About the Author

Hal Foster (1892-1982) created Prince Valiant in 1937. Though remaining involved with the strip until his death in 1982, Foster handed the bulk of the scripting and art chores over to his longtime assistant, John Cullen Murphy, in 1971. Brian M. Kane is the author of Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators and James Bama: American Realist. He teaches in the Illustration Department at the Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, Ohio. He has a Masters Degree in History of Art from The Ohio State University where he is currently working on his Ph.D. in Art Education with an emphasis in Visual Culture.

Reviews

Prince Valiant was a comics-page colossus...one of the most celebrated of all comics...the presentation does justice to Foster's classic creation.--Gordon Flagg "Booklist"

Magnificent reproductions, done in a sturdy hardcover with oversized pages and entirely restored colors and shadings (indeed, those of us who've seen Prince Valiant reprint editions in the past will need some mental time to adjust to how much we've been missing).--Steven Donoghue "Open Letters Monthly"

The new Prince Valiant crackles from the page with an energy and enthusiasm that positively dares anyone to deny this strip's rightful place in the history of the form. Yes, this is another great day for comics history and most definitely a venture worth supporting into the future.-- "Guttergeek"

The release... of Prince Valiant, Vol. 1: 1937-1938, the first in a new series of gorgeously printed, hardcover Valiant collections from Fantagraphics Books, served as a bittersweet reminder of the century-long rise and eventual decline of a great American art form, the comic strip.--Tirdad Derakhshani "Philadelphia Inquirer"

The strips in Prince Valiant Vol. 1: 1937-1938 are merely the first installment of a massive, groundbreaking, and thoroughly exciting adventure saga that was better than nearly anything during its time, and remains better than nearly anything on the shelves today.--Michael C. Lorah "Newsarama"

There was no comic strip in the 1930s or today that is as visually striking as Prince Valiant with its attention to detail and brilliant narrative. Foster presented a panoramic view of Arthurian times and he laid out his strip in film director fashion, beautifully staging his panels...This is graphic storytelling at its finest and a true treasure!--Brian Lumley "Mania"

This first collection of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant strips has to be seen to be believed--it's a lovingly crafted, tabloid-sized book with the highest production values. The artwork has been recreated from Foster's own engraver's proofs, providing better quality than even the original newspaper run would have got.... a real treat for fans of the original or new readers looking for some classic medieval adventure.-- "Grovel"

This is one of the greatest works of American art of the past century...one of the greatest comics of all time...the greatest adventure comic...[Foster's] drawings are heartbreakingly beautiful. He understands powerful forms and delicate lines...Prince Valiant has been reprinted before, but this book uses his color engraver's proofs and it's a world of difference...It's so beautiful.--Nick Gazin "Vice"

Universally acclaimed as the most stunningly gorgeous adventure of all time, Prince Valiant ran for 35 years under the virtuoso pen of its creator, Hal Foster. The giant Sunday-funnies pages gave Foster a huge canvas upon which he was able to limn epic swordfights, stunning scenes of pomp and pageantry...he matched his nonpareil visual sense with the narrative instincts of a born storyteller, propelling his daring young hero from one crisis to another...Comic strip aficionados will be ecstatic, and younger readers who enjoy a classic adventure yarn will be bowled over.--Rick Klaw "The Geek Curmudgeon"

Who knew that Prince Valiant, a comic strip I always assumed appeared nest to the word 'boredom' in the dictionary, was so vibrant, colorful, action-packed and gosh-darned fun?...This new edition ups the ante not just through the fancy hardcover, but via state of the art technology that allows for a pristine detail and rich color...In a world where too often most art turns out to be exactly as shallow as first glance suggests, it's nice to discover that something like Prince Valiant is capable of surprising, and even enthralling, the modern reader.-- "Comic Book Resources"