 |
Greetings, all! It's your bud @Bud's, Marty Grosser! Back again to bring you the latest and greatest offerings from Bud's Art Books! This is a particularly impressive week for us, with new books on Frazetta, Hal Foster, Barry Windsor-Smith, R. Crumb, Darwyn Cooke, Mike Mignola, Steve Ditko, Hugo Pratt, and more! Plus, we unveil another trio of rare signed editions from Graphitti Designs (all-Batman!) and give you a sneak peek at some upcoming collections from PS Artbooks. Let's get into it! |
|
  |
Click here for last week's new items. Click here to see ALL New Arrivals, beginning with the latest and going back 30 days.
|
Comic Book Archives & Reference |
|
 |
 |
 |
| THE MARVEL CREATOR COLLECTION Volume 1 Back to the Savage Land Barry Windsor-Smith at Marvel Volume 1. Highly Recommended. This first of a three-volume series collecting the legendary Barry Windsor-Smith’s work at Marvel features his early pre-Conan work on X-Men, The Avengers, Doctor Strange, and Iron Man, as well as his amazing run on Ka-Zar in Astonishing Tales, and much more. Windsor-Smith was a creative force to be reckoned with when Marvel brought him to the U.S. in 1969. A passionate devotee of Jack Kirby, Windsor-Smith’s earliest drawing at the House of Ideas reflected that influence, but he quickly developed his own unique style, combining intricately detailed realism with the dreamlike lushness of art nouveau and late-1960s psychedelia. Fantagraphics, 2026....More. Item Code: MARCC01H Hard Cover, 9x12, 368pg, Full Color |
||
| Like many of us, Barry Windsor-Smith loved the art of Jack Kirby. So much so, that his early work often emulated the King's style (much like Keith Giffen did early in his career at Marvel and DC). This first volume in Fantagraphics' Marvel Creator Collection focuses on the earliest Marvel works by this UK artist... one destined for later greatness with his beautiful illustrative work developed within the art collective known as "The Studio," established alongside fellow artists Michael Kaluta, Bernie Wrightson and Jeff Jones (it's an out-of-print book that needs to return!). ~Marty |
 |
MIKE MIGNOLA'S HELLBOY IN HELL Artist's Edition Volume 2 The concluding chapters of Mignola's Hellboy in Hell! Dive into the concluding five issues of Hellboy in Hell (#6-10) — as well as numerous covers and story pages — from award-winning creator Mike Mignola in this stunning, oversized Artist’s Edition! Mike Mignola remains one of the preeminent comics creators of the past several decades. His career was already firmly established for his outstanding work on characters like Batman, Wolverine, a myriad of beautiful covers and more... And then came Hellboy. Mignola’s iconic creation struck a meteoric chord with fans from the very start and has not abated in the 30-plus years since the character’s debut. Image Comics, 2026. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge....More. Item Code: MMAE02H Hard Cover, na, 200pg, b&w |
| Mike Mignola's Hellboy is still going strong these days, with new series and spinoffs every month. I do wish Mike was still drawing interiors instead of just covers, but it is what it is. Thankfully, we can still enjoy his past works with great books like this; books that reveal Mike's original art in all its full-sized glory. ~Marty |
 |
MY GUN IS THE JURY! AND OTHER STORIES Highly Recommended. Jack Davis and Wallace Wood’s crazed cartooning in Mad changed the art form, and comedy itself, forever. But their gonzo parody work in Mad’s sister satire title, Panic, published at the same time, is less well-known. To invert that injustice, this volume of The Fantagraphics EC Artists’ Library presents all their zany, pun-packed Panic lampoonery, especially their pomposity-puncturing movie parodies, including Davis’s “My Gun Is the Jury!” “Come Back, Little Street Car!”, “A Star Is Corn” and Wood’s “African Scream!”, “Gone With The Widow,” and “20,000 Leaks Under The Sea.” Fantagraphics, 2026....More. Item Code: MYGH Hard Cover, 7x10, 280pg, b&w |
| Another great EC collection from Fantagraphics, this one collects some of the best stories from the pages of the MAD companion series, Panic. Lots of great parodies and fine work from some of EC's best! ~Marty |
