November 2014 saw the first fruits of the passing of the torch, with the twenty-first volume of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art being released by Flesk Publications, under the editorial hand of John Fleskes.

After two decades of bringing fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror art a beautiful, comprehensive annual collection of fantastic art, Cathy and Arnie Fenner announced at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2(May, 2013), that they were turning over the editing and publication of the Spectrum art annual to John Fleskes.

If you have had the privilege of holding a Flesk art book in your hands, you know that the Fenner’s made a great choice. The purchase and perusal of Spectrum has been one of my favorite annual traditions since volume eight, and I have been excited to see what John Fleskes would do with his first release.

That anticipation was rewarded with a fantastic (pardon the adjective) volume of art. Spectrum 21 maintains the high production values of previous volumes and has a familiar structure while including touches from John Flesk that kick off the book’s third decade with a bang.

(Tiger Beer Chinese New Year, by Victo Ngai, Advertising Silver Award)

John Fleskes invited noted photographer Greg Preston to Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 3 in May of 2014 to take portraits of the artists in attendance. The results are truly stunning, and some of these photos turned up in Spectrum 21.

Spectrum entries are judged by fellow artists in an anonymous voting process, and those judges are introduced in this volume with accompanying Greg Preston portraits that are a nice addition to the annual. Preston portraits are also present as part of the double-page spreads showcasing the winners of the Spectrum 21 awards in the various art categories included in the book.

(Little Reader, by Kei Acedera, Unpublished)

In his first official Year in Review column, John Fleskes does readers a favor by clearly defining each of the eight categories represented in the book: Advertising, Book, Comics, Concept Art, Dimensional, Editorial, Institutional and Unpublished. If you have ever been confused by the categories (I’m raising my hand here), this is a valuable resource.

(Assemblage, by Sparth, Concept Art)

In a volume that contains such a wide variety of artistic style and subject matter, there is the potential for an artist’s individual work to be overshadowed based on image placement. Flesk Publications addressed this by creating layouts in which, more often than not, creations from varied artists complemented one another. Where possible, multiple works in a category by the same artist were grouped together which made for a great mini portfolio of that artist’s more recent work. Big kudos to Flesk Publications for this decision, as it made for a very effective presentation of the art.

(Occultist, Issue 2, by Steve Morris, Comics)

Spectrum 21 is a beautiful volume of art, and each page contains the potential to surprise, engage and inspire. Art featured within the various categories is showcased in larger format on the front and back covers, the end papers, and more. For example, the front cover features an illustration by Rebecca Leveille-Guay entitled The Visitor, which ironically was submitted and accepted into the Unpublished category. The Lord of the Rings fans will find a gorgeous image reproduced as the book’s end pages.

(Homecoming, by Karla Ortiz, Book)

Spectrum 21 showcases hundreds of pieces of art that loudly proclaim that Fantastic Art is as vibrant, relevant, and exciting as ever. There are women and men included in this volume who are sure to provoke thought and discussion while giving your eyes a visual feast. The sheer variety of works means that the old saw about there being “something for everyone” is strictly accurate.

(Grimm Tales: Thousandfurs, by Shaun Tan, Dimensional)

Each volume of Spectrum demonstrates that science fiction/fantasy/horror art is not limited to genre book covers and film design, but is instead present in many forms and formats that passionate fans and casual observers come across on a regular basis.

(Entropy, by Chris Buzelli, Editorial)

For the eleventh year in a row, my friend, and fellow Spectrum Fantastic Art Live committee member, Jeff Smith and I spent several hours together on our first pass through the annual. There were a lot of new artist discoveries to discuss this year, along with examples of the artistic growth of frequent Spectrum alumns.

I was happy to see that John Fleskes maintained the process of giving information about the medium(s) used, the client, the Art Director, title and size of each piece included in the book. If I could add one thing, I would love to know which book, film, publication, etc. the piece was created for. Some are apparent in the title of the piece, but this is not true for all.

This is a minor wish, and one fueled by the desire to use each volume of Spectrum to further explore the artists and their works who spark my interest. Thankfully, websites are included, when existent, in the volume’s Artist Index.

(The Great Geometer, by Derek Stenning, Institutional)

I have included one image from each of the eight categories in Spectrum 21. While each image is a worthy representative of its respective category, these eight amazing images are woefully inadequate in showcasing the awesome variety of art contained within this book. You simply must purchase one for yourself. Hardcover and softcover versions remain available through the Flesk Publications website and through various online book outlets.

My Rating: 10/10, The Greatness Continues

(Morog! Lord of Destruction, by Justin Gerard, Unpublished)

On a personal note:

Thank you to Cathy and Arnie Fenner for twenty years of truly fantastic art. Your passion and creative ventures have introduced many wonderful artists whom I may not have otherwise discovered, have fueled my own passions, and have helped forge a great friendship.

Thank you to John Fleskes for keeping the work of great classic genre artists alive and for continuing to produce single-artist collections of many of today’s most talented creators. Thank you also for a terrific Spectrum 21.

And thank you to Jeff Smith, for continuing to make the annual publication of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art an even more fun, meaningful event.

After spending the weekend enjoying Spectrum 21: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, I am even more jazzed about seeing many of these artists at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 4 next year in Kansas City.