Eisner-winning artist Michael Allred is currently crowdfunding a coffee table book featuring three decades of his Marvel art, and publisher Clover Press has provided ComicBook with a first look at some of the portfolio pages from the Madman creator’s archives. The Marvel Art of Michael Allred, a high-end coffee table book, will feature looks at his art from titles like X-Statix, Silver Surfer, and FF, along with variant covers, sketches, and various other odds and ends. The book’s Kickstarter campaign is now live and features an exclusive dustjacket and slipcase edition of the book, plus exclusive add-ons including a trading card set and 1,000-piece puzzle not available outside of the campaign.
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The book is the latest in a series of boutique art books that showcase beloved Marvel Comics artists, featuring some of their most iconic images alongside rare and never-before-seen artwork.
“It’s always gratifying to create my own worlds, characters, and stories, but it’s also an electric thrill to play in the Marvel Comics sandbox, which has been a rich inspiration to my imagination since childhood,” Allred said in a statement. “Everything I’ve done with Marvel has solidified blissful memories and epic collaborations and friendships with folks like Peter Milligan, Matt Fraction, and Dan Slott. And always with my beloved colorist Laura Allred spreading the icing on the cake. Playing with Marvel Comics’ iconic characters like the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, as well as my own co-creations like Zeitgeist, Mister Sensitive and Doop, is layer after layer of creative dreams coming true.”
While Allred’s style is instantly recognizable and often-imitated, The Marvel Art of Michael Allred marks the first time there has been a book dedicated to examining his Marvel work. While there are obviously collected editions of books on which he did interior work, so much of Allred’s work has been on covers, where his work jumps off the stands and grabs the audience’s attention. Covers, though, aren’t exactly the focus of most collected editions.
“I pinch myself that I get to play with Michael everyday by popping colors onto his wonderful drawings and eat up his fantastic storytelling,” Laura Allred said. “And what a thrill to run around in the Marvel Comics Universe, which is like hanging out with dear lifelong friends. It’s so rewarding to tap into their incredible history and, building on that past, give them our own spin. And now, what a thrill to see so many of my favorite images collected in this big, beautiful package!”
The Marvel Art Of… books have been collecting the best and most personal works of a number of artists, paired with commentary (usually by the artist) and presented in a 9″ x 12″ hardcover book. The series debuted in 2023, and includes The Marvel Art of David Mack, The Marvel Art of Alex Maleev, The Marvel Art of David Nakayama, The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman, and The Marvel Art of Michael Turner.
“We’re x-static to be adding Michael Allred to our series of art books,” Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz said in a statement. “His legendary body of work spans many companies, and his work with Marvel is no exception. This book is a must-have for any Allred aficionado.”