 |
ALSO AVAILABLE EC ARTISTS LIBRARY Volume 7 Slipcased Set Almost Gone! Four hardcovers in slipcase, a whopping 1000 pages. Highly Recommended. By Al Feldstein and Harvey Kurtzman. Art by Wallace Wood, Johnny Craig, Feldstein and Kurtzman. Collecting four outstanding volumes in The New York Times best-selling series. The acclaimed EC Comics Artists Library collects the best EC stories in crisp black and white, with plenty of commentary by EC authorities. The Woman Who Loved Life And Other Stories, illustrated by Johnny Craig; Atom Bomb And Other Stories, illustrated by Wallace Wood; Man and Superman and Other Stories, illustrated by Harvey Kurtzman; and Terror Train And Other Stories, illustrated by Al Feldstein. Note: These slipcase sets often quickly sell out. 120 stories! Fantagraphics, 2025. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge. Out of print...More. Item Code: ECAL07H Hard Cover, 7x11, 1036pg, b&w |
 |
DARWYN COOKE'S THE COMPLETE SPIRIT Connoisseur Edition Recommended. By Darwyn Cooke. With his masterful storytelling and flair for noir style, Darwyn Cooke was uniquely suited to reintroduce Will Eisner’s beloved comics creation, The Spirit, to modern audiences. Now his Spirit comic stories are collected in their entirety for the first time in this oversized hardcover collection, presented within a beautiful slipcase. DC Comics, 2026....More. Item Code: DARCSH Hard Cover, 9x13, 332pg, Full Color |
| I first became aware of Darwyn Cooke from his excellent work on DC's Catwoman. His was a style that bordered on vintage pop illustration and animation, and always elevated any project. When he brought Will Eisner's masked hero for DC Comics, he applied that unique style (with a nod to Eisner) to make The Spirit's new adventures his own. This is a must-have collection, not to missed! ~Marty |
 |
CRYPTOLOGY #8 Neal Adams DC Horror Comics. Spiders!!! Recommended. In this issue, the Cryptologists delve into the personal lives of horror's icons and discover what Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and their cohorts were up to when they weren’t appearing in our favorite horror movies - you’ll be shocked! Also, a look at the gruesome EC Comics artwork of "Ghastly" Graham Ingels; an in-depth examination of Norman Bates, courtesy of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Robert Bloch, and his real-life inspiration, Ed Gein. Plus, Psycho II screenwriter and Fright Night director Tom Holland is interviewed, the "Killer-B" section goes back to school with a look at teen horror movies, and the Cryptologists begin their examination of the Pre-Code Horror comics, beginning in 1938. All this an more from a talented crew of writers and researchers, overseen by editor Peter Normanton. TwoMorrows, 2026....More. Item Code: CRY08 Magazine, 8x10, 84pg, Full Color $10.95 |
| This is, hands down, my favorite mag! Being a "Monster Kid" from way back and a lifelong Horror aficionado, I find each issue to be filled with the kind of stuff that '60s me was so into while reading Famous Monsters or other moster movie mags of the era. If monsters and horror in all media are your thing, then you should definitely be reading Cryptology with me! ~Marty |
Artists & Illustration |
|
 |
FRANK FRAZETTA BY DIAN HANSON Highly Recommended. Edited by Dian Hanson. Frank Frazetta’s fame as the undisputed King of Fantasy Art grows greater every year, as his paintings set new annual auction records. His muscular, fleshy, action-packed oils of heroes, monsters and maidens have defined myriad fantasy worlds for over 50 years, and now this comprehensive overview of his career and works arrives at its most affordable price ever! Taschen, 2026....More. Item Code: FRAFRH Hard Cover, 8x10, 96pg, Partial Color $20.00 |
| Editor Dian Hanson has assembled some of Frazetta's best works into one informative and entertaining art book. If you're new to the magic of Frazetta's art, you owe it to yourself to add this bargain-priced edition to your fantasy art collection! Recommended! ~Marty |
 |
