Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip [Paperback]

Brian M. Kane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

A comprehensive biography of Hal Foster, in which author Brian M. Kane examines the 70-year career of one of the greatest illustrators of the 20th century. "Superman" was modelled after Foster's drawings of Tarzan, Flash Gordon's Alex Raymond borrowed compositions from "Prince Valiant", and many artists, including the famous contemporary Western painter James Bama, count Foster among their greatest influences. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1892 of a seafaring family, Hal naturally took to the sea. At the age of eight he paddled a 12-foot plank across Halifax Harbor to the consternation of large Cunard liners. In his youth he was a catalogue artist, a trapper, a professional boxer, a gold prospector, and a hunter-guide in the uncharted forests of Canada. In 1921 with a wife and two children to support he peddled his one-speed bicycle 1000 miles across dirt and gravel roads from Winnipeg to Chicago to attend the Art Institute and later find permanent employment. The young illustrator's work appeared on the covers of "Popular Mechanics" and in hundreds of magazines for clients such as "Northwest Paper", "Jekle Margarine", "Southern Pacific Railroad" and "Illinois Pacific Railroad". In 1929 Foster illustrated the first newspaper adaptation of "Tarzan of the Apes" by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The comic strip was the first of its kind and it was Foster's sense of realism, composition, draftsmanship, and understanding of fluid anatomy that would forever mark him as "The Father of the Adventure Strip". The famous newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, wanted Foster and made the artist an unheard of offer. If Foster would leave Tarzan and come to work for Hearst's King Features Syndicate he could do anything he wanted and have complete ownership of the new series. The first episode of "Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur" appeared on 13 February 1937. Foster's work has inspired generations of artists including Jack Kirby, Lou Fine, Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, Wayne Boring, Joe Kubert, Russ Manning, Wally Wood, Dave Stevens, Carmine Infantino, Charles Vess, William Stout, John Buscema, Mark Schultz and the great Disney artist, Carl Barks. This volume features quotes and sidebars from many of these artists.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Superb." --Ray Bradbury

"Pick Of The Week" --Globe and Mail (Canada)

"Crowning Achievement" --The Columbus Dispatch

"Our highest recommendation" --Bud Plant Illustrated Books

"Profusely illustrated...Foster was the most virtuosic comics artist of his time." --New York Times Book Review

"Kane skillfully blends factual and anecdotal information to tell a wonderfully rich story about the man who gave form to some of the country's most beloved characters." --Illustration magazine

"I cannot praise this book highly enough!" --Comic Book Marketplace magazine

"A rich meal. It's not to be missed." --Maggie Thompson, Publisher, Comic Buyer's Guide

"Indispensable." --Comics Journal

"Part biography, part comic and world history, all beautiful." --The Stars Our Destination

"A classic 'rags to riches' story of a brilliant, self-taught man who rose to the pinnacle of the comic strip heirarchy." --Edmonton Journal

"A welcome and long-needed biography." --South Shore Monthly

"An unqualified delight." --R.C.Harvey's Opus

"Superlative." --Comic Shop News

"A fulfilling and masterful effort." --Erbania

"Foster demonstrated more than anybody how impressive an illustrated comic could be." --National Post (Canada)

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Alpen Editions (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887591257
• ISBN-13: 978-1887591256
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #669,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recognizing Talent and A Complete Guide to its Sources!!, December 31, 2001

By 

Jack E. Gilbert (New York City, New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip (Paperback)

Brian Kane has a lot going for him to begin with; the cooperation of Hal Fosters grandchildren and extraordinary access to the Foster family and private papers; but without a sensible recognition of the importance of the sequence of events which lead to the assignment of Hal Foster onto the TARZAN strip, and the eventual culmination of Fosters aspiration to produce his own strip, the storytelling and illustration masterwork PRINCE VALIANT, this pedigree could have been lost or mislaid.
However the pedigree is not lost; this books remains a standard for anyone attempting to pay due homage to a historic artist, a master of his media, and a disciplined Professional who won awards within and outside of his field as a matter of course.
And one doesn't necessarily need to be a firm fan of Popular Culture to see, on the page, the initial artworks provided through family archives, but watch the commercial illustrator become the accomplished storyteller cartoonist/illustrator to the craftsman who transcends his adopted field.
A power read, yet eyefuls of narrative,illustrative, and evocative draughtsmanship which will allow anyone owning it to want to revisit this book as anyone reading the Sunday Funnies has revisited the two classics which Foster brought to pinnacles of powerful evocation : TARZAN and PRINCE VALIANT.
An affectionate and heartful reccommendation by a long time and familiar fan of Hal Foster; impossible to imagine anyone could have completed the task with more vigor and commitment and completedness.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Link Between the Golden Ages of Illustration and Comics, July 5, 2007

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip (Paperback)

The Golden Age of American Illustration ran from the 1880's to the years immediately following the First World War. It was a highly creative period that produced such notable artists as N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle and Frank Schnoover. This was the skilled artistic millieu in which Hal Foster began his career as a commercial illustrator.

Foster would have probably remained a talented but obscure illustrator if the Great Depression had not begun. In need of work, Foster began as illustrator for the Tarzan adventure strip. The comic strip became very successful but Foster did not receive the monetary compensation that he believed he deserved. In 1937, Hal Foster launched his own adventure strip, "Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur". Within a few years of the birth of Prince Valiant, Superman, Batman, and Flash Gordon were all created and the Golden Age of Comics books moved into full swing.

Although Prince Valiant never became as iconic as Batman or Superman, there can be little doubt that Hal Foster was the greatest technical artist of that period. For the nearly forty years that he produced Prince Valiant, Hal Foster was the master of composition, perspective and figurative detail.

Brian Kane's biography is filled with many unpublished sketches and color paintings. Having received the full cooperation of the Foster family, Kane also received access to unpublished letters which give many insights into Foster's character and creative process. I hesitate in giving this work five stars because this book is more of fan appreciation than it is a serious biography. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Prince Valiant or the Golden Age of Comics, this book is a must purchase.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb overview of a master illustrator, April 6, 2005

By 

St Corner Press Stewart "ss_reno" (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. Best known for Prince Valiant, Hal Foster brought his creativity to many other areas. He not only developed his illustrative skills but understood story flow and had a great command of writing. The work he produced only confirms the mastery and artistry he wielded . His paintings, cover work, personal sketches, and Tarzan work will bring you pleasure even if you aren't a Prince Valiant reader. The writing is informative and clean, providing a very enjoyable read. Remembrances by other artists are a nice bonus. I highly recommend this retrospective of one of the classics.