Illustrators 49, the latest in Book Palace Books brilliant series of quarterly publications, is available now, a special giant-size issue that includes a fascinating history of the original comic that inspired the Netflix series, The Eternaut.
Also in the spotlight this time around is author and award-winning illustrator, Gregory Manchess, the comics and ‘good girl’ art of Frank Cho, plus a report on a visit to the studio of Hannah Gillingham, a commercial illustrator and oil painter who creates captivating narratives through her artwork.
This issue also features a complete 14 page Wes Slade: Deputy US Marshal story by George Stokes, taken from the Book Palace new release, Wes Slade – Deputy US Marshal, previewed here back in August. This is the very first time the stories featured have been reprinted in English since first appearing in the 1960s and 70s.
More like a book than a magazine, illustrators is the art quarterly devoted to the finest illustration art ever published. With its unique blend of art and insight, 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.
Author: Diego Cordoba | Artists: Gregory Manchess, Frank Cho, Hannah Gillingham, The Eternaut | Publisher: Book Palace Books, November 2025 | Number of pages: 112 | Format: Soft Cover; Full Colour illustrations | Size: 9″ x 11″ (216mm x 280mm) | ISBN: 9781913548803
• Wes Slade – Deputy US Marshal is available to order here from Book Palace Books
Author and Artist: George Stokes | Publisher: Book Palace Books, November 2025 | Number of pages: 160 | Format: Hard Cover; Black & White illustrations | Size: 13″ x 10″ (330mm x 254mm) | ISBN: 9781913548865
Limited Edition of 400 copies worldwide. This is the very first time these stories have been reprinted in English since first appearing in the 1960s and 70s.
Regarded by comic aficionados as the finest western strip ever published, Wes Slade ran from 1961 until 1981. Written and drawn by George Stokes, the artwork is very special. All the stories show a fresh and authentic treatment of the role of the Native Americans in the West.
Here we present 10 never-before reprinted tales of Wes Slade written and drawn by George Stokes between 1962 and 1974 and scanned directly from the original artwork held in the Express newspaper archives.
Not only does it portray the plight of the various tribes at the hands of the encroaching white settlers, it does so with some of the most accomplished Western artwork ever to grace a newspaper on both sides of the Atlantic.
George Stokes was born in 1934 the son of a British officer serving in the Indian Army. He returned to England in 1948 and completed his education and became a commercial artist. Travel in Canada and the United States deepened his interest in the West and in 1960 he jumped at the opportunity to draw a newly created western strip for the Sunday Express, Wes Slade.
He drew Wes Slade weekly for the next 20 years until his untimely death aged 47 in 1981. We are very pleased to be able to offer this supreme collection of Western stories and artwork with the very finest reproduction from the original artwork.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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.
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