Al Williamson: Strange World Adventures

In 1948 a young Al Williamson accepted his first commercial assignment--for an issue of Famous Funnies comics, which launched his career as a professional in the field. Developing an elegant and illustrative style, he soon gained prominence in the highly influential EC Comics line of the 1950s. Over the next few decades, his exquisite art also illuminated many Atlas comics, various incarnations of Flash Gordon and the comic strips Secret Agent Corrigan and Star Wars, as well as a host of other titles and properties. This extraordinary body of superior work cemented Williamson's longstanding popularity. By the end of his career in the early 2000s, he had become one of the most highly regarded comic and strip artists in the industry, especially noted for the graceful ink line that he spent a lifetime pursuing.
This first compendium in a new series is the perfect introduction to Al Williamson's work. You will find samples that span his fifty-year career along with anecdotes and historical details salted throughout. Cover art, interior pages, drawings and sketches--plus photographs of Al and his friends posing as reference for his sequential art--are included. This volume contains a mixture of both his most-obscure and best-known works, all meticulously reproduced from the original art.
Until now, this captivating original artwork has only been seen by those fortunate enough to visit the Williamson studio in person. For the first time, readers will be able to view the artist's most-cherished works. Williamson's love of 1920s and 1930s adventure, fantasy and science-fiction pop culture--and his admiration of artists such as Flash Gordon creator Alex Raymond--grounded his drawing technique and storytelling, which evolved throughout his life. He was able to take these inspirations and carry on the legacy of the past masters while becoming a unique icon in the industry. In this collection, readers will be able to witness Williamson's development as an artist.


About the Author
Fleskes, John: - John Fleskes is the president and publisher of Flesk Publications. He has published dozens of books featuring some of the top contemporary and most revered artists in the field. Fleskes has contributed to numerous books as writer, editor and designer.Stout, William: - William Stout is one of America's foremost fantasy and film artists, dinosaur muralists and illustrators. Stout's dinosaur illustrations have appeared in The Little Blue Brontosaurus, which formed the basis of the enormously popular The Land Before Time animated series. Stout has contributed to over thirty films including Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Walt Disney's Dinosaur. He was a designer for Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. His previous books include, The New Dinosaurs, Prehistoric Life Murals and Dinosaur Discoveries. His pictures were an acknowledged inspiration for Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Stout has been awarded the Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators.Veitch, Rick: - After a thirty year career in comics, Rick Veitch shows no sign of letting up. Vertigo recently released CAN'T GET NO, his groundbreaking literary graphic novel that Publishers Weekly declared one of the "Best Books Of 2006". He collaborated with Tommy Lee Edwards on THE QUESTION for DC Comics and DAREDEVIL for Marvel Comics. His rick-for-web.pngimprint, KING HELL PRESS published new editions of THE ONE, BRAT PACK, THE MAXIMORTAL, ABRAXAS AND THE EARTHMAN and SHINY BEASTS. Rick is also the co-founder, with Steve Conley, of Comicon.com. And he's been producing science and nature comics for WNET in New York. Right now he's knee deep in his new series from Vertigo, a subversive and satirical look at the Iraq war set five years in the future, ARMY@LOVE.