Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics [Hardcover]

Alisa Kwitney (Author), DC Comics (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Adult comic book enthusiasts and lovers of cutting-edge artwork will applaud the ground-breaking masterpieces in this collection of fantasy, crime, mystery, and surreal illustrations. The book spotlights outstanding artwork that has appeared under the famed Vertigo imprint since it was launched by DC Comics in 1993. Always pushing boundaries, this art can be baroque or minimalist, haunting or fantastical, painted or computer generated--and, as this volume amply proves--it is always unforgettable. A wide range of acclaimed artists and designers includes Dave McKean, Marshall Arisman, Rick Berry, the Starn Twins, Michael W. Kaluta, Sue Coe, Greg Spalenka, Barron Stacey, and Brian Bolland.

Alisa Kwitney is a novelist and former Vertigo editor. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Well-known and much-beloved for giving intelligent grownups comics they can read in public, DC's Vertigo line has devoted as much energy to its art as to its stories. This attention underlies every page of Vertigo Visions, a collection of 185 images from covers, trading cards, and gallery work by 75 artists. Dave McKean's dreamy collages from the Sandman series and Brian Bolland's precise caricatures of the Invisibles highlight a collection of consistently startling work. Tremendous care and feeling suffuse the art--in oil, watercolor, digitally enhanced photography, and ink, and a range of styles spanning the centuries. Editor Alisa Kwitney's text gently persuades inveterate readers to let our eyes linger over each image as though we were actually reading a thousand words, reminding us that paying attention delivers substantial rewards. --Rob Lightner

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823056031
• ISBN-13: 978-0823056033
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,247,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and recall the days when there were fewer strollers and more trannies on roller skates in Riverside Park. I have an MFA from Columbia University (though only a dim recollection of what I did to get it).

I have worked as a veterinarian's assistant, a Hebrew teacher, and a comic book editor for Vertigo/DC comics. I have also written some comic books. And I still have all my old Shanna the She Devil issues.

Somebody at Vera Wang once called me "the stupidest receptionist we've ever had." I only worked there for one day.

I currently live in an old farmhouse two hours from Manhattan, with my husband, two kids, two burmese cats and a big Chinook (the dog, not the helicopter).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Comic Art of its best, April 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics (Hardcover)

This book is great because you can see that comic art is really art. The pictures shown in this book are really fabolous and you will wonder how good this people are. This book is for every comic fan especially fans of the Vertigo comics (who already knows that Vertigo often has great artworks) and the book is a must for every graphic designer who wants to see whats modern and get inspiration. But also people who like nice drawings and paintings can buy this and i'm sure they won't get your nose out of this.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Art!, April 16, 2010

By 

Kelly Christensen (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics (Hardcover)

Great collection of comic art with good variety! Nice amount of morbid artwork as well. :)

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., June 27, 2009

By 

Adam Terchin (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vertigo Visions: Artwork from the Cutting Edge of Comics (Hardcover)

Great book. Found this used at Myopic Books in Chicago. I originally bought it for my brother's wife who is a big fan of Sandman and Vertigo in general, but the pictures and artwork were so f***ing awesome I kept it and bought her the one I'm reviewing right now. This might even get me into comics and graphic novels where previously I've been curious but basically indifferent. Great for the coffee table too.