Michael Turner is an artist whose name is synonymous with excellence, bringing a kinetic, dynamic freshness to whatever comic book property his tackled. From his crafting unforgettably iconic covers for such blockbuster miniseries as Marvel Comics’ Civil War to his stylized comic book renderings for other Marvel properties and Aspen Comics, Michael Turner, though taken from us too soon, made an indelible mark on the comics medium while he was here.
To recognize his impact on comics, Clover Press, Aspen Comics, and Marvel Comics recently launched a Kickstarter for The Marvel Art of Michael Turner, the latest in Clover Press’ prestige comic-centered art books. The campaign for The Marvel Art of Michael Turner has already hit its initial funding goal by 1700%, with just over a week left for potential backers to pre-order the tome. Filled with remastered art from the aforementioned Civil War, as well as other sketches and artwork of Marvel’s pantheon of characters, The Marvel Art of Michael Turner looks to be an essential component of fans of Turner and comics in general.
We’re proud to reveal an exclusive look at metal prints, bookmarks, and cards from the campaign for The Marvel Art of Michael Turner! Take a look at the images below–featuring the metal prints of Black Cat, Civil War, the X-Men, Spider-Man, and Wolverine and the metal bookmarks–along with videos featuring the prints, bookmarks, and cards that show their beauty, and the full press release for the Kickstarter campaign.
And from the official press release:
When Michael Turner’s cover for the first issue of Marvel Comics’ smash-hit series Civil War was released, it immediately became one of the most iconic comic book covers of all time. Turner’s Marvel Comics covers – featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, The Fantastic Four and more – led to his status as one of the most legendary and beloved cover artists and comic book pencilers of all time. And now Clover Press, Aspen Comics, and Marvel Comics are celebrating the artist’s legacy with THE MARVEL ART OF MICHAEL TURNER, the latest in Clover Press’ series of high-end, boutique artbooks that showcase legendary Marvel Comics artists, featuring newly remastered and classic artwork alongside rarely seen sketches of classic Marvel Comics super heroes. The Kickstarter campaign for the book is now live.
“Michael Turner is that rare human being whose spectacular artwork came from his magical heart and wonderful soul,” said bestselling writer Jeph Loeb. “Like his characters, he brought beauty into this world, and we are lucky to share it in this astonishing collection.”
“In collecting this book, you’re collecting the work of a great artist – just a great guy – who managed to achieve legendary status in a very short time period,” said bestselling artist Joe Quesada.
“Mike Turner’s name on a cover could bump your sales up by 25%,” said bestselling writer Mark Millar. “I’ve never known any other artist who could do that. It was like a super-power. Characters who had been around for half a century suddenly looked fresh through his eyes. He had such an amazing energy to his work and beautiful sense of detail. I always felt honored on the few occasions when we worked on the same books.”
In 1994, Michael Turner began working for Top Cow Productions, co-creating the comic series Witchblade, a popular indie comic book. Turner later debuted his creator-owned series, Fathom, in 1998. It became the best-selling comic book of that year. In 2002, Michael left Top Cow Productions to start Aspen MLT LLC., and create the hit indie title Soulfire, in addition to continuing Fathom. Turner would go on to become one of the most recognizable cover artists for Marvel Comics. Michael Turner died in 2008, at the age of 37, from complications from treatment for bone cancer.
THE MARVEL ART OF MICHAEL TURNER features a 184-page 9″ x 12″ high-end hardcover coffee table book with stunning dustjacket and slipcase editions, plus some amazing extra exclusive items only available through the Kickstarter campaign and Clover Press, such as all-new 11×17 art prints, metal prints and cards, collectible trading cards, stickers, and an amazing 1,000-piece puzzle. The campaign also includes a new Clover Press twist: a limited Mystery Tier level that features five different tipped-in pencil art pieces, five holo foil cards and five mini prints. Backers of this tier will receive the book, along with a randomly selected tipped-in art piece and a randomly selected mini-print and card.
“It’s closing in on 30 years since the world was first introduced to Michael’s incredible art, though his meteoric rise to stardom took only a fraction of that time,” said Frank Mastomauro. “He graced us with so many memorable creations and covers along the way, and his meticulous attention to detail was never more profound than in his vast collection of Marvel illustrations and covers. We’re so excited for you to see the book we’re putting together and cannot wait for you to hold in your hands The Marvel Art of Michael Turner!”
“Michael Turner became a fast fan favorite, and this book is the clear evidence as to why,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz. “We’re ecstatic to bring such a comprehensive collection of Turner’s Marvel work together in one volume. We like to introduce new items with each new campaign, and this round, we’re rolling out metal prints and metal trading cards – and at Aspen’s suggestion, a ‘Mystery Tier’ wherein backers won’t know which version of their super-limited book and prints they will get until they open their package.”
The Marvel Art Of… books are a series of high-end, boutique artbooks that showcase legendary Marvel Comics artists, featuring iconic images alongside rare and never-before-seen artwork. The Marvel Art Of… series debuted in 2023 and includes The Marvel Art of David Mack, The Marvel Art of Alex Maleev, The Marvel Art of David Nakayama and The Marvel Art of Russell Dauterman, all of which will be available as add-ons in the new campaign.
To visit the campaign for THE MARVEL ART OF MICHAEL TURNER, head to Kickstarter: https://www.
kickstarter.com/projects/ cloverpressart/251341192?ref= efmn8a For updates on the The Marvel Art Of… series, follow Marvel on Instagram, X and Facebook, and follow Clover Press on Instagram, X and Facebook. You can subscribe to the Clover press newsletter here.