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.”
WHAT IS AN ARTIST’S EDITION? AN ARTIST'S EDITION PRESENTS COMPLETE STORIES
WITH EACH PAGE SCANNED FROM THE ACTUAL ORIGINAL ART.
While appearing to be in black and white, each page was
scanned in color to mimic as closely as possible the experience of viewing the
actual original art—for instance, corrections and blue pencils. Each page is
printed the same size as drawn, and the paper selected is as close as possible
to the original art board.