Vanguard – serie

The definitive collection from the creator and publication that inspired the underground comix movement.Hall of Fame comics creator Wallace Wood's revolutionary, self-published Witzend (often spelled in all lower case) has always been hard to define—the birth of the pro-zine, underground, independent... Whatever you call it, Wood’s witzend was a mid-'60s milestone event that represented all of the loftiest Fine Art goals of the Underground Movement including art-for-art’s-sake, freedom from censorship, and creator rights. The vast majority of the underground comix movement creators were directly inspired by the EC Comics and Mad work of Wallace Wood and Harvey Kurtzman (as well as psychedelics). Until R. Crumb’s later and eminently notable Zap Comix, no underground had the impact of witzend which combined top-flight comics pros like Wood, Frazetta, Steranko and Ditko side-by-side with up-and-coming Undergrounders like Art Spiegelman (Maus) and Vaughn Bode (Cheech Wizard)For the first time ever, this single volume collects all of Wood's own contributions to his groundbreaking publication including Animan, Sally Forth, The Rejects, Bucky Ruckus, Pipsqueek Papers, The Wizard King, Snorky, Lunar Tunes, and more.

Discover, or return to, the world's greatest heroic fantasy artist, Frank Frazetta in this landmark art collection entitled, Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta. The New York Times said, "Frazetta helped define fantasy heroes like Conan, Tarzan and John Carter of Mars with signature images of strikingly fierce, hard-bodied heroes and bosomy, callipygian damsels" Frazetta took the sex and violence of the pulp fiction of his youth and added even more action, fantasy and potency, but rendered with a panache seldom seen outside of major works of Fine Art. Despite his fantastic subject matter, the quality of Frazetta’s work has not only drawn comparisons to the most brilliant of illustrators, Maxfield Parrish, Frederic Remington, Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth but, even to the most brilliant of fine artists including Rembrandt and Michelangelo and, major Frazetta works sell for millions of dollars, breaking numerous records.This innovator’s work has not only inspired generations of artists, but also movies and directors including the Conan films, John Carter of Mars, the sensationally successful Lord of the Rings trilogy, Robert Rodriguez’ films including From Dusk Till Dawn, Ralph Bakshi films, the epic, award-winning Game of Thrones series, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, Disney’s animated Tarzan films, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and George Lucas’ Star Wars series. The Forbes magazine article Schwarzenegger's Sargent led with the line, "Which artist helped make Arnold governor? Frank Frazetta, the Rembrandt of barbarians."J. David Spurlock started crafting this book by reviving the original million-selling 1970s mass market art book, Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta. But, he expanded and revised to include twice as many images and, presents them at a much larger coffee-table book size of 10.5 x 14.625”! The collection is brimming with both classic and previously unpublished works of the subjects Frazetta is best remembered for including barbarians, beasts, and buxom beauties. Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin said, “Though he bears only a passing resemblance to the Cimmerian as Robert E. Howard described him, Frazetta’s covers of the Conan paperback collections became the definitive picture of the character… still is.” Schwarzenegger said, “I have not been intimidated that often in my life. But when I looked at Frazetta’s paintings, I tell you, it was intimidating.” Game of Thrones, Conan and Aquaman film star Jason Momoa said, “I am a huge Frank Frazetta fan. Both of my parents are painters, so I'd known Frazetta's paintings, that's what I wanted to bring to life.” See the revolutionary art that helped inspire Schwarzenegger, Momoa, the Lord of the Rings films and Game of Thrones: FRAZETTA!

