Ulysses 31 - the (French) comics!

Just a blast of childhood nostalgia for me here (sort of !), yes, it's a French comic all about Ulysse 31 - a cartoon that I remember loving as a kid.

At the time of typing the (complete) 11 issues are for sale here at Book Palace for £150

For us Brits this seems to be the only publication available to us. No comics, just a book full of screen grabs of the cartoons.

2000AD art bonanaza in latest Catawiki auction

Bidding ends tonight on these pages - good luck if you bid!

here's a whole Catawiki auction running at the moment entitled From the valuts of the Book Palace - and as you might expect it's jam-packed with British comics loveliness. I'm just highlighting the 2000AD pages (mainly by Carlos Ezquerra) but all the art is worth a look. Bidding ends on Saturday evening

This page from Al's baby

This 1992 page from the story Judgement day

This Strontium Dog page from the story 'Portrait of a mutant'

and this page from the same issue

This page by Manuel Benet (from Megazine #38)

and this one too

2000AD art bonanaza in latest Catawiki auction

There's a whole Catawiki auction running at the moment entitled From the valuts of the Book Palace - and as you might expect it's jam-packed with British comics loveliness. I'm just highlighting the 2000AD pages (mainly by Carlos Ezquerra) but all the art is worth a look. Bidding ends on Saturday evening

This page from Al's baby

This 1992 page from the story Judgement day

This Strontium Dog page from the story 'Portrait of a mutant'

and this page from the same issue

This page by Manuel Benet (from Megazine #38)

and this one too

Brain Bolland picto-memoir - 3 versions available

Good news for all Brian Bolland fans out there...the Book Palace have announced 3 different versions of his upcoming picto-memoir..

The standard edition is priced at £39 and details are here

The special edition is priced at £65 and details are here - but basically this is limited to 150 signed & numbered copies AND you get a book plate signed by Brian

The collector's edition is priced at £95 and details are here - but basically this is limited to 100 signed & numbered copies AND you get TWO book plates signed by Brian. And it comes in a slipcase.

The book is due in Spring 2023

Upcoming from Book Palace

Over here Book Palace have begun teasing some images from their next set of war comics reprints. They say...

Originally published in War Picture Library 67, 83, 168 and 281, these four stories showcase the spectacular art of one of the most gifted artists to work in European comics - Gino D'Antonio.

Born in Milan in 1927, he made his comics debut at the age of 20 with the series Jesse James. It was his work with Fleetway Publications that brought his art to an international audience through the pages of publications such as War and Battle Picture Library as well as the short-lived War at Sea Picture Library.

Battle Drop
McMain's Marauders
Death - and Glory!
Shellfire

Authors: Various
Artist: Gino D'Antonio
Publisher: Book Palace Books
Number of pages: 272
Format: Flexi Cover; Black & White illustrations
Size: 6" x 8" (165mm x 215mm)

This page also looks like it'll be worth bookmarking as it looks like it'll contain all the details of Brian Bolland's upcoming 'memoir in pictures and words'.

This page for details of the 'Illustrators Quarterly' 10th anniversary hardback special

new Book Palace books announced

I've spotted a few new titles from Book Palace books...First up (here) is the details of a book on the drawings and paintings of Peter Jackson

Due in July 2021 the book is described on their website thus... 

Superb art collection limited to 600 copies worldwide.

For the first time ever, we are proud to present this major collection of Peter Jackson's stunning historical art.

Most active during the 1960s - 1980s, Peter used his superb artistry and wonderful imagination to depict a variety of historic events and characters, including the Ancients, Roman and Greek History, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian times, and beyond, taking us well into 20th Century Life.

The book includes an introduction to Peter Jackson's art and career, including the techniques he employed to create these delightful images, scanned directly from the originals. A Book Palace Books publication.

Author: Peter Richardson
Artist: Peter Jackson
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due July 2021
Number of pages: 96
Format: Soft Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (216mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781913548148

Another title is here and is 'The art of glamour' - due August 2021

The third (and final) title is also due in August 2021 and is described thus on their website here

Edgar Rice Burroughs' mighty Tarzan  springs out of the page in our newest illustrators  Special, featuring an interview by Bill Stout with the amazing Joe Jusko as Joe shares some of the most spectacular Tarzan art ever seen and reveals how and why these paintings came about.

This epic issue also features John Watkiss and his inspirational art for Disney's 1993 animated classic Tarzan. A reminiscent Bill Stout recalls his days working as Russ Manning's assistant. And we explore the life and work of legendary Tarzan artist and founder of the New York School of Visual Arts, Burne Hogarth.

More like a book than a magazine, illustrators is the art quarterly devoted to the finest illustration art ever published. It guides you through the stories behind the artists and their art, with features written by some of the leading authorities on this important art form.

As well as building into an indispensable reference library, illustrators gives readers an insight into the creative process, from the initial idea to the image potentially seen by millions.

Truly fabulous artwork abounds in every issue, much of the art taken from scans of the original work. A Book Palace Books publication.

Artists: Joe Jusko, John Watkiss, Russ Manning, William Stout, Burne Hogarth
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due August 2021
Number of pages: 128
Format: Soft Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (216mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781913548193

Book Palace announce two new books

Details of two new books from the Illustrators imprint of Book Palace publishing should have all fans of British comics very excited...

First up is this...

Blazing Guns and Flashing Swords!