ART & BEAUTY Drawings By R. Crumb Recommended. By Robert Crumb. Presenting all three issues of the series in one book, Art & Beauty is arranged chronologically, from the earliest images of the 1990s to drawings completed in 2016. Paul Morris, longtime gallerist and supporter of Robert Crumb’s practice, writes an introduction that contextualizes this body of work and the artist’s career. The images appeal to a mostly erotic sensibility, which in turn is undercut by the inclusion of sometimes ironic and frequently philosophical prose. The images drag philosophy back down to earth, while the writing challenges the pure eroticism of Crumb’s drawings. Fantagraphics, 2026....More. Item Code: ARTBMH Hard Cover, 8x11, 128pg, b&w |
| Robert Crumb has an eye for beauty. To say he's enthralled by women is an understatement. Sometimes his eye distorts reality, and we see what his heart and mind see. This volume collects the three "Art & Beauty" chapters into one book, filled with Crumb's drawings of women (both known and imagined) from the '90s to 2016. If you're a follower of this singular underground comix legend, this one deserves a place on your shelf! ~Marty |
 |
HAL FOSTER'S PRINCE VALIANT SKETCHBOOKS An Illustrated Memoir Volume 2 Signed Bookplate signed by Brian M. Kane. By Brian M. Kane. Art by Hal Foster. Part sketchbooks, part biography, part tutorial, part memoir - Hal Foster's Prince Valiant Sketchbooks are an unprecedented revelation of Foster's personal life and creative process during his final nine years on the strip, as well as a fascinating look behind the curtains as Foster coached and interacted with his chosen successor: John Cullen Murphy. Beautifully, meticulously designed and produced with the full participation of the Murphy family, this series is a testament to author and Prince Valiant historian Brian M. Kane's research prowess and determination to bring Foster's aesthetic and storytelling strategies to light. Fantagraphics, 2026....More. Item Code: PVIM02HS Hard Cover, 10x14, 144pg, Partial Color $49.99 |
| This is second volume in the Fantagraphics series edited by Brian M. Kane, presenting Hal Foster's preliminary sketches and set-ups for the Prince Valiant Sunday comic strip. Fully researched and annotated by Kane, this is truly a deep-dive into the making of an American classic, and deserves a place alongside Fantagraphics' collected editions of the series. ~Marty |
Graphitti Gallery Editions |
|
| As we settle in here at Bud's Art Books, we continue Bud's model by seeking out the latest and greatest in comics and illustrated books. This week we reveal the next batch of unique Gallery Editions from Graphitti Designs. These rare books, signed by the artist, were previously available only through Graphitti's website. These limited edition books have never been offered for sale to the general public through comic or book stores, and we're proud to offer them to our customers while supplies last. These are the final, extremely limited copies of some of these books. We'll be releasing these Gallery Editions in small batches this month, so check them out today, and look for three more volumes to be revealed next week! |
 |
BATMAN Kelley Jones Signed Gallery Edition WAREHOUSE FIND! Collects Batman #515-519, 521-525. Limited to 250. Recommended. This is the first in a series of deluxe, hardcovers from Graphitti Designs which faithfully reproduce the original art from select, key DC Comics series. This volume presents Kelly Jones' covers and interior pages from Batman #515-519 and #521-525. These stories were written by Doug Moench, with most pages inked by John Beatty. Graphitti Designs' Gallery Editions reproduce the look and feel of the original art as it was originally created by the artist. Though it appears to be printed in black-and-white, the contents of these books are sourced from high-resolution, full-color scans taken directly from the artwork. Each high-quality, Smythe-sewn hardcover book captures every detail of the art at actual size and are printed at 200 line-screen on a rich, heavy paper stock. This DC Gallery Edition is limited to 250 copies and features a debossed slipcase with debossed, taped spine. It comes signed by artist Kelley Jones on a sequentially numbered signature page. Graphitti Designs/DC Comics, 2015. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge....More. Item Code: BATKJHS Hard Cover, 12x17, 248pg, Full Color |