Dracula —both the legendary blood-thirsty vampire and his historic inspiration, Vlad The Impaler— has terrified and fascinated the world via a myriad of films and books ever since Bram Stoker's original 1897 novel.Tales of the vampiric Prince of Darkness have been adapted to every format including a number of graphic novels. But just as Stoker's 1897 novel ever holds its historic place, so too does the original Dracula graphic novel. The premier, 1966 graphic adaptation of Stoker's classic was edited and packaged as a paperback by legendary Creepy magazine founding editor, Russ "Unca' Creepy" Jones.Creepy launched as a full-sized, uncensored black and white horror comics magazine in 1964. It ran, most-famously adorned with covers by Frank Frazetta, for near 300 issues over two decades, spawning a tsunami of imitators and competing horror magazine lines including from Marvel. From 2008-2019 Dark Horse released a complete library of Creepy Archives hardcovers which often made the New York Times bestseller list.After leaving Creepy magazine, for the landmark Dracula graphic novel, Jones enlisted Supergirl co-creator/writer Otto Binder and Star Trek, Twin Earths and Creepy artist Alden McWilliams to adapt Stoker's novel. Legendary Dracula actor, Christopher Lee even provides an Introduction!For Halloween 2021, Vanguard has enlarged, revised, and expanded, this historic but long-out-of print classic in a luxurious hardcover edition with a new historic essay by How To Draw Chiller Monsters author, J. David Spurlock, examples of historically related art by Neal Adams, Gene Colan and a new cover by the most celebrated Creepy artist of all, Frank Frazetta.The package makes a surprisingly tastefully terrifying addition to every library and horror fan's bookshelf.

Award-winning poet and performer Saul Williams explores how artists today must respond to systemic violence and injustice—in the words of Paul Robeson, by choosing sides.Songs My Mother Taught Me is Williams’ clear-eyed exploration of the role of the artist in these times by answering the question: what radicalized you? He answers by examining how his role models—writers and artists, from Amiri Baraka to local musicians in Brazilian bars to Palestinian hip-hop heads—have responded to imperialist violence, oppression, and genocide. Riffing on Paul Robeson’s famous declaration, Williams builds a provocative case for why today’s artists cannot remain neutral in the face of injustice. “We need songs that crumble empires,” he writes, “films that teach, remind, and inspire, poems that would make a despot revoke your citizenship.”The radical artists of the Vanguard Series offer new poetry and prose to answer the question, What does poetry have to do with politics?

Award-winning poet and performer Saul Williams explores how artists today must respond to systemic violence and injustice—in the words of Paul Robeson, by choosing sides.Songs My Mother Taught Me is Williams’ clear-eyed exploration of the role of the artist in these times by answering the question: what radicalized you? He answers by examining how his role models—writers and artists, from Amiri Baraka to local musicians in Brazilian bars to Palestinian hip-hop heads—have responded to imperialist violence, oppression, and genocide. Riffing on Paul Robeson’s famous declaration, Williams builds a provocative case for why today’s artists cannot remain neutral in the face of injustice. “We need songs that crumble empires,” he writes, “films that teach, remind, and inspire, poems that would make a despot revoke your citizenship.”The radical artists of the Vanguard Series offer new poetry and prose to answer the question, What does poetry have to do with politics?

In his 60-year career, Carmine Infantino has practised nearly every job that there is in the field of comics, for a "Who's Who" list of publishers. But Infantino will always be remembered as the personification of DC Comics' Silver Age. Infantino helped to resurrect the dying comics industry in 1956, as the artist who launched the Silver Age with his co-creation, the Flash, and remains the best remembered Flash artist of all-time. Infantino proved one of the all-time, great sci-fi artists with his elegant, cityscaped Adam Strange. The only sci-fi comic to rival the sales of "Adam Strange" was "Star Wars", to which Infantino also contributed. In 1964, Infantino became indispensable to the Batman legacy. He, with editor Julius Schwartz, saved the Caped Crusader's comics from impending cancellation with the "New Look". Infantino also redesigned the Batmobile and with Schwartz, created Batgirl. In 1971, Infantino became Publisher and ultimately, President of DC Comics.Infantino's brave corporate moves include: comic books of pulp characters; the Shadow and Tarzan; the Adams/O'Neil Green Lantern-Green Arrow series; Jack Kirby Fourth World saga; the revival of Captain Marvel; pay raises, royalties, and the return of originals to artists. This is Infantino's own history of comics, through his experiences, from the industry's primordial, Golden Age, through his artistic achievements, corporate years at DC Comics, and post-corporate years including his animation work, teaching, return as a top artist to DC, and Batman newspaper strip.

