With this in mind, I flew out to visit Mr. Schultz to see exactly how far he has come in completing his ambitious project.

This picture above is photographic proof of Mark’s efforts. Here, he is using his Wolf carbon pencil to work on the details of his latest piece. The script is complete, and the artwork nearly halfway done. The finished pieces look amazing. This book will be well worth the wait. A release date will be set once Mark completes all of the artwork.

Mark happened to have his original cover art for Death Rattle #8 (first published Xenozoic Tales) on loan from the owner. I asked Mark if he could pose with it, as well as with the Storms at Sea art he was working on. This picture appeals to me as it shows Mark’s first published comics work, and his most recent artwork, together.

This picture is a detail from one of Schultz’s Xenozoic Tales original art pages. There was this great panel with these tiny intricate figures. I was mesmerized with how he was able to draw the characters so small by using a brush. I pulled out my macro lens and took this shot. This picture greatly magnifies the original art to show the delicate brushwork on a larger scale.

My visit to New York and Pennsylvania, during the first week of January, was for three main reasons. I was able to meet with Walt and Roger Reed at Illustration House, in New York City, to go over the final details for the Harvey Dunn book. This title is on track for its July 2010 release date. Then, Mark Schultz and I visited with the Williamson’s to go over options for our next Al Williamson book. (More on that in a month.) And, I was able to spend time with Mark to plan out his next two books, outside of “Storms at Sea.” (Full details on these soon!) What I can tell you now is that I will have a few exciting new Al Williamson and Mark Schultz projects to announce next month!

Revelen © 2009 Brad Kunkle

I also had the pleasure to visit with Brad Kunkle. He is a wonderful guy and terrific fine artist. Brad is working on a new series of paintings that will be available for viewing at his one-man show at Arcadia Fine Arts in New York City this spring. Go check out his website here. He’s absolutely amazing!

Best,

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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William Stout will be signing at Stuart Ng Books on Saturday, February 13, from 2:00-4:00 PM. Stuart will have plenty of copies of Bills new books, Dinosaur Discoveries, New Dinosaur Discoveries A-Z, and his previous release, Prehistoric Life Murals, available.

This is also a great opportunity to visit the new Stuart Ng Books showroom. They have moved to a bigger and better showroom at 20655 S. Western Ave., Suite 104, in Torrance, California. They are located just off of the 405 freeway. For directions and to view an online catalog of books available from Stuart Ng, you can visit his website by clicking here.

Enjoy!

John

John Fleskes
Flesk Publications

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