J David Spurlock

Thrilling, Wonder, Captain America, America's Best, Marvel, Exciting, Startling: Alex Schomburg produced the most dazzling array of high-quality comic-book covers in the Golden Age of American Comics. Spider-Man, Hulk, and X-Men co-creator Stan Lee said, "Alex Schomburg was to comic books what Norman Rockwell was to The Saturday Evening Post." Golden Age comic books with Schomburg covers are selling for record prices in America's leading auction houses. This book collects, for the first time, a host of tantalizing Schomburg treasures in one volume. Superheroes, jungle girls, robots, wild animals, and space travelers abound in these romantic and nostalgic Pop-Art icons of the bygone WWII era. Alex Schomburg has won every major award for both science fiction and comic book art, from the Hugo Lifetime Achievement Award to the Inkpot, the Doc Smith Lensman Award, and the Frank R. Paul Award. He was inducted posthumously into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame. During WWII, Schomburg turned out a plethora of ornate, flamboyant, and outrageously pro-American comic book covers jammed with detail. Schomburg was Timely-Marvel's definitive 1940s cover artist. Ron Goulart, author of Comic Book Culture, called Schomburg the undisputed champ and Hieronymous Bosch of comics artists. After the war, Schomburg's comics subjects shifted toward adorable pin-up quality jungle girls and sci-fi (often signed "Xela") in the trademark airbrush style that made the artist famous as a book and magazine illustrator. About this book, Harlan Ellison said, "Finally and at last! The magnificent answer to the question, 'What do you buy for the Man Who Has Everything?' No matter what age he may be, this every-page-a-wonder assemblage of Schomburg paintings will thrill, charm and delight any guy on his anniversary, birthday, holiday or need for apology from you. It might please women, too, but for guys, for sure."

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.

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.

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.

In his 60-year career, Carmine Infantino practised nearly every job 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 a 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 Batman." 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 Neal Adams/Denny 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 with co-author J. David Spurlock, through Infantino's 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. Foreword by Joe Kubert. Afterword by Jim Steranko.

A study of the art of Hall of Fame cartoonist Wallace Wood. Includes Wood's Fireball XL-5, Mars Attacks and Daredevil designs, as well as production art for his unfinished collaboration with Fritz the Cat, Wizards, Lord of the Rings, and Cool World filmmaker Ralph Bakshi. There is a rare interview with Wood, along with insights from his closest colleagues; MAD Associate Publisher Joe Orlando; "Star Wars" and EC artist Al Williamson; Jim Steranko and a foreword by W-B animation director Bruce Timm.