Echoes collects drawings from the myriad periods of Kaluta's notable career and reveals the artist's unique passion for historical accuracy and unbridled fantasy, traits that have inspired more than one generation of artists and aficionados. Michael William Kaluta has been referred to as the artist's artist. He has earned that reputation by immersing himself in the worlds he draws, offering up his visions with painstaking detail -- from Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age through the noir era of The Shadow to the delightfully retro sci-fi worlds of Starstruck, and all places in between. Commontary by the artist, Paul Chadwick, Neil Gaiman and compilers Dean Motter and J. David Spurlock.

After a noteworthy career with "Superman", "Indiana Jones" and "Deadly Foes of Spiderman", the work of well-known, veteran, comic-book artist Kerry Gammill mysteriously disappeared from the pages of "Superman" and "X-Men". This volume reveals the reason for Gammill's exodus - to fulfil a life-long desire to work on monster films. He has been working as a conceptual artist on film and television projects which include "Stephen King's Storm of the Century" TV mini-series, "Virus" (1999), "Species II" (1998), "Can of Worms" (TV 1999), Dean Koontz's "Phantoms" (1998), "Stargate SG-1" TV series, and "The Outer Limits" TV series. In this volume Gammill takes us behind the scenes on the very important but little-known world of film conceptual art with a focus on designing creatures for action films. This is not just a "how to" book, but also Gammill's autobiographic career retrospective, filled with art and anecdotes about his years at Marvel, DC and Hollywood.

Author of the instructional volume "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way", John Buscema is a highly-regarded comic-book illustrator. He has influenced several generations of artists and remains, even in semi-retirement, in demand. He was born on 11 December 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, where his earliest artistic influences were Hal Foster's "Prince Valiant", Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon", and Burne Hogarth's "Tarzan" newspaper adventure strips. Buscema attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan where his interest shifted to fine art and Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh. While still in high school, he spent evenings studying life drawing and design at Pratt Institute. In addition to his formal training, he frequented museums, assaying the works of the Old Masters, including Michaelangelo, Rubens, Da Vinci, and Raphael. As a young professional, he was influenced by Al Dorne, Dean Cornwell, Norman Rockwell and Robert Fawcett, the famous illustrators of the 1940s and 1950s. During that period, as he struggled to earn a living, he turned to the newly-emerging comic-book industry as a source of revenue.Buscema began his career at Marvel (then known as Timely) Comics in 1948, working side by side with many notable artists, including Syd Shores, of "Captain America" fame, and Carl Burgos, creator of "The Human Torch". He stayed on staff for a year and a half, afterward, freelancing for a variety of publishers. This sketchbook presents a collection of the artist's personal drawings and studies. Done for his own enjoyment, practice or self-expression, the art offers an appreciation of his draftsmanship and creativity on a variety of subjects. The accompanying text by Buscema addresses both his career and his technique. There is also an essay by Steranko covering Buscema's entire career.

Award-winning illustrated biography of Hal Foster, in which author Brian M. Kane examines the 70-year career of one of the greatest illustrators of the 20th century. Superman was modelled after Foster's drawings of Tarzan, Flash Gordon's Alex Raymond borrowed compositions from Foster's Prince Valiant, and many artists, including the famous contemporary Western painter James Bama, who contributed the foreword, count Foster among their greatest influences.

Heroic drawings and spirited animations have earned Frank Brunner a reputation as an illustration powerhouse. Influenced as much by the celebrated fantasy painter Frank Frazetta as by "Weird Science" legends Wally Wood and Al Williamson, Brunner carved his own niche, earning a reputation as an illustrator who could combine heroics, eroticism and whimsy in a single brush stroke. This is a showcase of classic and new art produced by this master illustrator of Doctor Strange, Howard the Duck, Creepy magazine, Red Sonja, Man-Thing and Elric. Foreword by Elric author Michael Moorcock.

