Customer Reviews

Spectrum 2: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first found Spectrum in it's 17th iteration, which I found to be fantastic. So maybe its not far to give this a lower ranking because they have obviously improved over the years.

I found the pictures in here underwhelming compared with the later iterations. They were also kind of small. I only found a few pictures inspirational

This book, like Spectrum 1, is largely a collection of the best fantasy and science fiction illustrations from comic books, book covers, and the like. This also includes a number of previously unpublished works by various artists. For what it is, it's excellent.

In fact, this is quite a bit better IMO than the first issue. There is more variety in images. Some are bone-chillingly creepy, some are beautiful. A few may make you laugh. The range of art combined with the quality makes this worth getting. Indeed I am finding it a hard to pick out a few favorites because there are so many wonderful works in this collection.

Highly recommended.

Lavishly, lovingly put together, the fairly awesome SPECTRUM annuals have been rolling along now since 1994, and each one has been worth the getting, each one an ideal centerpiece for your coffee table. SPECTRUM 2: THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY FANTASTIC ART was published in 1995 and it's more of the same stuff, a visual feast compiling the very best art from the sci-fi/fantasy genre for that past year and rendered in various mediums. Familiar representation comes in the persons of Donato Giancola, Jim Burns, Don Maitz, and other much-in-demand contemporaries. For those with a taste for the surreal, Phil Hale and John Jude Palencar grace these pages and what they offer is very offbeat indeed. Even the veteran John Berkey, whose paintings are generally sci-fi themed, contributes, doing his best John Harris impersonation (or, wait, is that the other way around?). I feel almost sheepish listing the names on this roster of artists because, if you've checked out the other SPECTRUM entries, these names pop up repeatedly.

These annuals are broken up into several categories: the editorial segment, from the advertising field, book covers, from comics, and institutional (which includes statues and busts). The final two pages give a nod to the 1993 Chesley Award winners. Meanwhile, the inaugural Spectrum Grandmaster Award goes to the unbelievably deserving Frank Frazetta. To plenty of illustrators, Frazetta is God and, honestly, any accolade ceded to him is merely giving him his propers.

An always neat thing for me is that, what with my reading so much sci-fi and fantasy literature, I end up recognizing plenty of the artwork on these pages. In this one, off the top of my head, I remember the covers to Simon Green's SHADOWS FALL (cover by Donato), Spider Robinson's THE CALLAHAN TOUCH (cover by James Warhola), and Roger Zelazny & Robert Sheckley's A FARCE TO BE RECKONED WITH (cover by Don Maitz). Except that, here, we get to ogle the full untrimmed original art pieces.

What captured my eye? Donato Giancola's fantastic "Construct of Time" (pg. 57), Steven Assel's realistically rendered "The Light Bearer" (pg. 67), Rick Berry's contemplative "Death" (pg. 82), young stud Luis Royo's "The Neverending Sparkle" (pg. 95), Gregory Manchess's "Morning Angel" (pg. 119), and Carl Lundgren's very cool "Impudence" (on pg. 136). By the way, it's always a treat checking out Lundgren's ever recurring angel motif, and "Impudence" is probably my favorite one, never mind that it's actually featured in the brief Chesley Awards portion of the book, and not in the main SPECTRUM segment. To put a pretty bow on things, Rick Berry lands the cover to the originally published SPECTRUM 2 and his subject happens to be Neil Gaiman's Death, my all-time favorite Sandman character. Meanwhile, the 2006 reprinted edition of SPECTRUM 2 features Steven Assel's "The Light Bearer." I don't exactly know how this happened, but I own both editions.

SPECTRUM has always showcased some of the most imaginative and creative imagery out there, and flipping thru these pages is like gazing at marvelous eye candy after eye candy. SPECTRUM 2 brings it with 237 glossy, full-colored works done up by 137 artists (138, if you count Frazetta - and, by Crom, why wouldn't you count Frazetta?). SPECTRUM is up to sixteen annuals by now, with the earlier editions being very, very hard to come by. Me, I'm lucky enough to have just about all of them in my collection. But you can't really see over my coffee table anymore.

I gave this as a gift, so I can't say personally, but I asked him what he thought. He loves to draw and said he found this very inspiring. A huge gallery of gifted and imaginative artists! He was really impressed. I see that there are many volumes of the 'Spectrum' books. This is the 2nd one I have given to him and I know he would be thrilled to recieve more.

This book is a must have for anyone who is a fan of refreshing and exciting contemporary fantastic art.
Underwood publishing has made many outstanding tomes pertaining to the subjects of artist of substantial merit. But in my opinion The Spectrum editions are superior examples of just how diverse and penetrating artist of this kind really are. Cathy and Arnie Fenner are two of the most knowledgeable and humble, editor fan collectors in the world. They have a deep understanding of what makes a good presentation of this genre and roots that go extremely deep into Science Fiction and Fantasy. I bought this book with idea of trying to step closer to completion, but what I found was another assault on my senses, and a interesting realization that most of the work inside was pre-digital. My how times have changed, I thought. There are some very profound differences in this the 2nd volume, that I think anyone who has read drooled and loved over the years will enjoy. Go get it!! And if you want to here some incredible insight into what it take s to put it all together, check this interview out they did with us on SiDEBAR.
http://www.sidebarnation.com/my_weblog/2008/10/ep-69-labor-of.html

The only one I missed (because of moving to the Netherlands). Happy to see a reprint finally of this book. The series is complete now (until next issue arrives of course). Every annual has been worth it and this one's no exception, even after 12 years!

This book with it's supurb collection of fantastic art comes to us reprinted from the 1995 edition of the same name. Here are 200 plus color illustrations from that era and cover the range from magazine covers, book dust jackets, or in many cases the book itself. Here are art works to illustrate stories or advertisements.

Spectrum 2 has been long out of print, after all, Spectrum 13 should be in your book store soon, and Spectrum 14's entry forms are now available. Each issue of the annual tends to go out of print fairly quickly, and I suspect this reprint will also. If interested, I suggest ordering your copy fairly quickly.

The mission of the organization is 'To promote the fantastic arts and provide an annual showcase for contemporary artists.' They have done a supurb job, not only with the annuals, but with museum exhibits and exhibits at shows around the country.

I have collected all but 1 of this great series and would have to say that this was probably my least favourite. My main issue is the lay out, with the size of a lot of the pictures being too small with lots of white space around them. I suppose it was only the second one in the series and they rectified this in later versions.

That said, it still have some great art in it and I would recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi art