For years, fans have been clamoring for new
editions of Howard Chaykin's legendary American Flagg! series.
In response to this demand, Dynamic Forces, Inc and Image
Comics have teamed up to present one of the most anticipated
collections in recent years.
This
November, Image and Dynamic Forces will present two simultaneously
released American Flagg! trade paperbacks, collecting the
first twelve issues of Howard Chaykin's watershed creation.
At the same time, for the discriminating collectors, there
will be a single deluxe hardcover edition.
The first trade paperback collects issues
1 through 6 of the original series (including the complete
stories "Hard Times" and "Southern Comfort").
The second features issues 7 through 12 ("State of the
Union" and "Solidarity -- For Now"). The first
volume also includes a nine-page prelude written and illustrated
by Chaykin that was never printed in the original comic.
Dynamic Forces' 376-page hardcover edition
will contain all of the material in the two trades, as well
as additional cover paintings and promotional pieces by Chaykin,
a Michael Chabon introduction, a special dust jacket designed
by Chip Kidd, an afterword by Jim Lee and, as a special bonus,
a brand-new 12 page American Flagg! story written and illustrated
by Howard Chaykin exclusively for this edition. And for the
true connesiur, there will also be a signed edition available
signed by the man himself, Howard Chaykin!
“Working with Nick and the terrific
staff at Dynamic, and with Erik and his wonderful crew at
Image has been a great experience for me. I'm delighted with
the prospect of American Flagg! coming back under these two
sensational imprints. Thanks, guys!” stated series creator
Howard Chaykin!
“Howard and I have been close friends
for years, but have never worked together on a project of
this scale, and scope. American Flagg! is one of the definitive
works of graphic literature of not only the '80s, but of any
decade. To be part of the process that will put this masterpiece
into the hands and onto the shelves of fans both old and new,
is truly an honor. Having read this in my early days as a
comics fan, it will be wonderful to see both new fans and
old, reading one of Howard’s best works!” said
Nick Barrucci
As a fan of the original series, Image Comics
Publisher Erik Larsen is especially enthused about the project.
"Lord knows the guy has produced an impressive
body of work post-Flagg!, but American Flagg!, for a LOT of
us, stands out as Howard Chaykin's signature book," notes
Larsen. "The book that raised the bar, set the standard,
and showed the world what a talented son of a bitch he is."
"The book, the world, and its entire
cast were unlike anything that had preceded it," he adds.
"Chaykin's innovations sent a shockwave through the industry.
Nobody, prior to Chaykin, had so successfully combined illustrations
and sound effects. Nobody had integrated rock & roll riffs
and rhythms into a comic book. Nobody approached the page
with such a sense of design or wrote stories that were so
sophisticated, complex, compelling, and real. Chaykin's outstanding
use of duo-shade not only gave American Flagg! a look all
its own but made other books look flat and dull in comparison.
And the women -- oh my."
Originally published in the early eighties,
American Flagg! tells the story of Ranger Rueben Flagg as
he navigates an American landscape that, in retrospect, feels
more prophetic with each passing year. The winner of numerous
industry awards, including nine Eagle Awards, American Flagg!
is set in 2031, in a world ravaged by nuclear conflict, environmental
disasters, and nationalism that had driven the United States
government - and the corporations that owned it - to the relative
safety of the planet Mars. The government and the corporations,
now renamed the Plex, govern from a distance, relying on the
Plexus Rangers to maintain any semblance of law and order.
Once the star of a television series dramatizing
the fictional adventures of one such Ranger, Flagg was replaced
by a hologram, and then drafted into the real Rangers, where
he was assigned to protect the city of Chicago. Along with
Raul, the smartest talking cat alive, and Luther Ironheart,
the stupidest robot ever, and surrounded by a bevy of the
most beautiful women of the 21st century, Flagg faces an uphill
battle protecting and defending the American way of life --
or rather, what's left of it.