In this book, original Captain America creator, Joe Simon tells the compelling, definitive history of the creators who gave us Superman, Captain America, Archie, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and more. Meet the crime comics editor who would himself be accused of a gruesome murder; the horror artist who was periodically released from a mental hospital in order to meet his publishing dead-lines; the famous Senator Estes Kefauver, whose sub-committee investigated comic books as a cause of juvenile delinquency; and dozens of other fascinating personalities.Will Eisner said, "The Comic Book Makers is like a school reunion, lavish with anecdotes that fill in the gap of threadbare memory. The Comic Book Makers is avery valuable work by a member of one of the most important teams in comic book history. Joe Simon deserves applause."

The artwork of Curt Swan (1920-1996) defined the look of Superman for over 30 years. His amazing skills of storytelling, draftsmanship and design brought a realism and sense of wonder to The Man of Steel's adventures, making them the best-selling comic books of their day. Filled with iconic artwork, this biography traces the artist's career from its beginning on features like Gangbusters to his widespread regard as the Dean of American comics and, later, his frustrations with an industry that began to view his classic, dignified work as unfashionable. This monograph features one-on-one interviews with Curt's family as well as with comics legends Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson and more.

America's number one outlaw, Jesse James, with a price on his head and a six-gun shooting hot lead, rides a danger trail after a fortune in Apache gold in "Apache Treasure". Shooting a path through posses and Pinkerton detectives, Frank and Jesse James ride over the Kansas-Missouri border. Riding to meet them with blazing six-guns is a beautiful lady outlaw in "The James Boys' Revenge!" These are just a few of the pulse-pounding tales of Jesse James. In the old West the young gunslinger Jesse James rode a hard road to become a legend. This graphic novel collects the classic 1950s outlaw stories of the often heroic Jesse James, by comic book legends Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino.

A collection of new works by artists who have riveted the world with their contributions to fine art, comics, film and illustration. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Vanguard's flagship cutting-edge comics anthology, this book features: "Mr. X", a tale by best-selling author Neil Gaiman and "Sandman" cover artist Dave McKean; "Beyond the Clash", a contemplation on the loss of musical visionaries John Cage and Frank Zappa by Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner Barron Storey; "Frogs", a 12-page visual storytelling experiment by Jim Steranko, and "Endangered Species Cookbook" by novelist Paul Theroux and Marshall Arisman. This volume also features innovative works by "Elektra: Assassin" graphic novelist Bill Sienkiewicz; Marilyn Manson poster artist Justin Hampton; "Kabuki" creator David Mack and many more.

Everybody wants to co-opt the term "Cutting Edge." To truly be cutting-edge, one must push the envelope and test the boundaries of conventional thought. The EDGE is filled with stories by and about the world's greatest cutting-edge creators. These are tales from the EDGE. This collection celebrates the 10th anniversary of Vanguard's flagship cutting-edge comics anthology, EDGE, with a softcover tour-de-force packed with new works, and a few classics, by the world's most innovative graphic storytellers! These talents have riveted the world with their visionary contributions to fine art, comics, film and illustration. Best-selling author Neil Gaiman, Smithsonian Institute's Marshall Arisman, Sandman cover artist Dave McKean, award-winning Time magazine illustrator Barron Storey, groundbreaking Electra Assassin graphic novelist Bill Sienkiewicz, Marilyn Manson poster artist Justin Hampton, award-winning writer/director/producer Brian McDonald, Kabuki creator David Mack, Mosquito Coast author Paul Theroux, Dean Motter, J. David Spurlock and multi-media innovator Steranko all contribute to this tome.

An enraged village hungry for blood pursues Vincent, the nephew assistant of the now-dead Doctor Frankenstein, and his fiancee Erika. From out of nowhere, Prince Vlad rescues the terrified young couple. But Vlad is, in fact, "Dracula," and he has a sinister purpose. If he has an unstoppable creature like the Frankenstein monster, his safety will be assured. To get this, Vlad holds Erika for ransom. The monster is created then kills Erika but a werewolf's bite brings her back. The scene is set for a battle of pitiless monsters.

