What fanboy or fangirl doesn’t like painted comic art? It’s a staple in the industry and one that graces many comic books around the world, across varried companies.
Coming this October, Dynamite Entertainment is proud to present The Art of Painted Comics. This hardcover release will feature art from Alex Ross, Greg Hildebrandt, Frank Frazetta, Joe Jusko, Michael William Kaluta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Neal Adams, Julie Bell, Joseph Michael Linsner, Glen Orbik, Simon Bisley, Dave Dorman, Phil Noto, Greg Horn, Brian Bolland, Ashley Wood, Charles Vess, Mark Teixeira, Arthur Suydam, Dave McKean, and more.
Alex Ross oversaw the project and shared his thoughts on the forthcoming product:
Several years ago, Dynamite Entertainment had, at my urging, begun work with writer Chris Lawrence and me to finally create a book devoted to the art of painted comics. I’ve always found that painted art in comics is regarded by most people as a recent application and not a mainstream part of how comics are made. Painted covers and stories for the comics medium has been around for decades, with some of it going back to the beginnings of the art form. This much labored-over, lushly illustrated book will finally set the record straight and expose the reader to a rich history of how painted art has shaped the popular art form of comics.
Writer Chis Lawrence had this to say:
When Alex [Ross] and I first discussed ‘The Art of Painted Comics’, we talked about it as a magazine article – a retrospective feature, to be more precise. Then we began brainstorming, and – in no time at all – our ‘must-have’ list of artists, projects, and paintings (more than 27 pages in length) made it abundantly clear we had to think bigger. A lot bigger. The end result is absolutely astounding – a gorgeous volume that is equal parts art book and comics history. With hundreds (if not thousands) of images drawn from the collections of artists and comics aficionados from around the globe, this book represents a one-of-a-kind visual timeline of an artistic approach that’s played a role in comic books for…well, for almost as long as there have been comic books. It is the story of painted comics, told by those who have studied its lore, by those who have found inspiration in its artistry, and by the artists themselves. Assembling the art required a Herculean effort, but Alex and the team at Dynamite proved they were up to the task, putting together pages upon pages of paintings that will captivate readers for hours. Once those readers discover the stories of the men and women behind the brushstrokes…after learning how the images influenced the artists and painted comics they love…they’ll look at the paintings again with new eyes. And they’ll be captivated all over again.
Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci offered up some context on the project.
This book started out as us wanting to do a retrospective book on the distinguished career of Alex Ross. Alex preferred to go another route by instead creating the ultimate definitive book of the art and history of painted comics. This project involved lots of work and research since it is the first of its kind, and we are all proud of The Art of Painted Comics!
So what do you guys think? Does this sound like a book worth owning? Sound off with your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Several years ago, Dynamite Entertainment had, at my urging, begun work with writer Chris Lawrence and me to finally create a book devoted to the art of painted comics. I’ve always found that painted art in comics is regarded by most people as a recent application and not a mainstream part of how comics are made. Painted covers and stories for the comics medium has been around for decades, with some of it going back to the beginnings of the art form. This much labored-over, lushly illustrated book will finally set the record straight and expose the reader to a rich history of how painted art has shaped the popular art form of comics.
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