Recent Obsessions
by Dan Nadel
Thursday, September 10, 2009
(As sort of related to Comics Comics)
Doug Johnson (A King)
Richard Powers (Great book on him from a few years back)
Russ Manning (via GP)
Jean-Paul Goude (because)
Lou Fine (Because of Gil Kane)
Carter Scholz (Best prose writer on comics. Ever? And no damn image)
Labels: Carter Scholz, Gary Groth, Gil Kane, Jean-Paul Goude, judas priest, lists, lou fine, Russ Manning, self-indulgence
I'm definitely always on the lookout for Richard Powers covers when I look thru the SF books at used book stores. My dad has a copy of PAVANE with a cover by Powers that I've always thought was particularly eerie: http://www.noreascon.org/retroart/images/roberts_pavane_berkd3142.jpg
Fanta is going to do a 2 volume collection of the best of Gil Kane's interviews. That should be a set of killer books.
I've long dreamed that somebody would collect Carter Scholz's writing on comics and science fiction into a book. But that would be a surefire money loser, alas.
You don't know shit bout Priest, Nadel!
@ Jeet: Oh, that two-volume set will be amazing. His interviews remain a gold standard.
@ Frank: Don't F around on me. Doug Johnson designed and painted (oh yes, that is an airbrush painting!) Priest covers like a mo-fo. Also did an entire stage design in the early 80s.
Powers was great.
That book is good for one reason, though, I think: Most of the art was shot from the originals, so it looks absolutely fantastic. However, I agree with criticisms that his imagery suffers without the logos and other lettering on the original paperbacks and magazines for which it was created. It does sort of come off as a milder strain of surrealism then.
I thought I heard someone (FBI?) was planning a collection of his work — hopefully as it appeared in its orginal printed context.
Surely you know of this site:
http://members.cox.net/sjrohde/
And here are a few examples I've scanned:
http://www.goofbutton.com/2008/10/richard_powers.html
L. B. Cole's cover's are absolute gems, definitely at the top of my list. Is there some relation between him and that Kona comic?
Powers is killer. His work is one of those interesting places where avant garde techniques (Klee, Miro, Matta) start appearing in commercial work without losing any punch.
I see a Powers influence in Dash Shaw sometimes. Maybe I'm imagining it.
Another guy doing paperback covers around the same time was Steele Savage. His cover for "Unspeakable Practices" by Barthelme is one of my favorite pieces of art ever.
I wish he had an art book. But maybe he didn't do much in that style.
Yes, Jacob Covey is editing a collection of Powers's s-f covers for Fantagraphics.
Even though I didn't know his name, I loved his work as a kid, when I was buying dozens of science fiction paperbacks with his art on them.
Jacob Covey is actually designing the Powers book, it's being edited by our pal Jacob McMurray, who is the senior curator at Paul Allen's Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame here in Seattle, which has a large Powers collection. It's going to be fantastic. Jonathan Lethem is writing the intro for it. Should be out in the second half of 2010.
Damnit, you post a picture of a Priest album and nobody except sort of Frank mentions what a fucking awesome record that is. Screaming for Vengeance.
Oh Chippendale, if you're lucky one day I'll take you to see the original, absolutely flawless, original painting. It's so so so very close.
@Reynolds: That is awesome. The previous book is one of the better examples of a text on an illustrator, but the repro quality isn't great. I guess I didn't know that there was a Science Fiction museum attached to EMP. That is very cool. How come we're not doing a massive something or other there?
@Noel: L.B. Cole edited the Kona comic books and, according to artist Sam Glanzman, co-wrote a lot of them, too. Is that awesome? Yes it is. I have found exactly ONE interview with Cole and it doesn't mention his 60s work as an editor (he also edited John Stanley's two stabs at horror comics). Anyone that knows more about this, please chime in!
"Jeffrey Meyer said…
Powers was great.
