Definitive Prince Valiant Companion - Softcover

Kane, Brian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1606993054 ISBN 13: 9781606993057

Publisher: Fantagraphics Books, 2010

Synopsis

In Anticipation of the seventy-fifth annivesary of comics' longest running adventure strip, and to celebrate their own just-launced reprinting of the strips' classic earliest years, Fantagraphics is proud to present an expanded version of this hard-to-find collector's item.
Compiled by award-winning Foster biographer Brian M. Kane, THE DEFINITIVE PRINCE VALIANT COMPANION beautifully showcases the careers of Hal Foster, John Cullen Murphy, and Gary Gianni. In addition to updating the original version's story synopsis section with over 30 years of material, The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion also contains rare and new articles, a never-before-printed newspaper feature from 1949, Foster's final interview, and interviews with John Cullen Murphy, Gary Gianni and Mark Schultz, a foreward by comics historian Brian Walker, and an introduction by Pulitzer Prize winning authore Ray Bradbury.

About this title

About the Author

Brian M. Kane is the author of Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators and James Bama: American Realist. He teaches in the Illustration Department at the Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, Ohio. He has a Masters Degree in History of Art from The Ohio State University where he is currently working on his Ph.D. in Art Education with an emphasis in Visual Culture.

Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. Growing up during the Great Depression, Bradbury began writing at the age of 11. Unable to join the military in World War II due to his poor eyesight, he began publishing science fiction stories. In 1947 he married Marguerite McClure and they had four daughters. His career as a writer included such notable works as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and I Sing The Body Electric. Primarily known for his successes in science fiction, Bradbury also worked on various horror and mystery stories, as well as screenplays and television scripts. During his lifetime he received numerous awards, including a Pulitzer in 2007. Bradbury passed away in 2012.

Review

“Brian Kane, author of the Companion and surely the world’s foremost authority on the strip and its creator, Hal Foster, has once again done a herculean amount of work, and Fantagraphics has once again clothed that work in a sturdy, pretty volume. Prince Valiant hasn’t been treated this well since the ersatz King of England sang his praises.... Fantagraphics will continue to bring out deluxe volumes of Prince Valiant reprints. I imagine this new Definitive Companion will be open alongside them for years to come.”
- Khalid Ponte, Open Letters

“Elegantly presented, perceptively written, what emerges from Kane’s book is as intimate a portrait as we are likely to get of this humble, humorous and hard-working man, who transformed one page every week of the comic section into stirring American illustration and adventure fiction for millions of readers, whether Kings or commoners.”
- Paul Gravett, author of Graphic Novels and Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics

“In a year without a lot of good comics history books, this old-fashioned take on the Prince Valiant strip stands out more than usual.”
- Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter

“The Definitive Prince Valiant Companion is the indispensable guide to the strip and a must have for its legions of fans new and old. ... No matter how long you’ve been a Prince Valiant fan...one year or seventy years, you’re certain to find this book informative and entertaining. Fantagraphics has produced another spectacular book! Grade: A.”
- Tim Janson, The Gouverneur Times

Edition details

• Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1606993054
• ISBN 13: 9781606993057
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160