Between 1987 and 2004, Fantagraphics Books published 50 softcover volumes of Hal Foster's masterpiece Prince Valiant from the beginning (February 13, 1937) through strip #2271 (August 17, 1980). In 2012, the same publisher began a rerelease of the same material, except this time in hardcover and reproduced from the artist's own syndicate proofs. I decided not to buy it... at first, at least not until I saw how absolutely gorgeously stunning the reproduction was. At this point, they are up to the 23rd volume reprinting through strip #2394 (December 26, 1982) with a 24th solicited for release December 29 of this year. Each of these volumes reprints two full years, about three times as much as the softcovers.
I have read though volume 50 of the original series, but everything since August 17, 1980 I have not read since its initial publication. The last time I attempted a read-through from the beginning, I left off midway through Volume 6, which reprints stories from 1947-1948 set circa A.D. 456-457. I have just finished reading some 8400 pages of Lone Wolf & Cub and am in the mood for another epic to sink my literary teeth into. In the Spring of 456, The Viking Ulfrun kidnaps Prince Valiant's wife, Aleta, and flees to sea. Val and his crew pursue him across the ocean, eventually discovering the land which would one day be called North America.
Prince Valiant takes his revenge on Ulfrin and stays in the New World for the birth of his son, Prince Arn. The Native Americans (probably intended to represent the Algonquin tribe) see the blonde Aleta as a woodland goddess and give her many gifts, including a middle-aged squaw named Tillicum who becomes Arn's nurse and Aleta's faithful companion. Eventually, it comes time for the Vikings to undertake their long journey home. I left off on strip #590 as, skirting the shore of Ireland, Val's ship is met by another bearing the lion crest of Sir Launcelot.
I plan to pick up with #591.
Replies
PRINCE VALIANT COMICS BOOKS: Prince Valiant appeared in issues #567, 650, 699, 719, 788, 849 & 900 of Dell's Four Color. Despite a goodly selection, my LCS has none of these issues in stock. It occurs to me, however, that a collection of these issues would be right in the wheelhouse of Hermes Press, whose publications include (among many other similar items), a similar collection of Steve Canyon comic books. These comics are not reprints, but rather original comic book stories. Although not done by the original artists, they are still a curiousity well worth owning. To that end, I have sent a letter to Hermes Press suggesting such a collection. I haven't heard back from them (at least not yet), but if you agree with me and wish to add your voice, their they can be contacted via info@hermespress.com.
I just finished Volume 21 (1977-1978).
Back in the '90s, I was visiting St. Louis Union Station, which stopped operating as an active train terminal in 1978 and reopened as a shopping mall in 1985. As I was passing the Circle Gallery of Animation and Cartoon Art (which was then celebrating its 30th year), I caught a glipse of a sofa-sized print of Prince Valiant being knighted by King Arthur out of the corner of my eye. A saleslady named Marilyn told me they they were offering the Hal Foster limited edition lithograph through June 15 "at the special anniversary price of $675 framed." On June 16, the price would increase to $925. In case you are wondering how I am able to remember all these details so precisely, it is because she offered me a 5" x 10" postcard of the print (with her name stamped on it for comission purposes) urging me to take advantage of this "special savings opportunity." I've got to be honest with you: I had no intention of spending $925 (or even $675) on that lithograph, but I have been using that postcard as a Prince Valiant bookmark every since.
Speaking of missed opportunities (which we weren't, really, but whatever)...
Back in the '90s I used to order a lot of things through the mail. Consequently I ened up on the mailing lists of sundry companies which sold things through the mail, and I received a variety of unsolicited catalogues. One such catalogue was from Museum Replicas. At the time they were offering a Prince Valiant "Singing Sword" as well as his shield (with red stallion crest) and helmet, all sold separately. They were well out of my price range (about $300 apiece), but I still think about them often.
And this doesn't have anything to do with Prince Valiant, but now that we are talking about "missed opportunities," another thing I regret not being able to afford was a life-size, bas-relief Han Solo encased in carbonite (@ $900 IIRC).
Volume 22 marks a significant milestone. 1788 (Vol. 18) was Hal Foster's last page of full art. However, he continued to write the feature as well as provide rough breakdowns and he colored every page. He retired for good at the end of 1979 when he was 87 years old and had been doing the strip for for 43 years. Page 2241 (January 20, 1980) was the last to utilize his talents. The following week, John Cullen Murphy's signature appeared for the first time, abd the subtitle "Created by Hal foster" was added to the Prince Valiant logo. the change in artwork is not really noriceable, however, because Murphy's style had gradually taken over during the previous nine years. John Cullen Murphy's son, Cullen Murphy (a well-known professional historian and editor of the Smithsonian journal Wilson Quarterly) was responsible for most of the stories during after Foster's retirement.
