Oz Adventures By Shanower In One Volume
Adventures in Oz by award-winning cartoonist Eric Shanower hits stores in July 2006. This project from IDW Publishing collects Shanower’s five Oz graphic novels, along with new features, into one 256-page volume.
As a child Eric Shanower avidly read all the Oz books written by series creator L. Frank Baum, beginning with the classic story The Wizard of Oz. Shanower decided that some day he would write and illustrate his own Oz stories. After becoming a professional cartoonist as an adult, he proceeded to fulfill this goal. He wrote and drew a series of Oz graphic novels, using the characters and concepts from the Oz books he’d read as a child, while developing new characters and stories in the spirit of the originals.
From 1986 to 1992 Shanower’s five Oz graphic novels were published by First Comics and Dark Horse Comics. These graphic novels garnered high critical praise, received the Parents’ Choice Award, and earned Shanower the Russ Manning Award. But by the late 1990s, the Oz graphic novels were out of print. Now, after ten years IDW Publishing is bringing them back in a one-volume edition titled Adventures in Oz.
Shanower and IDW Publishing have taken great pains with the production of the new book. The original art for all five Oz graphic novels has been newly scanned, both the black-and-white and the color artwork, which Shanower produced separately to accommodate printing techniques of the 1980s. Scanning of color art in the 1980s wasn’t as exacting as it is today, and the color reproduction in the original printings of these books was sometimes different than what Shanower painted.
New computer programs along with personal attention have solved the scanning problems. Shanower explains: “For the IDW book, John Uhrich has scanned every page, composited the black-and-white line art with the painted color art, and painstakingly gone over every single panel. This was an immense job and took over a year for him to complete. 99.99% of Uhrich’s efforts were in line with my intentions, I’m pleased to say. That’s very rare in comics publishing, rare in most aspects of life. I’m very pleased with the look of the project.”
IDW has given Shanower approval over every aspect of Adventures in Oz. As a result, this book could be called the director’s cut. “There were mistakes made in the original printings from First Comics and Dark Horse Comics,” Shanower said. “I’m making sure these aren’t repeated. And I’ve made some minor changes in text and art, although I’m trying not to tinker too much, trying to just accept the work for what I did at the time. However, some of the faces I drew back then were just so awkward that I’ve made small adjustments.”
For Adventures in Oz Shanower has painted a brand new cover, written a new introduction, and provided several new interior illustrations in color. A map of Oz will also be included, showing locations from the Oz graphic novels as well as locations from the original Oz books.
The five Oz graphic novels collected into Adventures in Oz are The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz.
IDW Publishing gives hints of what Shanower’s Oz stories are about: In the marvelous Land of Oz, magic is always around the next corner. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and their many Oz friends can't stop plunging into one adventure after another. Come journey over the rainbow to help save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the South, ride an enchanted whirlpool that leads to a hidden island, explore the spooky Great Gray Gillikin Swamp, prevent a war between dragons and wood-nymphs, and soar in an emerald unicorn to the frozen land of the mysterious Ice King. Wonder and magic abound in five full-color stories by two-time Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Eric Shanower, collected here for the first time in one volume. L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz lives again in stories that Booklist calls “well-written” and “charming” by “the superbly talented Shanower.”
In addition to the regular 256-page edition of Adventures in Oz, there will be a signed limited edition of 300 copies in hardcover that will include a 70-page bonus section. Shanower says, “I’m really excited about the extras in the limited edition. I’ve written an essay about how the Oz graphic novels came to be and my process in creating them. People will be able to see Oz artwork I’ve done throughout my life, starting when I was seven years old all the way up to now.”
Features in the bonus section include: artwork from Shanower’s original proposal for the series, unused endings from two of the Oz graphic novels, prototype comics stories that developed into the finished books, design sketches for characters and costumes, advertising art, plus short Oz comics stories and various unpublished and little-seen Oz illustrations from the past 25 years of Shanower’s career as cartoonist and illustrator.
