Artist & Art Books Featured in January PREVIEWS

The names Joe Simon and Jack Kirby are synonymous with comic books, and their partnership ushered in the Golden Age of comics starting in the 1940s. Together they created memorable characters such as Captain America and Sandman, invented romance comics, and raised the standard for the genres of western, crime, and horror comic books. Selected by Mark Evanier, the book includes artwork photographed from the original art in Joe Simon's private archive and showcases their artistry as it has never been seen before.

Revised and expanded! Jack Kirby created or co-created some of comic books' most popular super heroes, including Captain America, The X-Men, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, The Mighty Thor, Darkseid, and The New Gods. More significantly, he created much of the visual language for fantasy and adventure comics. Almost everything that was different about comic books began in the 1940s on the drawing table of Jack Kirby. This is his story by one who knew him well - Mark Evanier. First issued in 2008, Kirby: King of Comics was the first overview of the legendary comic book creator's career.

FIRST AFTERSHOCK PRINTING! There are few creative names in comics whose influence is felt more in pop culture than Jim Starlin, with his creations Thanos, Gamora, and Drax the Destroyer occupying such prominent roles in Marvel's cinematic universe. The "father of the cosmic soap opera," Jim Starlin's name is synonymous with the larger-than-life epic, which is why AfterShock is proud to bring back into print, this epic 328-page retrospective on the career of one of the most popular and prolific comic book artists of the last 40 years! Covering everything from his humble beginnings to his rise as one of the industry's top creative talents, this oversized volume includes glimpses into Starlin's files and sketchbooks, as well as images of his personal favorites with insights into his life and creative process. The first edition of this volume sold out instantly. Don't be caught short this time! Just in time for the release of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War movie!

Archie's new hardcover art book is a beautifully-designed celebration of Francesco Francavilla's time at Archie. This art book is a gorgeously designed oversize hardcover edition featuring the complete collection of his comic book covers and more. This title goes behind-the-scenes on Francavilla's work and its place in Archie's history, with an insider's look at the creation and ongoing legacy with the company.  

Dark Horse Books, Lucasfilm Ltd., Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts present The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The new book, which was created in close collaboration between the four companies, is a full-color, oversized hardcover volume that captures the design process of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a galaxy-spanning, action-adventure video game from Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts arriving later this year.
The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will guide readers through Cal Kestis' perilous and heroic journey across the galaxy in an attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order as he learns the ways of the Force, travels to exotic worlds, and battles tyrannical foes. This uniquely designed work is sure to thrill dedicated Star Wars fans and gamers alike. With detailed concept art of all-new characters, exciting equipment, and locales both familiar and new, this tome offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a highly anticipated video game--all accompanied by intimate artists' commentary that reveal how this incredible galaxy is brought together.

Frank Cho has been making ballpoint pen drawings purely for himself for over two decades. This is the first time that these rarely seen works have been captured in a dedicated volume. Compiled here are his favorites, many which were done specially for this book. Most pieces are shown in four stages and accompanied by Cho's commentary to reveal his process. Included within the book are visual guides for drawing anatomy and body parts, plus a short interview where Cho discusses his working methods and answers the most common questions that he receives online.

Hermes Press celebrates the career of Frank Thorne, renowned good girl artist extraordinaire with a comprehensive art monograph where he explores his art and the process of creating it step by step. See pencils, preliminaries, final artwork, as well as the final printed comics created by Thorne. This extensive art monograph presents artwork from such titles as Red Sonja, Ghita, Lann, The Iron Devil, and more. This book explores not only the comic book artwork of Thorne but also illustrates the motion pictures concepts and storyboards for the never-made Ghita film.

Fans of classic fantasy illustration, and Marvel's most iconic characters, are in for a one-of-a-kind treat with this book!
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, collectively known as the Brothers Hildebrandt, have been at the forefront of fantasy illustrations for six decades. In the 1970s, their wildly popular and universally acclaimed J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings calendars helped to reintroduce new generations to this seminal fantasy work.
In 1994, Greg and Tim began an amazing relationship with Marvel Comics, producing the incredible Marvel Masterpieces trading card set, featuring all of the House of Ideas' most incredible characters: Spider-Man, Captain America, Black Panther, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and so many others! That entire set is reproduced here, as well as showcasing model photos and preliminary drawings of the paintings.

Also included is the X-Men 2099 painted graphic novel by the Brothers (written by John Francis Moore), as well as a treasure trove of their entire output for Marvel, all illustrations from 1994 to today-more trading cards, posters, and others, and with insightful commentary, amusing anecdotes, and candid reminisces by the one and only Greg Hildebrandt.

Bring the artistic legacy of TODD McFARLANE's record-breaking independent comic home with this hardcover collection of the classic cover artwork for the FIRST 100 ISSUES of SPAWN! All the action! All the detail! All the capes! And spikes! And demons! And guns! Part celebration, part inspiration, this is a gallery AND an artbook-a must-have for any SPAWN fan! Collects covers for SPAWN #1-100.

Muralist, illustrator, comics artist, poster designer: William Stout has created a body of work that transcends genre, medium, and industry during his astonishing forty-year career. Stout's fans can relive the life and career of their favorite artist with this breathtaking monograph. Curated by the artist himself, Fantastic Worlds: The Art of William Stout bursts with the most iconic imagery in Stout's oeuvre.

From the bestselling DC Comics Guide series, this is the essential resource for aspiring comics creators looking to make intriguing, action-packed comics like the experts at DC Comics. Going beyond the typical art and writing lessons, this book shows readers how to take full advantage of comics' sequential visual storytelling possibilities. With examples direct from DC Comics, featuring their best creators and classic superheroes like Batman, Superman, and the rest of the Justice League, it presents key principles and techniques for crafting exciting professional-quality comics. This behind-the-curtain look at the DC Comics creative process is a can't-miss opportunity for aspiring comics creators, whether they want to work for DC Comics or invent their own unique comics creations.

Will Eisner is one of the twentieth century's great American artists, a man who pioneered the field of comic arts. Here, in his classic Comics and Sequential Art, he refines the art of graphic storytelling into clear, concise principles that every cartoonist, comic artist, writer, and filmmaker needs to know. Eisner reveals here the fundamentals of graphic storytelling. He addresses dialogue, anatomy, framing, and many other important aspects of the art form. Fully updated and revised to reflect current practices and technology, including a section on digital media.