EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 34 by Book Palace Books * 96 PAGES IN FULL EDITION

Brawny barbarians, horror comics, and fantasy art Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta By J. David Spurlock Hardcover 120 pages Vanguard $39.99(US), £30.99(UK) The History of EC Comics By Grant Geissman Hardcover 592 pages Taschen $200(US), £150(UK) Masterpieces of Fantasy Art Edited by Dian Hanson Hardcover 532 pages Taschen $200(US), £150(UK) If ever there was an illustrator who needs no introduction, it is Frank Frazetta! If any of you readers haven’t heard of him, you are probably reading the wrong publication. Since the mid-1970s there have been many books collecting his artwork, beginning with the Ballantine Peacock paperbacks (this new book reprints most of the images from Ballantine’s first volume, but at a larger size). Now, Vanguard (which has been publishing many books on this artists, mainly collecting his early comic strip work), comes out with a larger-sized 10 by 14-inch hardcover book. Although much of the artwork is shown at larger sizes than we’ve seen before, not all are shot from the original artwork (although the publisher tried to secure as many scans from the original paintings as possible). The book originally contained several typos, but these were later corrected for the second printing. Will fans find anything new here? Not really, but if you have hesitated about buying a book featuring Frazetta’s artwork, this is a no-brainer. Its supposedly large-size isn’t a problem either, as it fits nicely on any bookshelf. Happily, this will also be the first of five volumes. Be patient for the rest of the collection! After extra large books devoted to DC and Marvel, Taschen produces a similar volume dedicated to EC, the company that many feel created the best comic books ever. This covers the story of EC comics from the very start when M. C. Gaines had the idea to fold down the colour comics that Sunday newspapers carried, and give them as premiums to children, to the ending of the Horror and Science Fiction comics line in the mid 1950s. Gaines was also responsible for getting Superman published as a comic book, although he gave it to someone else, and instead published educational comics (hence the EC name) about History, the Bible and so on. When he died in a boating accident at just 52, his son, William, inherited his father’s publishing company. With little to no interest in comics, Bill eventually decided to publish titles based on his favourite radio programme, the ‘Inner Sanctum’, a Horror show. Success was almost immediate, and EC Comics became known for their Horror titles, which would eventually be the company’s downfall too. So here it is, folks, the full story in an extra large size with hundreds of colour pictures and more! Purveyors of some of the most beautiful and well produced art books—many at bargain prices—Taschen finally delves into the world of imaginative illustration instead of Fine Art, and presents us with the Masterpieces of Fantasy Art. Produced at an extra large size, this book features a roster of Fantasy artists from the past century, beginning with Science Fiction pulp covers from the early 20th century. This work is followed by examples from well-renowned artists such as Boris Vallejo, Rodney Matthews, Greg Hildebrandt, Michael Whelan, and Philippe Druillet, as well as icons who are no longer with us, such as H. R. Giger, Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, Rowena Morrill and, of course, Frank Frazetta—who all get their own entry showcased with various samples of their work. The latter part of the book has works by other artists from around the world (although some of their work is reproduced stamp-sized). As with most Taschen books, this is lavishly produced, bound to last for many years, and the images are carefully reproduced (unfortunately not all at their largest size). In all, this book is a must for fans of Fantasy art (and Science Fiction, too). 96