That book is good for one reason, though, I think: Most of the art was shot from the originals, so it looks absolutely fantastic."
"Nadel said…
The previous book is one of the better examples of a text on an illustrator, but the repro quality isn't great."
Huh?
Having owned scores of the original paperbacks and pulps his covers appeared on, as well as said book, I have to disagree.
Hah, that's kinda funny. I guess I didn't read your comment by accident. I found the repro a little dark and murky in places. But, who knows — I could be totally wrong. Mostly I loved it for the lengthy text, which did a good job explaining his career arc, etc.
Well that cat is out of the bag. Not to co-opt the comments here but lots of great things get said here at Comics Comics so why not? Yes, Jacob McMurray (JM) and I have been talking about the Powers book for a couple years now and finally decided to get to it. But I want to clarify Eric's comments and add details here for the first time:
Jonathan Lethem is HOPEFULLY writing a short introduction as the man is a big Powers fan and when JM contacted him Lethem wrote back a short and profoundly accurate appraisal of Powers and why we need to do the book the way we're doing it. (Some original art and more of his actual covers than you can get your mind around.) But it is not set in stone that he will be writing the introduction, as much as I would love it. He's an incredibly busy guy with tons of requests for such things so we'll just see. We're only at the beginning of this very ambitious plan.
JM is the editor and came up with the focus for this book. He and I are working together closely on it (he's also a terrific designer which really helps us to understand one another's vision of things) and we are aiming to photograph hundreds and hundreds of artifacts rather than scan them (budgets and other constraints will dictate, however). The goal is to emphasize exactly what was lost in the otherwise-great Powers book from Paper Tiger: The context of his work, which redefined (and elevated) a genre. He wasn't just an artist cranking out a phenomenal number of paintings but also had an impeccable design sense that he clearly planned into most of his work.
JM's greatest strength is in contextualizing work and bringing disparate people together to the benefit of the work. So without going into too much detail, our book will feature essays/interviews with numerous individuals involved in Powers' career as well as people with a more popular culture view of Powers' impact. For example, Powers' biggest patron, Betty Ballantine of Ballantine Books. And one of my (and JM's) big influences, Art Chantry will be part of the book. Chantry was one of the few people to approach Powers for doing artwork into the 1990s– for the band Man Or Astro-Man at Estrus Records. Which is actually where I first became aware of Powers' work.
Oh- and this isn't just sci-fi or even just pulp book covers. Powers did illustration work elsewhere in various styles. Not a lot, but enough that JM has a few gems of Powers' kids book and LP work.
Lastly, there's going to be some other things that will make Powers fans' jaws drop, thanks to the very kind and enthusiastic help of the Powers Estate and Gid Powers, Richard's son. Gid Powers is awesome and I can't believe what we'll have access to through him.
***
If anyone has any rarities that they want to share with JM and me– or if there are any interesting folks who have something to possibly add to the written/interview portions of the book, please feel free to contact me at covey {at} fantagraphics dot com. Thanks.
And, hey Noel- I agree with you totally. I've been fixated on L.B. Cole's cover designs since they came to my attention through Charlie Kochman. That's another artist that needs a great monograph done. BADLY. I've just been looking for the person who can do it so I can pitch it to Fantagraphics. (Dan???)
Wow. That was way longer than I thought when I typed it. Thanks for the ad space, guys.
I coaxed Jacob out of his Covey Cave!
I'll send the advertising bill to Groth post haste!
Covey, your Powers book sounds like a dream. So, with that out of the way, the question is: Who is doing the Bob Peak book???
And, sir, contact me "off-board", re: L.B. Cole.
Didn't Flesk Publications have a Peak book planned? I have no idea if it ever appeared.
The illustration mag dedicated to him was stunning, though hardly exhaustive.
Illustration Magazine #6
Whoa that Powers book sounds awesome, can't wait to get my hands on it! Who knew what news one could get from lurking around the CC comment stream …