| I got to know Kelley Jones while working at Bud's Comics & Comix store in Citrus Heights, California, back in the '80s. He was just getting started back then but was already a talented artist. That I got to hang out with him as a friend (even a fellow employee for a short time!) and play Dungeons & Dragons with him and our comic shop friends and family weekly, pleases me to this day. He even graciously provided me with a variant cover for the first issue of my comic book! Such a mensch... ~Marty |
 |
BATMAN SECRETS Sam Kieth Gallery Signed Edition WAREHOUSE FIND! Collects Batman: Secrets plus more from 1992 to 2015. Limited to 100. Recommended. Sam Kieth's unforgettable depiction of the Dark Knight, focusing on artwork from the 124-page Batman: Secrets series. Large-format, Smythe-sewn hardcover edition is sourced from and captures the look and feel of the original art boards. Rounding out this 248-page presentation is the complete art from Batman: Confidential #40, Batman/Lobo #1, Kieth's eight-page story from Batman #38 and an extensive gallery section containing covers and pages from Scratch, Arkham Asylum: Madness and Batman: Through the Looking Glass. Graphitti Designs/DC Comics, 2017. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge....More. Item Code: BATSGEHS Hard Cover, 12x17, 248pg, Full Color |
| Yet another Northern California comics artist that I knew, Sam Kieth and I attended the same school back in the '70s, and we would often hang out and read comics or draw together. To hear that we recently lost him saddened me greatly. He was a good guy, with a unique art style all his own. RIP Sam. ~Marty |
 |
BRIAN BOLLAND BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE and Other Stories & Art Gallery Signed Edition WAREHOUSE FIND! Huge! 13 x 20 and 280 pages! Signed by Brian Bolland. Limited to 250. Highly Recommended. In addition to the complete Batman: The Killing Joke story from 1988, this oversized Gallery Edition includes "An Innocent Guy" from Batman: Black & White #4 (8 pages); "Certified Safe" from Mystery in Space #115 (7 pages); "Freeway of Fun Fear!" from The Outsiders #18 (8 pages); "The Princess & the Frog" (5 pages), and story pages from Justice League of America #200 (5 pages); story pages from Batman #400 (9 pages); more than 100 pages of black & white and color cover art from Wonder Woman, Camelot 3000, Animal Man, Robin, Batman, The Invisibles, Tank Girl, and art and pin-ups! Graphitti Designs/DC Comics, 2024. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge....More. Item Code: BBBATHS Hard Cover, 13x20, 280pg, Partial Color |
| Brian Bolland? Never met him. But I do love his artwork! And this volume features some of his best DC work... and comes signed by the artist. ~Marty |
Comic Strips & Graphic Novels |
|
 |
MOPSY The Maid Who Makes You Laugh Meet Mopsy - that funny, sexy, slightly dingy (yet impishly clever) maid of mirth! Conceived by brilliant cartoonist Gladys Parker, Mopsy was a joke-a-day panel that captivated readers for three decades. This "best of" collection (originally published in 1945 and today selling for hundreds of dollars) comprises cartoons that originally appeared in newspapers during the war years (1942 to 1945), when Parker was at her creative peak. Lulu, 2026. Due: Apr....More. Item Code: MOPM Soft Cover, 5.5x8.5, 102pg, b&w $12.00 |
| I've never read any of these before, but I must admit I do like the art style very much. These are some of the best strips from 1942 to 1945 and they definitely reflect the tone and style of the era. Vintage comic strip goodness, to be sure. ~Marty |
 |
ELVIRA MEETS H.P. LOVECRAFT Collects the 5-issue limited series! By David Avallone, Art by Kewber Baal. It had to happen someday! Elvira accepts the Collect Call of Cthulhu and finds herself on a comical quest for the last copy of the Necronomicon with the ghost of H.P. Lovecraft! Will she be able to tolerate the obnoxious author long enough to save the world from the Great Old Ones? Or will this particular Whisperer in the Dark drive her straight past the Mountains of Madness? Dynamite, 2025....More. Item Code: ELVMHP Soft Cover, 7x10, 128pg, Full Color $19.99 |
