J. David Spurlock
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J. David Spurlock is one of America's most acclaimed comics historians. Spurlock is an award-winning author, historian, educator, creator rights advocate, documentary filmmaker and associate to star talents Steranko, Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino, Julius Schwartz, Wally Wood, Joe Simon, Frazetta, Basil Gogos, Neal Adams, Stan Lee and many more. Spurlock befriended Jack Kirby and his wife Roz, in 1977 and remained friends with the Kirbys the rest of their lives.
Spurlock's 2020 book Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta is Amazon's #1 "Hot New Release" for Individual Artists. His book How to Draw Chiller Monsters, for Random House, rose as high as #18 on the Bookspan best-seller list. Spurlock's IPPY Award-winning book, Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage, has been universally acclaimed including by MTV and by the Village Voice who proclaimed it one of The Best of 2013. Spurlock's work was so instrumental in expanding knowledge and interest into Brundage that, The Hugo Awards presented Spurlock with a Brundage-related Hugo award. In addition to the many books he has authored, Spurlock has contributed to various pop-culture magazines including The Jack Kirby Collector, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego and, the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book which has over 100,000 readers.
In 2012, Spurlock was appointed Director of the Wallace Wood Estate. Wood is the Hugo Award recognized illustrator of Galaxy and Planet Stories as well as the Eisner Hall of Fame co-creator of MAD, Mars Attacks, Daredevil and Weird Science. Spurlock is the World's leading historian on Wood. His many Wood-related projects included the Eisner, Locus and Hugo Award nominated biography Wally's World with co-author Steve Starger. The collaborations of Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood is a subject of Spurlock's writing which has been published in English, French, Portuguese, German and Spanish.
A sampling of Spurlock's speaking engagements include: Various San Diego Comic-Con Jack Kirby-related panels from 1996 through 2018 (so far); 2013 WorldCon (various lecture panels including on Robert E. Howard, Copyright Law, and on Margaret Brundage); various appearances with Stan Lee (including Dragon Con live audience of 4,600 plus TV); the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention in Indianapolis (with Basil Gogos, Harry Knowles and Bela Lugosi Jr); multiple Frank Frazetta panels at the San Diego Comic-Con; Rutgers School of Law; and University of the Arts in Philadelphia; etc. In 2011, Spurlock joined Arlen Schumer, Rand Hoppe of The Jack Kirby Museum, John Morrow and Michael Bonesteel of The Art Institute of Chicago on the New York Comic-Con panel, The Auteur Theory of Comics. In 1998, Spurlock orchestrated the Master Storytelling panel featuring Will Eisner, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams for the San Diego Comics Expo. Circa 2006, Spurlock orchestrated a similar panel with Jim Lee, Neal Adams and Steranko for New York Comic-Con.
Philanthropy: Spurlock has founded multiple scholarship funds at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has lectured worldwide on Pop Culture and Creator Rights and has taught at the university level since 1986 including at The University of Texas, The Kubert School, The School of Visual Arts, Rutgers School of Law, and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Contributor and/or consultant to art exhibitions include: the 2012 Allentown Art Museum exhibition, At The Edge: Art of the Fantastic; guest curator for major exhibits at Geppi's GEM Museum, The Society of Illustrators, National Arts Club, Scope during Art Basil Miami and more. Joe Kubert, J. David Spurlock and Dr Rafael Medoff spearheaded a campaign on behalf of Holocaust survivor Dina Babbitt to get her art returned to her from Auschwitz. Neal Adams, Stan Lee, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko were just a few of the notables who joined the campaign via Spurlock. The Babbitt Campaign led to the founding of Comics Creators for Holocaust Education by Dr Medoff and S
Spurlock's 2020 book Fantastic Paintings of Frazetta is Amazon's #1 "Hot New Release" for Individual Artists. His book How to Draw Chiller Monsters, for Random House, rose as high as #18 on the Bookspan best-seller list. Spurlock's IPPY Award-winning book, Alluring Art of Margaret Brundage, has been universally acclaimed including by MTV and by the Village Voice who proclaimed it one of The Best of 2013. Spurlock's work was so instrumental in expanding knowledge and interest into Brundage that, The Hugo Awards presented Spurlock with a Brundage-related Hugo award. In addition to the many books he has authored, Spurlock has contributed to various pop-culture magazines including The Jack Kirby Collector, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Book Artist, Alter Ego and, the Comic-Con International Souvenir Book which has over 100,000 readers.
In 2012, Spurlock was appointed Director of the Wallace Wood Estate. Wood is the Hugo Award recognized illustrator of Galaxy and Planet Stories as well as the Eisner Hall of Fame co-creator of MAD, Mars Attacks, Daredevil and Weird Science. Spurlock is the World's leading historian on Wood. His many Wood-related projects included the Eisner, Locus and Hugo Award nominated biography Wally's World with co-author Steve Starger. The collaborations of Jack Kirby and Wallace Wood is a subject of Spurlock's writing which has been published in English, French, Portuguese, German and Spanish.
A sampling of Spurlock's speaking engagements include: Various San Diego Comic-Con Jack Kirby-related panels from 1996 through 2018 (so far); 2013 WorldCon (various lecture panels including on Robert E. Howard, Copyright Law, and on Margaret Brundage); various appearances with Stan Lee (including Dragon Con live audience of 4,600 plus TV); the Famous Monsters of Filmland convention in Indianapolis (with Basil Gogos, Harry Knowles and Bela Lugosi Jr); multiple Frank Frazetta panels at the San Diego Comic-Con; Rutgers School of Law; and University of the Arts in Philadelphia; etc. In 2011, Spurlock joined Arlen Schumer, Rand Hoppe of The Jack Kirby Museum, John Morrow and Michael Bonesteel of The Art Institute of Chicago on the New York Comic-Con panel, The Auteur Theory of Comics. In 1998, Spurlock orchestrated the Master Storytelling panel featuring Will Eisner, Jim Steranko and Neal Adams for the San Diego Comics Expo. Circa 2006, Spurlock orchestrated a similar panel with Jim Lee, Neal Adams and Steranko for New York Comic-Con.
Philanthropy: Spurlock has founded multiple scholarship funds at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has lectured worldwide on Pop Culture and Creator Rights and has taught at the university level since 1986 including at The University of Texas, The Kubert School, The School of Visual Arts, Rutgers School of Law, and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Contributor and/or consultant to art exhibitions include: the 2012 Allentown Art Museum exhibition, At The Edge: Art of the Fantastic; guest curator for major exhibits at Geppi's GEM Museum, The Society of Illustrators, National Arts Club, Scope during Art Basil Miami and more. Joe Kubert, J. David Spurlock and Dr Rafael Medoff spearheaded a campaign on behalf of Holocaust survivor Dina Babbitt to get her art returned to her from Auschwitz. Neal Adams, Stan Lee, Joe Simon and Jim Steranko were just a few of the notables who joined the campaign via Spurlock. The Babbitt Campaign led to the founding of Comics Creators for Holocaust Education by Dr Medoff and S
Books By J. David Spurlock
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