Hal Foster's Prince Valiant Sketchbooks: An Illustrated Memoir Hardcover by Hal Foster

Product Details

• Publisher: Fantagraphics (2026-04-21)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 144 pages
• ISBN-13: 9798875002410
• Item Weight: 1372.14 grams
• Dimensions: 36.07 x 26.67 x 1.73 cm

The second volume of this six-part collection of annotated, never-before-seen sketches by Prince Valiant creator Hal Foster continues the series’ project of revealing in intimate detail the act of creating this landmark comic strip.

Part sketchbooks, part biography, part tutorial, part memoir — Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant Sketchbooks are an unprecedented revelation of Foster’s personal life and creative process during his final nine years on the strip, as well as a fascinating look behind the curtains as Foster coached and interacted with his chosen successor: John Cullen Murphy. Beautifully, meticulously designed and produced with the full participation of the Murphy family, this series is a testament to author and Prince Valiant historian Brian M. Kane’s research prowess and determination to bring Foster’s aesthetic and storytelling strategies to light. 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 of 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.

About the Author

Hal Foster (1892-1982) created Prince Valiant in 1937. Though remaining involved with the strip until his death in 1982, Foster handed the bulk of the scripting and art chores over to his longtime assistant, John Cullen Murphy, in 1971.

Brian M. Kane is a comics historian and adjunct professor at Ohio State University. He edited 18 volumes of Fantagraphics’ collection of the Prince Valiant strip, as well as The Prince Valiant Companion.