Vanguard Publishing features Steranko, Sienkiewicz, Lugosi and an array of Frazetta

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Acclaimed pop culture enthusiasts Vanguard Publishing celebrated their 17th consecutive year at Comic-Con International in San Diego, in style with the help of some famous friends. The festivities included appearances by revolutionary Captain America artist-writer Jim Steranko; ground-breaking, Emmy Award-nominated graphic novelist, Bill Sienkiewicz; Bela Lugosi Jr.; and a special exhibit of printed works by the late, great fantasy art icon, Frank Frazetta.

New York, NY, August 10, 2011 (PressReleasePoint) -- Acclaimed pop culture enthusiasts Vanguard Publishing celebrated their 17th consecutive year at Comic-Con International in San Diego, in style with the help of some famous friends. The festivities included appearances by revolutionary Captain America artist-writer Jim Steranko; ground-breaking, Emmy Award-nominated graphic novelist, Bill Sienkiewicz; Bela Lugosi Jr.; and a special exhibit of printed works by the late, great fantasy art icon, Frank Frazetta.

Since 1990, Vanguard has grown as a producer of illustrated, pop culture publications. Vanguard shifted from periodicals to mostly book publication in the late-90s, shortly before beginning their long affiliation with Random House subsidiary, Watson-Guptill Publications. Vanguard subjects include, art, fantasy, graphic novels, prints, science fiction, music, mystery, and more. They are also known as the world's leading producer of art-book biographies on illustrators & cartoonists. Vanguard has garnered acclaim from The New York Times, The Village Voice, Time Out New York, The IPPY Awards, Starlog, National Public Radio, Video Watchdog, The Eisner Awards, Entertainment Weekly, Fangoria, The Society of Illustrators, Rue Morgue, Amazon.com, Publishers Weekly, Variety, The Locus Awards, Library Journal, The Rondo Awards, and more.

Comic-Con International: San Diego, the home of the largest comic book and popular arts convention in the world with over 130,000 attendees annually.

Vanguard Publishing celebrated their 17th consecutive year at Comic-Con International: San Diego, in style, with the help of some famous friends. The festivities included appearances, all weekend, by revolutionary Captain America, X-Men, and Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. artist-writer Jim Steranko. The Comics Hall of Fame talent is also known for his career as an escape artist which helped inspire both, the Pulitzer winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, as well as the character Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby. Steranko’s work with top film directors Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas include Raiders of the Lost Ark, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and more. During the Comic-Con Steranko also promoted the new illustrated novel, Conspiricy of the Planet of the Apes which sports an iconic new Steranko cover painting.

Emmy Award-nominee and ground-breaking Elektra Assassin, New Mutants, Stray Toasters, and Voodoo Child: The illustrated Legend of Jimi Hendrix graphic novelist, Bill Sienkiewicz spent most of the convention signing autographs and sketching for fans at the Vanguard booth. Sienkiewicz is also noted for his work on the innovative Vanguard series The EDGE.™

Horror fans were also thrilled with the Vanguard appearance of Bela Lugosi Jr. who was signing copies of The Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos, the new Monsterverse comic Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave, and promoting the new Lugosi line of red wines!

Vanguard also featured a special exhibit of printed works by the late, great fantasy art icon, Frank Frazetta. On March, 8, 2010, Frazetta Management and Vanguard Publishing had announced that Frank Frazetta, and the family company, Frazetta Properties LLC had entered a new publishing relationship and launched the Vanguard Frazetta Classics line of books. At the time of that announcement, the legendary artist said, “We’ve known Vanguard publisher J. David Spurlock for many years. It’s a natural that we should work together. I’m looking forward to seeing the quality job they do on the new Frazetta books.” Frazetta paintings, which have ever rose in value, have sold as high as 1-1.5 million dollars in recent years. Sadly, in 2010, news spread the world over that, the grand master of fantastic art had passed away following a massive stroke. To honor the artist, Vanguard founder J. David Spurlock headed the official Comic-Con Frazetta Tribute panel this year where he reiterated the prior day's major Frazetta-related announcements by famed film director Robert Rodriguez, that Rodriguez’ Quick Draw Productions are producing a series of major motion pictures based on Frazetta creations and that the Frazetta Museum will move from East Stroudsburg PA to Austin, TX. Spurlock and Steranko joined the Frazetta family, Frazetta Management, Rodriguez and others at a VIP Frazetta party hosted by Rodriguez. The Rodriguez-Frazetta party exhibited about $20 million worth of Frazetta oil paintings. Frazetta’s son Bill Frazetta, appeared at the Vanguard Publishing booth in support of the Vanguard Frazetta Classics line where Vanguard also premiered new deluxe editions of their Frazetta Johnny Comet and Frazetta White Indian collections.

Vanguard Publishing, Vanguard Comics, Vanguard Press, and Vanguard Frazetta Classics are trademarks of Vanguard Productions LLC, which maintains a management office in Miami, Florida and a distribution office in Lakewood, New Jersey. In their Aug 18, 2009 release, Vanguard and Perseus Books LLC announced a co-existence agreement ending a trademark dispute between the two companies related to the “Vanguard Press” mark. To resolve the dispute the two companies have agreed to a co-existence agreement wherein Perseus Books LLC may use the “Vanguard Press” mark.
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