If you’re still not convinced that Book Palace Books brilliant illustrators Quarterly (aka IQ) is a publication worth purchasing, you may well be convinced by their latest illustrators Special Edition – illustrators The 10th Anniversary Special.
After 40 issues and 18 Special issues the team have gathers together a terrific selection of their most popular articles over the last 10 years, a glorious “sampler”, if you like, of their superb title. Mind you, when that feature lineup includes articles on Neal Adams, Arturo Del Castillo, Graham Coton, Maurice Leloir, James E McConnell, Patrick Nicolle, Alex Raymond and David Wright, “sampler” doesn’t even begin to do this 176 page collection justice.
Introduced with editor Peter Richardson’s two-page retrospective on the title’s development that includes the news that Boys Adventure Comics blog publisher and downthetubes contributor Richard Sheaf has joined the IQ team, we’re treated to an absolutely mind blowing assortment of art and articles, grabbing me from the get go with a superb re-presentation of an article on illustrator David Wright, creator of the acclaimed “Carol Day” newspaper strip, and the treats don’t stop there.
With astonishing reproduction quality of artwork and strip examples,es throughout, particular favourites in this collection have to be the features on “Flash Gordon” creator Alex Raymond, and a charming item on artist Graham Coton, perhaps best known for his war comics covers.
The inclusion of reproductions of Arturo del Castillo’s original pages for “The King’s Musketeer”, a strip that first ran in Film Fun, is simply the best of icing in the cake.
Most of the articles are taken from sold out issues and only available as digital editions, so while you may balk at the £36 price of the collection, this is the perfect opportunity to see what you may have missed and, perhaps, take out a subscription to this popular series.
This project is singularly wonderful, and well deserving of support from anyone interested in illustration art. Recommended.
Authors: Diego Cordoba, Peter Richardson, David Ashford, Norman Wright; Edited by Geoff West and Peter Richardson
Artists: Neal Adams, Arturo del Castillo, Graham Coton, Maurice Leloir, James E McConnell, Patrick Nicolle, Alex Raymond, David Wright
Publisher: Book Palace Books, February 2023
Number of pages: 176
Format: Soft Cover; Full Colour illustrations
Size: 9″ x 11″ (216mm x 280mm)
ISBN: 9781913548322
Features: David Wright from issue 2; Graham Coton from issue 6; Patrick Nicolle from issue 10; James E McConnell from issue 11; Maurice Leloir from issue 14; Neal Adams from issue 16; Arturo del Castillo from issue 19; and Alex Raymond from issue 35. Plus a full index of all artists from IQ’s 58 issues to date
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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, Books, Features, Magazines, Other Worlds, Reviews
In Review: illustrators 41 Limited Edition Hard Cover