IDW To Produce Two Deluxe Books Of Artist’s Classic Works
Legendary comics artist Jim Steranko will be the subject of not one but two Artist’s Editions from IDW Publishing, with nearly all pages shot from the artist’s personal art collection.
Steranko, one of the great innovators in comics history, produced a comparatively small body of work for the House of Ideas from the mid-1960s to the early ’70s, most notably his runs on Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America.
The first volume, Steranko Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist’s Edition, will feature the initial twelve stories by Steranko that appeared in Strange Tales #151 through #162. All of these stories were drawn in the “twice up” format, meaning the original art is rendered at twice the size of the printed comic. The final book will measure 15 x 22 inches and is currently scheduled for release in May of 2014.
“I believe that I changed Nick Fury’s life as much as he changed mine,” Steranko says, “and looking over the original art again celebrates a flood of memories evincing the kind of rampant, seismic creativity that went into their creation. I can see my artistic evolution expand by the story, even by the page, and revisiting that experience can be simultaneously reassuring and shocking—a kind of microcosm of comic book history. As one of the architects of the Marvel Age, I’m pleased to share the sweep and nuance of the S.H.I.E.L.D. epic with all my fans and friends.”
The second volume, Steranko Nick Fury and Captain America Artist’s Edition, will collect the remaining Nick Fury stories from Strange Tales 163-168, as well as issues 1, 3, and 5 of the Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic series. As icing on the cake, Steranko’s three stellar issues of Captain America will also be included. This volume will measure 12 x 17 inches, and the release date is still to be determined.
“Jim Steranko’s impact on comics as an art form cannot be understated,” said editor Scott Dunbier. “He is an artist and trailblazer of the highest order.”