Highwaymen in comics and books: Galloping horses, velvet masks, Smoking pistols, stand and deliver, David Ashford takes us on a moonlit ride through the perilous roads of old England to meet up with the artists who have helped to create the visual images of the notorious masked highwaymen who were known as “Gentlemen of the Road”.

British Western comics: The history and legends of the Wild West as portrayed in British comics. Gunslingers, Cattle Rustlers, Buffalo Bill, Kit Carson, Billy the Kid; all come whooping, hollering and slapping leather.

Peter Jackson the great historical illustrator, David Ashford and Norman Wright join forces to tell us about the truly extraordinary artists who excelled at historical comic strips and illustrations.

Illustrators Special Edition limited to just 750 copies worldwide. A Book Palace Books publication.

Authors: David Ashford, Norman Wright
Artists: Peter Jackson, Don Lawrence, Geoff Campion, James McConnell, Frank Humphris, Denis Mcloughlin, Derek Eyles, Ron Embleton, et al
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due March 2021
Number of pages: 96
Format: Soft Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (216mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781913548131

You can have a sneak peak at it here and you can order it for £25

Here's the back cover...

As if that wasn't enough there's also this...

Superb art collection limited to 600 copies worldwide.

For the first time ever, we are proud to present the complete collection of Ron Embleton's Dickensian themed artworks.

Created during the 1970s these images covered a variety of themes including characters from the novels of Dickens, children's street games, street vendors, horse-borne transport and Edwardian entertainment.

The book includes an introduction to Ron Embleton's art and career, including photographs of the artist in his studio and the techniques he employed to create these delightful images, scanned directly from the originals.

This special edition limited to just 600 copies worldwide. A Book Palace Books publication.

Author: Peter Richardson
Artist: Ron Embleton
Publisher: Book Palace Books, due April 2021
Number of pages: 96
Format: Hard Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (216mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781913548124

Priced at £30 and you can order it here

Don't forget there's also a Frank Bellamy (see blog posting here) AND a Sydney Jordan & Jim Holdaway book as well (see blog posting here)

Frank Bellamy sketchbook

I reported (here) on the forthcoming Book Palace publication Frank Bellamy sketchbook and their website has now been updated to show some of these sketches.

The page to bookmark is here and here's what's been revealed so far...be warned pages are Not Safe For Work (as the kids say)

 

Sketchbooks from Book Palace

Following on from the news here that Book Palace books, publishers of the Illustrators quarterly magazine, are to bring out a new book all about Frank Bellamy (written by friend of the blog Norman Boyd) come news that they have another Frank Bellamy book under production!

In what looks like a new series from Book Palace books we have this image taken from here on their website

Hmmm, I recognise that image but I'm guessing they'll be plenty more that I don't recognise inside, yippee!

In the same series there will also be this volume looking at the work of artist Fortunino Matania - the page to check is here 

Both books are due in Spring 2021

 

Illustrators quarterly - Bellamy, Jordan & Holdaway books

Book Palace books, the publishers of the Illustrators quarterly magazine, have announced two new books that are sure ot be of interest to all fans of British comics...

First up is a volume dedicated to the art of Frank Bellamy, here's the front cover...

...and the rear cover

As you can see it's written by Norman Boyd - the 'keeper' of the Frank Bellamy website here. Norman tells me he's written 8,000 words for the book and that there'll be some Bellamy images in there that people won't have seen before.

The 2nd book that's coming is a 'double-header' celebrating the art of Jim 'Modesty Blaise' Holdaway and Sydney 'Jeff Hawke' Jordan. Two fantastic artists, this looks like another essential volume. 

Both books look likely to be 144 pages long - with the Bellamy book in full colour; the Holdaway / Jordan book is also described as being in full colour but these are two artists who drew a lot of black & white artwork so let's hope to see some of their colour work too.

Details of the Bellamy books are here and the Jordan / Holdaway book here

Paperback artists - new books to be released

Over here on the Books Palace website some new volumes catch the eye - all based around classic paperback artwork..

First up is '

This is described as... 

This deluxe special edition of the acclaimed The Art of Reginald Heade is extensively revised and greatly expanded. With almost double the page-count of the standard edition, it features over 400 additional, ultra-rare Heade artwork images, and presents many others in larger size than before.

First published 24 August 2018. This NEW EDITION published November 2020.

Author: Stephen James Walker
Artist: Reginald Heade
Publisher: Telos, due November 2020
Number of pages: 320
Format: Hard Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (220mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781845831165

Priced at £50 you can order it here

 Accompanying 

Priced at £50 you can order the book here

The Art of Reginald Heade – Volume Two is a veritable treasure trove for Reginald Heade's many admirers, and for anyone with a taste for classic pin-up and book cover artwork.

Author: Stephen James Walker, Steve Chibnall
Artist: Reginald Heade
Publisher: Telos, due November 2020
Number of pages: 384
Format: Hard Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (220mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781845831554

I'm hoping that at least one of the volumes will pick up on Heade's rarely seen comic strip artwork - see my notes on this subject here. 

If you're into vintage paperbook artwork then this book is for you

priced at £35 the book is described thus...

An affectionate and thoroughly-researched celebration of the classic Pan Books paperbacks, beautifully illustrated with sumptuous full-colour reproductions of over 300 of the original cover artworks.

Author: Colin Larkin
Artists: Various
Publisher: Telos, due November 2020
Number of pages: 256
Format: Hard Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9" x 11" (220mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781845839888

Due in November 2020 the book can be pre-ordered here