New TwoMorrows book celebrates comic artist Matt Baker

Fans of the great Matt Baker should know about this new release from Tomorrows Publishing:
MATT BAKER: THE ART OF GLAMOUR is a biographical celebration of the fabled "Good Girl" illustrator who, in the early 1940s, became one the earliest African-American comic book artists. As unusual as that was for the time, it wasn’t the color of his skin which made him such a significant figure in the history of the medium—it was his innate ability to draw gorgeous, exciting women and handsome, dynamic men in a fluid, graceful style. Imagine Dave Stevens (creator of "The Rocketeer" and lifelong admirer of pin-up queen Bettie Page) or Adam Hughes (a comic book cover artist renowned for the sexy, vivacious females that populate his illustrations) working in the ’40s, drawing a new story every month, and you’ll have a good idea of Matt Baker’s place in the industry throughout his career.

Yet few of today’s comic book fans know of the artist or his work, because he died in 1959 at the young age of 38, just as the Silver Age of Comics was blossoming and bringing in a new generation of readers. Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour (a 192-page hardcover with 96 pages of full-color, including reprints of full Baker stories from throughout his career), presents the full story of an impressive career cut tragically short. It features a wealth of essays; interviews with Baker’s friends, family, and co-workers; and a treasure trove of his finest artwork, at last giving the wonderfully talented artist his full due. (NOTE: This book contains mild cartoon nudity, to present a representative sample of Baker's career. Suggested for MATURE READERS ONLY.)

192-page HARDCOVER with 96 FULL-COLOR PAGES, by Jim Amash and Eric Nolen-Weathington

 

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