Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant Sketchbooks: an Illustrated Memoir Volume 1

In the works for several years, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant Sketchbooks: An Illustrated Memoir presents never-before-published Prince Valiant art by the strip’s legendary creator, Hal Foster, collected in a series of six annotated portfolio volumes. Part sketchbooks, part biography, part tutorial, part memoir–Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant Sketchbooks is an unprecedented look into Foster’s personal life and creative process during his final nine years on the strip. It’s also a fascinating look behind the curtains as Foster coached and interacted with his chosen successor: John Cullen Murphy. Produced with the full permission and participation of the Foster and Murphy families, this series is a testament to author and Prince Valiant historian Brian M. Kane’s research prowess and determination to bring Hal Foster’s creative process to light. This uniquely intimate view of Foster’s creative process is a long-awaited dream come true for Prince Valiant fans.

Over the course of these volumes, Kane annotates with painstaking clarity and thoroughness 366 penciled layout pages, 40 character sketches, and 577 text pages of Foster’s descriptions and instructions for each panel. Also featured are an additional 143 pieces of art, mostly by Foster, 100 photographs detailing his life and career, and 123 personal letters and notes, all adding immeasurably to this exploration of Foster’s life and art, as well as his collaboration with Murphy.