Exclusive: Comic Legend Michael Turner Takes The Spotlight in Next MARVEL ART OF… Kickstarter Collection

Aspen Comics, Clover Press, and Marvel have announced the Kickstarter campaign for the latest collaboration in their The Marvel Art Of…series, featuring the work of illustrator Michael Turner. For many comic book fans, Marvel’s Civil War was the defining crossover of a generation, and Turner’s variant covers were a major part of the reading experience. Now, The Marvel Art Of Michael Turner will collect his work for the company.

Screen Rant is pleased to share the Pre-Launch page for the campaign, as well as the first details about the book. Debuting last year, The Marvel Art Of…series has already produced four incredible collections featuring some of Marvel’s most thrilling contemporary artistic talents, including The Marvel Art of David Nakayama and The Marvel Art Of Alex Maleev.

“Michael Turner became a fast fan favorite, and this book is the clear evidence as to why,” Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz said in the press release announcing the Kickstarter for the book, which represents, “a comprehensive collection of Turner’s Marvel work, together in one volume.”

Clover Press Announces Kickstarter For “The Marvel Art Of Michael Turner”

Together With Aspen Comics & Marvel

The fifth volume of The Marvel Art Of…spotlights the work of Michael Turner, whose Civil War covers helped to make the heart-wrenching crossover – which pitted the publisher’s heroes against one another on a never-before-fathomed scale – the major success that it was. In their announcement of the Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, Clover Press stated:

When Michael Turner’s cover for the first issue of Marvel Comics’ smash-hit series, Civil War, released, it immediately became one of the most iconic comic book covers of all time. Turner’s Marvel Comics covers – featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, The Fantastic Four and more – led to his status as one of the most legendary and beloved cover artists and comic book pencilers of all time. And now Clover Press, Aspen Comics, and Marvel Comics are celebrating the artist’s legacy with THE MARVEL ART OF MICHAEL TURNER, the latest in Clover Press’ series of high-end, boutique artbooks that showcase legendary Marvel Comics artists, featuring newly remastered and classic artwork alongside rarely seen sketches of classic Marvel Comics super heroes.

Turner’s work for Marvel was brief, but impactful, making him the perfect candidate for the latest The Marvel Art Of…compendium. In addition to the top-shelf quality the series has come to be known for, Kickstarter backers can also expect some new, exciting things.

Having successfully funded the four previous entries in the series – The Marvel Art of David Mack, The Marvel Art of Alex Maleev, The Marvel Art of David Nakayama and The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman – Clover Press has more than proven the appetite for collections like this, which emphasize the essential role of the artist in successful comic book stories. Marvel fans can only grow more excited as the series continues to expand, including more artists, and exploring more eras of the company’s history.

“The Marvel Art Of…” Series Celebrates Michael Turner’s Career

His Brief But Phenomenal Marvel Run

Perhaps best known as the co-creator of Witchblade, Michael Turner began his comic book career in the early 1990s. He later created the immensely successful creator-owned title Fathom. By the time he began to produce covers for Marvel Comics, Turner was already an established star in the industry. Clover Press’ press release for The Marvel Art of Michael Turner features effusive praise for the artist from some of the top names in the industry. Mark Millar, for example, spoke about both the professional and artistic caliber of Turner’s work:

Mike Turner’s name on a cover could bump your sales up by 25%. I’ve never known any other artist who could do that. It was like a super-power. Characters who had been around for half a century suddenly looked fresh through his eyes. He had such an amazing energy to his work and beautiful sense of detail. I always felt honored on the few occasions when we worked on the same books.

Clearly, Michael Turner was a monumental talent, as well as a good-natured colleague.

As writer Jeph Loeb put it:

Michael Turner is that rare human being whose spectacular artwork came from his magical heart and wonderful soul. Like his characters, he brought beauty into this world, and we are lucky to share it in this astonishing collection.

Sadly, Turner passed away in 2008, not long after Civil War, just as he was ascending to a new level of both professional and artistic success. Comments from industry-leading creators like Millar, Loeb, and longtime Marvel artist and editor Joe Quesada make it clear that the medium lost a generational talent far too soon. As a result, The Marvel Art of Michael Turner is more than just a collection of impressive artistic work; it is a tribute to Turner, and a consolidation of his legacy.

According to Quesada: “In collecting this book, you’re collecting the work of a great artist – just a great guy – who managed to achieve legendary status in a very short time period.” Given the opportunity, Clover Press – in collaboration with Aspec and Marvel Comics – made the perfect decision to spotlight Turner’s exceptional work, not just for its evident level of artistic quality, but to honor his contributions to comics, and mourn the loss of all he still had to offer.

“The Marvel Art Of…” Has Just Scratched The Surface

Expect More Volumes To Come

Aspen Comics co-founder Frank Mastomauro summed up the importance of the latest The Marvel Art Of… volume this way:

It’s closing in on 30 years since the world was first introduced to Michael’s incredible art, though his meteoric rise to stardom took only a fraction of that time. He graced us with so many memorable creations and covers along the way, and his meticulous attention to detail was never more profound than in his vast collection of Marvel illustrations and covers. We’re so excited for you to see the book we’re putting together and cannot wait for you to hold in your hands The Marvel Art of Michael Turner!”

With this installment of the series, The Marvel Art Of…continues to grow into a dynamic publishing initiative, one that holds a great deal of value for comic book readers. In addition to the incredible-looking volumes themselves, it is always meaningful when companies seek to highlight comics as art. While comics are an industry, and a commercial product, they are also a vibrant landscape within which some of the world’s greatest creative talents work.

In other words, as much as The Marvel Art of Michael Turner is a celebration of the artist, it is also part of an ongoing effort to celebrate the medium itself. The Marvel Art Of…has been ambitious from the start, and as fans have eagerly funded each volume through each Kickstarter campaign, the upward potential of the series has truly begun to come into focus. Hopefully, Clover Press will continue to expand and evolve the line with more editions for years to come.

Fans of Marvel’s Civil War – even those who are only familiar with the MCU adaptation –should consider The Marvel Art of Michael Turner a must-have, as it brings together the artist’s gamechanging covers for the crossover event. Especially for those who followed the story at the time, Turner’s variant cover images are burned into their memories, as vital to the crossover as anything that happened within the books – making his short but exceptional career at Marvel one that cannot be overlooked.