Legendary Batman and X-Men talent, Neal Adams, bursts back onto the comics scene with a new graphic novel, Neal Adams Monsters, featuring the most terrifying supernatural creatures in classic horror history: The Frankenstein Monster, Count Dracula and the Werewolf. Neal Adams Monsters was rendered oversized to take the art to the max. The end result is a masterwork which features the dramatic linework and exquisite fine rendering Neal Adams has been canonized for. Thrill to a level of unprecedented detail as a comics grandmaster reveals the story of these infamous horror legends as only he can see them: a horror epic guaranteed to thrill.Collected into an English-language graphic novel for the first time, this material was originally serialized in Adamıs groundbreaking anthology "Echo of Future Past." This new edition has digital coloring and effects in a process personally overseen by Adams to conform to his exacting standards for rendering, lighting and form. New pages have been added, new covers, anf a special section of rare paintings, sketches and drawings of monsters from throughout his illustration career. For fans of monsters, great art or great storytelling—comic lover or not—Neal Adams Monsters is a must-have.

Forbidden Planet, The Twilight Zone, The Blob, The Outer Limits, The Day the Earth Stood Still: The 1950s spawned the greatest sci-fi stories ever! Bug-eyed monsters from other worlds invaded our movies, literature, television, and comic books. The young cartoonist, Steve Ditko, honed his storytelling skills throughout the 1950s on mystery, horror, and some of the farthest-out sci-fi comics of all time. Steve Ditko: Space Wars collects a wealth of the Ditko's finest work prior to his world-shaking creation with Stan Lee, Spider-Man!Ditko's eclectic, sometimes surrealistic work proves retro-futuristic as he takes us into the cosmos to find star-crossed lovers in the backstabbing debacle, Dead Reckoning. Then, the deadliest space ship in the galaxy hovers menacingly over us while the invader demands complete surrender and our military warns it's useless to resist in The Conquered Earth! These plus The Creature from Corpus III, The King of Planetoid X, and The Juggernauts of Jupiter are just a sampling of the pulse-pounding tales featured in Steve Ditko: Space Wars.

Star Wars, Batman, 007, The Terminator, Master of Kung Fu, Catwoman-illustrator and graphic novelist Paul Gulacy has built his reputation on these megaproperties. Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu examines Gulacy's work in all its glory, with a gallery of 140 of his incredible drawings and paintings-some never before published. This is the first monograph on the artist whose innovative and surreal designs made director Quentin Tarentino say, "Master of Kung Fu...hands down my favourite comic book." Let Gulacy inspire a new generation of artists with Spies, Vixens, and Masters of Kung Fu.

This, Vanguard's second volume devoted to the work of J. Allen St. John concentrates on the artist's full-color fantasy, science-fiction and adventure paintings for novels and Pulp-magazines for famous authors, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jack Williamson, Robert E. Howard and more. St. John is the original grand master illustrator of Tarzan, John Carter of Mars (now in major motion picture development by Pixar), and others. His illustrations inspired generations of later fantastic artists including Roy G. Krenkel, Jeffrey Jones and Frank Frazetta. St. John will always be recognized as the first, and most important illustrator of Burroughs' writings and this book is produced with the full endorsement and cooperation of Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. Also featured are essays by renowned science-fiction author Jack Williamson; Danton Burroughs, Lin Carter, and illustrators Vincent Di Fate, and Frank Frazetta.St. John began his career by studying the old master in the museums of Paris around 1880. Returning to America, his notoriety among Fine Art enthusiasts developed with recognition from the Society of American Artists and Metropolitan magazine in 1889. The artist went on to become a professor of drawing and painting at both The American Academy of Art and the Chicago Art Institute, but his greatest notoriety came as he ventured into the colorful world of Pulp magazine and adventure book illustration. For the readers of fantasy, science fiction and adventure, St. John surpassed the work of his famous contemporaries Frank Schoonover, James Montgomery Flagg, and N. C. Wyeth, and led the way for future masters, including Roy G. Krenkel, the Brothers Hildebrandt, and Frank Frazetta.INTRODUCTION BT LIN CARTERAFTERWORD BY FRANK FRAZETTA

Among the few comics creators to be featured on US Postage Stamps, Rich Buckler is one of the best-known comic-book artists. He's drawn noted runs on Fantastic Four, Avengers, Spectacular Spider-Man, X-Men, Teen Titans, and more. Stan Lee says, "From the time he drew his first assignments for Marvel Comics, I've been one of his biggest fans. There are few people better qualified to write a book on the subject than Rich Buckler!" Now, Buckler reveals the secrets of drawing the heroic figure, the language of storytelling, narrative technique, and building a better page in focused chapters that build the reader’s skills step by step—an authoritative guide to creating compelling comics.

