A new book honoring the legacy of legendary Marvel illustrator Michael Turner is soon to be released. The 184-page hardback book, "The Marvel Art of Michael Turner," has exquisite artwork, a gorgeous dust jacket, and a slipcase edition.
Clover Press announced a Kickstarter campaign for a comprehensive collection of Turner's Marvel work. The book is part of the boutique art book series that features classic Marvel Comics artwork that has been remastered and rarely seen sketches by great artists.
This fifth volume in the series highlights Turner's significant contributions, including his iconic covers for the "Civil War" crossover, which played a crucial role in its success. Turner's work, featuring characters like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and The Fantastic Four, solidified his status as a legendary cover artist and penciler. The collection will include remastered and classic artwork and rare sketches celebrating Turner's legacy.
In honoring Turner, the book offers an exclusive Mystery Tier with five tipped-in pencil art pieces, five holo foil cards, and five mini prints featuring characters like Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Wolverine, The Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Captain America, and Thor. Backers will receive a book copy and a randomly selected tipped-in art piece, mini-print, and card.
Turner started at Top Cow Productions in 1994, co-creating "Witchblade." In 1998, his own series, "Fathom," became the year's bestseller. He left Top Cow in 2002 to start Aspen MLT LLC, where he made "Soulfire" and continued "Fathom." Turner also became a notable cover artist for Marvel Comics. Sadly, he passed away in 2008 at 37 due to complications from bone cancer treatment.
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Comic book artists have praised Turner's legacy, with Joe Quesada describing him as 'a great artist - just a great guy - who managed to achieve legendary status in a very short time period.' Mark Millar added that Turner's artwork had a superpower-like effect on sales, making characters look fresh and new. Jeph Loeb praised Turner's artwork, attributing its beauty to Turner's 'magical heart and wonderful soul.'
Marvel writer Millar noted that Mike Turner's covers could boost sales by 25%, a feat unique to Turner. Millar praised Turner's ability to make long-standing characters appear fresh, attributing this to Turner's energetic and detailed artwork. Millar felt honored to collaborate with Turner, recognizing his exceptional impact on comic book art.
Joe Quesada emphasized that collecting this book means owning the work of a great artist who quickly achieved legendary status. In collaboration with Aspen and Marvel Comics, Clover Press made the perfect decision to showcase Michael Turner's exceptional work. This collection honors his artistic contributions and mourns the loss of his potential future works.
Aspen Comics co-founder Frank Mastomauro highlighted the book's significance, noting that nearly 30 years have passed since Turner's art first amazed the world, though his rise to stardom was swift. Turner created many memorable works, particularly in his detailed Marvel illustrations and covers. Mastomauro expressed excitement about the upcoming book, eagerly anticipating fans' reactions to holding this collection of Turner's exceptional Marvel art.
The book is set to be released on Kickstarter, but fans can sign up for updates via BackerKit. The campaign will also include exclusive items such as 11x17 art prints, metal prints and cards, collectible trading cards, stickers, and a 1,000-piece puzzle.
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