As a child Eric Shanower avidly read all the Oz books written by series creator L. Frank Baum, beginning with the classic story The Wizard of Oz. Shanower decided that some day he would write and illustrate his own Oz stories. After becoming a professional cartoonist as an adult, he proceeded to fulfill this goal. He wrote and drew a series of Oz graphic novels, using the characters and concepts from the Oz books he’d read as a child, while developing new characters and stories in the spirit of the originals.
From 1986 to 1992 Shanower’s five Oz graphic novels were published by First Comics and Dark Horse Comics. These graphic novels garnered high critical praise, received the Parents’ Choice Award, and earned Shanower the Russ Manning Award. But by the late 1990s, the Oz graphic novels were out of print. Now, after ten years IDW Publishing is bringing them back in a one-volume edition titled Adventures in Oz.
Shanower and IDW Publishing have taken great pains with the production of the new book. The original art for all five Oz graphic novels has been newly scanned, both the black-and-white and the color artwork, which Shanower produced separately to accommodate printing techniques of the 1980s. Scanning of color art in the 1980s wasn’t as exacting as it is today, and the color reproduction in the original printings of these books was sometimes different than what Shanower painted.
New computer programs along with personal attention have solved the scanning problems. Shanower explains: “For the IDW book, John Uhrich has scanned every page, composited the black-and-white line art with the painted color art, and painstakingly gone over every single panel. This was an immense job and took over a year for him to complete. 99.99% of Uhrich’s efforts were in line with my intentions, I’m pleased to say. That’s very rare in comics publishing, rare in most aspects of life. I’m very pleased with the look of the project.”
IDW has given Shanower approval over every aspect of Adventures in Oz. As a result, this book could be called the director’s cut. “There were mistakes made in the original printings from First Comics and Dark Horse Comics,” Shanower said. “I’m making sure these aren’t repeated. And I’ve made some minor changes in text and art, although I’m trying not to tinker too much, trying to just accept the work for what I did at the time. However, some of the faces I drew back then were just so awkward that I’ve made small adjustments.”
For Adventures in Oz Shanower has painted a brand new cover, written a new introduction, and provided several new interior illustrations in color. A map of Oz will also be included, showing locations from the Oz graphic novels as well as locations from the original Oz books.
The five Oz graphic novels collected into Adventures in Oz are The Enchanted Apples of Oz, The Secret Island of Oz, The Ice King of Oz, The Forgotten Forest of Oz, and The Blue Witch of Oz.
IDW Publishing gives hints of what Shanower’s Oz stories are about: In the marvelous Land of Oz, magic is always around the next corner. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and their many Oz friends can't stop plunging into one adventure after another. Come journey over the rainbow to help save Oz from the Wicked Witch of the South, ride an enchanted whirlpool that leads to a hidden island, explore the spooky Great Gray Gillikin Swamp, prevent a war between dragons and wood-nymphs, and soar in an emerald unicorn to the frozen land of the mysterious Ice King. Wonder and magic abound in five full-color stories by two-time Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Eric Shanower, collected here for the first time in one volume. L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz lives again in stories that Booklist calls “well-written” and “charming” by “the superbly talented Shanower.”
In addition to the regular 256-page edition of Adventures in Oz, there will be a signed limited edition of 300 copies in hardcover that will include a 70-page bonus section. Shanower says, “I’m really excited about the extras in the limited edition. I’ve written an essay about how the Oz graphic novels came to be and my process in creating them. People will be able to see Oz artwork I’ve done throughout my life, starting when I was seven years old all the way up to now.”
Features in the bonus section include: artwork from Shanower’s original proposal for the series, unused endings from two of the Oz graphic novels, prototype comics stories that developed into the finished books, design sketches for characters and costumes, advertising art, plus short Oz comics stories and various unpublished and little-seen Oz illustrations from the past 25 years of Shanower’s career as cartoonist and illustrator.