| I continue to enjoy Dynamite's Elvira miniseries. They truly capture the sexy and silly qualities of the Mistress of the Dark. Teaming her up with the cranky old ghost of pulpsmith H.P. Lovecraft is another great story hook. If you like your laughs with a side of horror, check these out. ~Marty |
 |
CORTO MALTESE Fable of Venice and Other Adventures By Hugo Pratt. Corto, a modern Ulysses whose wanderings in the early decades of the 20th century take him to the most fascinating places on Earth, is a hard-luck, hard-driving iconoclastic anti-hero who values freedom and independence more than wealth and status. In “Fable of Venice,” a riddle from a deceased friend plunges Corto into a phantasmagorical mystery thriller that zigzags between the solidity of dreams and the fluidity of reality. A frantic chase in 1921 Venice ensues, up twisting stairs and down tangled alleys, as Corto vies against Freemasons, occultists, budding fascists, and his friend (suddenly back from the dead) in a mad scramble to secure a mystical emerald that will open the doors of forbidden magic and unravel time and space itself! Fantagraphics, 2026....More. Item Code: CORTMF Soft Cover, 7x10, 130pg, b&w $19.99 |
 |
HUMAN NATURE Book 1 The visionary minds behind Black Swan and The Whale, Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel, team up with writer Jeff Welch and acclaimed artist Martín Morazzo (Ice Cream Man) for Human Nature, a razor-sharp social-satire trilogy about ambition, power, and humanity’s desperate quest for immortality. Meet Duke: once just an ordinary nobody, now an ego-driven billionaire chicken magnate with nearly limitless wealth and power. But even endless fortune has limits—and Duke is obsessed with breaking the final barrier: death itself. Can he buy the key to defy death, or has his unchecked ambition finally gone too far? Abrams, 2026....More. Item Code: HUMN01H Hard Cover, 7x10, 208pg, Full Color |
| When I first joined Bud's Art Books, I was tasked with combing through digital catalogs in search of new and relevant releases for us (something I continue to this day), and I found this sci-fi graphic novel from writer/director Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, writer Jeff Welch and artist Martín Morazzo. It definitely has a Heavy Metal vibe... and sounds like it will be both funny and enlightening. And it's the first in a trilogy. The creative team behind this series is top notch, and I'm eager to see how this one progresses. ~Marty |
Coming in April |
|
 |
BIGGLES High flying action & intrigue from the UK! From 1960-1962! Recommended. By Capt. W.E. Johns. Art by Ron Embleton & Mike Western. James Bigglesworth is a wartime air ace and peacetime Sergeant in the Special Air Police, known to his friends and some of his enemies as "Biggles." Biggles became one of the most enduring figures in children's fiction of the last century and was created in 1932 by former Royal Flying Corps pilot, Captain W.E. Johns, whose own life - which included being shot down and becoming a prisoner of war - was pretty colorful itself! Beautifully illustrated by Ron Embleton and Mike Western, this volume includes the complete run of full-color strips from the pages of Britain's Express Weekly and TV Express Weekly (1960-1962), presented for the first time in a deluxe premium hardcover collection. Book Palace, 2026. Due: Apr....More. Item Code: BIGGH Hard Cover, 8x11, 108pg, Full Color $48.00 |
| Biggles has a very similar look and feel to Doug Wildey’s Jonny Quest, with a very similar color palette and visual pacing. If you like comics filled with action, intrigue, danger, and authentic depictions of vintage aircraft, be sure to check this one out. ~Marty |
 |
BLACK CAT COMICS Volume 4 Hardcover ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLACK CAT COMICS Volume 4 |
 |
BLACK CAT COMICS Volume 5 Hardcover ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLACK CAT COMICS Volume 5 |
