US publisher The Illustrated Press has announced the closure of its long-running ILLUSTRATION magazine, citing low sales and declining subscriptions.
Published quarterly by The Illustrated Press, Inc., ILLUSTRATION was a limited edition, educational, and scholarly magazine devoted to the history of American illustration art. First launched in October 2001, the publication profiled over 200 artists in 84 issues.
Printed in full colour, distributed across the United States to high quality bookstores, newsstands, comic book shops and other retailers, each issue featured the highest quality printing, photography and colour reproductions of original illustration art available anywhere.
The last four issues highlight artists such as John Held, Jr., the legendary cartoonist/illustrator of the Jazz Age, best known for his depictions of the Flapper era (Issue 81); Robert Meyers, a brilliant illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post and other slicks of the late 1950s, who became the owner of a dude ranch and was mysteriously murdered by a sniper attack in Wyoming (Issue 82); Frank McCarthy, one of the top movie poster artists of all time, best known for his images for The Dirty Dozen, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and many more (Issue 83); and NC Wyeth, known for his iconic illustrations for the books Treasure Island, Robin Hood, and Robinson Crusoe, and so many more (Issue 84).
Only ILLUSTRATION magazine is impacted by the decision – publisher Daniel Zimmer has confirmed The Illustrated Press remains in operation, with several books recently announced profiling artists such as Austria’s Frank Wacik, whose breathtaking and imaginative illustrations were featured in the satire magazine Die Muskete from 1906 to 1918; and Perry Peterson, who, in his day, was one of America’s top magazine illustrators.
“The Illustrated Press isn’t going anywhere – I will continue to produce new books,” says Daniel, via the publisher’s web site, adding, of ILLUSTRATION, “It’s been a great ride, and I thank you for your support over the years.”
Back issues of ILLUSTRATION will continue to be available until all supplies are depleted from The Illustrated Press web store, and a digital version is available, too, via Magzter.
The news has come as a blow to firm fans of the title, including writer and producer Jimmy Palmiotti, who, writing on Twitter, noted “We lose these great artists daily and now we will be losing their work documented. So upsetting. One of the greatest magazines ever.
“Getting this message months ago would have forced my hand for a subscription, but I was picking it up at comic shops this whole time.”
ILLUSTRATION magazine may, sadly, have run its course, but Britain’s Book Palace Books art quarterly, illustrators magazine, is still very much in operation, with several new editions in the pipeline, and subscriptions are available.
illustrators has been bringing readers the stories behind a huge range of artists and their art, since 2012, with 50 issues, including Specials, published to date, offering a heady mix of art and insight, features written by a wide range of leading experts on the field.
Building into an indispensable reference library, illustrators also gives readers a great insight into the creative process, from the initial idea to the final image potentially seen by millions. The latest edition, Issue 40, dedicated to the underground art of the talented and much missed Rick Griffin, Vaughn Bodé and his son Mark Bode, was published in February, with Issue 41, profiling 2000AD’s Greg Staples, and more, out this month.
• Check out The Illustrated Press and back issues of ILLUSTRATION magazine at theillustratedpress.com
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Comic Art, Creating Comics, downthetubes News, Magazines, Other Worlds
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