Prince Valiant: vol. 1: 1937-1938

Volume name: Prince Valiant: vol. 1: 1937-1938
By: Hal Foster
Published by Fantagraphics Books, Inc., Seattle
2009
Reviewed by: Allen Klingelhoets
Jazma Online


What I liked about this compilation of newspaper strips is effort that went into showing old stories. I also liked how book had information section about Harold Rudolf Foster. He was born in 1892 and died in 1982. This intro. Section was wrote by Brian M. Kane. There was also an interview with Hal Foster conducted by Fred Scheiber. I found out that Hal Foster once even drew Tarzan newspaper strips. He did this before creating Prince Valiant Sunday strip. The interview tells how prince Valiant found home at King Features.

The book includes strips in color from very first Prince Valiant published page on 2-13-1937 to 12-25-1938. I loved set in time period of King Arthur. I got to see Merlin and Sir Gawain. I got to see a youthful teenager of name of Valiant. I got to see him fall in love with maiden Ilene. There were creatures similar to dinosaurs and dragons in some parts of story. There was a witch called Horrit that gave Valient evil prophecies. There was a special charmed sword which Valiant used in combat. The sword was made by same mage who made Arthur’s Excalibur. I also learned that story made only for Sunday newspaper and not daily paper.

I found really amazing story and art. This was just months before Superman had first issue published in comic book form. The Phantom also had a daily newspaper publication during time of premiere of Prince Valiant. There is at least one more volume which is shown at end of book. Volume 2: 1939-1940.

The back cover states:

For three and a half decades, Harold Foster wrote and drew the weekly full color Prince Valiant page – by common agreement the greatest comic strip in history. While Prince Valiant has been collected in book form numerous times, this new edition, shot (for the first time) from Foster’s own pristine color engraver’s proofs, using 21st century scanning and color correcting technology, is the first to do justice to the sumptuousness of Foster’s graphics. In addition to reprinting the entirety of the first two years of the Prince Valiant strip, featuring Val’s thrilling earliest adventures, this volume also includes a little – seen interview with Foster, as well as rare photos and illustrations, and a biographical essay by Foster expert Brian M. Kane.

There was even a quote by Ray Bradbury

“Harold Foster was the greatest illustrator in the Sunday papers that we had, period.”

Allen Klingelhoets