| More great classic comics from Harvey featuring Hollywood actress-turned-crimefighter Linda Turner, in more great action stories from the late '40s. Black Cat is a personal favorite of Bud's and I absolutely get why. Great comics work from the likes of Lee Elias and Alfred Andriola. ~Marty |
 |
BLACK CONDOR & THE RAY Volume 3 Hardcover ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLACK CONDOR & THE RAY Volume 3 |
| Click here for Volume 2. |
Coming in June |
|
 |
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN By Steve Ditko Artist's Edition Presents Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #20, 26, & 33, and more! Art by Steve Ditko. From the very first appearance of Spider-Man to some of his most iconic moments since, experience world-renowned co-creator Steve Ditko’s original art like never before in this gorgeous, oversized Artist’s Edition! Features the web-slinger’s very first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, as well as three more incredible, complete stories from The Amazing Spider-Man #20, #26, and #33 “ the latter of which is regarded by many as the apex of Ditko’s finest on the series! Image Comics, 2026. Due: June. Rush Service and International shipping could require an additional charge....More. Item Code: AMSDAEH Hard Cover, 12x17, 192pg, b&w |
| The fact that anyone can arrange to see up close the original pages of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Spider-Man origin story from Amazing Fantasy #15 at the Library of Congress' National Archives blows my mind. But if you can't afford the trip to our nation's capital to make that a reality, then this Ditko Artist's Edition is the next best thing! ~Marty |
Rare Books |
PRINCE VALIANT AN AMERICAN EPIC 3 Volume Set X-LG |
DRAWING SEXY WOMEN Autobiographical Sketches Frank Thorne |
E.C. SEGAR’S POPEYE Set Volumes 1-6 |
|
We have a rare Chaosium Stormbringer game from 1990 with Michael Whelan art, just reduced $250/$175 Harvey Kurtzman’s short-lived Trump Magazine published by Playboy, Drawing Sexy Women by Frank Thorne, Carl Barks Library of Donald Duck, Bill Spicer’s superb Fantasy Illustrated #7, from 1967 with a magnificent cover by Wally Wood! Mexican Calendar Girls (cool vintage art—we handled it when it came out in 2006) Li’l Abner, Phantom and Peanuts collections;... And we’ve just now reduced prices on some of our scarcest special books and sets: Prince Valiant An American Epic X-Large Editions $500/$425
|
||
Product News |
|
William Stout's Comics & Stories Volume 1 |
||
The first volume of a three-part series tracing the creative history of artist William Stout arrives in July! WILLIAM STOUT'S COMICS & STORIES VOL. 1 features some of the renowned fantasy and dinosaur artist's earliest works, with full commentary from the artist himself. We'll be offering both a signed Hardcover (WILS01HS) as well as a Softcover (WILS01S) edition. I was delighted to correspond with Bill about the books, and was even more pleasantly surprised when he offered to create an original bookplate for inclusion with every copy sold through Bud's Art Books! This brand new fantasy image, "Primeval Beauty," can be seen here for the first time, and will be included with both versions of WSCS Vol. 1 — meaning those who order the Hardcover will get TWO unique Stout signatures! Both versions are open now for pre-order! |
 |
|
 |
||
Our Catalog and Contact Info We publish a color catalog every two months—if you’ve placed an order in the last 12 months, you will receive it hot off the press. If this is your first order, or if you’d like an extra copy, you can add one to your order: click here. Or call or send us your address and we’ll mail one to you. You can also download it here. Place your order before noon PST, Monday through Friday for SAME DAY shipping (for in-stock items). Note: FREE SHIPPING OVER $300. If your order total is $300 or more and you are in the U.S., we pay the standard shipping cost. Contact us: csr@budsartbooks.com or 530-273-2166 Mon-Fri 9-4 |
 |
Website IndexSee our website for thousands of books of the Unusual and Hard-to-Find ~ Hundreds on Sale! |
||