Page 1788 appeared previously in Fantagraphics' softcover series, volume 40. When the series was initially launched, it was to have been a 40-volume series, with the intention of having Foster's entire epic in print at once. By the time volume 40 was published, however, several of the earlier volumes had fallen out of print. I had always hoped that someone would publish the John Cullen Murphy material, though, and to my surprise and delight, the series continued beyond that point. As I mentioned in the initial post to this thread, the softcover series continued through volume 50, when John Cullen Murphy took over with page 2242. (Actually, that volume goes through page 2271, the end of a storyline.) Shortly after that, Fantagraphics began releasing the current hardcover series, and volume 22 goes through page 2290. At this point, the hardcover series is up to volume 29, and all volumes are still currently in print, so whether you count Foster's tenure as through 1788 or 2241, Fantagraphics has acheived its ultimate goal.
I am now entering a period which I have either never read before, or had read very little of, and what I have read, I haven't read since its iinitial publication in the newspaper. Regarding the timeline: when John Cullen Murphy takes over as writer, the seasons correspond to the publication date. therefore, a year in the strip becomes equal to a year IRL. For example, 475 = 1980, 476 = 1981, etc.
In Volume 23, John Cullen Murphy really makes Prince Valiant his own. I was not yet reading Prince Valiant regularly in the newspaper at this time (1981-1982), but these are Murphy's seminal stories which would be referred to repeatedly for years to come. Right off the bat, Murphy delves into the realm of the fantastic more than Foster ever did. (When Foster did do so, he always provides scientific explanations for what happened... or what the characters thought happened.) Val and Aleta's fifth child, Nathan, is born... and immediately kidnapped by newly-crowned Emporor Justinian. Arn meets Maive [SPOILER] his future wife [END SPOILER], and becomes a student of Yuen Chen, which opens up a multitude of story possibilities. First they travel to India (in this volume), and later to far off Cathay (China).
Sorry for the short notice, but I just discovered that the 1954 movie version of Prince Valiant (starring Robert Wagner) will air tomorrow morning at 5:00am on FHMXD. Just yesterday I pulled the DVD out to watch, but in a clear case of video redundancy, I will probably watch the televised version.
There is much in Volume 24 (1983-1984) that is familiar to me. That is because, in 1986, Blackthorne Publishing released two volumes of John Cullen Murphy's Prince Valiant in their "Reuben Award Winner" series. These volumes presented pages 2367 - 2518 (June 20, 1982 - May 12, 1985), but oddly, volume one reprinted 2447 - 2518 and two 2367 - 2446. But I didn't read these in 1986; I picked them up as backissues some years later. It was these two volumes, as a matter of record, that made me long for further collections of John Cullen Murphy's work. (Sometimes wishes do come true.) Back in the '80S, continuity strips were not allowed by the syndicates to run stories longer than three months, with two months the preferred length. But this rule did not seem to apply to Cullen Murphy, who would routinely introduce story elements which would not be resolved for weeks or months (or even years). He also had a penchant for using riddles. Here are three...
What all men want but cannot stand, can love but cannot bear;
And a faraway kingdom no man rules, whose ruler is always fair.
What can fly but not stand still, devouring all but eating nil?
What is wasted, never lent, never learned but always spent?
I travel nought but move away, and take along what's here today
Devouring all that man has done, I save it from oblivion.
NOTE: Two of these can be solved without prior knowledge of story elements if anyone reading this would care to to try his hand at riddle solving.
In Volume 25, Arn becomes a knight of the Round Table, gets betrothed, and becomes regent of Camelot (in that order). I was not reading these pages in "real time" (1985-1986), but they remind me very much of a strip from a few years earlier I was reading in real time, Dick Tracy, when it was going through similar changes. I won't say that the Fletcher/Collins Dick Tracy was better than Gould's, just very different and equally as good. Similarly, the John Cullen Murphy Prince Valiant is very different and equally as good in comparison to Hal Foster's. I am really burning through these volumes! Partially, that is because I am really enjoying them, but also, because of the shrinking size of the American comics pages in the '80s, the panels are much larger and there are fewer of them per page. Consequently, the artwork is not as detailed as it was under Foster, but Murphy cannot be blamed for that.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next