This glorious 12 in x 12 in full color 14-month calendar on glossy stock, is the first devoted to the legendary BATMAN, X-MEN and TARZAN artist. Adams comic-book work serves as a benchmark and inspiration for every illustrator who works in the field to this day. His success at Marvel and DC Comics led to cutting-edge advertising work, stage design, amusement park ride design, magazine illustration & paperback book covers. This 14-month calendar features both rare and classic works.

This glorious 12in x 12in, 14-month full-color calendar on glossy stock features art by Idyl creator, Jeffrey Jones; Tarzan illustrator, Roy G. Krenkel; John Carter of Mars painter, J. Allen St. John; Weird Science legend, Wally Wood; Sci-Fi illustrator, Alex Schomburg; Conan artist, John Buscema; The Shadow illustrator, Steranko; Hollywood monster painter, Basil Gogos; Red Sonja artist, Frank Brunner; Catwoman illustrator, Paul Gulacy; Spider-Man creator, Steve Ditko; Heavy Metal artist, Arthur Suydam; and Space Cowboy creator, J. David Spurlock

Among the few comics creators to be featured on US Postage Stamps, Rich Buckler is one of the best-known comic-book artists. He's drawn noted runs on Fantastic Four, Avengers, Spectacular Spider-Man, X-Men, Teen Titans, and more. Stan Lee says, "From the time he drew his first assignments for Marvel Comics, I've been one of his biggest fans. There are few people better qualified to write a book on the subject than Rich Buckler!" Now, Buckler reveals the secrets of drawing the heroic figure, the language of storytelling, narrative technique, and building a better page in focused chapters that build the reader’s skills step by step—an authoritative guide to creating compelling comics.

* The most comprehensive index of the artist's work ever published!* Fantastic reference for artists; great entertainment for fans.The work of Frank Frazetta--THE greatest heroic-fantasy artist of all time--has influenced generations of artists, fans, designers, and movie directors. Now more than 400 of his unforgettable images have been collected in Frazetta, The Definitive Reference. With essays by experts and collectors, this one-of-a-kind volume traces the entire arc of Frazettas career. From his early 1950s comics; to his breathtaking book covers featuring Tarzan, Pellucidar, King Kong, and John Carter of Mars; to his 1960s monster mags, including Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella; to his major movie posters, including After the Fox, The Night They Raided Minsky's and Whats New Pussycat?; and, of course, his revolutionary Conan paintings--its all here. Frazetta - The Definitive Reference overflows with fantastic images, an index of every published Frazetta work and insightful commentary on this fantasy-art icon.Compiled by James A. Bond (no relation to the international spy). Edited by J. David Spurlock and Andrew Steven with a foreword by Frazetta close personal friend Dr. David Winiewicz.

* The most comprehensive index of the artist's work ever published!* Fantastic reference for artists; great entertainment for fans.The work of Frank Frazetta--THE greatest heroic-fantasy artist of all time--has influenced generations of artists, fans, designers, and movie directors. Now more than 400 of his unforgettable images have been collected in Frazetta, The Definitive Reference. With essays by experts and collectors, this one-of-a-kind volume traces the entire arc of Frazettas career. From his early 1950s comics; to his breathtaking book covers featuring Tarzan, Pellucidar, King Kong, and John Carter of Mars; to his 1960s monster mags, including Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella; to his major movie posters, including After the Fox, The Night They Raided Minsky's and Whats New Pussycat?; and, of course, his revolutionary Conan paintings--its all here. Frazetta - The Definitive Reference overflows with fantastic images, an index of every published Frazetta work and insightful commentary on this fantasy-art icon.Compiled by James A. Bond (no relation to the international spy). Edited by J. David Spurlock and Andrew Steven with a foreword by Frazetta close personal friend Dr. David Winiewicz.